The World War Was A Threat Of Nuclear War - 1576 Words

What where the reasons for the ‘thaw’ in superpower relations in 1970s? The II World War was followed by redistribution of power, which was essentially non-European (Brzezinski, 1986:11). The United States, already with a position of global superpower and The Soviet Union, dominating the world with its size and ideologically and historically endeavoured to this position. According to Brzezinski ideological rivalry was, indeed one of the reasons for the competition, however he stresses that, after all, it was ‘expressed predominantly through the extension of power and influence over territory and people and through the acquisition of military might designed to intimidate or contain the opponent’(Brzezinski,1986:11). Without doubt, the Cuban†¦show more content†¦After Kennedy’s death and dramatic change of General Secretary in Kremlin, from Nikita Khrushchev to Leonid Brezhnev, a new era for relationship between superpowers began. Richard Nixon’s perception of the United States in national and international context differed from his predecessors. As a politician he did not see his country as a global leader, more as a ‘normal’ state (Westad, 2007:195). American involvement in international conflicts (especially war in Vietnam, presence in Western Europe or constant disagreement with the Soviet Union on Middle East), according to him, was a source of disorder in general policy of the country. Engagement with ‘peripheral issues’ led to negligence of home affairs and troubles. Nixon ‘inherited’ war in Vietnam from Kennedy and Johnson, but perceived it as a mistake and a distraction from more pressuring problems. Also, it was a big obstacle in normalisation of relations with the Soviet Union. This is one of the reasons why both Nixon and Kissinger wanted to open relations with China, as an instrument in pressuring Vietnamese to negotiate the settlement, but partly to show the dramatic front movement in foreign policy to show that they are not crippled and paralysed by war in Vietnam. Relationship with China and U.S.S.R. was in his perception a safe way to guarantee safe exit of American forces from Indochina. Soviets, from the other side, were cautious and afraid of emerging