Cold war and the United States
Did the United States win the Cold War?
The forty-five years from the dropping of the atom bombs to the end of the Soviet Union, can be seen as the era of the new conflict between two major states: United States of America (USA) and Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). According to Hobsbawm, ‘cold war’ was the constant confrontation of the two super powers which emerged from the Second World War. At that time the entire generation was under constant fear of global nuclear battles. It was widely believed that it could break out at any moment. (Hobsbawm, 1994) The consequences of the ‘power vacuum’ in central Europe, created by the defeat of Germany, gave rise to these two super powers (Dunbabin, 1994). The world was divided into two parts. The USSR controlled the zone occupied by her Red Army or other communist armed forces. On the other hand, USA exercised control and dominance over the rest of the capitalist world as well as the western hemisphere and the oceans. (Hobsbawm, 1994) It is rather very difficult to argue that a particular country like the USA has won the cold war completely. Cold war gave birth to lots of problems in the world. During the cold war period, various events occurred subsequently. So the whole period was a combination of different issues and various factors related to it. Yet, evaluating the climax and the aftermath situation of the cold war, it can be argued that USA and its allies have succeeded to a great extent. On the other hand, as a consequence of the cold war, USSR has suffered extensively. The Soviet system of socialism collapsed. It has lost some of its reigns. However, USA has faced with number of political, diplomatic difficulties too. The essay will try to argue that the USA did win the Cold War but not entirely; on the contrary it has suffered during different stages of that particular period.
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The cold war was a period of East-West competition, tension, and conflict short of full-scale war, characterized by mutual perceptions of hostile intention between military-political alliances or blocs. There were real wars, sometimes called "proxy wars" because they were fought by Soviet allies rather than the USSR itself -- along with competition for influence in the Third World, and a major superpower arms race. Numbers of wars were fought at different places such as Korea, Cuba, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and numerous nations in Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. (http://www.biblio.org/) The cold war originated with the Bolshevik revolution. Lenin was keen to construct the socialist order in Russia. As Russia became the first socialist state, it was seen as a threat to all other states which were not socialist. In Russia, Bolshevik leaders distrusted Anglo-American capitalism. On the other hand, to the west, socialism was seen as a totalitarian and dictatorial system. (Higgins, 1993) In Russian civil war (1918-1920) British , American, French, Japanese, Italian and Czech troops fought by the side of the supporters of the tsarist regime, Russian liberals, various socialist and anarchist groups who considered the Bolsheviks too dictatorial, to crush Bolshevism. From the Soviet perspectives, the ‘western invasion of Russia’ was seen as an attempt to crash the Socialist Republic and to re-establish the reign of capitalism. (Higgins, 1993).It can be argued as a war on ideological difference. From the very beginning, America was a capitalist country. USA’s rapid economic and political progress was due to capitalist system largely practiced there in various sectors of society. On the other hand, socialism, the ideology of Soviet Union, was seen from a negative perspective in West.
In the Second World War USA and its western allies like Britain, France and so forth needed the help of Soviet Union to combat Nazi Germany. “Indeed, the western democracies could not have defeated Germany except the unlimited support of those Soviet troops which in 1945 occupied all areas in dispute.”(Graebner, 1976) However, after the war, the Soviet-American unity collapsed following the Yalta Conference of February 1945, largely over the issue of Poland. As a result, USSR established what Churchill termed as ‘iron curtain’ from Stettin to Trieste.
The USSR was worried about its security and loss of influence. By the ‘iron curtain’ it wanted to control the political structure of Eastern Europe and to prevent the re-establishment of a free and united Germany. USA and its western allies were concerned about this matter. They tried to pressurize USSR to undo the new hegemony; however, it couldn’t regain the control of central Europe except through a war against Soviet Union. The elimination of Soviet political and economic dominance from East and Central Europe was necessary for USA as it was keen to use the potential market. For some revisionists it was the country’s capitalist economy and it’s addiction to overproduction that compelled it to adopt expansionist policies. (Graebner, 1976) Alternative world hegemony might have regarded as a challenge for USA. America has dreamt of a free world, a free trade zone so that it could get market for its products as well as it can exercise dominance over other countries.
The USA was concerned about Soviet Union’s motives. As a result, it built up a strong armed force so that it could face the USSR. Russia was perceived as internally repressive, externally expansionist and engaged on a massive arms build-up. To meet this USA had secured NATO agreement on a 3 per cent per year increase in real defense spending. There had also been agreement on the deployment in Europe of cruise and Pershing missiles to counter Soviet SS-20s. (Dunbabin, 1994) During the war period, USA has used its power, the arm force directly or indirectly in various countries especially so called third world countries like Korea, Vietnam etc to combat communism. In the process, US suffered from certain numbers of failures and human casualties as well. The Vietnam War is one of the significant failures of that era. America faced with difficulties in Korean War as well. In that war, the United States lost over 33,000 men in the conflict. However, USA could claim important achievements in this war as it, with the help of its allies, succeeded in standing firm against Communist aggression. (McWilliams & Piotrowski, 1993)
The USA faced some problems in Western Europe. The US credibility was in suspicion for a certain period. The combination of Carter’s strategy and Reagan’s cowboy image was to give rise to visions of a United States happy to fight a nuclear war in Europe. Europe has shown little sympathy for US containment policy in the Chinese offshore islands crisis. Moreover, Europe has shown not much for USA’s application during Vietnam War. There occurred huge demonstration against war at home too. On the other hand, West European trade with the USSR also increased sharply, thus undercutting US economic sanctions. The Russian’s encouraged such moves by making token military withdrawn from East Germany and by proposing INF talks. (Dunbabin, 1994) So at a time, it turned rather complicated for the USA to earn the trust of people of Europe as well as its own people at home.
In the late 1970s, growing internal repression and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan led to a renewal of Cold War hostility. In 1979 Russia invaded Afghanistan. To check the USSR invasion, the USA fought indirectly in Afghanistan. In 1985 the USA countered by drastically increasing its support for the insurgents, supplying then with superior US missiles that had a devastating effect on Soviet helicopters. Moreover, has fed them the products of its satellite and communications intelligence in the hope that high Soviet casualties would lead to a withdrawal. They have been successful in their work. Soviet losses eventually came to well over 15,000 and the war was both expensive and unpopular. In 1979 Gorbachev had seen the original invasion as a ‘fatal error that would cost the country dearly’. (Dunbabin, 1994) So in this way, USA has got success in this particular issue .Because of US intervention, Russia failed to keep Afghanistan.
The forty-five years from the dropping of the atom bombs to the end of the Soviet Union, can be seen as the era of the new conflict between two major states: United States of America (USA) and Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). According to Hobsbawm, ‘cold war’ was the constant confrontation of the two super powers which emerged from the Second World War. At that time the entire generation was under constant fear of global nuclear battles. It was widely believed that it could break out at any moment. (Hobsbawm, 1994) The consequences of the ‘power vacuum’ in central Europe, created by the defeat of Germany, gave rise to these two super powers (Dunbabin, 1994). The world was divided into two parts. The USSR controlled the zone occupied by her Red Army or other communist armed forces. On the other hand, USA exercised control and dominance over the rest of the capitalist world as well as the western hemisphere and the oceans. (Hobsbawm, 1994) It is rather very difficult to argue that a particular country like the USA has won the cold war completely. Cold war gave birth to lots of problems in the world. During the cold war period, various events occurred subsequently. So the whole period was a combination of different issues and various factors related to it. Yet, evaluating the climax and the aftermath situation of the cold war, it can be argued that USA and its allies have succeeded to a great extent. On the other hand, as a consequence of the cold war, USSR has suffered extensively. The Soviet system of socialism collapsed. It has lost some of its reigns. However, USA has faced with number of political, diplomatic difficulties too. The essay will try to argue that the USA did win the Cold War but not entirely; on the contrary it has suffered during different stages of that particular period.
.
The cold war was a period of East-West competition, tension, and conflict short of full-scale war, characterized by mutual perceptions of hostile intention between military-political alliances or blocs. There were real wars, sometimes called "proxy wars" because they were fought by Soviet allies rather than the USSR itself -- along with competition for influence in the Third World, and a major superpower arms race. Numbers of wars were fought at different places such as Korea, Cuba, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and numerous nations in Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. (http://www.biblio.org/) The cold war originated with the Bolshevik revolution. Lenin was keen to construct the socialist order in Russia. As Russia became the first socialist state, it was seen as a threat to all other states which were not socialist. In Russia, Bolshevik leaders distrusted Anglo-American capitalism. On the other hand, to the west, socialism was seen as a totalitarian and dictatorial system. (Higgins, 1993) In Russian civil war (1918-1920) British , American, French, Japanese, Italian and Czech troops fought by the side of the supporters of the tsarist regime, Russian liberals, various socialist and anarchist groups who considered the Bolsheviks too dictatorial, to crush Bolshevism. From the Soviet perspectives, the ‘western invasion of Russia’ was seen as an attempt to crash the Socialist Republic and to re-establish the reign of capitalism. (Higgins, 1993).It can be argued as a war on ideological difference. From the very beginning, America was a capitalist country. USA’s rapid economic and political progress was due to capitalist system largely practiced there in various sectors of society. On the other hand, socialism, the ideology of Soviet Union, was seen from a negative perspective in West.
In the Second World War USA and its western allies like Britain, France and so forth needed the help of Soviet Union to combat Nazi Germany. “Indeed, the western democracies could not have defeated Germany except the unlimited support of those Soviet troops which in 1945 occupied all areas in dispute.”(Graebner, 1976) However, after the war, the Soviet-American unity collapsed following the Yalta Conference of February 1945, largely over the issue of Poland. As a result, USSR established what Churchill termed as ‘iron curtain’ from Stettin to Trieste.
The USSR was worried about its security and loss of influence. By the ‘iron curtain’ it wanted to control the political structure of Eastern Europe and to prevent the re-establishment of a free and united Germany. USA and its western allies were concerned about this matter. They tried to pressurize USSR to undo the new hegemony; however, it couldn’t regain the control of central Europe except through a war against Soviet Union. The elimination of Soviet political and economic dominance from East and Central Europe was necessary for USA as it was keen to use the potential market. For some revisionists it was the country’s capitalist economy and it’s addiction to overproduction that compelled it to adopt expansionist policies. (Graebner, 1976) Alternative world hegemony might have regarded as a challenge for USA. America has dreamt of a free world, a free trade zone so that it could get market for its products as well as it can exercise dominance over other countries.
The USA was concerned about Soviet Union’s motives. As a result, it built up a strong armed force so that it could face the USSR. Russia was perceived as internally repressive, externally expansionist and engaged on a massive arms build-up. To meet this USA had secured NATO agreement on a 3 per cent per year increase in real defense spending. There had also been agreement on the deployment in Europe of cruise and Pershing missiles to counter Soviet SS-20s. (Dunbabin, 1994) During the war period, USA has used its power, the arm force directly or indirectly in various countries especially so called third world countries like Korea, Vietnam etc to combat communism. In the process, US suffered from certain numbers of failures and human casualties as well. The Vietnam War is one of the significant failures of that era. America faced with difficulties in Korean War as well. In that war, the United States lost over 33,000 men in the conflict. However, USA could claim important achievements in this war as it, with the help of its allies, succeeded in standing firm against Communist aggression. (McWilliams & Piotrowski, 1993)
The USA faced some problems in Western Europe. The US credibility was in suspicion for a certain period. The combination of Carter’s strategy and Reagan’s cowboy image was to give rise to visions of a United States happy to fight a nuclear war in Europe. Europe has shown little sympathy for US containment policy in the Chinese offshore islands crisis. Moreover, Europe has shown not much for USA’s application during Vietnam War. There occurred huge demonstration against war at home too. On the other hand, West European trade with the USSR also increased sharply, thus undercutting US economic sanctions. The Russian’s encouraged such moves by making token military withdrawn from East Germany and by proposing INF talks. (Dunbabin, 1994) So at a time, it turned rather complicated for the USA to earn the trust of people of Europe as well as its own people at home.
In the late 1970s, growing internal repression and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan led to a renewal of Cold War hostility. In 1979 Russia invaded Afghanistan. To check the USSR invasion, the USA fought indirectly in Afghanistan. In 1985 the USA countered by drastically increasing its support for the insurgents, supplying then with superior US missiles that had a devastating effect on Soviet helicopters. Moreover, has fed them the products of its satellite and communications intelligence in the hope that high Soviet casualties would lead to a withdrawal. They have been successful in their work. Soviet losses eventually came to well over 15,000 and the war was both expensive and unpopular. In 1979 Gorbachev had seen the original invasion as a ‘fatal error that would cost the country dearly’. (Dunbabin, 1994) So in this way, USA has got success in this particular issue .Because of US intervention, Russia failed to keep Afghanistan.
After Chernenko’s death Gorbachev came to power in Russia. He was different from previous Russian leaders. He began by summoning his ambassadors and telling them that the diplomacy of exporting revolution is over and the time of constructive thinking had come. He gave westerners the impression of being more flexible and open minded that his predecessors. Gorbachev started by focusing on arms control and on the elimination of SDI (Strategic Defense Initiatives, known as ‘Star Wars’) (Dunbabin, 1994) In order to end the cold war, Gorbachev played a significant role. Arms control negotiations were renewed and President Reagan undertook a new series of summit meetings with Gorbachev that led to arms reductions and facilitated a growing sympathy even among Communist leaders for more cooperation and the rejection of a class-based, conflict-oriented view of the world. (http://www.cia.gov/)
In 1989 Gorbachev’s position was deeply undercut by the collapse of communist rule in Eastern Europe. In addition, growing economic difficulties at home began to weaken his position and the condition of the country as well. On the surface his diplomatic response was brilliant, but it led to settlement of most European cold war issues on western terms. As a result it can be seen as a victory for USA and its allies. Elsewhere these changes reduced the appeal of the Soviet model; thus in March 1990 Mengistu of Ethiopia suddenly discovered that socialism had been a mistake. They also reduced Soviet ability to support former clients. In 1990 aid to Ethiopia was first scaled down and then stopped , aid to Vietnam was similarly cut , with all trade being placed on a hard currency basis; deliveries to Cuba were irregular. The USSR started for the gradual phasing out of Soviet subsidies. (Dunbabin, 1994) The declining position of the Soviet Union can be seen as a positive event for the US administration at that time. The cold war was meeting its end that moment.
Russia was in great need of financial help. The USA and UK took the line that the aid would be useless unless Gorvachev introduced real economic reforms. As so often before, he recoiled from this and in July presented the western G7 leaders with a fudged plan. In return they resolved to recommend the USSR for associate, not full, membership of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a status that would enable it to receive guidance but not to borrow from the fund. (Dunbabin, 1994) As a result, Soviet Union suffered from economic difficulties, too.
The Western half of the developed world has enjoyed considerable success. Political system established there was rather friendly for economic progression. The communist world has failed in each of these respects. First Yugoslavia and then China broke with Soviet Union. Despite a promising start, the economies of the Soviet Union and of a number of East European countries slowed down in the 1970s, stopped altogether in the 1980s. Eastern blocks were protesting against Soviet imposed rule in their respective countries. The Soviet Union itself in grave economic trouble lost the will to intervene. The effect was the collapse of communist regimes, first in East Europe, then in the Soviet Union itself. (Dunbabin, 1994). The collapse of the communism has marked the end of the cold war era.
From the very beginning, America was in a suitable position. Economically as well as politically and geologically the country has enjoyed a comfortable position. Through the Truman doctrine, the Marshall plan and such other policies, it has effectively protected its interest in Europe especially the western part. The Soviet Union, too, at first appeared to be ready to participate in the rebuilding of Europe under the auspices of the Marshall plan. However, the plan was a gamble Stalin apparently felt he could not afford. Moreover, Stalin pressured the governments of Poland and Czechoslovakia to reject the Marshall plan. (McWilliams & Piotrowski, 1993) Stalin’s rejection of the plan aid meant that East European countries would have to rebuild their war-torn economies with their limited resources. Without US aid and western technology it was very difficult for them to progress as rapidly as USA. As a result though USA has faced with difficulties in various wars in that period, the country has eventually won the cold war to a great extent. The present political and economic situation of the world depicts the United States of America as a great super power than ever before.
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