Hunt Michael H. Hunt Crises in U.S. Foreign Policy

Annotation

Repeatedly in the twentieth century, the United States has been involved in confrontations with other countries, each with the potential for widespread international and domestic upheaval, even disaster. In this book Michael Hunt focuses on seven such crises, presenting for each an illuminating introduction and a rich collection of original documents. His epilogue considers the nature of international crises and the U.S. record in dealing with them. The case studies include:the American entry into World War I the Japanese-American rivalry that led to Pearl Harborthe origins of the U.S.-Soviet Cold Warthe collision between China and the United States during the Korean Warthe confrontation over Soviet missiles in CubaLyndon Johnsons commitment to war in Vietnamand the American entanglement in the Iranian revolutionThe studies allow the reader to see U.S. foreign policymaking firsthand and to understand it as something that is shaped by interactions with other nations and leaders as well as by American values, attitudes, and needs. To provide an international perspective, both the narrative and the documents give as much attention to foreign policymakers as to their American counterparts, emphasizing the invariably dynamic, often confused, and sometimes chaotic interaction between the two sides.