Fleming (1959)
Keep in mind that this article is written in 1959, during the Cold War.
Cointainment
Roosevelt had a tendency to make peace in co-operation with the SU. → when
he died that kind of policy making disappeared.
Truman negotiated with the Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov about the interest of
Russia in Poland.
Truman wanted free election in the SU, he failed, so he decided to ‘contain’ the
SU. → Truman doctrine (introduced March 12, 1947)
The UN would become a battleground for the Cold War instead of a binding
institution.
The monopoly on atomic bombs enabled Truman and Churchill to feel able to
control the world → US felt responsibility to take political control over the two
communist states (SU, China)
Foreign Bases
American arms were being shipped to surrounding countries to defend
themselves against communism, sometimes they were even used by dictators.
Global Involvement
In 1959, the amount of allies of the US is so big that they didn’t know how to
escape them. But they also didn’t want to escape from their world-wide
involvement.
US holds great economic power in 1959 → more economic oppertunities for
Americans.
Fleming thinks that America should begin to realize that they have assumed
responsibilities for more than the world can manage → more worldwide contacts
are needed to fight communism and promote individual liberty.
Counter Encirclement
The power of the US caused the reaction by the soviets to achieve the atomic-
and the hydrogen bomb. Containment drove them to build a force of
Beyond the Cold War - D. R. Fleming (1959) 1