.1977-1978 Years The Ogaden War With The U.s. Response And Policies

The Horn of Africa, Which is in the vital communications hub of India Sea, Red Sea and Persian Gulf, has vital strategic interests. Ogaden, which belonged to Somalia, became one part of Ethiopia because of Western colonizati's aggression. Accordingly, the so-called Problem of Ogaden took shape.The Ogaden War was the product of the development of colonial historical issue in Cold War. As an important link of Cold War history, the Ogaden War not only mixed with multiply facters, such as Cold War, colony, religion, nation and boundary, but brought on the large-scale intervention of Soviet and Guba, so it is highly necessary to study American policies in the Ogaden War. However, comparing to plentiful productions on this problem abroad, there is no detailed monograph on it until now at home. On the basis of the newly-diclassified American documents and Soviet's documents and researchful productions at home and abroad, this thesis will make a primary investigation to the Ogaden War and American response and policies to it in order to resurgence the historical course of the war, prying about American global strategy in Cold War and further deepening the research of Cold War history.This passage composes of foreword, main body and conclusion. The main body contains three parts.The first part states the American policies to the Horn of Africa before the Ogaden War. With two military assistance agreements in 1953, the military assistance relations of America and Ethiopia established. Then Eisenhower administration successively came on NSC5615/1, NSC5903 and NSC6028, enlarged the policy emphasis from Ethiopia to the whole Horn and began to highlight the effects of ideology and culture and information. In the conflict in 1964, America rejected to help Ethiopia, but after that it enhanced potency dimension of assistance. Facing Siad's coming into power and approach of Soviet and Somalia, America accordingly came on NSSM115 and Response to NSSM115. After the revolution of Ethiopia in 1974, the relations between America and Ethiopia began to deteriorate.The second part analyses and expoundes the course of Ogaden War and American response and policies to it. Soon after the beginning of Ogaden War America rejected the recent promise of arms to Somalia and adopted neutral policy and arms rebuff. Facing the large-scale involvement of Soviet and Guba and the escalating disputes between globalism and regionalism which Brzezinski and Vance respectively advocated, President Carter still adhered to a long-term strategy and adopted multilateral diplomatic activities in order to promoting a peaceful resolution of the Ogaden War. Without American Assistance, Somalia ultimately had to accept the fate of failure and retreat from Ogaden.The third part is the comments to American policies in the Ogaden War. American long term objective or basic aim in the Ogaden War was to maintain the relations with Ethiopia which was a key nation in the Horn, eliminate Soviet Bloc's influence and protect American strategic interests. American policies in the war achived a certain purpose, but was far from eliminating Soviet Bloc's influence, so the Cold War continued in the Horn of Africa.Through the Analysis we can find that American policies in the war were the embody of American grand strategy, one part of American policy to the Third World and specific use of the strategy of "firefighting with water" of Carter administration. Finally, this thesis summarizes that the two characteristics of American policies in the Ogaden War were paying close attention to multilateral cooperation and continuity.