Cold War Intervention

The intervention of western societies can be seen many time throughout history. This is just the case after the second world war. The idea of “saving” other peoples because they don 't have the same ideas is also something that can be seen many times throughout history. The Cold War is a prime example of both these statements. At a time where rebuild was a necessity and influence from other empires was great, the spread of democracy and communism was heavy. Empires like the US and the USSR were two super powers that can be seen influencing other countries because, in their minds, this is what it meant to be more civil and modern. This is also a time where gender roles were changing as well as the idea of manliness was thought to be a necessity …show more content…
This however was taken by a different approach by both the US and USSR, for both actually had personal troops based on each side, north and south. This of course would mean that a different approach of changing a nation is at play, and this would be the civilization mission approach. This is a way of changing the values of a country by invading and using force and in the end civilizing them in the eye of the invader. This was very much the case in Vietnam, due to the fact that both the US and USSR went into Vietnam personally to stop and continue the spread of communism. They both forced their way in, another aspect of manliness. Forcing their way in and exerting control are all characteristic of manliness at the time, which yet again was sought after in empires such as these (Class Notes, 11/15/15). In a specific example the Vietnam War was the pushing for a more “civilized” country in the eyes of the US and USSR, done in a more violent way and with formal political control, fulfilling the civilization mission of this …show more content…
Modernization theory focuses on political power through influence, as well as the alliances it makes to help fulfill the influence it gives. It also goes for a nonviolent stance, looking at change without the use of violence thus not physically forcing anything other than the police power and foreign policy that comes with it. The increase in technology and economy come with the idea of modernization theory as well. Similarly, the civilization mission also focuses on the aspect of change, also with the aspect of foreign policy. These similarities can be see in both situations too. The over all goal of the Cold War was to change the ideals of other countries, as was the goal of the Vietnam War. The civilization mission does have its differences thought, for it was about force, and taking control through violence which was not like the modernization theory. This can be seen in the Vietnam war, for both the US and USSR forced there way into Vietnam to try to change it a certain way. Over all both modernization theory and the civilization mission have their similarities and differences, ranging from the overall Cold War to just the Vietnam