The U.S. had traditionally been reluctant to involve itself in world affairs; this isolationist policy began to disappear after the war, when it became evident that America, as the strongest democratic nation, needed to play an active role in global affairs in order to protect its own interests as well as those of its allies. President Truman took the first steps in this direction in 1947 with the Truman Doctrine, which declared that “totalitarian regimes imposed on free peoples, by direct or indirect aggression, undermine the foundations of inter

Under Gorbachev in the late 1980s, the Cold War tensions declined. Besides pulling out of the third world countries, the Soviets negotiated nuclear weapons treaties, loosened control of Eastern Europe and reformed human rights. These reforms were largely a reaction to the struggling state of the Soviet economy. After decades of nuclear arms races and attempts at expanding influence throughout the world, the U.S.S.R. could no longer afford to oppose the constant challenge from the United States. Thus the Soviet Union collapsed and the Cold War came to an end.

There was often a difference in the declared policies of Cold War presidents and the actual events of their tenure in office. This happened under Eisenhower, when his administration failed to carry out the policy of massive retaliation. It also occurred during the Carter years; the human rights issue was the initial focus of his foreign policy. Defense spending declined, and worldwide American commitments were reduced. The primary goal changed after the Iranian hostage crisis and communist takeovers in Nicaragua and Afghanistan. As the president adopted a more hard-line stance, defense spending increased, as did American interest in the Persian Gulf; all of these were reactions to the growth of communist influence worldwide.

Covert military operations were employed at times during the Cold War to prevent the extension of communist influence. An unsuccessful attempt was the Bay of Pigs fiasco under Kennedy, when a U.S. backed rebellion by Cuban émigrés failed to accomplish its aim of overthrowing the communist regime led by Fidel Castro. During the Carter administration, aid was secretly given to rebels in Afghanistan to help them overthrow the Soviet-influenced communist government. Reagan’s presidency saw an increase in such operations, which continued in Afghanistan and developed in Angola, Nicaragua and Cambodia. As a result of these aid programs, which enabled opposing groups to fight against communist leadership in their countries, it became increasingly difficult for the Soviet Union to extend and uphold its influence throughout the world. These covert operations were often a way to combat Soviet power while avoiding war. By not directly conflicting with the Soviet Union, The U.S. was

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