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美國在冷戰中擔當了什麼角色？試解釋你的答案。
背景 冷戰是資本主義陣營與共產主義陣營之間的鬥爭，其中，美國作為資本主義陣營的領袖，其於冷戰中擔當了意義重大的角色。 // 架構以下，將會從政治、經濟及軍事方面探討美國在冷戰中所擔當的角色。
主旨句 其一，政治方面，美國作為資本主義陣營的領袖以對抗共產主義。 // 段落內容自英國於1946年發表「鐵幕演說」，認為美國需要肩負重任以抵抗共產主義後，美國的領袖角色就得以確立，如1947年美國總統杜魯門發表的「杜魯門主義」，提出美國需要作為「世界警察」的角色。及後，在1957年時，艾森豪發表「艾森豪主義」，提出美國需要彌補因英、法衰弱而令中東地區勢力真空的情況，反映美國的角色愈見重要。此外，美國也組成軍事同盟，如1949年成立的北大西洋公約組織中，美國便扮演了領袖的角色，聯合其他資本主義國家以抗衡共產主義陣營。 // 小結可見，美國作為資本主義陣營的領袖，積極捍衛資本主義世界的安全和穩定。
其二，政治方面，美國在冷戰期間是衝突的挑起者。冷戰的對立形勢及意識形態的差異使美國與蘇聯易生摩擦，引起衝突，如1948年時，美國與英、法計劃合併在德國的佔領區，隨即引起蘇聯的抗議，並且封鎖柏林，導致「柏林危機」，引起衝突的發生。此外，在1960年時，美國派U-2型偵察機到蘇聯領空偵察，最終卻被蘇聯擊落，也導致了「U-2擊墜事件」，使美、蘇關係再次惡化。再者，美國早於1959年時已開始在土耳其及意大利建立針對蘇聯的導彈基地，這也使蘇聯作出還擊，於1962年試圖在古巴建立導彈基地，使「古巴導彈危機」出現，大戰幾乎一觸即發。可見，美國的行動或政策引起蘇聯的不滿，導致衝突出現，是衝突的挑起者。
其三，政治方面，美國在衝突挑起者的同時，也是緩和的嘗試者。美國有為緩和冷戰的緊張局勢作出努力，分別舉行了和平會議、進行外訪及簽訂裁軍條約。在和平會議方面，美國與共產主義的蘇聯舉行了日內瓦會議(1955年)及赫爾辛基會議(1975年)，美國與蘇聯討論和平共存及相互尊重的議題，至1989年的馬爾他會議，美國更與蘇聯共同宣佈冷戰的結束。此外，美國領導層也多次訪問蘇聯，如1959年美國副總統尼克遜訪問蘇聯、1972年成為總統的尼克遜再次訪蘇聯等，有助緩和冷戰的局勢。再者，美國也與蘇聯簽訂多條裁軍條約，如1963年《禁止核試條約》、1968年《核不擴散條約》、1987年《中程導彈裁撤條約》、1990年《歐洲常規裁軍條約》，為熾熱的軍備競賽形勢降溫。可見，以上乃美國作出的努力，其目的在於希望緩和冷戰的形勢，以避免衝突及戰爭爆發。
其四，經濟方面，美國作為援助國，為資本主義國家提供金錢援助。美國為抗衡共產主義在世界各地的擴張，因此大力為其他資本主義國家提供經濟援助，如在希臘及土耳其方面，在1947年美國總統杜魯門發表杜魯門主義，要求美國撥款4億美元援助兩國，以戰勝當地的共產主義勢力。在西歐方面，美國也於1948年推出馬歇爾計劃，提供130億美元的經濟援助予西歐，以避免差劣的經濟環境成為共產主義滋長的溫床。此外，在日本方面，美國提供約20億美元的援助予日本，積極協助日本重建國力，以圍堵共產主義在亞洲的擴張。可見，美國積極提供經濟援助予不同的國家，以協助這些國家復甦國力，以共同圍堵及抗衡共產主義的擴張，於冷戰時期扮演了經濟援助國的角色。
其五，軍事方面，美國在冷戰期間是軍備競賽的參與國。美國為維持其在軍事上的勢力優勢，不斷積極擴軍，成為冷戰中與蘇聯進行軍備競賽的主要對手，例如蘇聯在1949年成功試爆原子彈後，美國加緊研究氫氣彈，並成功於1952年成功研發。及後，當1957年蘇聯成功發射首個人造衛星後，美國也不遑多讓，於次年也成功試爆。及至1970年代，隨著蘇聯在核武的數量上開始超越美國，美國進一步研究太空作戰計劃，與多個北約成員國提出「星戰計劃」(1983年)，結果掀起了與蘇聯的新一輪太空軍備競賽。可見，美國是冷戰中軍備競賽的參與者，積極與蘇聯進行競賽。
其六，軍事方面，美國是地區性戰爭的介入者。美國為防止共產主義勢力在全球各地建立起政權，因此在地區性戰爭上為共產主義的敵對派別提出軍事援助，例如在國共內戰(1946-49年)中，美國提供軍備上的援助予國民黨，而在國民黨敗走台灣後，也派軍艦在台灣海峽附近防止共產黨攻台。此外，在韓戰(1950-53年)中，美國於聯合國中支持派遣和平部隊協助南韓以抵禦北韓的入侵，其中聯合國維和部隊的主要軍力便是由美國所支撐。再者，在越戰(1961-75年)中，美軍的參戰人數更高達300萬人，以防止共產主義建立於越南。可見，美國積極介入地區性戰爭，以防止共產主義派別取得勝利，是地區性戰爭的介入者。
總括而言，美國是冷戰期間資本主義的領袖，其在政治、經濟、軍事等各方面扮演了積極且重要的角色，塑造出冷戰衝突與緩和交雜的多階段發展。
What roles did the United States play during the Cold War? Explain your answer.
The Cold War was a struggle between the capitalist bloc and communist bloc. The US, which was the leader of the capitalist bloc, took an important role in the Cold War. This essay will explain the roles of the US in political, economic and military aspects.
Firstly, in political aspect, the US acted as a leader of the capitalist bloc in order to confront communism. Britain declared the Iron Curtain Speech鐵幕演說(1946), which stated that the US had to take an important role in confronting communism. The US thus became the leader. For example, the US president Truman announced the Truman Doctrine杜魯門主義(1947), which stated that the US would take the role of International Police世界警察. Later, because of the weaknesses of Britain and France, the US president Eisenhower delivered the Eisenhower Doctrine艾森豪主義(1957) claiming to recover the power vacuum in Middle East. It reflected that the role of the US became more important. Besides, the US also formed military alliances, including the NATO北大西洋公約組織(1949). The US became the leader and united other capitalist countries to resist the communist bloc. It showed that the US acted as a leader of the capitalist bloc and actively preserved the safety and stability of capitalist world.
Secondly, in political aspect, the US was a conflict instigator. Because of the opposing situation and ideological differences, the US and USSR easily caused friction and conflicts. For example, Britain, France and the US decided to unify their German possessed zones (1948). It aroused Soviet opposition and it later blocked Berlin, resulting in the Berlin Crisis柏林危機. Besides, a US U-2 spy plane, which reconnoitered the USSR, was shot down in Soviet airspace. It led to the U-2 Incident 「U-2擊墜事件(1960) and worsened US-USSR relations. Moreover, the US established missile bases which targeted the USSR in Turkey and Italy since 1959. Thus, the USSR set up missile base in Cuba (1962) to fight back. The Cuban Missile Crisis古巴導彈危機 arose and brought them to the brink of war. It showed that the actions and policies of the US aroused Soviet discontent, leading to conflicts. The US was a conflict instigator.
Thirdly, in political aspect, the US was a mediator. The US tried to ease the hostile situation during the Cold War. It held peace conferences, official meetings and signed disarmament treaties. In terms of peace conference, the US and Communist Russia held the Geneva Conference日內瓦會議(1955) and Helsinki Conference赫爾辛基會議(1975). They discussed the issue of peaceful coexistence and mutual respect. Better still, the US and USSR declared the end of the Cold War in the Malta Conference馬爾他會議(1989). Besides, the US officials visited the USSR several times. For example, Nixon尼克遜, the US official, visited the USSR in 1959 and 1972. It eased the hostile situation during the Cold War. Furthermore, the US and USSR signed several disarmament treaties, including the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty禁止核試條約(1963), Non-Proliferation Treaty核不擴散條約(1968), Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty中程導彈裁撤條約(1987) and Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty歐洲常規裁軍條約(1990). It eased the fierce armaments race. It showed that the US attempted to ease hostile situation and prevent conflict and war from breaking out.
Fourthly, in economic aspect, the US was an aid provider and offered economic aid to capitalist countries. The US offered economic aid to capitalist countries in order to confront the spread of communism all over the world. For example, the US president Truman declared the Truman Doctrine杜魯門主義(1947) which stated that the US had to provide 400 million assisting Greece and Turkey so as to confront the local communist forces. In terms of Western Europe, in a bid to prevent communism from spreading under poor economic environment, the US implemented the Marshall Plan馬歇爾計劃(1948) offering a loan of 13 billion to assist Western European countries. Besides, regarding Japan, the US offered 2 billion to recover Japan’s national strength and counteract the spread of communism in Asia. It showed that the US actively provided economic aid to different countries so as to recover their national strength and confront the spread of communism. The US acted as an aid provider.
Fifthly, in military aspect, the US was a participating country in armaments race. The US expanded its army actively in order to preserve its military superiority. It was a major opponent of the USSR in armaments race. For example, after the USSR had tested atomic bomb原子彈 successfully (1949), the US immediately investigated hydrogen bomb氫氣彈 which was also successfully tested in 1952. Later, the USSR produced an artificial satellite人造衛星(1957). The US pressed on with the research on satellite and succeeded in 1958. Until 1970s, the number of nuclear weapons of the USSR surpassed the US. The US thus made a study of space operations plan and introduced Strategic Defense Initiative(SDI) 星戰計劃(1983), resulting in a new-round space armaments race. It showed that the US was a participating country in armaments race and actively competed against the USSR.
Sixthly, in military aspect, the US was an intervener in local wars. In order to prevent communist forces from establishing regimes, the US provided military assistance to those opponents of communist forces. For example, the US provided weapons to KMT in the Chinese Civil War國共內戰(1946-49) and even sent warships to the strait of Taiwan to avoid CPC attacking. Besides, in the Korean War韓戰(1950-53), the UN peacekeeping force, which was mainly supported by the US, prevented the North Korea from invading the South Korea. Furthermore, in the Vietnam War越戰(1961-75), there were 3 million US soldiers participated in it in order to avoid communist regime establishing. It showed that the US actively intervened in local wars in order to stop the rise of communist forces. The US was an intervener in local wars.
In conclusion, the US was the leader of the capitalist bloc. It took an important role in political, economic and military aspects and shaped the conflicts and détente during the Cold War.
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