The term “Cold War” refers to the period of Soviet-American antagonism that dominated the international system from approximately 1945 to 1991 . ... There is a vast and continually expanding literature on the Cold War, offering much of value to international-relations scholars.
What is the best definition of the Cold War?
noun. a state of political hostility and military tension between two countries or power blocs , involving propaganda, subversion, threats, economic sanctions, and other measures short of open warfare, esp that between the American and Soviet blocs after World War II (the Cold War)
What is Cold War in international politics?
Cold War, the open yet restricted rivalry that developed after World War II between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies . The Cold War was waged on political, economic, and propaganda fronts and had only limited recourse to weapons.
Why was the Cold War important to international relations?
The Cold War was the most important feature of the international system in the second half of the twentieth century. ... More importantly, the Cold War created rivalries and political fault lines which continue to shape international relations long after the conflict has passed.
What is Cold War and its causes?
Historians have identified several causes that led to the outbreak of the Cold War, including: tensions between the two nations at the end of World War II , the ideological conflict between both the United States and the Soviet Union, the emergence of nuclear weapons, and the fear of communism in the United States.
What is cold war in your own words?
A cold war is a state of conflict between nations that does not involve direct military action but is pursued primarily through economic and political actions, propaganda, acts of espionage or proxy wars waged by surrogates. This term is most commonly used to refer to the American-Soviet Cold War of 1947–1991 .
Why is it called the cold war?
As World War II was ending, the Cold War began. This was to be a long lasting and continuing confrontation between the Soviet Union and the United States, lasting from 1945 to 1989. It was called the Cold War because neither the Soviet Union nor the United States officially declared war on each other.
How does the Cold War affect US today?
The Cold war has also affected us today by helping the West evade Communist rule ; without intervention from The U.S. forces China and The Soviet Union might have conquered Europe and The U.S.. Finally, The Cold War helped form modern day friendships, alliances and hostilities between countries.
How did the Cold War affect the world?
The Cold War shaped American foreign policy and political ideology, impacted the domestic economy and the presidency , and affected the personal lives of Americans creating a climate of expected conformity and normalcy. ... The Cold War was to last almost to the fall of the Iron Curtain and the death of the Soviet Union.
Who was responsible for the Cold War?
The United States and the Soviet Union both contributed to the rise of the Cold War. They were ideological nation-states with incompatible and mutually exclusive ideologies. The founding purpose of the Soviet Union was global domination, and it actively sought the destruction of the United States and its allies.
What do you know about international relations?
International relations, the study of the relations of states with each other and with international organizations and certain subnational entities (e.g., bureaucracies, political parties, and interest groups).
What was the world like after the Cold War?
After the end of the Cold War, communism ended also in Mongolia, Congo, Albania, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, and Angola . Now, only five countries in the world are still ruled by communist single parties: China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, and Vietnam.
What were the negative effects of the Cold War?
Some effects were negative, like the prevention of peace treaties being made between the East and the West , and the weakening of economies, but some were positive. The Cold War affected the development in various countries, and mostly in unfair ways.
Does Cold War still exist today?
The Cold War ended finally in December 1991 .
What are characteristics of Cold War?
Three key features defined the Cold War: 1) the threat of nuclear war, 2) competition over the allegiance (loyalty) of newly independent nations, and 3) the military and economic support of each other’s enemies around the world .
What is Cold War and its phases?
In the early years of the Second World War, Russia had opposed western powers’ Policy of Appeasement towards Germany that ignored her moves to annex neighbouring countries. ... The seeds of the Cold War germinated from that time onwards.
