Bridging Cold War And Decolonization

Southern Africa is an excellent case for the study of relationship between Cold Warand Decolonization because it was the final stages of Decolonization, anditexperienced the climax and the détente of Cold War, new Cold War and new détenteera. The dissertation examines the evolution of U.S policy on the three countries ofSouthern Africa—Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe in the process of Decolonizationin order to explore the relationship between Cold War and Decolonization.The dissertation expounds the evolution of U.S. policy on Southern Africa in theprocess of Decolonization, shows the relationship between U.S. Cold War policy andDecolonization process of Southern Africa, reveals the general law of the relationshipbetween Cold War and Decolonization on the basis of research findings at home andabroad, Foreign Relations of the United States, Digital National Security Archive,Declassified Documents Reference System, documents of National Security Council,archives of the Presidential Libraries and documents of the State and Congress.The dissertation consists of three parts—introduction, main body and conclusion. Theintroduction outlines relevant historical background, theoretical basis, researchfindings at home and abroad, practical significance and research ideas. The conclusionelaborates my views on the evolution of U.S. policy and the relationship betweenCold War and Decolonization. The main body includes four chapters.The first chapter includes background introduction and analysis. It focuses on theorigin of Southern African issues (Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe issues), theformation of the Decolonization principle of the American diplomacy, the origins ofU.S. policy on Southern Africa before Kennedy administration. In this process, thecore of American diplomacy shifted from the Decolonization principle to,anti-communist of Cold War. The separated African policy deprived from thecommencement of Decolonization in sub-Saharan Africa. Eisenhower administrationtried to perfect joint points the Decolonization principle and Cold War strategy. The second chapter discusses the evolution of Kennedy-Johnson administrations'overall policy on Southern Africa and policy on Angola, Namibia and Rhodesia (thiswas used before1980). The Cold War Internationalism of Kennedy's support fornational self-determination left a distinctive feature in the subsequent policy onSouthern Africa. As the United States concentrated on Vietnam War, the Johnsonadministration maintained the conception of the Kennedy administration, but it didnothing on the policy.The third chapter discusses the evolution of the policy from the Nixon administrationto Carter administration. The Nixon administration assessed the national securitystrategy distorted by the Vietnam War; developed the document of NSSM39aboutSouthern Africa; implemented the “Tar Baby” policy guided by increasing exchangesand contacts with the white regime. The Portugal Coup and Portuguese withdrawalfrom Southern Africa in1974-1975were the turning points of U.S. policy whichforced the United States to end the “Tar Baby” policy. Kissinger tried to push thesolution of Zimbabwe and Namibia issues through shuttle diplomacy to preventSoviet Union' s influence extending to the south of Angola. The Zimbabwe declaredits independence in1980. The Carter administration inherited Kissinger's policy onthe solution of Southern Africa issues through diplomacy, however, the growing ofSoviet Union's offense in1978-1979prompted U.S.-Soviet détente towards a newCold War era.The fourth chapter discusses U.S. policy on the Southern Africa issues from Reaganadministration to the end of the Cold War. The core of the Reagan administration'spolicy was curbing the expansion of Soviet Union and Cuba in Southern Africa.Under the guidance of Crocker's Constructive Engagement Policy, the United Statesrelaxed sanctions against South Africa and proposed the “Linkage Strategy” to solvethe independence of Namibia and troop withdrawal from Cuba. The Crocker's Policyexperienced twists and turns, but the signature of New York Accord in1988markedits success. The Namibia achieved independence and the both sides in the Civil Warof Angola signed the Armistice Agreement around1991. The conclusion summarizes the development and changes of U.S. policy and intereston Southern Africa, the basic characteristics of the policy, the influence of realism andidealism of American diplomacy on its policy on Southern Africa, the relationshipbetween Cold War and Decolonization.