Sponsored Links:
What Did George H W Bush Do To Change History ?
George H W Bush assumed Presidency of the United States at a time when the world around him was going through a lot of radical changes. At the time when he took over as the 41st President of the U.S, the Cold War had ended after 40 years of bitter fighting; the Communist empire had broken up with the disintegration of the Soviet Union; and then the falling of the Berlin Wall. |
As the leader of one of the greatest and powerful nations in the world, President Bush welcomed the changes describing them as the march of democracy. Yet he adopted a policy of restraint when it came to foreign policy. Even during the famous and successful ‘Desert Storm’ operations in defeating the Iraqi forces led by Saddam Hussein immediately after his invasion of Kuwait, President Bush stopped short of ousting the defeated Saddam. This action of President Bush earned him and the U.S the status of a protector and a force that would step in at any time to restore peace in the world. That said, there were also widespread criticisms in his home for letting Saddam off the hook.
In 1989, just after the Berlin Wall fell, Bush met Mikhail Gorbachev and received his assurance that the Soviet Union would never use nuclear weapons against the U.S. As a part of the illustrious Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) signed between Bush and Gorbachev in 1991, Bush was instrumental in reducing the strategic nuclear weapons of both Soviet Union and the U.S by 35 percent over 7 years, and Soviet Union’s land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles by 50 percent. The move was seen by experts as a positive one towards ending the mistrust between the two super powers the prevailed for over half a century. The bilateral relationship continued even after the Soviet Union disintegrated when Gorbachev and Bush renewed their friendship between the U.S. and Russia.
Bush, along with Canada, initiated the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that aimed to nullify the series of tariffs on products traded between the U.S., Canada and Mexico. This way Bush ensured that America stood for free trade concept even while slowly yet effectively disengaging all shackles of protectionism.
More Articles :
|
