America Faces the Cold War

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America Faces the Cold War

From 1941-1945, the United States, along with numerous other countries throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa, was engaged in World War II. The allied powers bitterly fought against the axis powers on European land and over the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. After the atomic bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima in Japan, which caused the axis powers to succumb to the allied powers, Americans were very relieved that the many years of fierce conflict had finally come to a halt. It was a good time for American citizens to celebrate the return of the soldiers and to enjoy the peace that had spread throughout the world. The United States was starting to rebuild its standard economy and was ready for everyday life to return to normal. But the good times did not last too long. Immediately following the conclusion of the war, the fear of communism spread throughout the United States. The Soviet Union, the most dominant of all communist countries, was in continual conflict with the United Nations, an international organization established by the victorious powers of the war to assure peace and stability. Thus began the Cold War. During the Cold War the United States of America was engaged in two wars, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. At the outbreak of the Korean War, the American people faced many questions dealing with their autonomy and responsibility to their country.

Harsh disputes arose between the United Nations and the Soviet Union over who would maintain control over such countries like Poland and Germany. One country that found itself in trouble of falling to communist rule was South Korea. North Korea, or the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, influenced by the Soviet Union, invaded the Repub...

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...along with red scare, lasted for many years after, involving the Vietnam War and other incidents like the Cuban Missile Crisis. The real end of the cold war did not occur until 1991, where communism in the Soviet Union fell, and the country separated into many other countries.

Bibliography

1. Fisher, Sydney Nettleton, ed. New Horizons for the United States in World Affairs.

Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State University Press, 1966.

2. Gough, Terrence J. U.S. Mobilization and Logistics in the Korean War: A Research

Approach. Washington D.C.: United States Army, 1987.

3. Koren War, The. Home Page. 15 April 1999. <http://rt66.com/~korteng/SmallArms/.

4. Mueller, John E. War, Presidents, and Public Opinion. New York: John Wiley &

Sons, Inc., 1973.

5. 1960s: Opposing Viewpoints, The. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1997.

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