What Makes or Breaks Alliances?
The U.S. has alliances with other countries and continues to influence the world in terms of economic, political, military, and social policies. What does the U.S. get in return? On March 8, 1965, American combat troops came ashore in Da Nang, coming in to aid South Vietnam in its time of war against the north. The Americans fought alongside its ally until 1973, as a result of the Case-Church Amendment passed by Congress, which prohibited U.S. military involvement in Vietnam. Due to the U.S. eight-year involvement in the Vietnam War, many American lives were lost, but America, to protect her interest and her alliance with South Vietnam, saw the necessity of her action, proving the importance of the alliances of nations. But what is an alliance? What makes or breaks one? Are all alliances fail-safe solutions? Alliance is defined by statesmen and scholars as “a promise of mutual military assistance between two or more sovereign states.” This agreement of cooperation means more than just government programs or joint activities; alliance goes deeper and is more far-reaching, more often in forms of military pacts where each nation is assured of the other’s full support when faced with a common enemy. An alliance is the main instrument of national security. Each alliance is made with the consideration that additional military force from another country may tip the balance in an ongoing war; that being allied with the right country that has a great military force may even stop a war from starting; and that an alliance with the right country will ensure strategic advantage over control with security, data, economy, and perception. Every alliance needs to be put in fine print, and circumstances must be defined as clearly as possible, also known as casus foederis. Each state must be in agreement with all the aspects of the treaty. Knowing and understanding the conditions of the treaty will make it easier to understand how to maintain the alliance, watch out for points of escalation, or know when diffusion of conflict is needed to ensure that the alliance remains intact. So if cooperation, trust, knowledge, and advantages make an alliance, what breaks one? Alliances are not always positive. Some alliances may be a drain on a country’s military strength, and the uncertainty in future military support will always be present. No alliance has ever been or will ever be an unqualified blessing. Everything comes with a price. When a country comes to their ally’s aid, this means costs—cost in men’s lives, weapons, supplies, and a whole lot more. This cost of involvement does not come easy. If one country feels that the other can’t contribute or has not lived up to the agreement, then it is the end. If one country does not send the promised military assistance needed after they had done their part, then the military reason disappears. Remember that military support and cooperation is usually the backbone of an alliance, therefore, take that away and you are left with almost nothing. Another major reason for an alliance ending is when there is a change in the power of states. A change in people who hold power may mean a change in government policy. New policy-making processes may endanger the current alliance since this may result in new leaders not willing to honor the commitments of their predecessors. In the end, no matter how much care, detail, or time you spend ensuring that an alliance is fool-proof, this will never be assured. Shifting loyalties, ever-changing leaders and ideologies, and unseen factors will always threaten any and all alliance policies. Read the full article
