After the conclusion of World War two, considerable shifts in power had taken place throughout the world and many economies were struggling or crumbling. Out of the ashes of a terrible war, the Soviet Union emerged as a new superpower capable of tremendous influence. The United Sates recognized the strength of the Soviet Union and the vulnerable state of many European countries. And American officials feared a possible expansion of communism in Europe. The United States hoped to differ communist expansion and protect capitalism among European countries. This led to a series of containment policies by the United states to protect American ideology overseas. Throughout the cold war, methods of containment took many turns. However, in any
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However, some regard the containment policy to be a form of hegemony and a means of American imperialism. Hegemony, simply put, occurs when one nation exhorts “leadership or predominant influence” over others. But, can also refer to the act of “aggression or expansionism by large nations in an effort to achieve world domination (http://www.dictionary.com/browse/hegemony).” It is clear that the word hegemony can be applied loosely to define almost any act of foreign policy. For example, one of the first uses of military might by the United Sates in the name of containment was during the 1946 Turkish straits crisis. The Turkish straits are a valuable travel and trade route because they “connect the Black Sea to the Mediterranean ().” Turkey had remained a neutral country throughout World War Two, however, the Soviet Union was putting increasing pressure on the Turkish government to allow them to utilize the Turkish straits. Perhaps due to turkey’s reluctance, the Soviet Union decided they wanted full control of the Turkish straits and called for an international conference on the question of who should secure that control. To make their intentions clear, the Soviet Union “began a series of naval maneuvers in the Black Sea, and dispatched a substantial number of troops to the Balkans ().” These aggressive acts concerned the Turkish government who reached out to the United States for support against Soviet invasion. The United States happily obliged, and sent a navel fleet to the area. In addition, both the United States and Great Britain sent notes to the Soviet Union reaffirming their support for turkey. Armed by this support, turkey flat out rejected the Soviet Union’s request. And the Soviet Union cancelled their request for an international conference on the question of the
However, some regard the containment policy to be a form of hegemony and a means of American imperialism. Hegemony, simply put, occurs when one nation exhorts “leadership or predominant influence” over others. But, can also refer to the act of “aggression or expansionism by large nations in an effort to achieve world domination (http://www.dictionary.com/browse/hegemony).” It is clear that the word hegemony can be applied loosely to define almost any act of foreign policy. For example, one of the first uses of military might by the United Sates in the name of containment was during the 1946 Turkish straits crisis. The Turkish straits are a valuable travel and trade route because they “connect the Black Sea to the Mediterranean ().” Turkey had remained a neutral country throughout World War Two, however, the Soviet Union was putting increasing pressure on the Turkish government to allow them to utilize the Turkish straits. Perhaps due to turkey’s reluctance, the Soviet Union decided they wanted full control of the Turkish straits and called for an international conference on the question of who should secure that control. To make their intentions clear, the Soviet Union “began a series of naval maneuvers in the Black Sea, and dispatched a substantial number of troops to the Balkans ().” These aggressive acts concerned the Turkish government who reached out to the United States for support against Soviet invasion. The United States happily obliged, and sent a navel fleet to the area. In addition, both the United States and Great Britain sent notes to the Soviet Union reaffirming their support for turkey. Armed by this support, turkey flat out rejected the Soviet Union’s request. And the Soviet Union cancelled their request for an international conference on the question of the