Was the Cold War Truly a Cold War Essay examples

The ‘Cold War’ is one of the most interesting ‘wars’ fought in world history. The sheer number of countries both directly and indirectly involved is enough to pose the question – To what extent was the Cold War a truly Global War? This essay will examine this idea. It will identify two main areas of argument, focusing on the earlier part of the conflict (1945-1963). Firstly it will examine the growing US and Soviet influence in the world post 1945. Secondly it will examine three main conflicts, the Berlin Blockade, the Korean War and the Cuban Missile Crisis that these two super powers were involved in. Overall this essay will argue that the Cold War was no doubt a truly global war. In order to understand this idea, it must first be†¦show more content†¦The original main idea of the Truman doctrine and the policy of containment were to support Turkey and Greece – who were on the verge of being subjugated to the Soviet Union and communism. They needed the assistance of an outside power to help them fight off this threat . The main point to understand this is that it set the precedent that the USA would help any country that was under threat from the Soviet Union in any way, including a communist government trying to take power. To have a balanced argument, it must be examined the influence that the Soviet Union had in this period. It can best be described in two parts – firstly the solidification of the communist states in Eastern Europe for example Czechoslovakia. In 1948, Josef Stalin approved a plan by the Czechoslovakian communists to seize power in the only democratic state left in Eastern Europe . This was shown as making a point that the Eastern European states will remain communist and he would make sure that they did. An example from the 1950’s is the October 1956 Revolution against communism in Hungary. Russian tanks had stormed into Budapest and with the support of the AVN (Soviet backed Hungarian Secret Police) brought Communism back into Hungary . To make a comparison, Stalin and the Soviet Union had in essence, a policy of expansion – to spread communism throughout the world. The USA on the other hand, wanted to try to containShow MoreRelatedThe Cold War and the War on Ter ror987 Words   |  4 Pagesthat during the Cold War and the War on Terror, many of the feelings that citizens felt were the same, but what America called the enemy was different. Following the September 11th attacks, there was a feeling of paranoia felt throughout America similar to the paranoia felt during the Cold War. Americans did not feel safe, and an attack could come at any time. The fight on the home front looked different during the Cold War and the War on Terrorism. During the Cold War there was more of a correlationRead MoreThe Cold War And The Soviet War1134 Words   |  5 PagesThe Cold War is the name granted to the tensions that developed between the USA and the USSR after World War II. The Cold War was an era of confrontation and competition between these two world powers that lasted from about 1946 to 1990. The Cold War was to dominate affairs for decades and many major crises occurred such as the Berlin Wall, Hungary, Vietnam, and the Cuban Missile Crisis ar e just a few examples of the problems that sparked as a result of the Cold War. For most, the growth in weaponsRead MoreEuropean Integration And The European Union1638 Words   |  7 Pagesgeographic concept was in the 7th/8th century BC through the infamous Myth of Europa (Greekmythology.com, 2015). 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Yet many of the tensions that existedRead MoreA Cold Korean War Essays848 Words   |  4 PagesA Cold Korean War The Korean War existed as a bi product to the hegemonic struggle between the contrasting political views of communism and capitalism. The event became the first military conflict of the Cold War between the US and Soviet Union, and it commenced on June 25th, 1950. These powers would continue to battle through the use of surrogate wars and political propaganda. War began to change exponentially with technology, and atomic warfare threatening, and still threatens, the life on earthRead MoreHow Far Did Peaceful Coexistence Ease Cold War Tensions Between the Soviet Union and the Usa in the Years 19531008 Words   |  5 PagesHow far did peaceful coexistence ease cold war tensions between the Soviet Union and the USA in the years 1953-61? 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It’s been two years since Ià ¢â‚¬â„¢ve picked up the book, and after reading about the Cold War in the context of U.S. foreign policy rather than simply an international history class, it seems like an entirely new book. I really like how the book into broken up into a series of themesRead MoreThe Cold War : The United States1172 Words   |  5 PagesThe Cold War was a significant time for the United States and the Soviet Union, while the rest of the world watched intently. Although no actual war took place, both of these powerful countries did their best to promote their political and ideological ideas while trying to gain some ground in the seemingly never ending arms race. This war was driven by both fear and the strive to become the strongest and most powerful country. During the time of the Cold War, the United States proved to be a strong