Assignments for International history in week8^9

Kennedy's New Frontier foreign policy universalist and anti-communist as Eisenhower’s had been

 act more decisivelyy in situations where Eisenhower would probably have been more cautious

 but the Eisenhower administration had also developed more advanced solid-fuel-fired types

Questions: 

1) Summarize the significance of the “flexible response strategy” of the Kennedy administration in comparison with the “massive retaliation strategy” by Eisenhower. 

    According to the reading, both expenditures of conventional army and nuclear was enormously increased during Kennedy administration, which was a keystone for the US to response rapidly wherever crisis happened. We can know that the US during subtle actions to intervene the Third World countries preventing them from becoming pro-communist states. Comparing to  Eisenhower's policy, the “flexible response strategy” allow the US to contend with the Soviet which had declared that they will devote themselves to assist those Third World countries.  I argue that Eisenhower's “massive retaliation strategy” overly emphasized the directly competition with the Soviet itself but ignored the control of global circumstance. 

2) What made West Germany turn to the East, leading to Ostpolitik, since mid1960’s?

    I think that Gaullist affected the West Germany to be friendly with East European states. The Élysée Treaty and the TEEC established a new path for France and West Germany to refuse Anglo-Saxon in certain degree, which led West Germany to Ostpolitik.

Comment

I argue that the foundation of Kennedy's “flexible response strategy” is Eisenhower's legacy by letting Kennedy possess superior advantage in missiles both in technical quality and in number. I don't think that Kennedy's foreign policies acquired as successful as we imagined. Besides the dramatic success on Cuba missile crisis, his administration had gained little. A failure in Pig bay, Cuba and stepping into a swamp of Viet War. I doubt Kennedy can remain his high reputation without Eisenhower's legacy.

Questions: 

1) What was the relationship between the Sino-American rapprochement and the US-Soviet détente? 

    The relationship between the Sino-American rapprochement is a form of mutual lever to each other against the Soviet. Nixon assumed that if the US can establish better relations with China and the Soviet separately and simultaneously, it can weaken the hostility toward the US and ease the US from the Cold War system. The major obstacle is admission about legitimacy that the US promised to Taiwan.

2) Discuss the role of the Helsinki (CSCE) process in transforming and ending the Cold War in Europe.

    I think that the CSCE represents an official diplomatic ceasefire in Europe continent. Through the CSCE, both the Western countries and communist-side countries can prevent potential military confrontation. 

Question

    Why didn't Taiwan try to build a relation with the Soviet Union after the "Nixon's betrayal"?  I personally argue that Chiang Kai-shek and the Nationalist were too bumble to play another policy strategy.