The cold war provided Western leaders with a set of policy priorities, rational for the justification and evaluation of policy options, and definable long-term goals. The West was committed to preventing further Soviet expansion and to victory in the ideological struggle between capitalism and communism. Policies that contributed to those goals were implemented and/or continued. Policies that did not contribute to those goals were given a lower priority or not pursued at all. The end of the cold war brought an end to such easy clarity. The West continued to possess the lion's share of global power and the world continued to be a troubled place. The question became: under what circumstances and in what ways should the West use its power to shape international events?

Keep this in mind as you review the boxed features on page 979 ("Containment" as a Cold War Strategy) and page 1058 (The Question of Western Responsibility) of your textbook. When you're finished reviewing, take at look the web site of the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations. Then explore the Cold War Museum. When you're done, consider the questions below.

1. What assumptions informed Kennan's policy of containment? Did the policy work? Did it have the expected outcome?

2. In your opinion, what role do human rights considerations play in the foreign policy of western nations? What role should they play?