A cold war can be defined as conflict between nations that does not involve direct warfare. It is basically accomplished through economic and political sanctions which normally involve destabilization, extortions and economic sanctions. In historical contexts, it is usually used to describe the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union after the Second World War. Whereas America was concerned about Joseph Stalin’s tyrannical rule under communism, the USSR resented the U.S. for its refusal to acknowledge it as a legitimate member of the International community. They also had a negative relation towards the Americans because the latter had delayed their involvement in World War II. Leading to the deaths of millions of Russians. Consequently, the end of the war increased the tension between the two nations as the grievances increased to create a sense of mutual enmity and distrust. This hostile atmosphere precipitated the start of the cold war as international relations between the two nations worsened. This essay provides a comprehensive analysis of the cold war by shedding light on its origin, defining moments and how it ultimately came to an end.
The Cold War began in 1947 after World War II. It was precipitated by the rivalry between the communist Soviet Union and its allies against the United States and its Western associates. According to Craig (2012) the war was triggered by the social climate change and the growing tensions in Europe which were brought by the economic separation between the Soviets and the Western Nations. It was also caused by the increasing power tussles between the Soviet Union and the United States. In addition to this, the nuclear war is also believed to be another major cause of the cold war.
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The war was characterized by four major dangerous moments. The first major moment was the Cuban Missile Crisis. This occurred during a very high tensed time of the conflict between the Soviet Union, the United States and Cuba. Harper (2011) states that in October 1962, the Kennedy Administration faced its most serious foreign policy crisis. This was after Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev saw an opportunity to strengthen the relationship between the Soviet Union and Cuba, which was then under Fidel Castro. The Soviet Union leader made the alliance with Cuba by making promises to secure it against the United States. Through their U-2 spy planes, America discovered how the Soviet Union had started developing missiles in Cuba. This new development increased the tension between the two nations and weakened the chances of achieving a peaceful end of the war. If war broke out between the US and the Soviets, he results would have been devastating. It was therefore a big relief to the world when the superpowers came to an agreement to end the threat of nuclear war.
The second major moment was the berlin blockage. This was an attempt by the Soviet Union to implement mobility limitations and restrictions for France, Great Britain and the United States. These would prevent citizens from these countries from travelling to Berlin. This wall was built under a tyrannical government that infringed its people in a communism society that lacked freedom. It also signified the cold war divide between the communists and the western democratic states. The erection of the wall left the people of West Berlin without food, clothing, medical supplies and local amenities. It also divided families on both sides of the wall since they were not able to visit each other. On 12 th May 1949, Stalin called off the blockage. After failing to starve the Allies out of Berlin, (the U.S had developed a plan to airlift food and supplies to the West Berlin) Stalin called off the wall on 12 May 1949 (Harper, 2011).
The third major moment was the Korean War, which was fought between South Korea and the communist North Korea. This was the first key conflict of the cold war because the Soviet Union supported North Korea whereas the United States supported South Korea. Koniholm (2014) notes that the Korean War marked the first armed conflict in the cold war. It had major effects on Korean as a nation. The main outcome of the war was the division of Korea into North Korea and South Korea. Another result of the Korean War could be seen from how it split families into communists and capitalists.
The fourth major moment was the Soviet Afghan War. In the midst of the Cold War, the Soviet’s fortieth army invaded Afghanistan in an attempt to support the communist government of the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan against the growing revolution. The Soviet was directly involved in these affairs because it was afraid it may end up losing its communists delegation in Afghanistan. It therefore sent troops in 1979 as a means of ensuring that this did not happen. This move was precipitated by a number of factors. One of the reasons was that the Soviet Union wished to expand their influence in Asia. Moreover, they also wanted to preserve the communist regime that had been established in the 1970s because it was collapsing due to lack of support (May, 2008).
The Soviet Afghan War went on for almost nine years, from December 1979 to February 1989 (Zubok, 2009). The Soviet army was confronted in a direct warfare by insurgent groups known as the mujahideen and also by smaller Maoist groups. These rebellious groups engaged in a guerrilla war in the rural countryside against the Soviet Army and the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan administration. According to Zubok (2009) the war in Afghanistan became a predicament because by late 1980s, the Soviet Union was crumbling down. This is because the Soviets suffered thousands of deaths and many people got injured. Despite their failure in Afghanistan, the Soviet Union signed an agreement with the United States, Pakistan and Afghanistan in 1988. According to the treaty, the Soviets had agreed to withdraw their troops from the Middle East nation. The withdrawal of the troops was finalized on Feb 15, 1989 after which Afghanistan went back to become a nonaligned state.
Between 1989 and 1990, the Berlin Wall came down, borders reopened and free elections were conducted. In late 1991, the Soviet Union dissolved into its component republics and with immediate effect the Iron Curtain was elevated hence the Cold War came to an end. Mikhail Gorbachev also contributed to the end of the cold war. He attained this in 1985 after he took back power in the Soviet Union. Since Gorbachev was a dedicated reformer, he introduced the policies of glasnost and perestroika to the USSR.
From the discussion provided above, it is evident that the Cold War had a devastating effect on the US and the USSR. It started in 1947 during the end of the Second World War and lasted until the dissolution of the Soviet Union on December 26, 1991. The Cuban Missile Crisis marked a great turning point during the cold war, as it almost sparked the emergence of an actual war between the two nations. This event affirms itself in history as one that nearly brought humanity to the edge of destruction. It is also considered as one of the greatest political battle between the two superpowers. The creation of NATO aided in the prevention of the Cold War from becoming a hot war. The treaty was therefore signed as a means of safeguarding the freedom and security of member countries.
References
Craig, C., & Logevall, F. (2012). America's Cold War . Harvard University Press.
Harper, J. L. (2011). The Cold War . Oxford University Press.
Kuniholm, B. R. (2014). The origins of the Cold War in the Near East: Great power conflict and diplomacy in Iran, Turkey, and Greece . Princeton University Press.
May, E. T. (2008). Homeward bound: American families in the Cold War era . Hachette UK.
Zubok, V. M. (2009). A failed empire: the Soviet Union in the Cold War from Stalin to Gorbachev . Univ of North Carolina Press.
