COLD WAR IN THE AMERICAS

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COLD WAR IN THE AMERICAS
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Required Reading
Smith, Talons, chs. 5-8 Holden and Zolov, Latin
America 68, 71, 106, 108, 109, 111 (on U.S.
policy) 82, 86, 90, 96, 101, 115 (on Latin
American responses)
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On Other Assignments

• Mid-term
• Study Guide to be distributed February 3
• Test during regular class time February 10
  (600-730)
• Papers returned February 17
• Optional paper
• A question as well as a topic
• Due Tuesday, March 2

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PART I. THE U.S. AND THE COLD WAR

• Credos Ideology and Assumptions
• Bipolar conflict
• The need for containment
• Geopolitics, dominoes, and the Third World
• Marxism and the developing world

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• Defining U.S. Interests in Latin America The
  Mantra of National Security
• Raw materials?
• Sea lanes?
• Military bases?
• Geopolitical advantage?
• The virtues of stability

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• Shaping U.S. Policy
• Monroe redux cordoning off the Americas
• Economic aid the Alliance for Progress
• Purging the body politic
• Containing revolution
• Guatemala (1954)
• Bay of Pigs (1961)
• Dominican Republic (1965)
• Chile (1973)
• Grenada (1983)
• Central America (1980s)

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• Reflections
• Reality vs. ideology
• Imagining alternatives (?)
• On the language of war

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PART II. LATIN AMERICA AS SUPERPOWER
BATTLEGROUND

• Introduction What To Do?
• National goals sovereignty and flexibility
• Political interests survival in power,
• weakening of rivals

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• Strategic Options The Menu of Responses
• Reformist seeking U.S. aid
• Radical supporting revolution
• Reactionary joining the anti-communist crusade
• Non-aligned promoting Third World
  solidarity

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• The Cold War Consequences
• for Latin America
• Polarization, weakening of political center
• Ascendancy of right-wing forces
• Assaults upon the political left
• Transitions toward democracy
• Acknowledgement of U.S. hegemony