Cold War 1946-1991
Introduction:
The end of World War II did not end the disputed but unexpectedly causing the conflict between allied countries, led to an era known as the “Cold War”. Roughly lasted from the close of Second World War (1946) to the end of 1980s, this is a stage of political conflict, proxy wars and economic competition rather than military combat between the Communist represented by Soviet Union and the powers of Western world primarily United Stated. Although many times it appeared that both military forces would engaged in a major battle, turning the war into “hot”, the two sides just expressed the conflict through military coalition, arms races and technological competitions. Going through four long decades, it casted a shadow in the second half of 20th century and left a scar that still feel today.
The alliance that had formed between two super powers, U.S and USSR during World War II was not strong enough to overcome the past decades of suspicion and unease between the two nations. Unwilling to compromise because of paranoia about their postwar national security created high tension atmosphere in U.S- Soviet Union’s relationship. This unstable partnership finally cracked due to the defeat of Nazi German: An unnatural alliance that was bound to fall apart after the defeat of the common enemy can be considered the origin of the Cold War.The Cold War had an enormous impact on the United States politically, socially, and economically including Red hunts, unconditionally fear of Communism and McCarthyism in the period 1940s-1950s, also shaped U.S.’s political agendas. This war ended as the reform programs introduced by Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev, which unexpectedly led to the collapse of Soviet Union. The...
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...agan believed in strong military, strong national security. Much of this went to the lofty Strategic Defense Initiative and to military aid for American allies all over the world (Foner 991), this can be considered a result of misunderstanding and hallucination about arms ability of the Soviet Union when the CIA had wrong information about USSR missile. The Soviets felt the need to increase their military spending and after that went bankrupt when trying to catch up with America. To try and prevent collapse Soviet Premier Gorbachev attempted to introduce a reform known as perestroika and glasnost. A domino effect of these policies spread across Eastern Europe. Within six years, the Soviet Union corrupted led to the sudden end of Cold War.
Works Cited
Foner, Eric. (2009). Give Me Liberty!: an American History. 2nd Seagull Ed. New York, NY: W.W. Norton and Company.
The Cold War was the most important historic event in the 20th century after the Second World War, from 1945 till 1991 between two most powerful countries in that period – Soviet Union and USA. The Cold War invested a lot in world politics. What is the Cold War? This was a war for dominance in the world. In 1945 the USA was the only one country in the world that had the nuclear weapons. But in the 1949 USSR started to learn their nuclear weapons. In further developments forced the USSR was soon created by nuclear, and then thermonuclear weapons. (Isaacs J, 2008) Fight has become very dangerous for all.
The Cold War was a post-World War II struggle between the United States. and its allies and the group of nations led by the Soviet Union. Direct military conflict did not occur between the two superpowers, but intense economic and diplomatic struggles erupted in the country. Different interests led to mutual suspicion and hostility in a rising philosophy. The United States played a major role in the ending of the Cold War.
The political ideologies of the USA and of the Soviet Union were of profound significance in the development of the Cold War. Problems between the two power nations arose when America refused to accept the Soviet Union in the international community. The relationship between the USA and the Soviet Union was filled with mutual distrust and hostility. Many historians believe the cold war was “inevitable” between a democratic, capitalist nation and a communist Union. Winston Churchill called the cold war “The balance of terror” (1). Cold war anxieties began to build up with America and the Soviet Union advancing in the arms race for world dominance and supremacy. America feared the spread of Communism
During the late 1940's and the 1950's, the Cold War became increasingly tense. Each side accused the other of wanting to rule the world (Walker 388). Each side believed its political and economic systems were better than the other's. Each strengthened its armed forces. Both sides viewed the Cold War as a dispute between right and wron...
The Cold War, which started sometime in the 1940’s, was a large quarrel between the United States and the Soviet Union. This dispute involved a lot of propaganda and threats of nuclear warfare. Despite all of the trouble though, after over forty years of fighting, the two leaders of these countries (Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev) would finally work out a solution. However, although they did reach an agreement, there were many differences between these two men.
Foner, Eric. "Chapter 9." Give Me Liberty!: An American History. Brief Third ed. Vol. One. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. N. pag. Print.
Foner, E. (2008). Give me Liberty: An American History. New York, Ny: WW. Norton &
Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty!. an American History. 3rd ed. Vol. 1. New York: W.W. Norton and company, 2011. 285-288, 398-401. Print.
W.W. Norton, 2012, 771. 3.) Foner, Eric. A. Give Me a Liberty! An American History of the World. 4th ed.
The cold war which is the period of tension between the United States and Soviet Union drastically altered life for Americans. The tensions have still been escalating to this period. In World War 2 Russia was an ally of the us and England because the war against Germany. Although Stalin was considered a devil because of how he treated his people; he was a totalitarian dictator murdered people left and right, the political and military relationship between Russia has been on rocky ground ever since then. The fear of nuclear destruction had a big part to do with higher education, economy, immigration policy, civil rights and civil liberties. A period of time known as the red scare which was also known as the red menace had a profound effect on the American society as a whole It had an direct impact on the lives of Americans for instance with the launch of sputnik 1 which was launched in 1957 the us took measures to launch an overhaul in science education. This satellite launch emphasized that the Soviet Union had trampled the us into space. . As mentioned in a speech by Precedent john F Kennedy June, 10, 1963 “it is an ironic but accurate fact; that the two strongest powers are the two with the most danger of devastation. All we have built, all we have worked for would be destroyed in the first 24 hrs and even in the cold war with brings burdens and dangers to so many countries including this nations closest allies our two countries bare the heaviest burdens. For wee are both devoting massive sums of money to weapons. That could be better devoted to combat ignorance, poverty and disease.” (kennedy) Mad short for Mutual assured destruction or also referred to as mutual suicide on September 1867 Sec. of Defense Robert McNamara be...
Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty. 3rd ed. Vol. Two. New York: Norton &, 2011. Print.
The intrusion of the Cold War desecrated the world in three ways. In 1947, The United States (U.S.) had resentment over the non-aggression pact between the Soviet Union (USSR) and Germany. The U.S. and USSR had different political governments; the U.S. was a capitalist nation and the USSR was a communist nation. These differences and geopolitical tensions between the superpowers became to be known as the Cold war, which lasted until 1991. However, the war did not remain between the two countries, it affected other global nations. The U.S. and USSR’s differences in worldly aspirations (Cold War) transformed political alliances, cultural aspects, and economic prosperities in the progressions of Third World nations, including Nicaragua, Iran,
The Cold War was an extensive period of time directly following the end of WW2 in which major conflicts and tensions heated between two past and present global superpowers, the United States of America and the USSR, which is now known as the Russian Federation. The Cold War was like an artist, and the world its canvas, as between the years of 1947 and 1991, the War was splashed in many colours of attack, including espionage, a nuclear arms and space race and proxy wars, like that of the Vietnamese conflicts. While fortunately limited in its death toll compared to WW1 and WW2, the Cold War involved a number of very violent and devastating proxy conflicts, the major one being the Vietnam War, which amounted to the death of an estimated sum of 3 million people. On the other hand, the Cuban Missile Crisis is an example of an event much like the Vietnam War, save nuclear missiles, that was prevented with political tact and strategic vigilance. It is evident that, with these particular contentions under scrutiny, the Cold War’s final years were comfortably uneventful for all nations involved in the 40 year siege on Communism.
Therefore, the Cold War was the result of the ideological, economic, and military contest that shaped American politics, economic life, cultural, and social developments in the 1940s throughout 1950s and the 1960s (Schultz, 2013, p. 429). Nevertheless, the atomic, power and the communism threats were the leading, basic mistrust in the Cold War. The Berlin Crisis was the
In the history of the cold war it was expressed by political conflict and economic competition instead of armed military conflict. With the end of World War II in 1945 began the Cold War. There were a post-war negotiation by three of the strongest world powers, the United States, Britain, and the Union Soviet socialist Republics. The United States and the Union Soviet socialist Republics were both reluctant to settle their conflicts, there disagreement had evolved to create tension between them being inevitable. Both United States and Soviet Union were two mainly powerful countries in the cold war with the orthodox historians as well as first generation historians blame the Union Soviet Socialist Republic for the whole war .The cold war was