The Missouri visit to Turkey : an alternative perspective on cold war diplomacy

Abstract

Analysts have viewed the voyage to Turkey of the battleship Missouri in April, 1946, as a symbol of American determination'to counter Soviet designs on the Dardanelles. Such interpretations reveal an analytical prejudice which assumes that foreign policy is the product of a rational, monolithic structure. An alternative perspective, however, recognizes the bureaucratic and political determinants of policy-making. Focusing upon the interests and perceptions of the principal actors (human and organizational) in the State Department and Navy Department, this study concludes that containment of Russian ambitions was not the primary motive behind the Missouri mission. The conclusions suggest an alternative to the single factor analysis characteristic of both traditional and revisionist interpretations of Cold War diplomacy.