DIPLOMACYHenry Kissinger

EUROPEAN DIPLOMACY – BALANCE OF POWER

Balance of power model for international relations originates in the 17th century, emerges in 19th century

Balance of power system mostly worked – inhibited capacity to overthrow order

METTERNICH ORDER – BALANCE OF POWER IN ACTION

BISMARCK

Prussian Prime Minister 1862-1890 Hated Metternich Order Practiced “Realpolitik”

Foreign policy based on calculations of power and national interest

BREAKDOWN OF REALPOLITIK & WORLD WAR I

Realpolitik resulted in the unification of Germany

Ironically, the unification of Germany caused Realpolitik to fall apart

Germany getting too strong

WORLD WAR I

Tension started to build between Austria-Hungary and Germans and the three countries who allied together to balance Germany – Britain, Russia, and France

World War I began in 1914

WHAT’S GOING ON IN AMERICA

Until the 20th century, America approach to foreign policy was isolationist

There was a change in the early 1900s – America shifted toward a missionary policy Woodrow Wilson’s philosophy – America’s

obligation to the world

END OF WORLD WAR I & BEGINNING OF WORLD WAR II

Germany loses, fully blamed for war Treaty of Versailles signed Hitler and Stalin soon begin to undermine

Versailles

END OF WORLD WAR II & RISE OF SOVIET UNION

Roosevelt realized that Germany can be stopped only with America’s help

After defeat of Hitler, there is a power vacuum in Central Europe

Soviet Union begins expanding Results in Cold War

AMERICA’S WILSONIAN IDEALS

Truman Doctrine Korean War Vietnam War

COLLAPSE OF SOVIET UNION & ITS IMPLICATIONS

The Soviet Union collapsed very suddenly Fell because of overextension and economic

problems

THE CURRENT WORLD ORDER

US is now the only superpower that can affect every part of the world

Wilsonianism triumphs – America must build a new world order by applying its values to the world