The Cold War Period - Term Paper Example

Shaping of the Modern World The Cold War The cold war represented a clash of military, economic and political power between the two super powers. At the end both groups provoked many changes throughout the world as each strive to dominate the other. Both the Soviet Union and The United States of America evolved from World War II with a sense of victory. Their accomplishments later determined their power and control over the rest of the world who continued to suffer the after effects of the war. Even though the United States emerged from the war as the economic hero and the Soviet has having the greater military strength both powers came to woo the rest of the world as they struggle for political and ideological prominence. Over time their overt as well as their subtle attacks were played out in scenes far removed from their territorial waters and boundaries. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Warsaw Pact can be viewed as the continuing military competition between the two powers. The signing of NATO was a confirmation of a military alliance in Western Europe with that of the United States. The original intention was to provide a security guarantee. Not to be outdone the Soviet Union responded with the Warsaw Pact. The Warsaw pact was also established as a security guarantee against the United States and its allies. Like NATO it too was not anticipating any tangible military occurrence. This is explained in Article I of the pact which states” The contracting parties undertake, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations Organisation, to refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force, and to settle their international disputes by peaceful means so as not to endanger international peace and security.” One could argue that the real winner of those alliances is the one that survived the cold war and the one that had a greater impact on the world at large. The first major conflict of the military rivalry came in the form of the Berlin blockade. This conflict arose out of the different objectives that the two groups had for Germany. Ultimately NATO came out the clear winner as the orchestration of the airlift proved successful. The invasion of Czechoslovakia and Hungary by the Warsaw Pact can be viewed as an internal affair. In essence when compared with NATO this should not be seen as one’s dominance over the other. The timely dissolution of the Warsaw Pact in 1991 coincided with the end of the cold war. Although the objectives of NATO had to be reengineered its existence and presence in new global conflicts has shown the world that its persistence beyond the cold war years declares it a winner in the true sense. The cold war was also a direct result of the economic and political policies of the Soviet Union and the United States of America. World War II had ravished many countries and the two remaining stalwarts of economic and political prowess tried to gain control over the world at large. The Marshall Plan enacted in 1948 was a way of beckoning to European countries. The Soviet Union was invited but both the invitation and the Soviets’ refusal to join cemented the rivalry between the two groups. The Marshall Plan four components of grants, counterpart funds, technical assistance and guarantees was a welcome act by Western Europe. Britain’s Prime Minister Winston Churchill described it as “the most unsordid act in history.” (CNN interactive) The Soviets rebuttal to the Marshall Plan came in the form of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON). The stated purpose of the organization was to enable member states "to exchange economic experiences, extend technical aid to one another, and to render mutual assistance with respect to raw materials, foodstuffs, machines, equipment, etc." With the end of the Marshall Plan in 1951 and the steady path of COMECON until the end of the cold war it can be noted that both plans have achieved some level of success and many of their objectives were met. The fastest period of growth as recorded in European history was seen from the years 1948 to 1952. Industrial production increased by 35 percent and even after the plan officially ended in 1951 other forms of aid from the USA served as successor to the Marshall Plan. COMECON also had some level of success. It grew from strength to strength with a revitalization after Stalin’s death in 1953 and witnessed the most rapid growth since its inception from 1956 to 1963. It’s inclusion of non European countries underscores its drive to be a force to be reckoned with. The cold war not only signified the difference in the form of economic plans but also illustrated the large gap between the political divide. The Soviet Union and its member states adopted communism while the United States and its allies continued along a capitalist path. Eastern Europe has had its share of instability due to economic and political repression while the USA and Western Europe had had successive terms of wealth and prosperity. The fall of communism in the 1980’s and the continued dominance of the United States in international affairs in no doubt gives a clear indication of which economic and political ideology is seen as the more successful of the two. One could interpret longevity with success on one hand, but on the other hand it is worthwhile to examine the development of countries and states as seen with their ties and bonds to the different economic and political ideas. The cold war provided changes internationally on a number of different spheres. It sparked changes across boundaries from as individualistic as political affinity, to collectivism such as the growing friendship between countries. The common man saw himself in the tenets of communism. Since communism advocated a sharing of economic wealth many persons who had no hope of enjoying the prosperity brought on by capitalism cling to communism with the hope of having some level of financial stability. On the other hand there were persons enjoying the benefits of capitalism who became directly opposed to communism. Many communist parties sprung up in developing countries and declared their allegiance to the Soviet Union. Asia became the playground for the differing ideologies between the United States and the Soviet Union early in the cold war years. Change was effected in many of the countries as China, Vietnam and North Korea chose to follow a communist path. The United States also continued its dominance as it replaced France in the Vietnam War. It is evident that the Soviet Union played their cards well in this region as China forged close ties with the Soviets. This was a blow to the United States as China had much to offer as can be seen in recent years. The Middle East also experienced changes during the cold war. Both powers continued to jostle for dominance as they both offer help to Egypt to build the Aswan High Dam. They later had the first collaboration however, as they both supported a U.N. resolution to immediate ceasefire in the invasion of Israel into Egypt. This can be seen as a major achievement on the part of both super powers in actually agreeing on the same matter. The cold war also fuelled rivalry between the forces of Communism and Capitalism throughout the African continent. Many developing countries in Africa became the battleground between the United Sates and the Soviet Union in the form of coups and political instability. One of the longest feuds took place in Angola where both the United States and the Soviet Union supported opposing factions. This placed Cuba in a strong friendship with Angola as on behalf of the Soviet Union they battle forces backed by the United States. Migration became a growing trend during the cold war. The face of Europe started to change as persons from former colonies migrate to satisfy the demand for labor. The United States also came to experience mass migration from less developed countries during the cold war years. As these new migrants hoped to increase their lot by climbing the economic and social ladder, not to be outdone Eastern Europe and the communist bloc also courted persons from Third World countries. Many persons went to seek greater educational opportunities with the hope of returning to their countries not only to aid in the economic development but also returned home with a renewed allegiance to communism. The cold war heralded a new culture that fashioned the work of arts and even new philosophies and thinking. The threat of a nuclear war was always kept alive in the media as the world wondered aloud if either of the super powers would use their nuclear energy to stage a nuclear war. The United States could be seen as the protagonist as they were the only ones to use a nuclear bomb as was the case in Hiroshima. While existentialism became dominant in Western Europe and the Unites States the quest for dominance between the super powers even in philosophical thinking was always put on the forefront. Liberation Theology became a dominant philosophy in Latin America where it sided with the poor and oppressed and ironically linked with Marxism even though Marx claimed that “religion is the opiate of the masses.” One can see therefore that both super powers over time have left their mark on the world and although there were never any direct conflicts between them during the cold war both have had periods of defeats and successes as they impacted the world on so many different levels. A brief history of NATO Prague TV Campbell, Mary Nov 15, 2002 Lynn Hunt, et al. The Making of the West: People and Cultures. Volume 2: Since 1500. New York, Bedford/St Martin New York 2009. The cold war http://www.bartleby.com Cold War alive, battles in Africa http://www.worldnetdaily.com “The Council For Mutual Economic Assistance” Columbia Encyclopedia 2001 Cold War http://www.cnn.com Read More