Sample Answer for What were the main developments in US Foreign Policy between 1973 and 1989?

Between the years 1973 and 1989, the United States underwent significant shifts in its foreign policy as several different presidents grappled with the aftermath of the Vietnam War, the changing dynamics of the Cold War, and the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union. During this period, American foreign policy moved away from the rigid, confrontational stance of earlier decades and began to embrace more diplomatic and strategic approaches. From Richard Nixon's policy of Vietnamisation to Ronald Reagan's eventual thaw in relations with the USSR, these years marked a critical evolution in how the US engaged with the world. This essay explores these developments, highlighting each presidency's successes, failures, and lasting impacts.

Richard Nixon came into office determined to reshape US foreign policy, particularly in response to the mess of the Vietnam War. He sought to learn from the mistakes of Lyndon B. Johnson, whose escalation of the war had led to widespread domestic unrest and international criticism. Nixon introduced Vietnamisation, a strategy aimed at reducing American troop presence by training and equipping South Vietnamese forces to take over the fight against the North. This approach was a key aspect of the Nixon Doctrine, which signalled a shift from the more interventionist Truman Doctrine underpinned by a staunch approach to 'containment'. Unlike Truman, who emphasised direct American involvement to contain communism, Nixon advocated for a more supportive but less hands-on approach. However, the withdrawal of US troops in 1973 did not prevent the eventual fall of Saigon in 1975, marking a painful end to America's involvement in Vietnam and highlighting the limits of Nixon's strategy. In any case, this new approach to foreign policy would signal a shift in how America would deal with issues abroad. In addition to his Vietnam policy, Nixon also made groundbreaking moves to improve relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC). For decades, the US had largely ignored the PRC, focusing instead on supporting the Republic of China (Taiwan). In recognising the strategic benefits of engaging with China, Nixon pursued a détente policy with the communist nation. This diplomatic thaw was a major shift, as it not only opened the door to formal diplomatic relations between the two countries but also put pressure on the Soviet Union to reconsider its own approach to the US. Nixon's 1972 visit to China and meetings with Premier Zhou Enlai were historic, marking the beginning of a new era in Sino-American relations and reshaping the global balance of power, a massive development in the American approach to foreign policy that would shape the development of further relations for the next decade or more.

However, despite these diplomatic successes, Nixon's foreign policy was fraught with contradictions. The 1973 Chilean coup, where Nixon's administration, through the CIA, supported efforts to overthrow the democratically elected socialist leader Salvador Allende, drew sharp criticism from the Soviet Union and others around the world. At the same time, the US's support for Israel during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, where American aid indirectly targeted Soviet interests, further strained the fragile détente. Although Secretary of State Henry Kissinger's shuttle diplomacy eventually calmed tensions, these events revealed the inherent challenges in balancing realpolitik with the ideals of international diplomacy. The contradictions in Nixon's approach highlighted the difficulties in maintaining a consistent foreign policy during an era of global instability.

Following Nixon's resignation in 1974, Gerald Ford inherited a complex foreign policy landscape. Ford largely continued Nixon's approach, particularly his commitment to détente. One of the major accomplishments of Ford's presidency, and indeed one of the biggest developments from 1973-89, was his participation in the 1975 Helsinki Accords, which sought to improve relations between the Communist bloc and the West by promoting cooperation and human rights across Europe. This was a significant step in easing Cold War tensions, although it was met with scepticism by some who doubted the sincerity of the Soviet Union's commitments. Additionally, Ford's meeting with Brezhnev in Vladivostok in 1974, where they discussed arms limitations, and the Apollo-Soyuz Project in 1975, which marked a rare instance of US-Soviet cooperation in space, symbolized the ongoing, albeit cautious, efforts to maintain a stable relationship with the USSR.

Jimmy Carter's approach to foreign policy was markedly different from that of his predecessors. Emphasizing human rights, Carter sought to distance the US from the realpolitik that had defined earlier administrations. His focus on moral principles was evident in his criticisms of both US allies and adversaries who violated human rights. However, Carter's idealism often clashed with geopolitical realities. His signing of SALT II in 1979 was intended to further arms control with the USSR, but the treaty was undermined by the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan later that year, which led to its failure in the US Senate. Additionally, Carter's handling of the Iranian Revolution and the subsequent hostage crisis in 1979 damaged his credibility, both domestically and internationally, and illustrated the difficulties of balancing idealistic goals with the practical demands of foreign policy.

Ronald Reagan's election in 1980 marked a dramatic shift in US foreign policy, as he moved away from the détente of the 1970s and embraced a more confrontational stance toward the Soviet Union. Reagan believed that the best way to protect American interests was through overwhelming military strength, leading to the largest peacetime defence budget in US history. Central to this strategy was the Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI), also known as "Star Wars," which aimed to develop a missile defence system capable of intercepting nuclear attacks. Reagan's rhetoric was similarly aggressive; he famously labelled the Soviet Union an "evil empire" and declared that it would be consigned to the "ash heap of history." This aggressive posture was a clear departure from the more cautious diplomacy of the previous decade.

However, Reagan's approach began to soften in the mid-1980s, particularly after Mikhail Gorbachev became the leader of the Soviet Union in 1985. Gorbachev introduced significant reforms in the USSR, including Glasnost (openness) and Perestroika (restructuring), which aimed to modernize the Soviet system and reduce Cold War tensions. Reagan, recognizing the opportunity for genuine progress, shifted from his earlier hostility to a more cooperative stance. This culminated in the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty signing in 1987, which marked a significant reduction in the nuclear arsenals of both superpowers. The INF Treaty was a key step toward ending the Cold War, signalling a new era in US-Soviet relations.

The years from 1973 to 1989 witnessed a monumental transformation in US foreign policy as successive administrations navigated the dynamics of the Cold War and the changing global order. From Nixon's attempt to extricate the US from Vietnam and open relations with China to Reagan's initial aggression followed by a surprising turn to diplomacy, each president adapted US foreign policy to the challenges of the time. By the end of the 1980s, the Cold War was winding down, and the world was on the brink of a new era in which the US would emerge as the sole superpower. This period underscores the importance of flexibility in foreign policy, demonstrating how strategic shifts from the United States led to significant global changes. As Reagan himself reflected in the twilight of his presidency, "We are at the end of a long period of intense struggle between two conflicting ideologies. This struggle has left no one unscarred", and for better or worse, following the Vietnam War, the fall of the Communist bloc, and the controversies surrounding the US presidency on a domestic level between 1973-89, that statement certainly rings true.