Cold War and American Contribution - Essay Example

Question 1 The Significant Events during the Period Causes of the war The War in Korea Berlin Wall Communism Popularity Marshall Plan Truman doctrine Democracy Spying Potential Nuclear Threat End of the War Causes of the war The war was mainly a post war effect of the Second World War. It entailed a struggle between two main political ideologies. The first was communism. The other political system was democracy. Communism was promoted by the USSR together with china. Democracy was promoted by western allies. The desire for political supremacy between the two groups instigated the war. The target was the countries that had just gained independence. It turned into an economic as well as political war which favored some of the sides. For instance, the US’s economy gained so much during that time. Truman doctrine This was a policy formulated immediately after the Second World War. It arguably had a bias in its objectives. It mandated the US the authority to control what was perceived to be a threat from communism. The controversy arose from the bias in the policy formulated. The US was to prevent forceful administration of communism on countries or societies perceive to be vulnerable. It shared the policies that were outlined in the ‘long telegram’. Its selectivity must have been the source of controversy. Communist states were against the policy. America subliminally used the policy to extend its influence globally. The document was to done away with at the end of the cold war. End of the War The war had come just as the US was facing one of the greatest economic challenges ever. It had come from a great recession. The conflict that resulted spurred some economic growth. In retrospect, it led to new opportunities. The economy of the US bounced back. In addition, the country received immigrants from other nations. This was the period that saw the passing of the employment of the employment act. This was under the leadership of Truman. However, an economic uncertainty was to follow after the boom. This was expected since the economy during the cold war had not been based on the fundamentals aspects but sentimental factors. The Berlin war This was one of the effects of the Second World War. It divided East Germany and Berlin from the West of Berlin. Basically, the East part of German fronted different ideologies from the West in terms of political governance. The West divide were accused of harboring Nazi like ideologies. The East fronted what was perceived to communism. The west fronted liberalism. This conflict led the east to construct the wall around Berlin. They even had watchtowers around it. The wall was later to be brought down after the collapse of communism. The German nation is currently a democratic society. The Korean War The war in Korea had a direct relevance to the cold war. It pitted communism against democracy. Communist thoughts were propagated by USSR together with China. Democracy was an idea of the US. South Korea adopted democracy. However, the north was a communist state which was an ally of the USSR and China. The political rift between the two neighboring states almost led to war. The tensions have been imminent even in recent times. The nuclear and arms threat at the time of the cold war led to exclusion of the North from world trades. The South prospered so much due to its open policy and promotion of liberalism. It has been argued that the period of the cold war affected North Korea the most. The country is yet to recover from the effects of the war. Question 2 Three essay questions What were the consequences of the cold war on the economic prospects of the world? What led to the end of the world cold war? Did the cold war influence the current political alignment in the world? The consequences of the Cold War on the economics prospects of the world The period of the cold war was characterized by imminent economic implications. The trade sanctions that were part of the war had dire consequences on selected economies. At the time, there are countries which prospered because of the war. For instance, the economy of the United States had a temporary economic stimulation. In times of crisis like that, the economy of the United States has always been favored by investors. At the time, just before the cold war, the country had faced a serious recession. However, with the war, the country had a boost from the opportunities presented by the war. The war created an economy which favored the US. In addition, because of the dominance of the US in global affairs, trade favored it during the period. In brief, the country thrived so much during the period. Other economies which practiced communism would face challenges which affected their growth. For instance, the USSR’s economy did not do as well as the United States’. In addition, a comparison of the two Korean economies shows that there was an evident growth in the south than in the north. The southern state prospered in leaps unlike the northern counterpart which had a stifled economic growth. These economic effects are felt even in modern times. North Korea is yet to gain economic stability while South Korea is an economic powerhouse in the Asian region. These are some of the after effects of the cold war which are being felt till now. China emerged as a significant economic playmaker in the region due to its communist political ideology. However, it has embraced moderate democracy of the years. Question 3 Article 1 The article on the Berlin Wall crisis is by Patrick Major. A review of the article reveals the chronology of events that led to the construction of the wall around berlin. Based on the revelations from the article, it is evident that the ideological differences between the two communities led to the construction of the wall. This was an after effect of the cold war. It rightly divided the German community into two. The east favored a more liberal approach through they were accused of being Nazi fascists. The west favored communist ideologies which were influenced by their association with the communist states of Soviet Union and China. The author does elaborately well in giving an analytical piece which enlightens one on the undertakings in the German society back then. Article 2 Mathew Godwin has an article whose title is on the cold war. The cold war was a significant period in America’s history. Actually, it played an important role in influencing the political inclinations that countries were to take in the years to follow. There are arguments that are fronted alluding that the period contributed to some of the conflicts that would later arise. The period of the cold war came after the cessation of the Second World War. At the time, there were two imminent sides. One side consisted of western countries led by the U.S. these nations were for democracy and liberalism. They sought to instill the aspect of democracy in the rest of the world which was to adopt decisive forms of political governance. On the other side were the countries which propagated communism as a form of governance in the emerging economies. The communist instigated ideology was led by the then Soviet Union together with China. The struggle that followed thereafter sought to spread the popularity of either form of governance. The target of the war was the nations in Africa as well as in Latin America. This struggle, for instance, led to the occurrence of what was to be known as the Korean War. The war pitted the North against the South. The North was an ally of China and the USSR which were communist states. On the other hand, the South was an ally of the United States and other western countries which favored democratic forms of governance. Article 3 In his article on Cold war and its periphery, the author, John Kent, alludes that it led to the establishment of an economic system which favored the most influential nations. This is even evident in modern day where the dominance of the nations is still felt. For instance, the US propagated democracy is currently a world super power in terms of economic and military strength. In other aspects, china, the other instigator of communism, holds a special place in global economics. In view of this, it is true from the assertions of the author that the period favored some economies. However, for lack of empirical validity, the article could be biased. Work Cited Chapter 25. “Cold War America, 1945-1963. n.d. 785-817. Read More