What was driving the force of U.S foreign policy during the Cold War?

Question

Foreign Policy!! PLEASE HELP =o)

Answer 1

From roughly 1949-1970, the driving force of the Cold War was the Truman Doctrine or as it is more commonly known, Containment. This was the idea that the US would work to block the expansion of Communism from the parts of the world where it already was: the USSR, Eastern Europe, and China. That is why we fought the Korean War to keep South Korea non-communist and, after the French defeat of Dien Bien Fu in Vietnam, began sending forces to help the Republic of Vietnam against the Viet Cong.

In the early 1970s, we saw the SALT treaties and the supposed era of detente. That disastrous decade pretty much ended the containment philosophy and not surprisingly (to anyone paying attention), communism spread into Africa and Central/South America while the west pretended to be chums with the Soviets.

1981 brought Reagan and a complete reversal of policy again. Ignoring detente and containment, Reagan strove to break the Soviet Union and end communism as we knew it. Through his speeches and a massive arms build-up, he essentially broke the Soviet economy. In 1989, the Soviets let the Eastern European nations go without a fight and in 1991, the USSR gave up with a whimper.

Answer 2

Nuclear arms build up, difference in form of government, and competition in general.

Answer 3

Nuclear weapons and scared republicans

also No diplomacy

Answer 4

the evil empire of Communism

Answer 5

Arms buildup.