Indian Thought Latest News & Views
Today America’s influence on the whole world is no less. Since the end of the Cold War, America has emerged as the only superpower in the world, but in the last 30 years, America appears as sensitive about its security as it was seen during the Cold War. Whether it is from the Gulf War on terrorism to the presence of American troops in Afghanistan or NATO’s role in the Russia-Ukraine war, America’s attitude has shown more sensitivity every time. It started with Japan’s Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941, during World War II.
America did not have such sensitivity before
Before this attack, in both the world wars, America was seen to interfere less in the affairs of the world on its behalf. Like other countries, he was also engaged in improving his problems and in his own internal politics, foreign policy did not interfere as much as it is today. On December 7, 1941, it had been two years since the Second World War had started. Till then America was bound by neutral treaties and even the government and people of America could not reach a consensus on whether America should join the war or not.
The growing power of Japan and the Allies
In this war, Germany, Italy and Japan were fighting the war together and the rest of the countries of Europe and Asia were against them. In Asia, Japan tried to reach India and started occupying the countries of China, East and South East Asia. Germany had captured most of the countries of Europe. Britain and Russia were battling Germany. But in the meantime, Japan made a big mistake, which changed the course of war and even history.
what was that mistake
On December 7, 1941, Japan made a big mistake by attacking and destroying Pearl Harbor on Honolulu Island, one of the Hawaiian Islands of America. Although its purpose was to stop America’s activities in East Asia so that America could not help the colonies of Britain, Netherlands, but it had to directly enter the war, which was a major factor in the later decisiveness for the war. Made
effects of attack
In this attack, four of the eight US warships were sunk and four were heavily damaged. Apart from this, 188 American aircraft were destroyed and more than 2400 Americans were killed. America’s involvement in the war helped Britain a lot and it became better than Germany. But this attack made America very sensitive to its security. Even today, many experts still believe that if this attack had not happened, then nuclear bombs would not have fallen on Japan after 4 years.
shifting balance
In this war, the balance of the whole world started changing. At the end of this war, on one hand, Britain became very weak and America became a more powerful country than it, and on the other hand, the expanding power of the Soviet Union was also curbed. After the end of the war, the competition for supremacy between the Soviet Union and America started and with this the long period of Cold War started.
In the Cold War, a proxy war started between America and Russia to outdo each other. In this era, many new things like espionage, space competition were seen, due to which the world got to see a different form of America. But after the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1989, the situation became somewhat strange. The Cold War is over, but America’s sensitivity or rather the kind of reduction in the Cold War mentality that should have been not seen.
Instead of ending NATO, its expansion
NATO was established to stop the Soviet Union in the Cold War. In which he was trying to unite the countries of Europe in his faction. During the Cold War, most countries of Western Europe were members of NATO. But after the end of the Cold War, NATO expanded. Not only did America’s interference in the world increase, its military presence also started spreading in every corner of the world.
Now, 30 years after the end of the Cold War, when Russia is waging war in Ukraine, many American experts are also believing that the fault is not entirely Russia’s. The root of the conflict is Russia’s decision to have Ukraine join NATO. But it’s not all as simple as this one sentence. There are many factors in this, NATO’s expansionist policy, America’s access to Russia’s neighborhood Ukraine, Russia’s insistence to maintain its dominance around it. But in this scenario, if we look at America itself, the sensitivity that started after the Pearl Harbor attack still persists. But along with this, America’s responsibilities have also increased in the world, which seems to be trying to create a balance in it.
