AMERICAN HEGEMONY AND THE ABUSE OF INTERNATIONAL LAW IN THE COLD WAR ERA (1945–1991)

This study examines the relationship between the United States and international law between 1945 and 1991, a period marked by the rise of the United States as a dominant global power after the Second World War. During this era, the United States played a significant role in establishing international legal institutions such as the United Nations and the International Court of Justice, as well as promoting global human rights norms. The objective of the study is to critically examine how the United States abused or violated international law during the Cold War era and to analyze the contradictions between its promotion of international legal norms and its actual foreign policy practices. The study adopts a qualitative and historical analysis, relying on documentary analysis and case studies. Primary sources such as government documents, diplomatic records, treaties, and speeches were examined alongside secondary sources including scholarly books and journal articles on international law and U.S. foreign policy. The findings reveal that despite its role in establishing international legal frameworks, the United States frequently violated principles of sovereignty, non-intervention, and human rights through military interventions, covert operations, and support for authoritarian regimes. Examples include its involvement in the Vietnam War, the invasion of Grenada in 1983, and the intervention in Panama in 1989. These actions weakened the authority and credibility of international legal institutions. The study concludes that Cold War geopolitics and national security priorities led the United States to selectively comply with international law, thereby undermining the universality and effectiveness of the global legal order. The study recommends strengthening international legal institutions, promoting accountability for powerful states, enhancing transparency in foreign policy decisions, and encouraging multilateral cooperation to ensure consistent adherence to international law.