The Cold War and the Change in the Nature of Military Power
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The Cold War and the Change in the Nature of Military Power by: Lee M. Peterson supervisor: Dr. Christopher Coker UMI Number: U615441 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U615441 Published by ProQuest LLC 2014. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 I SO 53 Abstract The fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989 was called by many observers of international affairs the end of the Cold War. However, fifteen years earlier, commentators such as Alistair Buchan had also declared the end of the Cold War. Was this just an premature error on Buchan's part or is there a link between the events of the early 1970s, which is referred to as the era of detente and those leading up to the collapse of the Berlin Wall? It is the intention of this thesis to argue that these periods are integrally related mainly by the fact that they were each periods when one of the two superpowers was forced to re evaluate their foreign policies. The re-evaluations were brought about by changes in the international arena, most importantly a change in the nature of military power. Because the two superpowers were to recognize the change in the nature of military power at different times, it was not until both the United States and the Soviet Union had re-evaluated and altered their foreign policies was the Cold War really over. This thesis will firstly discuss the theoretical approaches to International Relations and the issue of power. It will then identify and define this change in the nature of military power by tracing the evolution of war and conflict in the past century. The thesis then trace the development of both US and Soviet foreign policy from the origin of the Cold War, through its various stages until the fall of the Berlin Wall. Through materials obtained from both US and Soviet archives, as well as interviews, this thesis will argue that this change in the nature of power was a central factor in altering the thinking of American and Soviet leaders at the time they brought drastic change to their foreign policies. Finally, this thesis will briefly look at the future role of military power as the world moves into the twenty-first century. 2 Acknowledgements Whenever one takes as long as I have to write a Ph.D. thesis, there are always a great number of people that need to be acknowledged. My case is no exception. I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Christopher Coker. Although he stepped in late to become my supervisor, he gave me the guidance and belief in my work that I so desperately needed. For that, I am deeply grateful. I would also like to mention two people, though no longer living, who introduced me to and gave me a great love of my study, Dr. Richard Kenney and Dr. Thomas Flinn. I need to express my gratitude to Philip Windsor. As anyone who has spent any time in the International Relations Department at the LSE will attest, one can not help but be influenced by his teaching. I owe a debt of thanks to Dr. Bo Huldt. It was while working under his direction as a visiting researcher at UI, that I came up with the idea for this thesis. In my research, I was very fortunate to find a wealth of primary source material. There were four people whose assistance was key to my finding that material, Dr. Scott Pamham; the Nixon Project, Stuart Kennedy; The Oral History Project, Georgetown University, Gabriel Partosh; BBC World Service, and Dr. Robert Litwak; The Woodrow Wilson Center. I need to thank Michi Ebata and Nicola Phillips who read various versions of this thesis and offered constructive criticism. I have far too many friends to name, whose support and encouragement were key to my completing this thesis. Although this is hardly sufficient, thank you! To those who were kind enough to give me a room when I needed one, especially Edgar Whitley, David Bremer and Harry and Carol Greenway, I am forever grateful. Finally, to my mother, father and brother who indulged me for so long (some even think over indulged me), I can’t express enough thanks, I can just say we did it! 3 This is dedicated to the Memory of C.B. McLeod. ‘Hey McLeod, here I am! ’ 4 Table of Contents A b stra c t............................................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgement ............................................................................................................. 3 Chapter 1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 7 Military Power and Its Changing Nature ........................................................................... 7 Defining American Foreign Policy and Its Perception of Power ........................................14 Defining the Soviet Perception of P ow er ............................................................................ 25 Conclusion ..............................................................................................................................37 Chapter 2 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 39 Containment............................................................................................................................39 Eisenhower and Massive Retaliation ....................................................................................49 Kennedy and the Crisis Years ..............................................................................................55 LBJ ........................................................................................................................................66 Conclusion ..............................................................................................................................72 Chapter 3 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 74 Nixon-Kissinger Relationship ................................................................................................ 75 American Conception of Detente .........................................................................................83 The Nixon Doctrine............................................................................................................... 92 The End of Detente, Yom Kippur War and the ‘Step-by-step* Approach ......................... I l l Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 118 Chapter 4 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................121 The Carter Administration ....................................................................................................121 The T u rn ...............................................................................................................................125 The Reagan Administration ................................................................................................. 128 The Return of Detente .........................................................................................................148 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 155 Chapter 5 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................157 Joseph Stalin and the Early Post-War Period ......................................................................157 The Khrushchev Era ........................................................................................................... 171 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 190 Chapter 6 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................192 Soviet Conception of Detente ...............................................................................................199 The Soviet Military Build U p .............................................................................................. 203 Soviet Policy in the Third World .......................................................................................207 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................231 Chapter 7 Introduction..........................................................................................................................233 New Political Thinking ........................................................................................................ 233 Relations with Eastern E urope ............................................................................................248