During the Cold War era, the United States played a large part in European affairs by attempting to dominate European countries’ domestic politics. By exaggerating America’s influence in Europe, the role of European countries is underestimated. While many textbooks will support this argument, Mark Gilbert opposes this idea and demonstrates the true extent of American, as well as internal, involvement in Europe. While Gilbert’s thesis is satisfactory within this context, it could also be applied effectively within other texts, such as the American textbooks Gilbert mentions in the first sentence of the article and other articles that discuss American involvement in Europe during the Cold War.
At the beginning of the article Gilbert mentions a flaw in many current American textbooks: the United States is often portrayed as the dominant power in Europe during the Cold War. The word “American” is significant in this context as it demonstrates the difference in historical accounts between Gilbert and American historians. As Gilbert continues his discussion, the differences between his article and the average American textbook become obvious. Gilbert discusses American involvement in the …show more content…
When discussing the reconstruction of Europe, James states, “Security was provided by other powers (primarily the United States)” (James, 268). This statement suggests that America was the primary security provider to Europe. While this was true after the Berlin blockade, Great Britain was actually the first to suggest a system of security in Europe (Gilbert, 58). While Gilbert thoroughly explains Britain’s attempt to provide security to the European nations, James neglects to discuss this. A more thorough discussion of the security of Europe during the beginning of the Cold War, such as an expansion of Gilbert’s thesis, would prove to be more
At the beginning of the article Gilbert mentions a flaw in many current American textbooks: the United States is often portrayed as the dominant power in Europe during the Cold War. The word “American” is significant in this context as it demonstrates the difference in historical accounts between Gilbert and American historians. As Gilbert continues his discussion, the differences between his article and the average American textbook become obvious. Gilbert discusses American involvement in the …show more content…
When discussing the reconstruction of Europe, James states, “Security was provided by other powers (primarily the United States)” (James, 268). This statement suggests that America was the primary security provider to Europe. While this was true after the Berlin blockade, Great Britain was actually the first to suggest a system of security in Europe (Gilbert, 58). While Gilbert thoroughly explains Britain’s attempt to provide security to the European nations, James neglects to discuss this. A more thorough discussion of the security of Europe during the beginning of the Cold War, such as an expansion of Gilbert’s thesis, would prove to be more