The Cold War long defined American foreign policy. American foreign policy was forced to embody American national identity by advocating for economic freedom and countering the Soviet Union across the globe. Once the Cold War ended, the U.S. faced a world with new actors and new challenges. This new world necessitated a new foreign policy as well. After the Cold War, U.S. foreign policy struggled to meet different challenges, but its core objective of spreading American ideology remained.
The Cold War ended during the presidency of George H.W. Bush. Bush can be considered the first post-Cold War leader. He emphasized the triumph of the United States and freedom over communism. One challenge that Bush faced during his presidency was the Gulf …show more content…
One hallmark of President Obama’s foreign policy was “smart power.” Hillary Clinton described smart power as “picking the right tool, or combination of tools, for each situation” (M&P 572). These tools might have been “diplomatic, economic, military, political, legal, and cultural” (M&P 572). Obama sought to distance himself from the seemingly single-minded decision making of the Cold War and Bush eras, where the only tools in the toolbox seemed to be diplomatic and military in nature. This non-doctrinaire, flexible foreign policy reflected a shift in the outlook of American foreign policy; America no longer sought to be overly powerful or dominant, but …show more content…
After the Cold War, the American alliance with Russia seemed strong. Clinton and Russian President Boris Yeltsin had forged a close bond, and following 9/11 Russian President Vladimir Putin had grounded his air force out of sympathy for the tragedy. Americans no longer viewed Russia as purely an enemy. However, this outlook on Russia changed during the Obama years. Russia exercised its veto power on the U.N. Security Council more often, annexed Crimea, and fomented rebellion in other parts of Eastern Ukraine. Russia seemed to be rearing its head as it had during the times of the Soviet Union, and Obama struggled to curb Putin’s hawkish actions. Two decades after the Cold War, animosity between the two countries grew once
The Cold War ended during the presidency of George H.W. Bush. Bush can be considered the first post-Cold War leader. He emphasized the triumph of the United States and freedom over communism. One challenge that Bush faced during his presidency was the Gulf …show more content…
One hallmark of President Obama’s foreign policy was “smart power.” Hillary Clinton described smart power as “picking the right tool, or combination of tools, for each situation” (M&P 572). These tools might have been “diplomatic, economic, military, political, legal, and cultural” (M&P 572). Obama sought to distance himself from the seemingly single-minded decision making of the Cold War and Bush eras, where the only tools in the toolbox seemed to be diplomatic and military in nature. This non-doctrinaire, flexible foreign policy reflected a shift in the outlook of American foreign policy; America no longer sought to be overly powerful or dominant, but …show more content…
After the Cold War, the American alliance with Russia seemed strong. Clinton and Russian President Boris Yeltsin had forged a close bond, and following 9/11 Russian President Vladimir Putin had grounded his air force out of sympathy for the tragedy. Americans no longer viewed Russia as purely an enemy. However, this outlook on Russia changed during the Obama years. Russia exercised its veto power on the U.N. Security Council more often, annexed Crimea, and fomented rebellion in other parts of Eastern Ukraine. Russia seemed to be rearing its head as it had during the times of the Soviet Union, and Obama struggled to curb Putin’s hawkish actions. Two decades after the Cold War, animosity between the two countries grew once