what were the main causes of the cold war essay

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Cold War History

By: History.com Editors

Updated: June 26, 2023 | Original: October 27, 2009

The Cold War was a period of geopolitical tension marked by competition and confrontation between communist nations led by the Soviet Union and Western democracies including the United States. During World War II , the United States and the Soviets fought together as allies against Nazi Germany . However, U.S./Soviet relations were never truly friendly: Americans had long been wary of Soviet communism and Russian leader Joseph Stalin ’s tyrannical rule. The Soviets resented Americans’ refusal to give them a leading role in the international community, as well as America’s delayed entry into World War II, in which millions of Russians died.

These grievances ripened into an overwhelming sense of mutual distrust and enmity that never developed into open warfare (thus the term “cold war”). Soviet expansionism into Eastern Europe fueled many Americans’ fears of a Russian plan to control the world. Meanwhile, the USSR came to resent what they perceived as U.S. officials’ bellicose rhetoric, arms buildup and strident approach to international relations. In such a hostile atmosphere, no single party was entirely to blame for the Cold War; in fact, some historians believe it was inevitable.

Containment

By the time World War II ended, most American officials agreed that the best defense against the Soviet threat was a strategy called “containment.” In his famous “Long Telegram,” the diplomat George Kennan (1904-2005) explained the policy: The Soviet Union, he wrote, was “a political force committed fanatically to the belief that with the U.S. there can be no permanent modus vivendi [agreement between parties that disagree].” As a result, America’s only choice was the “long-term, patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies.”

“It must be the policy of the United States,” he declared before Congress in 1947, “to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation…by outside pressures.” This way of thinking would shape American foreign policy for the next four decades.

Did you know? The term 'cold war' first appeared in a 1945 essay by the English writer George Orwell called 'You and the Atomic Bomb.'

The Cold War: The Atomic Age

The containment strategy also provided the rationale for an unprecedented arms buildup in the United States. In 1950, a National Security Council Report known as NSC–68 had echoed Truman’s recommendation that the country use military force to contain communist expansionism anywhere it seemed to be occurring. To that end, the report called for a four-fold increase in defense spending.

In particular, American officials encouraged the development of atomic weapons like the ones that had ended World War II. Thus began a deadly “ arms race .” In 1949, the Soviets tested an atom bomb of their own. In response, President Truman announced that the United States would build an even more destructive atomic weapon: the hydrogen bomb, or “superbomb.” Stalin followed suit.

As a result, the stakes of the Cold War were perilously high. The first H-bomb test, in the Eniwetok atoll in the Marshall Islands, showed just how fearsome the nuclear age could be. It created a 25-square-mile fireball that vaporized an island, blew a huge hole in the ocean floor and had the power to destroy half of Manhattan. Subsequent American and Soviet tests spewed radioactive waste into the atmosphere.

The ever-present threat of nuclear annihilation had a great impact on American domestic life as well. People built bomb shelters in their backyards. They practiced attack drills in schools and other public places. The 1950s and 1960s saw an epidemic of popular films that horrified moviegoers with depictions of nuclear devastation and mutant creatures. In these and other ways, the Cold War was a constant presence in Americans’ everyday lives.

HISTORY Vault: Nuclear Terror

Now more than ever, terrorist groups are obtaining nuclear weapons. With increasing cases of theft and re-sale at dozens of Russian sites, it's becoming more and more likely for terrorists to succeed.

The Cold War and the Space Race

Space exploration served as another dramatic arena for Cold War competition. On October 4, 1957, a Soviet R-7 intercontinental ballistic missile launched Sputnik (Russian for “traveling companion”), the world’s first artificial satellite and the first man-made object to be placed into the Earth’s orbit. Sputnik’s launch came as a surprise, and not a pleasant one, to most Americans.

In the United States, space was seen as the next frontier, a logical extension of the grand American tradition of exploration, and it was crucial not to lose too much ground to the Soviets. In addition, this demonstration of the overwhelming power of the R-7 missile–seemingly capable of delivering a nuclear warhead into U.S. air space–made gathering intelligence about Soviet military activities particularly urgent.

In 1958, the U.S. launched its own satellite, Explorer I, designed by the U.S. Army under the direction of rocket scientist Wernher von Braun, and what came to be known as the Space Race was underway. That same year, President Dwight Eisenhower signed a public order creating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a federal agency dedicated to space exploration, as well as several programs seeking to exploit the military potential of space. Still, the Soviets were one step ahead, launching the first man into space in April 1961.

That May, after Alan Shepard become the first American man in space, President John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) made the bold public claim that the U.S. would land a man on the moon by the end of the decade. His prediction came true on July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong of NASA’s Apollo 11 mission , became the first man to set foot on the moon, effectively winning the Space Race for the Americans. 

U.S. astronauts came to be seen as the ultimate American heroes. Soviets, in turn, were pictured as the ultimate villains, with their massive, relentless efforts to surpass America and prove the power of the communist system.

The Cold War and the Red Scare

Meanwhile, beginning in 1947, the House Un-American Activities Committee ( HUAC ) brought the Cold War home in another way. The committee began a series of hearings designed to show that communist subversion in the United States was alive and well.

In Hollywood , HUAC forced hundreds of people who worked in the movie industry to renounce left-wing political beliefs and testify against one another. More than 500 people lost their jobs. Many of these “blacklisted” writers, directors, actors and others were unable to work again for more than a decade. HUAC also accused State Department workers of engaging in subversive activities. Soon, other anticommunist politicians, most notably Senator Joseph McCarthy (1908-1957), expanded this probe to include anyone who worked in the federal government. 

Thousands of federal employees were investigated, fired and even prosecuted. As this anticommunist hysteria spread throughout the 1950s, liberal college professors lost their jobs, people were asked to testify against colleagues and “loyalty oaths” became commonplace.

The Cold War Abroad

The fight against subversion at home mirrored a growing concern with the Soviet threat abroad. In June 1950, the first military action of the Cold War began when the Soviet-backed North Korean People’s Army invaded its pro-Western neighbor to the south. Many American officials feared this was the first step in a communist campaign to take over the world and deemed that nonintervention was not an option. Truman sent the American military into Korea, but the Korean War dragged to a stalemate and ended in 1953.

In 1955, the United States and other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) made West Germany a member of NATO and permitted it to remilitarize. The Soviets responded with the Warsaw Pact , a mutual defense organization between the Soviet Union, Albania, Poland, Romania, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria that set up a unified military command under Marshal Ivan S. Konev of the Soviet Union.

Other international disputes followed. In the early 1960s, President Kennedy faced a number of troubling situations in his own hemisphere. The Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 and the Cuban missile crisis the following year seemed to prove that the real communist threat now lay in the unstable, postcolonial “Third World.” 

Nowhere was this more apparent than in Vietnam , where the collapse of the French colonial regime had led to a struggle between the American-backed nationalist Ngo Dinh Diem in the south and the communist nationalist Ho Chi Minh in the north. Since the 1950s, the United States had been committed to the survival of an anticommunist government in the region, and by the early 1960s it seemed clear to American leaders that if they were to successfully “contain” communist expansionism there, they would have to intervene more actively on Diem’s behalf. However, what was intended to be a brief military action spiraled into a 10-year conflict .

The End of the Cold War and Effects

Almost as soon as he took office, President Richard Nixon (1913-1994) began to implement a new approach to international relations. Instead of viewing the world as a hostile, “bi-polar” place, he suggested, why not use diplomacy instead of military action to create more poles? To that end, he encouraged the United Nations to recognize the communist Chinese government and, after a trip there in 1972, began to establish diplomatic relations with Beijing.

At the same time, he adopted a policy of “détente”—”relaxation”—toward the Soviet Union. In 1972, he and Soviet premier Leonid Brezhnev (1906-1982) signed the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I), which prohibited the manufacture of nuclear missiles by both sides and took a step toward reducing the decades-old threat of nuclear war.

Despite Nixon’s efforts, the Cold War heated up again under President Ronald Reagan (1911-2004). Like many leaders of his generation, Reagan believed that the spread of communism anywhere threatened freedom everywhere. As a result, he worked to provide financial and military aid to anticommunist governments and insurgencies around the world. This policy, particularly as it was applied in the developing world in places like Grenada and El Salvador, was known as the Reagan Doctrine .

Even as Reagan fought communism in Central America, however, the Soviet Union was disintegrating. In response to severe economic problems and growing political ferment in the USSR, Premier Mikhail Gorbachev (1931-2022) took office in 1985 and introduced two policies that redefined Russia’s relationship to the rest of the world: “glasnost,” or political openness, and “ perestroika ,” or economic reform. 

Soviet influence in Eastern Europe waned. In 1989, every other communist state in the region replaced its government with a noncommunist one. In November of that year, the Berlin Wall –the most visible symbol of the decades-long Cold War–was finally destroyed, just over two years after Reagan had challenged the Soviet premier in a speech at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” By 1991, the Soviet Union itself had fallen apart. The Cold War was over.

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• Causes of the Cold War in 1945

As with any global conflict, there was no single cause of the Cold War - there were multiple causes that centred around Communism. The USSR and China, two major world powers, were both Communist, while the US was suspicious of Communists.

The Main Causes of the Cold War in 1945:

• America feared a communist attack
• The American President Harry Truman disliked the Communist party leader Joseph Stalin
• The Soviet Union was afraid of America’s nuclear capabilities. America refused to share her nuclear secrets.
• The Soviet Union disliked capitalism and wanted to spread communism throughout the world
• The USSR broke its promises to hold free elections in Eastern Europe
• The USSR wanted a secure Western border. It wanted to weaken Germany so that she would never again attack Russia.

These factors helped contribute to a climate of suspicion and hostility between East and West, which grew stronger towards the end of the 1940s at the time of the Soviet blockade of Berlin and the Berlin airlift.

See also: Cold War Chronology

MLA Citation/Reference

"Causes of the Cold War in 1945". HistoryLearning.com. 2024. Web.

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Origins of the Cold War

The Cold War was the global, ideological rivalry between the Soviet Union-led Eastern bloc and American-dominated “Free World.” It emerged in the aftermath of World War II and was fought on many fronts—political, economic, military, cultural, ideological, and in the Space Race. It led to the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949, and the Warsaw Pact alliance (1955-1991). Under the threat of Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD), the two nuclear powers—the United States since 1945 and the Soviet Union since 1949—and military alliances avoided direct confrontations, the reason why the term “cold” is used to describe the conflict. However, they eagerly supported their allies and fought proxy wars; for example, the Korean War from 1950-1953, the Vietnam War from 1955-1975, and Afghanistan from 1979-1989.  

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World History Project - Origins to the Present

Course: world history project - origins to the present   >   unit 7.

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First read: preview and skimming for gist

Second read: key ideas and understanding content.

• According to the author, what was the basic difference at the heart of the Cold War conflict?
• What does this author identify as the three main features of the Cold War?
• Why did Stalin want to expand Soviet influence in Eastern Europe?
• What was the policy of containment and what conflicts does the author use as an example of this policy?

Third read: evaluating and corroborating

• The Cold War was a conflict that was all about methods of production and distribution that divided communities across the world along communist and capitalist lines. How would you describe the Cold War through each course frame?

Cold War: An Overview

What was the cold war, a divided europe, the cold war heats up around the world, the end of the cold war, want to join the conversation.

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The Cold War: Causes and Consequences Essay

The post World War II world emerged as an arena between its victors. United States, which sustained the minimal damage during the apocalyptic war, was elevated to the status of the savior of the new world in the west whilst mighty Soviet Union whose winters not only mercilessly massacred the Nazi hordes but showed no mercy to even her native inhabitants, took command of the free east. What ensued afterwards marked the dawn of new breed of warfare that was garbed in diplomatic smiles and technological race.

The Cold War is among one of the most important chapters in the history of the United States. It wasn’t just a mounting conflict between two powerful and egotistic nations, but titanic collision between two ideologies and lifestyles. Many saw it as a conflict between two rival nations, utilizing all their resources to prevent another 3 rd Reich. That mutual hostility between both nations was based on half a century worth of warfare and revolutions and both were unwilling to give each other a chance to step forward and lead the free world.

But the Cold War didn’t only affect the rival states; it also created turmoil within the both nations. In the east, the newly painted red Soviet Union, absolutely drunk on power and freedom became the flame tongued preacher of communism. With Stalin as the impeccable leader of the Soviet regime, a form of tyranny and totalitarianism prevailed in Soviet Union where freedom was crushed and restricted in the name of Leninism. Same way, United States underwent an anti-communist frenzy that had its political and social ramifications as the frenzy started to gnaw on the pillars of the state from within. The anti-communism frenzy that came to be regarded as McCarthyism was not only used as propaganda tool, but also as an instrument for political gains.

The World War II came to an end in 1945 when an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, thus ending the pacific war. Under the leadership of President Truman, United States had ushered the world into an era of freedom, but in doing, had garnered an adversary in the form of an independent and very red Soviet Union. The immediate difference became stark right after the end of war when Stalin and Truman got off on the wrong foot regarding economic co-operation.

The socialist-capitalist schism suddenly evident and silent waves of hostility surged form both Kremlin and White House. The fear was mutual. The Soviets, in the words of Whittaker Chambers, a rouge communist spy, believed that the ‘ Western civilization was doomed to collapse or revert to barbarism’ (Chambers-Truman, 1). On the other hand Truman was facing conflicts at home just as well and rallying against the nuisance of communism sounded like an adequate elusive tactic.

To further deteriorate the situation, in August 1948, Whittaker Chambers, a senior editor in Time magazine and a defrocked former soviet spy made a testament before House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in which lodged allegations against some really high State Department officials including Alger Hiss, advisor to the former President Roosevelt and on of the leading names in the establishment of United Nations, of being communists. Even though the allegations were without any concrete evidence, they planted an incipient ‘spy scare’ throughout the whole Washington.

‘ This atmosphere of anti-fascist cooperation, anti-capitalist conviction, and lax security precautions enabled a small number of Washingtonians to lead dual lives as professional bureaucrats and devoted communists.’ (Chambers-Truman 54).

Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy used it as a political weapon and started rallying against the Truman establishment. This not only tarnished Truman’s reputation but also coined the term McCarthyism which meant hatred towards everything red. Whilst United States was vehemently opposing communism, Soviet Union was on the cusp of Stalin’s Great Purge and Eastern Bloc was being dominated by the sickle and hammer. President Truman on the insinuation of his advisors in 1947 issued Truman Doctrine thus parting the gulf between east and west further. The term Cold War appeared first in an American newspaper in 1946, which Truman dabbed as ‘war of nerves’ (Chambers-Truman essay, 30).

Ironically a war that itself was made up of an oxymoron was tearing the Truman establishment apart. As Soviet Union tested its first nuclear weapon in 1949, panic spread throughout the corridors of White House. The Soviet nuclear testing was a harbinger of an epoch where the world was rent apart into bipolarity. Truman blew the trumpet of war using the pretext that communism would swipe away the capitalist markets. By doing so, Truman managed to ‘ scare the hell out of congress’ (Holsti 214). He even fired Henry Wallace, the ex vice-president and the then Secretary of Commerce because he rejected Truman’s anti-Soviet policy.

The Cold War entered a new phase after President Truman when Eisenhower took the Oval office in 1953. As for the East, Nikita Khrushchev became the ultimate Soviet leader and the war took a new form. Khrushchev intended to take the war from the battlefield to the space laboratories and economic fortifications, hoisting the banner of ‘ peaceful coexistence ’ (Gaddis 70) yet flagrantly threatening the west with nuclear resistance. The Warsaw Pact of 1955 widened the gap further. The Soviet block, imbibed by the spirit of proletariat revolution also instigated many other oppressed and agitated nations to gain freedom under the red banner.

United States, the vanguard of Democracy and the scourge of tyranny had to do a number of objectionable acts so as to save many potentially explosive states from falling into the communist lap. The toppling of Iran’s democratically elected government in 1953 through Operation Ajax is one of the examples. The Development of ICBMs and the race to reach the moon or own the limitless space shows how much friction both rival nations generated. The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 literally left the both USA and USSR on the verge of a nuclear war.

The cold war may have ended by the disintegration on USSR in 1991, but the truth is, the war wasn’t so cold for the states that were forced to pick sides in a two sided world. Korea, Vietnam, Czechoslovakia, Afghanistan, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, all was the collateral damage. Caught between the crossfire of two giants who were hell bent on sustaining superiority over the other. Both USSR and USA had never had to face each other during the war, instead, pawns were moved and sacrificed resulting in the checkmate of USSR.

Works Cited

Holsti, Ole (1996). Public Opinion and American Foreign Policy. Ann Arbor, MI: The University of Michigan Press. p21.

Gaddis, John Lewis (2005), The Cold War: A New History, Penguin Press p70. The Truman-Chamber Essay.

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IvyPanda. (2021, November 12). The Cold War: Causes and Consequences. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-cold-war-causes-and-consequences/

"The Cold War: Causes and Consequences." IvyPanda , 12 Nov. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/the-cold-war-causes-and-consequences/.

IvyPanda . (2021) 'The Cold War: Causes and Consequences'. 12 November.

IvyPanda . 2021. "The Cold War: Causes and Consequences." November 12, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-cold-war-causes-and-consequences/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Cold War: Causes and Consequences." November 12, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-cold-war-causes-and-consequences/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The Cold War: Causes and Consequences." November 12, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-cold-war-causes-and-consequences/.

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The Cold War (1945-1989) essay

The Cold War is considered to be a significant event in Modern World History. The Cold War dominated a rather long time period: between 1945, or the end of the World War II, and 1990, the collapse of the USSR. This period involved the relationships between two superpowers: the United States and the USSR. The Cold War began in Eastern Europe and Germany, according to the researchers of the Institute of Contemporary British History (Warner 15).  Researchers state that “the USSR and the United States of America held the trump cards, nuclear bombs and missiles” (Daniel 489). In other words, during the Cold War, two nations took the fate of the world under their control. The progression of the Cold War influenced the development of society, which became aware of the threat of nuclear war. After the World War II, the world experienced technological progress, which provided “the Space Race, computer development, superhighway construction, jet airliner development, the creation of international phone system, the advent of television, enormous progress in medicine, and the creation of mass consumerism, and many other achievements” (Daniel 489). Although the larger part of the world lived in poverty and lacked technological progress, the United States and other countries of Western world succeeded in economic development. The Cold War, which began in 1945, reflected the increased role of technological progress in the establishment of economic relationships between two superpowers.   The Cold War involved internal and external conflicts between two superpowers, the United States and the USSR, leading to eventual breakdown of the USSR.

• The Cold War: background information

The Cold War consisted of several confrontations between the United States and the USSR, supported by their allies. According to researchers, the Cold War was marked by a number of events, including “the escalating arms race, a competition to conquer space, a dangerously belligerent for of diplomacy known as brinkmanship, and a series of small wars, sometimes called “police actions” by the United States and sometimes excused as defense measures by the Soviets” (Gottfried 9). The Cold War had different influences on the United States and the USSR. For the USSR, the Cold War provided massive opportunities for the spread of communism across the world, Moscow’s control over the development of other nations and the increased role of the Soviet Communist party.

In fact, the Cold War could split the wartime alliance formed to oppose the plans of Nazi Germany, leaving the USSR and the United States as two superpowers with considerable economic and political differences. The USSR was based on a single-party Marxist–Leninist system, while the United States was a capitalist state with democratic governance based on free elections.

The key figure in the Cold War was the Soviet leader Gorbachev, who was elected in 1985. He managed to change the direction of the USSR, making the economies of communist ruled states independent. The major reasons for changing in the course were poor technological development of the USSR (Gottfried 115). Gorbachev believed that radical changes in political power could improve the Communist system. At the same time, he wanted to stop the Cold War and tensions with the United States. The cost of nuclear arms race had negative impact on the economy of the USSR. The leaders of the United States accepted the proposed relationships, based on cooperation and mutual trust. The end of the Cold War was marked by signing the INF treaty in 1987 (Gottfried 115).

• The origins of the Cold War

Many American historians state that the Cold War began in 1945. However, according to Russian researchers, historians and analysts “the Cold War began with the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, for this was when the capitalist world began its systematic opposition to and effort to undermine the world’s first socialist state and society” (Warner13). For Russians, the Cold War was hot in 1918-1922, when the Allied Intervention policy implemented in Russia during the Russian Civil War. According to John W. Long, “the U.S. intervention in North Russia was a policy formulated by President Wilson during the first half of 1918 at the urgent insistence of Britain, France and Italy, the chief World War I allies” (380).

Nevertheless, there are some other opinions regarding the origins of the Cold War. For example, Geoffrey Barraclough, an outstanding English historian, states that the events in the Far East at the end of the century contributed to the origins of the Cold War. He argues that “during the previous hundred years, Russia and the United States has tended to support each other against England; but now, as England’s power passed its zenith, they came face to face across the Pacific” (Warner 13). According to Barraclough, the Cold War is associated with the conflict of interests, which involved European countries, the Middle East and South East Asia. Finally, this conflict divided the world into two camps. Thus, the Cold War origins are connected with the spread of ideological conflict caused by the emergence of the new power in the early 20-th century (Warner 14). The Cold War outbreak was associated with the spread of propaganda on the United States by the USSR. The propagandistic attacks involved the criticism of the U.S. leaders and their policies. These attacked were harmful to the interests of American nation (Whitton 151).

• The major causes of the Cold War

The United States and the USSR were regarded as two superpowers during the Cold War, each having its own sphere of influence, its power and forces. The Cold War had been the continuing conflict, caused by tensions, misunderstandings and competitions that existed between the United States and the USSR, as well as their allies from 1945 to the early 1990s (Gottfried 10). Throughout this long period, there was the so-called rivalry between the United States and the USSR, which was expressed through various transformations, including military buildup, the spread of propaganda, the growth of espionage, weapons development, considerable industrial advances, and competitive technological developments in different spheres of human activity, such as medicine, education, space exploration, etc.

There four major causes of the Cold War, which include:

• Ideological differences (communism v. capitalism);
• Mutual distrust and misperception;
• The fear of the United State regarding the spread of communism;
• The nuclear arms race (Gottfried 10).

The major causes of the Cold War point out to the fact that the USSR was focused on the spread of communist ideas worldwide. The United States followed democratic ideas and opposed the spread of communism. At the same time, the acquisition of atomic weapons by the United States caused fear in the USSR. The use of atomic weapons could become the major reason of fear of both the United States and the USSR. In other words, both countries were anxious about possible attacks from each other; therefore, they were following the production of mass destruction weapons. In addition, the USSR was focused on taking control over Eastern Europe and Central Asia. According to researchers, the USSR used various strategies to gain control over Eastern Europe and Central Asia in the years 1945-1980. Some of these strategies included “encouraging the communist takeover of governments in Eastern Europe, the setting up of Comecon, the Warsaw Pact, the presence of the Red Army in Eastern Europe, and the Brezhnev Doctrine” (Phillips 118). These actions were the major factors for the suspicions and concerns of the United States. In addition, the U.S. President had a personal dislike of the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and his policies. In general, the United States was concerned by the Soviet Union’s actions regarding the occupied territory of Germany, while the USSR feared that the United States would use Western Europe as the major tool for attack.

• The consequences of the Cold War

The consequences of the Cold War include both positive and negative effects for both the United States and the USSR.

• Both the United States and the USSR managed to build up huge arsenals of atomic weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles.
• The Cold War provided opportunities for the establishment of the military blocs, NATO and the Warsaw Pact.
• The Cold War led to the emergence of the destructive military conflicts, like the Vietnam War and the Korean War, which took the lives of millions of people (Gottfried13).
• The USSR collapsed because of considerable economic, political and social challenges.
• The Cold War led to the destruction of the Berlin Wall and the unification of the two German nations.
• The Cold War led to the disintegration of the Warsaw Pact (Gottfried 136).
• The Cold war provided the opportunities for achieving independence of the Baltic States and some former Soviet Republics.
• The Cold War made the United States the sole superpower of the world because of the collapse of the USSR in 1990.
• The Cold War led to the collapse of Communism and the rise of globalization worldwide (Phillips 119).

The impact of the Cold War on the development of many countries was enormous. The consequences of the Cold War were derived from numerous internal problems of the countries, which were connected with the USSR, especially developing countries (India, Africa, etc.). This fact means that foreign policies of many states were transformed (Gottfried 115).

The Cold War (1945-1989) essay part 2

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Essay on the Cold War: it’s Origin, Causes and Phases

After the Second World War, the USA and USSR became two Super Powers. One nation tried to reduce the power of other. Indirectly the competition between the Super Powers led to the Cold War.

Then America took the leadership of all the Capitalist Countries.

Soviet Russia took the leadership of all the Communist Countries. As a result of which both stood as rivals to each other.

Definition of the Cold War:

ADVERTISEMENTS:

In the graphic language of Hartman, “Cold War is a state of tension between countries in which each side adopts policies designed to strengthen it and weaken the other by falling short by actual war”.

Image Source: i.ytimg.com/vi/y9HjvHZfCUI/maxresdefault.jpg

Infact, Cold War is a kind of verbal war which is fought through newspapers, magazines, radio and other propaganda methods. It is a propaganda to which a great power resorts against the other power. It is a sort of diplomatic war.

Origin of Cold War:

There is no unanimity amongst scholars regarding the origin of the Cold War In 1941 when Hitler invaded Russia, Roosevelt the President of USA sent armaments to Russia. It is only because the relationship between Roosevelt and Stalin was very good. But after the defeat of Germany, when Stalin wanted to implement Communist ideology in Poland, Hungery, Bulgaria and Rumania, at that time England and America suspected Stalin.

Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister of England in his ‘Fulton Speech’ on 5 March 1946 said that Soviet Russia was covered by an Iron Curtain. It led Stalin to think deeply. As a result of which suspicion became wider between Soviet Russia and western countries and thus the Cold War took birth.

Causes of the Cold War:

Various causes are responsible for the outbreak of the Cold War. At first, the difference between Soviet Russia and USA led to the Cold War. The United States of America could not tolerate the Communist ideology of Soviet Russia. On the other hand, Russia could not accept the dominance of United States of America upon the other European Countries.

Secondly, the Race of Armament between the two super powers served another cause for the Cold War. After the Second World War, Soviet Russia had increased its military strength which was a threat to the Western Countries. So America started to manufacture the Atom bomb, Hydrogen bomb and other deadly weapons. The other European Countries also participated in this race. So, the whole world was divided into two power blocs and paved the way for the Cold War.

Thirdly, the Ideological Difference was another cause for the Cold War. When Soviet Russia spread Communism, at that time America propagated Capitalism. This propaganda ultimately accelerated the Cold War.

Fourthly, Russian Declaration made another cause for the Cold War. Soviet Russia highlighted Communism in mass-media and encouraged the labour revolution. On the other hand, America helped the Capitalists against the Communism. So it helped to the growth of Cold War.

Fifthly, the Nuclear Programme of America was responsible for another cause for the Cold War. After the bombardment of America on Hiroshima and Nagasaki Soviet Russia got afraid for her existence. So, it also followed the same path to combat America. This led to the growth of Cold War.

Lastly, the Enforcement of Veto by Soviet Russia against the western countries made them to hate Russia. When the western countries put forth any view in the Security Council of the UNO, Soviet Russia immediately opposed it through veto. So western countries became annoyed in Soviet Russia which gave birth to the Cold War.

Various Phases of the Cold War:

The Cold War did not occur in a day. It passed through several phases.

First Phase (1946-1949 ):

In this phase America and Soviet Russia disbelieved each other. America always tried to control the Red Regime in Russia. Without any hesitation Soviet Russia established Communism by destroying democracy in the Poland, Bulgaria, Rumania, Hungery, Yugoslavia and other Eastern European Countries.

In order to reduce Russia’s hegemony, America helped Greece and Turkey by following Truman Doctrine which came into force on 12 March 1947. According to Marshall Plan which was declared on 5 June, 1947 America gave financial assistance to Western European Countries.

In this phase, non withdrawal of army from Iran by Soviet Russia, Berlin blaockade etc. made the cold was more furious. After the formation of NATO in 1949, the Cold War took a halt.

Second Phase (1949-1953 ):

In this phase a treaty was signed between Australia, New Zeland and America in September, 1957 which was known as ANZUS. America also signed a treaty with Japan on 8 September, 1951. At that time by taking armaments from Russia and army from China, North Korea declared war against South Korea.

Then with the help of UNO, America sent military aid to South Korea. However, both North Korea and South Korea signed peace treaty in 1953 and ended the war. In order to reduce the impact of Soviet Communism, America spent a huge amount of dollar in propaganda against Communism. On the other hand, Soviet Russia tried to be equal with America by testing atom bomb.

Third Phase (1953-1957):

Now United States of America formed SEATO in 1954 in order to reduce Soviet Russia’s influence. In 1955 America formed MEDO in Middle East. Within a short span of time, America gave military assistance to 43 countries and formed 3300 military bases around Soviet Russia. At that time, the Vietnamese War started on 1955.

To reduce the American Power, Russia signed WARSAW PACT in 1955. Russia also signed a defence pact with 12 Countries. Germany was divided into Federal Republic of Germany which was under the American control where as German Democratic Republic was under Soviet Russia. In 1957 Soviet Russia included Sphutnick in her defence programme.

In 1953 Stalin died and Khrushchev became the President of Russia. In 1956 an agreement was signed between America and Russia regarding the Suez Crisis. America agreed not to help her allies like England and France. In fact West Asia was saved from a great danger.

Fourth Phase (1957-1962):

In 1959 the Russian President Khrushchev went on a historical tour to America. Both the countries were annoyed for U-2 accident and for Berlin Crisis. In 13 August 1961, Soviet Russia made a Berlin Wall of 25 Kilometres in order to check the immigration from eastern Berlin to Western Berlin. In 1962, Cuba’s Missile Crisis contributed a lot to the cold war.

This incident created an atmosphere of conversation between American President Kenedy and Russian President Khrushchev. America assured Russia that she would not attack Cuba and Russia also withdrew missile station from Cuba.

Fifth Phase (1962-1969 ):

The Fifth Phase which began from 1962 also marked a mutual suspicion between USA and USSR. There was a worldwide concern demanding ban on nuclear weapons. In this period Hot Line was established between the White House and Kremlin. This compelled both the parties to refrain from nuclear war. Inspite of that the Vietnam problem and the Problem in Germany kept Cold War between USA and USSR in fact.

Sixth Phase (1969-1978 ):

This phase commencing from 1969 was marked by DETENTE between USA and USSR- the American President Nixon and Russian President Brezhnev played a vital role for putting an end to the Cold War. The SALT of 1972, the summit Conference on Security’ of 1975 in Helsinki and Belgrade Conference of 1978 brought America and Russia closer.

In 1971, American Foreign Secretary Henry Kissinger paid a secret visit to China to explore the possibilities of reapproachment with China. The American move to convert Diego Garcia into a military base was primarily designed to check the Soviet presence in the Indian Ocean. During the Bangladesh crisis of 1971 and the Egypt-Israel War of 1973 the two super powers extended support to the opposite sides.

Last Phase (1979-1987 ):

In this phase certain changes were noticed in the Cold War. That is why historians call this phase as New Cold War. In 1979, the American President Carter and Russian President Brezhnev signed SALT II. But in 1979 the prospects of mitigating Cold War were marred by sudden development in Afghanistan.

Vietnam (1975), Angola (1976), Ethiopia (1972) and Afghanistan (1979) issues brought success to Russia which was unbearable for America. American President Carter’s Human Rights and Open Diplomacy were criticised by Russia. The SALT II was not ratified by the US Senate. In 1980 America boycotted the Olympic held at Moscow.

In 1983, Russia withdrew from a talk on missile with America. In 1984 Russia boycotted the Olympic game held at Los-Angeles. The Star War of the American President Ronald Regan annoyed Russia. In this way the ‘New Cold War’ between America and Russia continued till 1987.

Result of the Cold War:

The Cold War had far-reaching implications in the international affairs. At first, it gave rise to a fear psychosis which resulted in a mad race for the manufacture of more sophisticated armaments. Various alliances like NATO, SEATO, WARSAW PACT, CENTO, ANZUS etc. were formed only to increase world tension.

Secondly, Cold War rendered the UNO ineffective because both super powers tried to oppose the actions proposed by the opponent. The Korean Crisis, Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam War etc. were the bright examples in this direction.

Thirdly, due to the Cold War, a Third World was created. A large number of nations of Africa, Asia and Latin America decided to keep away from the military alliances of the two super powers. They liked to remain neutral. So, Non-Alignments Movement became the direct outcome of the Cold War.

Fourthly, Cold War was designed against mankind. The unnecessary expenditure in the armament production created a barrier against the progress of the world and adversely affected a country and prevented improvement in the living standards of the people.

Fifthly, the principle ‘Whole World as a Family’, was shattered on the rock of frustration due to the Cold War. It divided the world into two groups which was not a healthy sign for mankind.

Sixthly, The Cold War created an atmosphere of disbelief among the countries. They questioned among themselves how unsafe were they under Russia or America.

Finally, The Cold War disturbed the World Peace. The alliances and counter-alliances created a disturbing atmosphere. It was a curse for the world. Though Russia and America, being super powers, came forward to solve the international crisis, yet they could not be able to establish a perpetual peace in the world.

Related Articles:

• Essay on the Cold War, 1945
• Central Treaty Organisation (CENTO): Structure, Principles and Other Details
• History of The Cold War: Origin, Reasons and Other Details
• Truman Doctrine: A Policy Statement Made by US during the Cold War

Reasons for the Cold War: 4 Essay Questions

For ‘O’ and ‘N’ Level History, the reasons for the Cold War are tested quite frequently. As a reason, I am giving out some suggested answers for the reasons for the Cold War. This is only a sample of the essay question database but I believe that it gives students a good variety of questions to refer to.

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The reasons for the Cold War Essay questions are presented below:

1. Explain the reasons for the Cold War.

(P) The Soviets perceived that the Allies had purposely delayed the opening of the Second Front .

(E) The Soviet Red Army bore the brunt of the German attacks in World War Two. In 1941, Stalin urged the Allies to open a Second Front in France to relieve the Soviet forces of the immense pressure from the German army. But it was never opened until 1942.

( E ) Stalin perceived this delay as a deliberate attempt by the Allies to minimize their losses and to let Germany and the USSR weaken and destroy each other in the process.

(L) Hence, Stalin did not trust the Allies and this distrust was one of the reasons for the Cold War after World War Two.

(P) The disagreements during the Yalta Conference of February 1945 created a rift between the Allies and the Soviets.

(E) In Feb 1945, Stalin, US President Roosevelt and British PM Churchill met at Yalta to decide on how they should defeat Germany and arrangements for post-war Europe. They agreed to divide Germany and Berlin, set up the United Nations and Soviet assistant against Japan.

(E) Beneath the seemingly friendly relations and agreements among the three leaders were very different ideas about how post-war Europe should be. USSR wanted a Communist Europe while the USA and Britain disagreed.

(L) Thus, it was apparent from the difficult negotiations at the Yalta conference that the wartime alliance would soon give way to differences.

( P ) Another one of the reasons for the Cold War was the USA’s nuclear monopoly and the use of the atomic bomb on Japan was the final nail in the coffin.

(E) The Americans had been developing a new weapon, the atomic bomb, under the Manhattan Project since 1942. The USA used the atomic bombs on Japan in August to bring back a quick end to the war and hoped that it would give the USA political leverage over the USSR in post-war negotiations.

(E) However, the US kept the Project a secret and informed Stalin only after its successful testing. It only served to make Stalin suspicious of the US intentions. Stalin also saw the nuclear monopoly as a threat and this led to his desire for his country to catch up with the Americans, contributing to the arms race after World War Two.

(L)Thus the American nuclear monopoly further strained relations between the USA and the USSR resulted in the arms race, which led to the start of the Cold War.

2. “The Cold War came about because Stalin was afraid of the Western powers.” How far do you agree with the statement? Explain your answer.

(P) I agree in part that the Cold War came about because Stalin was afraid of the Western powers.

( E ) Stalin worried tremendously about the Western powers and his reaction to the Western powers accelerated the Cold War. The Western democracies and Communism have a long history of distrust so it is not surprising that Stalin feared that the Western powers would challenge the interests of the Soviet Union.

It did not help that the Western powers did not immediately create a second front during World War II. Stalin was convinced that the Western powers did that in the hope that Nazi Germany and Communist Soviet Union would exhaust each other.

He was also very concerned with America’s invention of the nuclear bomb. This concern was made worse when he learnt of it through spies instead of being informed as an ally should be.

( E ) As a result, he created a buffer zone around the Soviet Union by forcing Communism on the East European countries. He hoped that if an invasion came, these countries would shield the Soviet Union. Ironically, these moves made the Western powers even more suspicious of Stalin.

(L) Hence, one of the reasons for the Cold War was Stalin’s worry about the Western powers.

( P ) However, I also do not agree with this statement as the most important reason for the Cold War was the ideological differences.

( E ) The Western powers believed in democracy, where there is freedom of speech and political parties campaign to be the next leader via an election. The Soviets did not have any elections – the Communist party was the only political party. Even if there was a choice of leader, it would still be between two members of the Communist party.

In terms of economic structure, the Soviets had a command economy. Every company belonged to the nation and the nation controlled what was produced and at what quantity. Workers were paid equally.

On the other hand, the Western powers believed in capitalism. Private companies were allowed, and they could decide what to produce and at what quantity. As a result, some people became successful and earned a lot of money.

( E ) The history of conflict between the Western powers and the Communist Soviet Union go all the way back even before World War I. When the Soviet Union was first set up, the British and France sent troops to Russia to fight against them. Throughout the 1930s, they had an uneasy relationship with each other and frequently tried to persuade Hitler to act against the other side.

(L) Hence one of the reasons for the Cold War was due to ideological differences.

( Thesis ) I do not agree with the statement that the Cold War started because of Stalin’s fear.

( Weighing ) The Cold War started due to deep-seated differences from the first day Russia became Communist. Because their ideologies conflict with each other, it caused a long history of fear and distrust of each other. Stalin’s fear of the Western powers must be viewed within this context. Hence, I disagree with the statement.

3. Explain why the USA introduced the Marshall Plan in June 1947.

( P ) The USA introduced the Marshall Plan in June 1947 because they believed that it hindered the spread of Communism in Europe.

( E ) After WWII, the USA believed that every country in Europe was so poor that it was in danger of turning Communist. This was because Communism advocated equality and the equal distribution of resources. As a result, it was very appealing to the poorest as it would mean their lives would improve immediately when the wealth of the richest are redistributed.

( E ) Countries that received financial aid from the Marshall Plan were opening themselves to the USA’s influence. Communism soon fell in disfavour in Western Europe as Marshall Plan helped to kick-start the economic recovery in these countries. USA was perceived to be sincere and active in helping Europe while USSR was viewed as being more concerned with its own survival.

(L) Consequently, the Marshall Plan succeeded in containing the spread of communism by undermining Soviet influence in Europe.

(P) At the same time, the Marshall Plan had a humanitarian element to it as it was designed to help the countries that suffered the most during World War II.

( E ) Many leading industrial and cultural centres in Europe, including many cities in Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Belgium had been destroyed. The economic reports sent back to the United States suggested that some parts of Europe were on the brink of famine because the food production centres had been destroyed during the war. Furthermore, the transportation infrastructure like railways, bridges, parts and roads were destroyed.

( E ) The Marshall Plan sought to rebuild Europe with 15 billion. It began to reconstruct cities, industries and infrastructure heavily damaged during the war. It also removed trade barriers between European neighbours—as well as foster commerce between those countries and the United States.

(L) As a result, Europe rapidly recovered from the economic disaster created after the war.  

4. Explain why the American containment policy in Europe was a success in the late 1940s.

( P ) The American containment policy in Europe was a success in the late 1940s due to the USA’s willingness and ability to help the Western European countries economically.

( E ) the USA came up with the Marshall Plan in 1947 to contain Communism. USA believed that prosperity was an antidote to Communism so the USA aimed to offer financial help to Europe to help countries recover their economies after World War Two and build a prosperous and democratic Europe. Being the richer superpower as compared to USSR, the USA was able to provide US$13 billion in aid, funds and goods to 16 countries in Western Europe such as Britain and France.

( E ) As a result, it was a success as these countries were able to recover their economies more quickly than the countries in Eastern Europe under Communist rule. Due to the improvement in living standards in Western Europe, these countries were grateful to the USA for helping them and continued to stay democratic and support the USA.

(L) Therefore, the USA was successful in containing Communism as countries in Western Europe were not attracted to Communism at all and the spread of Communism was no longer a threat in Western Europe.

( P ) The American containment policy in Europe was a success in the late 1940s due to USA’s determination to protect their democratic allies in Western Europe.

( E ) the USA saw an urgent need to step up to protect Western European countries and deter Stalin from potentially spreading Communism to Western Europe with the use of force. Thus, the Northern Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in 1949 was a military alliance formed to defend Europe from Soviet attack.

( E ) With many Western European countries such as Britain, France, Italy, Belgium in NATO as well as USA’s firm commitment to help all member states if they were attacked by Soviet Union, this helped to further strengthen the security of Western Europe.

(L) As such, USA was successful in containing Communism as Western Europe emerged united and strong as a democratic bloc even when Cold War continued for many years.

This is part of the History Structured Essay Question series. The other topics are as follows:

• Treaty of Versailles
• League of Nations
• Rise of Stalin
• Stalin’s Rule
• Rise of Hitler
• Hitler’s Rule
• Reasons for World War 2 in Europe
• Reasons for the defeat of Germany
• Reasons for World War II in Asia-Pacific
• Reasons for the defeat of Japan
• Cuban Missile Crisis
• End of the Cold War

For more information about the History syllabus, do click here .

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