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Tethered to an iceberg: United States policy toward the Antarctic, 1939–1949

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 October 2009

Jason Kendall Moore
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Abstract

US policy toward the Antarctic between 1939 and 1949 reflected the inability of the Department of State and other government personnel to agree on the region's relevance to national security. Washington's intent to gain worldwide prestige by promoting a harmonious settlement of the dispute over sovereignty claims complicated the international situation to an extent that necessitated a shift to the status quo moratorium proposed by Chile. The United States finally attempted to rally support for this alternative that, in turn, complicated how to exclude the USSR. Although the risk of Soviet encroachment seriously concerned US officials, it posed less immediate dangers than letting conflict escalate between Britain, Chile, and Argentina.

Type
Research Article
Information
Polar Record , Volume 35 , Issue 193 , April 1999 , pp. 125 - 134
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1999

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