Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 9:37-10:22

OPEC and the risks of pressuring the United States

Oil-exporting states had to consider their own security and the danger of superpower intervention when weighing pressure over Vietnam.

Cold WarMilitary AlliancesOpecUS Foreign PolicyVietnam War
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Question

Could OPEC pressure the United States over Vietnam while relying on protection from communist uprisings?

Short answer

Its members faced competing superpower pressures and the risk of American- or Soviet-sponsored coups, which complicated such a policy.

Notes

Oil-exporting states had to balance American and Soviet influence. In the 1960s and 1970s, domestic instability and the possibility of a foreign-sponsored coup limited their freedom to confront either power. Any attempt to punish Washington therefore had to account for the security risks faced by the governments applying the pressure.