A Study On Nixon's Diplomatic Strategy Thoughts In His Late Years

Richard Nixon, the former President of the United States and the famous statesman and diplomat of America, is a worldwide influential figure for he has made a significant impact on the foreign policy of the United States, the process of the Cold War and the evolution of the world's strategic pattern. From 1946 when he entered House of Representatives till 1994 when he was dead, Nixon's political career was closely connected with the entire history of the Cold War. Nixon not only made use of the President's political power to participate in the competition of the Cold War during his administration, but also tried to use his diplomatic strategy thoughts and political opinions to influence the process of the Cold War and U.S. foreign policies after his resignation. Nixon wrote amount to 10 books in his lifetime, and nine of them were written after his resignation between 1978 and 1994 (65-81 years old). Besides these nine books, he also released a large number of articles, reviews and speeches, which reflected the thoughts of Nixon's diplomatic strategy systematically and completely, and had an important international influence. In China, the academic study on Nixon mainly focuses on Nixon's presidency, especially his administration's domestic and foreign policies, but few on his diplomatic strategy thoughts in his works after his resignation. This thesis attempts to study Nixon's abundant and profound diplomatic strategy thoughts in his late years.Chapter 1"Real War"——the Argument Basis of Nixon's Diplomatic Strategy ThoughtsNixon is a well-known statesman of the United States in the Cold War, whose political opinions and diplomatic strategy thoughts are the product of the Cold War with a deep imprint of the era. Nixon treated the Cold War as an all-round confrontation between two different social systems and two ideologies, which are represented separately by U.S. and the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union's strategic goal was to realize communism all over the world while the U.S.'was to realize"the victory of freedom enterprise all over the world". Consequently, the contradictions in between were irreconcilable. For Nixon, the Cold War was one of the struggles lasting the longest in the history of mankind, which covered every region in the world, and also made the most regions involved in the fierce conflicts of the political concepts and economic systems; the result of the Cold War would determine the future and destiny of humankind: to be represented either by the Soviet Union or by America. In Nixon's opinion, The Cold War was a"real war", and the U.S.-led"free world"must win this war. Perceptions of the era of the Cold War, the Cold War thoughts, and the judgments on the two different strategic objectives and the nature of contradictions are the argument basis and premise for Nixon's diplomatic strategy thoughts.Chapter 2"Victory without War"——Realistic Choice of Nixon's Diplomatic Strategy ThoughtsNixon believed that the contradiction between the Soviet Union and the United States in the Cold War were irreconcilable, but in the nuclear era, because of the terror nuclear balance, the two countries excluded the possibility of resolving the contradiction by the means of the war. Therefore, by making use of political, economic, cultural, ideological and other means to fight against the"free world"led by the United States through"covert operations and proxy wars", the Soviet Union took an indirect, circuitous tactics to launch the aggressive attack in the world trying to quietly change the US-Soviet strategic balance. Under such circumstances, in order to redeem the declining tendency, to avoid adverse change of the strategy balance which would eventually lead to"failure without war", U.S. must change the sole"containment"policy, which had not been suitable for the situation, adopt a combination strategy of"deterrent, competition, negotiation"toward the Soviet Union, and defeat any challenges of the Soviet Union in the world by means of sturdy actions and flexible tactics. Under the situation of mutual deterrence with the Soviet Union and in order to keep balance of power, the United States should implement"peaceful evolution"strategy against the Soviet Union and other socialism countries, seeking"victory without war"."Victory without war"is the realistic choice of Nixon's diplomatic strategy thoughts in the circumstances that US-Soviet strategic powers were generally balanced, and all-out war between the United States and the Soviet Union would lead to failure to both sides.Chapter 3"The United States must lead"——the Core Demands of Nixon's Diplomatic Strategy ThoughtsAs an American statesman, Nixon always went overboard for American leading position in the world both during the Cold War and after the Cold War. After the Cold War, Nixon thought that U.S. must play a leading role in the world in order to"cast the second century of the United States". Nixon was strongly objected to the idea of"the declination of the United States"and repeatedly argued that the United States was the only eligible and capable country to play a leading role in the world. In his opinion, in order to play a leading role in the world, the United States must take political, military, economic, social, cultural and educational measures, and make changes and efforts to set an example for the world in a wide range of domestic policies and the spiritual pursuit. To successfully play a leading role in the world, the United States must make long-term goals, spread"free and democratic"values of U.S. extensively and in depth rather than simply output American-style"democratic institution"to the different countries."The United States must lead"recommended by Nixon has two meanings: firstly he said it to American people advising Americans to play a leading role in the world; secondly, he said it to the people all over the world, telling them that the world must be under the leading of the United States. The aim of"The United States must lead"is of course to establish America's dominant position and hegemony in the world."The United States must lead"is the core demands of Nixon's diplomatic strategy thoughts. Chapter 4"Beyond Peace"——the Ideal Vision of Nixon's Diplomatic Strategy ThoughtsThe collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War made Nixon overjoyed. As a"cold warrior", Nixon committed his whole life to the career of"conquering"communism and winning the Cold War. The American superpower pattern in the post-Cold War era made Nixon unable to hide his joy, but he kept a cool head all the time. He found a new strategic goal for the United States in the post-Cold War era, i.e."seizing the opportunity","beyond peace", achieving"the victory of freedom all over the world". When the United States faced the most favorable strategic situation in the world, Nixon designed a strategic blueprint for America to dominate the world alone with his all efforts: in Europe, setting up a"big trans-Atlantic family"under the leading of the United States; in Russia, actively supporting and aiding"the forces of reformation"and consolidating"the victory of freedom"; in China, engagement rather than containment to realize"peaceful evolution"; in Japan, using and preventing Japan as two flexible tactics in order to control Japan, the"potential adversary"; in the developing world, acting positively to exploit"the last frontier of freedom"; in the Muslim world,"building a new bridge to the Muslim world"and avoiding"a clash of civilizations"."Beyond Peace"and ultimately achieving the"victory of freedom in the world"are the ideal vision of Nixon's diplomatic strategy thoughts.Chapter 5 Foresight and Prejudice——the Evaluation of Nixon's Diplomatic Strategy Thoughts in His Late YearsNixon's diplomatic strategy thoughts are the combination of traditional idealism and realism of the United States. Nixon's political practice and strategic ideas aim at sternly maintaining American hegemony policies and its dominant position in the world, but they also show his calm and objective attitude. The facts shown during and after the Cold War indicated that Nixon was good at perceiving and mastering the international pattern and the change of powers in the world. Consequently, his strategy opinions are realistic and foreseeing. However, the stubborn "anti-communism"and hegemony consciousness limited Nixon's strategic horizon, and the political bias caused him to dream of"the victory of freedom enterprise in the world", which led him to exit the historic stage together with thoughts. Nixon formulated his diplomatic strategy thoughts and political opinions systematically and completely in his late years'works, which were complementary to his political and diplomatic practice during his presidency. Although Nixon passed away in 1994, much of his profound points of view about the development and change of the world strategic pattern during the post-Cold War era are still worth our pondering. An intensive study on Nixon's diplomatic strategy thoughts is inspiring for our thorough understanding of contemporary international relations and international conflicts, understanding and speculating the formation and evolution of the diplomatic strategy thoughts of the United States, predicting and grasping the direction and trend of American foreign policy.