Cold war, the open yet restricted rivalry that developed after world war ii between the united states and the soviet union and their respective allies. Short essay what was the main cause of the end of the cold war. The cold war was an ongoing political rivalry between the united states and the soviet union and their respective allies that developed after world war ii. We frame our analysis at this broad level for three reasons. Causes of the cold war introduction the cold war, a hostile rivalry between the united states and the soviet union, lasted from the late 1940s until the collapse of the soviet union in 1991. It was waged on political, economic, and propaganda fronts and had only limited recourse to weapons. Pdf power, globalization, and the end of the cold war. Among the main causes that generated the cold war was the rivalry of ideologies and policies that the governments of the united states and the soviet union defended and wanted to impose. Both countries employed ideological, military, and political instruments against each other wo. Analyzing the causes of the cold war taking place from 1947 to 1991, the cold war is amongst one of historys most peculiar wars due to the fact that it did not actually involve any direct military contact between the two countries primarily involved, the united states and the soviet union. The end of the cold war and its resurgence peter kwame womber 1 introduction the causes of the end of the cold war remain one of the most important, and highly contested, debates in the study of international politics. An article by steven erlanger in mondays new york times quotes the neoconservative commentator robert kagan as saying that the standard narrative is reagan.
Causes and effects of the cold war 70 words 6 pages. This subject file focuses on the history of the cold war, a strategic and ideological conflict that opposed the western bloc, led by the united states, and the eastern bloc, led by the soviet union, from 1945 to 1989. Causes of the cold war facts and information activity worksheet pack and fact file. Pdf causes of end of cold war abraham nyuon academia. Truman library, in partnership with the parallel history project on cooperative security, will pilot a oneweek summer course for secondary school teachers in the summer of 2009. Saunders 12 november 2014 english ii causes and effects of the cold war richard nixon once said of the cold war that the cold war isn t thawing. The fundamental underlying cause of the cold war was the reinforcing belief in both the soviet union and the united states that confrontation was unavoidable. The world was split into two opposite teams and one minor mistake could have easily resulted in another world war. The cold war 1947 1991 introduction the grand alliance formed by the u. The salt of 1972, the summit conference on security of 1975 in helsinki and belgrade conference of 1978 brought america and russia closer. The cold war is different from most wars for the simple reason of it was a war that was never actually fought. Josef stalin 18781953 was the dictator leader of the soviet communist party from 1922 until his death in. This essay is about the end of cold war emphasizing the main factors.
During world war 2 the united kingdom, france and the united states aligned another in order to defeat nazi germany. The biggest factor was that the military cabal kept control of the soviet union after wwii and after stalin. The communist government in russia disintegrated due to economic pressures, the war in afghanistan and revolt in eastern europe. But the cold war was also important in terms of technology. The united states defended democracy and capitalism, as well as the principles of private property and free initiative. The cold war started because europe lost power at the end of world war ii. Berlin was the official cause, but the soviet union probably wanted to. The cold war was a period of tension and hostility between the united states of america and the soviet union from the mid40s to the late 80s. Scroll down to see articles about the cold war s beginnings, the foreign policies of american presidents regarding the cold war, the end of communism in eastern europe in the 1980s, and final soviet collapse in 1991. Some effects of the cold war included a stagnant russian economy, a large loss of life and an increased chance of nuclear war. The atomic bombings of hiroshima and nagasaki caused largescale destruction as well as an acute and lingering radiation throughout the infected areas, and as a result of decades of nuclearweapons production, experimentation, and. Alternatively, if you would like to learn about the. A new history is meant chiefly, therefore, for a new generation of readers for whom the cold war was never current events.
Essay on causes and effects of the cold war 84 words. Causes the allies didnt all agree with what should happen next with eastern europe. The sovietamerican combat, known as the cold war hung heavy over global affairs for more than forty long years. Pdf the end of the cold war helped to prompt new interest in the. Millions of people, both civilians and military personnel, lost their lives in korea, vietnam and in other parts of the world.
Free society would have termed it as world war iii, but. Scroll down to see articles about the cold wars beginnings, the foreign policies of american presidents regarding the cold war, the end of communism in eastern europe in the 1980s, and final soviet collapse in 1991. The differing political systems, war devastation, and the disagreements over rebuilding europe were main causes of the cold war. The competitive nature of the cold war fueled creativity among scientists and inventors, from the hang glider, to the microwave oven. Truman and joseph stalin and the potsdam conference 17 july to 2 august 1945 16. Some of the factors that brought about the end of the cold war are as follows. Due to the military and nonmilitary exploitation of nuclear fission, the cold war brought forth some significant involuntary exposures to highlevel radiation. The aim of this war was to spread opposing ideologies of capitalism and communism by the two world superpowers without the result of a hot war.
Causeseffects of the end of the cold war flashcards quizlet. The soviets had lost greater than twenty million lives during world war ii and their leader, joseph stalin, was adamant in his quest for reparations and security for his nation. Identify possible causes to international conflict analyze the primary differences between various political and social ideologies develop a collective, reasoned response to the focus question, what caused the cold war consider the importance of diplomacy as a resolution to international conflict multiple objectives. The cold war was a welfare program for the capitalists military industrial complex. I hope readers who lived through the cold war will also find the volume useful, because as marx once said groucho, not karl, outside of a. However, after the collapse of the ussr and subsequent end of the cold war, along with the opening of the soviet archives and the decrease in political polarisation of historical events, current evaluations of the origins of the cold war have become more insightful, objective and therefore accurate. The end of cold war, in the broader sense, was systemic homogeneity, and. The cold war dominated the second half of the 20th century, resulting in the collapse of communism. The end of the cold war was a greater historical transformation than 911, but controversy persists about its causes. Alternatively, if you would like to learn about the conflict in video form, check out this nineminute explainer video. The evolving interpretations of the origins of the cold war. This hostility between the two superpowers was first given its name by george orwell in an article published in 1945. Start studying causeseffects of the end of the cold war. Indeed, in the final analysis and notwithstanding their awesome power, nuclear weapons did not cause, prevent, or end the cold war, which would have been waged even had such weapons never existed.
Orwell understood it as a nuclear stalemate between superstates. The vietnam war was a long, costly and divisive conflict that pitted the communist government of north vietnam against south vietnam and its principal ally, the united states. Soviet economy was near collapse, promoted gorbachev to introduce reforms and end the arms race, expensive commitment to the war in afghanistan. The soviet union wanted to be in control of the satellite states, while the other nations thought they should be free. Many efforts have been made since the 1950s to promote relaxation of tensions and on many occasions in the past it appeared that the two power blocks had.
The factors that brought about the end of the cold war. This is not to deny that nuclear weapons also helped to keep the cold war cold, to prevent a third world war in the twentieth century. The end of the cold war and why we failed to predict it ssoar. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The cold war finally came to an end in 1989 with the fall of the berlin. To what extent was gorbachev forced to end the cold war. Communism is a hammer which we use to crush our enemies. The ussr would join this alliance following operation barbarossa the invasion of russia by nazi germany. So, the resources needed to develop the countrys infrastructure went to military spending instead. These two powers were rivals and the tension is called the cold war. Key factors that brought an end to the cold war the end. Both countries employed ideological, military, and political instruments against each other wo actually waging a real war.
Growth of german power in central europe challenged great powers france, great britain, russia. The term was first used in 1947 to explain ussoviet relations. Tensions created by the superpowers during the cold war remained high after the war ended. In the 25 years following the end of the cold war, only five or six of the postcommunist states are on a path to joining the rich and capitalist world while most are falling behind, some to such an extent that it will take several decades to catch up to where they were before the collapse of communism. The main causes of the cold war were the political division of europe after world war ii and the fears of aggression on both sides.
Kas us history fellow kim kutz and grammar fellow david rheinstrom discuss the atmosphere in europe after world war ii that led to the start of the cold war. A brief overview of the causes and effects of the cold war. The cold war started by the end of the second world war. Although there was no direct confrontation between the two powers, the conflict was to lead the world to the brink of nuclear war. The causes of the cold war and the american point of view. 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. Cold war causes and effects by vicky barraganlopez on prezi.
Instead, the two world superpowers fought the war by backing different sides in other countries. The afghanistan war and the breakdown of the soviet union. A summer conference for teachers in europe nelahozeves castle, czech republic, july 2009 the harry s. In europe there was a little bloodshed but outside europe there was more traditional warfare. The origins of the cold war go back to the russian revolution of 1917 and the rise of communism as an economic contrast to capitalism in the west. At the end of the second world war, relations between the usa and the ussr deteriorated, especially at potsdam july 1945 and paris 1946.
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