HIS271Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, X Article, Mutual Assured Destruction
Document Summary
A cold war and an af uent society: america in. At the end of wwii, the u. s. was unquestionably the strongest nation in the world. The continental u. s. had been untouched, unlike the rest of the members of the war. The u. s. also had the largest military apparatus, factoring in the navy, airforce, and the american monopoly on the nuclear bomb. Similarly, the u. s. had the largest economy, to the point that they had taken the lead in some of the negotiations towards the end of the war in instituting global nancial institutions (e. g. imf). Diplomatically, the u. s. was part of the big three, giving it a role in important diplomatic circles. There was also no repeat in the american people"s rejection of their country"s role on the global stage. The soviet union was an ally during the war. Very shortly thereafter, the alliance fractures, such that we get a cold war that lasts 40+ years.
