ESSAY: America as Superpower–Confrontation in a Nuclear Age (1947-Present)

Cold War period (1947-1990) possible examples – choose one strategic concern and one confrontation that illustrates that concern:

Cold War strategic concerns: Containment, Domino Theory, “MAD Doctrine”
Cold War confrontations: Berlin Airlift; Korean War; Vietnam War; Cuban Missile Crisis

Sources: Schultz, p. 462-7, 485-8, 499-506, 535-540, 560-7.

Besides the Schultz text, you must use any two (or more) of the following sources that relates to your paper:

George H. W. Bush. March 6, 1991. Address before a Joint Session of the Congress on the Cessation of the Persian Gulf Conflict. http://college.cengage.com/history/wadsworth_9781133309888/unprotected/ps/bushnwo.html

B. Caplan. Sept. 9, 2019. The Domino Theory Reconsidered. https://www.econlib.org/the-domino-theory-reconsidered/

S. Chace. Summer, 2015. The Cuban Missile Crisis: Leadership as Disturbance, Informed by History. http://libdatab.strayer.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=109462818&site=eds-live&scope=site

Winston Churchill. March, 1946. Iron Curtain Speech, Fulton College, Missouri. https://winstonchurchill.org/resources/speeches/1946-1963-elder-statesman/the-sinews-of-peace/

John F. Dulles. January 2, 1954. Secretary Dulles’ Strategy of Massive Retaliation. http://college.cengage.com/history/wadsworth_9781133309888/unprotected/ps/dulles.html

Hickman. Aug. 9, 2019. History of Containment Policy. https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-containment-2361022

McNamara. July 3, 2019. Why Did the US Enter the Vietnam War? https://www.thoughtco.com/why-did-us-enter-vietnam-war-195158

K. Musili. August 1, 2017. What is a Rogue State? WorldAtlas. https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-a-rogue-state.html

Colin Powell. February 6, 2003. Transcript of Powell’s UN Presentation. http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/02/05/sprj.irq.powell.transcript/

Robins-Early. March 7, 2015. Was the 2011 Libya Intervention a Mistake? Huffington Post. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/libya-intervention-daalder_n_6809756

Victor. Dec. 21, 2018. Need a Refresher on the War in Afghanistan? Here are the Basics. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/21/world/asia/afghanistan-war-explainer.html

Wilde. June 20, 2019. What is Mutually Assured Destruction? Thoughtco. https://www.thoughtco.com/mutually-assured-destruction-1221190

The online Rubik’s Cube solver helps you to find the solution for your unsolved puzzle.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

Use the Strayer Writing Standards (SWS) . The format is different than other formats like APA. Please take a moment to review the SWS documentation for details.
Be typed, double spaced between lines, using Times New Roman font, Calibri, Arial, or Courier (size 10, 11, or 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and sources must follow SWS format. You must have a Sources list at the end; each source listed must also be cited in the body of the paper with an in-text citation.
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the Sources page are not included in the required assignment page length.
The body of the paper should be five paragraphs and a total of 500-to-800 words in length. The 500 minimum is firm; you really have not adequately developed the paper if less than that. The 800 maximum is a loose guideline. The body of the paper is to be double-spaced. Typically, if you follow these instructions, the body of your paper will be 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 pages in length; add a page for your title page and another for your sources list and that then gets to 4-1/2-to 5-1/2. But the length requirement is evaluated by word count.
The paper must be submitted (uploaded and attached) in the course shell provided online.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

Discuss the rise of the United States to a world “superpower” from 1940 to the present day and how the formal international policies of government influenced the role of America as a policeman of the world.

ANSWER

America as Superpower–Confrontation in a Nuclear Age

America is the most powerful country today and most probably in the history of the world. The country has massive national wealth and military capabilities that are far superior to any other country. Among the major powers, the US has the best long-term prospects for economic growth. Such capabilities have made the US to exert influence on decisions made by other countries in the world through its diplomatic and soft power influence.

However, the rise of the United States to the superpower status was defined by the post-world war era after the 1940s. After this time, the US developed nuclear power with the help of Europe. At first, there was no other country that developed nuclear power. America was the first to establish an atomic bomb, and the ability to deliver them helped improve its economy (Dulles, 1954).

Other than the nuclear power, the US influence to being a superpower was occasioned by the aftermath of the world war that left other big players devastated. German, Russia, Britain, and France were all bankrupted as a result of their farmlands destroyed Schultz. America was however, less affected as factories were becoming more munitions that other parts of the world. The country was insulated from the effects of war due to its demographic advantage of having the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. 

International policies of government have given the US a significant influence to the extent of being the police of the world. For instance, the international advocacy for peace and democracy has seen the US issue sanctions to other countries believed to be undemocratic or engaging in economic plunder (Hickman, 2019). Additionally, owing to its financial position, the US also dictates international trade policies by influencing the price of significant products such as oil.

References

Hickman. Aug. 9, 2019. History of Containment Policy. https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-containment-2361022

John F. Dulles. (January 2, 1954). Secretary Dulles’ Strategy of Massive Retaliation. http://college.cengage.com/history/wadsworth_9781133309888/unprotected/ps/dulles.html

Schultz, D. (1994). The property, Power, and American Democracy 1st Edition p. 462-7, 485-8, 499-506, 535-540, 560-7.