US-South Africa Relations 1960-1980

Paper Summary:

The paper reveals that the United States, despite the fact that it publicly opposed the apartheid policy in South Africa, failed to deny any trading or political talks with the country. The paper offers a brief introduction to the history of South Africa, the policy of apartheid and its geostrategic implications for South Africa. The paper analyzes US policy towards South Africa and its role in the changes that took place in the country and shows how US policy was determined by the strategic interest in the region rather than the moral implication the apartheid policy had on the population in the country.

From the Paper:

"The Cold War was one of the most interesting and at the same time morally contradictory periods in the history of the human kind. It allowed states to publicly condemn other states and fight against their injustice and peace while at the same time actions were taken to boost economic ties and development, despite any sanctions or embargos imposed on the countries. One of the most relevant examples of the way in which the strategic thought tends to surpass the moral beliefs and considerations is the situation of the United States and South Africa during the Cold War but in particular during the period between the 1960s and the 1990s. This time in the history of the world and of the Cold War is of crucial importance because it laid the foundations for further diplomatic talks but at the same time it set the trend for the actual direction in which real politics was being conducted."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Britannica Encyclopedia. Apartheid. 2008. 11 June 2008, http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9007978/apartheid
• Calvocoressi, Peter. World politics since 1945. New York: Longman, 1987.
• Goldin, Ian. Making race, the politics and economics of colored identity in South Africa. London: Longman. 1987.
• Heribert, Adam, and Kogila Moodley. South Africa without apartheid. Dismantling racial domination. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1986.
• Macrohistory and World Reports. South Africa and the End of Apartheid. 2005. 11 June 2008 http://www.fsmitha.com/h2/ch34-sa.htm

More papers on US-South Africa Relations 1960-1980:

• Research Paper # 117868 : "Union of South Africa"
• Analytical Essay # 135429 : "South Africa Foreign Relations"
• Research Paper # 95081 : "South Africa: A Country Divided"

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