Date of Award
12-2003
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Degree Program
History
Department
History
Major Professor
Bischof, Gunter
Second Advisor
Altman, Ida
Third Advisor
Clark, Michael
Abstract
During the Cold War, the inherent mistrust between the United States and the Soviet Union kept the two superpowers from cooperating even on many projects that might have proven mutually beneficial. Nevertheless, they were willing to work together at least occasionally; two such examples are the neutralizations of Austria (in 1955) and of Laos (in 1962). Despite very different world orders in those two countries at those times, the weaker superpowers in each contest, the Soviets in Austria and the Americans in Laos, took very similar actions. They followed the same three-stage process from the outbreak of the dispute to its negotiated conclusion. This process failed, however, in Vietnam. In trying to explain why neutralization failed so soon after its success, this thesis postulates a number of possible explanations. Ultimately, it was several factors coming to result in the failure of neutralization in Vietnam.
Recommended Citation
Crawford, Benjamin, "Three Attempts at Cold War Neutralization: Its Success in Austria and Laos and its Failure in Vietnam" (2003). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 43.
https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/43
Rights
The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this dissertation or thesis in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation.