Earlier in the course, you may have explored the policy of nation building--establishing Western-style democratic governments in nations that have been defeated or conquered. It's an old idea that is illustrated by many of the changes in Europe and in former European colonies. The United States and the United Nations became very involved in nation building in the years following World War II as both the defeated Axis powers and the Allied European nations struggled to recover from the devastation of the war.
While it may sound like a good idea, the practice of nation building can drag the enabling nation into a very long commitment with few rewards. On the other hand, the U.S. and the U.N. are well aware that power loves a vacuum. If a democratic organization does not help a nation rebuild, a less friendly nation may take advantage of the opportunity to gain an instant ally.
What positive and negative outcomes are associated with nation building? Watch the video below to gain some insight into the process and its effects.
When nation building is successful, it can increase a developing nation's stability, or even the stability of an entire region. It can shore up weaknesses in a government and help install systems or infrastructure to provide what the smaller, weaker government could not.
For example, after World War II Japan was in terrible shape. After the US helped restructure the nation, though, it became a stable and productive society. Nation building can also introduce the freeing concepts of democracy to nations that have suffered under oppression or poor leadership.
Postwar Germany is a good example. After the authoritarian Nazi regime ended, democratic institutions put in place by Western powers helped establish a German nation that would be less likely to become a dictatorship again. At the same time, West Germany became a stronghold against the communist regime controlling East Germany.
Once a nation is successfully rebuilt, it will likely become or remain an ally of its builder. The best examples aren't necessarily democratic ones, however. The Soviet Union helped build much of communist East and Southeast Asia, either directly or indirectly. As a result, China and Vietnam remained allied with the USSR until its collapse in 1991.
Of course, building a nation can cost a lot of money. The Marshall Plan for supporting Europe's recovery from World War II demonstrated that.
And there are other costs as well, including the loss of life. Following the end of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq, the United States attempted to install a democracy there. US nation-building efforts have met with moderate success in Iraq, but only after more than a decade of failures, including the loss of many American and Iraqi lives.
There are other less-tangible problems with nation building as a foreign-policy approach. Trying to install democracy has been seen by some nations as imposing the will of one culture on another, which can lead to bitterness, hatred, and insurgency.
Iraq has experienced this effect firsthand, but the attempt to rebuild Afghanistan during the "war on terror" is probably a better illustration of the risk involved in nation building. Western presence and influence in Afghanistan has inspired many Islamic insurgents to hate America more, rather than less.
Trying to install a system that is foreign or totally unfamiliar to a nation or culture can be a clear recipe for disaster. Failed or failing democracies in Africa, Asia, and Latin America provide numerous examples, as does the United States' struggle to keep Iraq on firm footing. However, the possibility of increasing stability in a region or creating a ready ally is likely to keep nation building in the foreign-policy toolkits of Western powers.
Question
What dangers often accompany nation building?
