The Period of the Cold War from a Global Perspective - Essay Example

Cold War and al Affiliation Cold War How useful a phrase is ‘cold war’ in thinking about the world from 1945-1989? Is it an accurate phrase? Assess the period of the cold war from a global perspective. What were the impacts of the cold war on the so-called first, second, and third world? Introduction Cold war is an accurate phrase as it involved undeclared conflicts and tensions between the Soviet Union and United States whose causes, and the exact start date have not been exactly identified. Consequently, the commencing of the cold war is still a contentious issue today with debaters reflecting on different causes. A major characteristic of the Cold War was the prevalent of a division of the world into two distinct regions trending on varying paths of “political modernity and economic development”1. Amidst this war, the Soviet Union and the United States engaged in a contest-of-power, thereby marginalizing the relation-of-domination causing complex bifurcation in the area of modernity for both nations and their communities. The origin and cause of the phrase “Cold War” cannot be oversimplified given the implications present to date. In this paper evaluates the validity of the phrase “cold war’ through the evaluation of the global perspective on the cold war, and its impacts on the first, second, and third world? The Validity of the ‘Cold War’ Phrase Today, the Cold War, despite taking place years ago, symbolizes the establishment of conflicting political forces and powers that left the world characterized with wounds induced by war, given the violent ways used for the “manifestation of bipolar global order..”.2 Though global bipolarity could have existed prior to the Second World War, the end of this war and the end of the alliance between the Soviet Union and the United States deepened the drift between the two sides. The implication that the cold war began before the end of World War II implies that the contest for global supremacy commenced in as early as the beginning of the 19th century. In their perspective, the Soviet Union nations opposed the sole progressive and benevolent powers of the US and were not in terms with the market-oriented liberal world progressed by the United States. Conversely, opponents agree that Russia and the Soviet Union were insecure and fear that the US would cause a world that was more competitive, powerful, and more organized. This then led to the Union’s strategy to seek security through destruction of rival powers that is not compliant to or that compromised it. The insecurity of the Soviet Union does not cover-up America’s denial of communism that was attacked by a joint-venture between enemies within and without America. Borrowing from the American Declaration of independence, the opposition of communism is against the inalienable rights provided to each person regarding liberty, life and happiness. It is a wreck of national unity and inhibit the attainment of unity amongst people, replacing societies with prisons that are dictated by monopolies in currencies and export trade. Unlike communists, Western nations fight against nations that seek to wrest their freedom, despite the nations’ declarations to break off every relation of colonial character with US. For instance, the western powers went to the extent of defaming president Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt while actually, “Nasser is not a communist…” but very close to those in war with him.3 For the pro-communism nations that believe in self-determination and equality, their support in mobilization of physical and mental strength of governments in colonized nations is emphasized in order to gain liberty and independence. ‘Cold War’ from 1945-1989 The declaration of Independence, in 1945 predates the Cold War, and indicates the role of anti-colonial fight to establish new conditions during the end of the Second World War. The declaration defined Vietnam’s attainment of independence from France since 1887. Like the United States’ Declaration of Independence, the Vietnam’s declaration Chi Minh, emphasized the equality of all men and their inalienable rights as a way of rejecting Japan’s violation of Vietnam and the oppression of citizens through enforcement of inhumane laws. Consequently, the nation would change from being drowning and fettering public opinion. Though French did not openly reveal its ill-intentions against Vietnamese, the independence from Japan in 1940 saw French possessing Vietnam, causing the citizens to break off all relations with French’s colonial character. In 1945, Vietnam was still under the colony of France and the US did not support against French even though the democratic republic of Vietnam only controlled the South and French was finally defeated in 1954. In 1949, the wake of the Chinese communism in china instilled fear in the United States increased as it perceived the victory as communism and not independence. In order to control the growing freedom in Southeast Asia, South Vietnam was separated to support and favour the US. However, the strategy was a fail since the strongest and pro-French Vietnamese lived in the North while the weak anti-French lived in the South. However, upon the defeat of French in 1954, Vietnam fell under the control of the US and Vietminh took control. Furthermore, domestic and international press provided information regarding the French propaganda, thus enabling US to meet those objectives as if they were US own citizens. In order to eliminate communism, Vietminh brought together the army and the people and stabilized the war against communism by 1955. The Period of the Cold War from a Global Perspective In order to fight the Soviet Union’s force, America offered support to other nations including Vietnam to fight its opponents. Vietnam’s leader Nikita Khrushchev was so engraved in anti-communism that he swore “We will Burry You”4 referring to his extinction of the communists by winning more Soviet Union nations over. Some nations perceiving communism as a brutal dictator included Romania, Poland, East Germany, and Hungary. In his efforts to burry communism, Khrushchev told nations like Poland that “If you don’t like us don’t accept us…”5. Others like Cuba were led by US supported dictator Fulgencia Batista until the reign of Fidel Castro, who increasingly faced opposition from the US and support “ received from the Soviet Union midrange nuclear missiles”6 by 1962. The presence of missiles in Cuba threatened the eruption of nuclear war, upon the US’s and Vietnam’s invasion of Cuba. The fear of US against Cuba led to the US’s policy of politically provoking Cuba, and to-date, America continually violates Cuban air and water in effort to gain permanent control of the nation from Guantanamo. Invasions include space shootings at patrols from Cuba, and the threats involved in such attacks are aimed at gaining control over Cuba. However, Cuba receives constant support from Soviet upon a Communique aimed at reinforcing the nation’s armed forces. Besides Cuba, US continues to invade other Latin American countries by encouraging anti-Soviet Union and anti-Cuban content, while external forces counter Cuban revolution and terrorize all Cuban supporters. Some Latin American nations in anti-partisan struggle include Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Panama. Other Latin American nations under the pressure from the US to abandon communism for capitalism are Brazil and Mexico, but they stood to their “…non-interference and self-determination of peoples.”7 However, Cuba does not silently allow American to proceed with its anti-revolution, but seeks support from Latin America counterparts in favour or Free Trade Association. The Central American region also denies association with America given its corporate dominance, and any compliant dictator is a fly. Implications of Cold War on First, Second, and Third World Besides the cold war, America’s superiority lay in its military and maritime power. However, the fact that it has failed to conquer nations such as China and Russia today clearly indicates its military power weakness. For instance, though Britain was the leading power in the 19th century, this did not apply to all nations. For instance, being first world, Great Britain could use weapons against China while China could not. Simply, the first world nation, US, can reach out to Iraq that is a second world nation and not Iraq a second nation reaching out to first world nation. Again, wars between the first and third worlds remained in battles though with less difficulty as the third world nations are less powerful and offer little resistance. Consequently, the third world nation are left inferior compared to first world nations. Finally, the third world countries only manage to suffice permanent inferiority through the support of a first world nation, particularly the US that took over from Soviets after the cold war. Bibliography The Cold War and the Third World Read More