PRESERVE, PROTECT, AND DEFEND

The issues and conduct of U.S. defense policy have changed. During the Cold War, defense policy was focused on countering and containing the Soviet Union. This played out most visibly in the nuclear arms race, and was most threatening during the Cuban Missile Crisis. While defense policy is less focused in the post-Cold War world, it is called on to prepare for and increasingly diverse set of missions.

Learning objectives:

• Understand the role of the U.S. military in containing Soviet power during the Cold War.
• Explain the six main uses of military power.
• Discuss the role of the military-industrial complex and the politics of defense policymaking.
• Describe the events and impact of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
• Explain the current dominance of U.S. military power, as well as the sense that U.S. military assets are nevertheless stretched too far.
• Explain the issues and different points of view surrounding missile defense.