The Cold War was an intense economic, political, military, and ideological rivalry between Russia and the United States that took place from the 1940s to the 1990s, as a result of political differences.From chess tournaments to hockey games, Russia and the United States found every possible way to compete against one another without physically fighting. The United States and the USSR originally feuded over Berlin. When the Allies decided that they wanted to make Berlin part of West Germany, and it would be a democracy, the USSR blockaded West Berlin, wanting to make the city the capital of East Germany. This led to the United States ferrying supplies to the now cut-off country. The United States wanted a democracy, and the USSR wanted communism, …show more content…
Now, with the new atomic power under their thumbs, the weaponry that would generally be used in wars changed. Guns, as well as handheld pistols, now suddenly seemed useless. New military strategies were being formed, incorporating the ideas of bomb usage in them. “Historians and defense analysts generally agree that the advent of the latter heralded a revolution in military affairs, or, as Soviet theorists put it, a military-technical revolution. In their view, the technology of nuclear weapons and associated delivery systems, combined with new operational concepts and organizations, changed significantly the character and conduct of warfare. The nuclear revolution created new ways of war and threatened to render existing ones obsolete” (Arms Race: 1960-1969). This quote shows that the creation of atomic bombs changed the general views on war. Not only did the Nuclear Arms race change the ways and views on war, but it showed both the USSR and the United States how powerful they could really …show more content…
Unlike most other wars, the development of new technology did not start conflict between countries. Actually, the conflict between the countries is what caused the arms race to begin with. Ever since the dropping of the bomb in Hiroshima, people lived in fear, everyone afraid of being bombed just like Japan was. After the USSR began to produce atomic bombs with the US, those fears greatened. “Overall, nuclear weaponry played a paradoxical role in the Cold War. On the one hand the destructive potential of such weapons gave the conflict an especially dangerous dimension. A crisis in political relations between the superpowers, such as occurred over the question of Soviet missiles in Cuba in 1962, carried the risk of escalation to the point of nuclear warfare” (“The Cold War 1945-1991, Overview of US-Soviet relations, and the Cold War”). The new atomic weaponry gave the United States and Russia a foothold above all of the other countries. The new fear in some of the other countries allowed the feuding countries to feel more powerful. The nuclear arms race led to the two feuding countries to see how powerful they really
A war does not necessarily require physical weapons to fight. From 1947 to 1991, military tension and ideological conflicts held place. Cold War is defined as a state of political hostility existing between countries, characterized by threats, violent propaganda, subversive activities, and other measures short of open warfare, in particular. The causes of the Cold War between United States and the Soviet Union were the mutual distrust that had taken place in World War II, intense rivalry between the two super powers, and conflicting ideologies. The two superpowers differed in views of political and economic principles and were eager to spread their ideologies to other countries. The United States were in favor of democracy and capitalism while the Soviet Union sought for the chances of influencing communism. Cold War did not involve the use of physical arms but was intensely fought. Propaganda, economic aids, Arms Race, and the creation of alliances were the main methods to fight the war. The use of propaganda played a crucial role in containment by criticizing the other power and raised the morale and spirit of their nation. The economic support for nations helped them recover from the desperate situation after World War II, which prevented the nations from falling under communism. Also, the Arms Race and forming alliances between the two main powers were important weapons for competition and rivalry in Cold War.
The creation of the hydrogen bomb, moreover the summoning of an arms race, spawned worldwide desire for nuclear arms, and worldwide fear for those who had them; The effects of such can be seen in the economic and diplomatic benefits exhibited by those with enough stamina and vigilance to endure its costs, and in the extreme measures taken by countries, nominally the United States, to respond to the security threat posed when other countries owned the bomb. Furthermore: For those whose economy could afford it, nominally the U.S., USSR and India, economic and diplomatic benefits followed its creation; For the U.S., following the creation of the bomb by enemies were extreme defense tactics; For all the benefits and costs compelled a worldwide
The Cold War was a post-World War II struggle between the United States. and its allies and the group of nations led by the Soviet Union. Direct military conflict did not occur between the two superpowers, but intense economic and diplomatic struggles erupted in the country. Different interests led to mutual suspicion and hostility in a rising philosophy. The United States played a major role in the ending of the Cold War.
In 1945, America terrified the world by using the Atom Bomb in Hiroshima and later in Nagasaki. This fear of the most powerful weapon ever created started a cold war between America and Russia. These two great nations had started the race for the super bomb, which would have each country trying to out do the other for decades to come.
The cold war began because of conflicts not resolved from WWII, and was fought between the Soviet Union and the United States.
When President Truman authorized the use of two nuclear weapons in 1945 against the Japanese in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end World War II, the nature of international security was changed irreversibly. At that time, the United States had what was said to have a monopoly of atomic bombs. Soon thereafter, the Soviet Union began working on atomic weaponry. In 1949, it had already detonated it first atomic bomb and tensions began to heat up between the two countries. With the information that the Soviets had tested their first bomb, the United States began work on more powerful weapons1, and a fight for nuclear superiority had begun.
The USA built and tested a new type of weapon called the Hydrogen Bomb. The Soviet Union became concerned as to whether the USA would actually use such a weapon. Because of this, the Soviet Union began designing a similar weapon. The war became an argument about who had the biggest weapon. However, neither country fired a single missile thus making this a cold war instead of a hot war (200 Years).
The origins of the Cold War date back all the way to 1917 where the United States refused to recognize the Union Soviet Socialists Republics (USSR) as a legitimate government. This continued up into the 1930’s in which the relations between the U.S and USSR intensified. In 1939 Stalin agrees to a non-aggression pact with Germany even besides the fact that the nazis and soviets despised each other. Soon Germany ran by nazie leader Hitler would break that non-aggression pact with Germany and gets dragged into the war they wanted no part of. The U.S. declared war on Japan following the events of pearl harbor corresponding with Germany to declaring war on the U.S.. Even with the strong dislike for one another, a common enemy would become
The Cold War is a war that was a period of political and military tension between both the United States and The USSR. The United States had its NATO allies, while the Soviet Union had its Easter Bloc. This tension lasted for about 40 years until the fall of the communist Soviet Union. The United States and the Soviet Union were the only superpowers in the world with many economic and political differences. The Soviet Union was communist which meant that everything belonged to the Soviet Union. The United States is a democracy which meant governed by the people. This differences created a lot of tension between them.
The Nuclear Bomb was developed as the weapon of war at the end of the Second World War. Nuclear Deterrence was than the natural function of nuclear bomb. The atomic bomb had a function of “natural deterrence” at the early beginning of Cold War when Soviets did not have nuclear weapons. The Soviets would not attack West Europe because they would risk war with USA and USA had atomic bomb that was seen by Soviets as the essence of deterrence. USA also believed that if Soviets finish their own bomb they would not be deterred by USA and its nuclear arsenal therefore the West Europe would become vulnerable. After the Soviets detonated its own bomb in September 1949, the Truman administration abandoned its policy of natural deterrence and ordered the development of more powerful hydrogen thermonuclear bomb. Since Soviet nuclear bombs deterred US deterrence, Truman sought a way to restore deterrence. He ordered a study by the Department of State’s policy planning staff and the result, NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL PAPER 68 (NSC-68), went to Tru...
The development and usage of the first atomic bombs has caused a change in military, political, and public functionality of the world today. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki revolutionized warfare by killing large masses of civilian population with a single strike. The bombs’ effects from the blast, extreme heat, and radiation left an estimated 140,000 people dead. The bombs created a temporary resolution that lead to another conflict. The Cold War was a political standoff between the Soviet Union and the United States that again created a new worldwide nuclear threat. The destructive potential of nuclear weapons had created a global sweep of fear as to what might happen if these terrible forces where unleashed again. The technology involved in building the first atomic bombs has grown into the creation of nuclear weapons that are potentially 40 times more powerful than the original bombs used. However, a military change in strategy has came to promote nuclear disarmament and prevent the usage of nuclear weapons. The technology of building the atomic bomb has spurred some useful innovations that can be applied through the use of nuclear power. The fear of a potential nuclear attack had been heightened by the media and its release of movies impacting on public opinion and fear of nuclear devastation. The lives lost after the detonation of the atomic bombs have become warning signs that changed global thinking and caused preventative actions.
When one country begins to build nuclear bombs this automatically puts the other country at a disadvantage. So the other country then in turns has the desire to figure out this technology and begins to build its own nuclear bombs. By doing this dangers lurk and the potential of arm races begin to arise. Each country wants to outdo the other and have a bigger and dangerous way of gaining ultimate control. Nuclear power puts fate into man’s hands. At any given moment one country could wipe out another country by dropping a bomb. Although not all of the other countries have the ability to build a massive bomb because of the lack of money.
The Cold War was a time of great tension all over the world. From 1945 to 1989, the United States was the leader and nuclear power and was competing with the Soviet Union to create huge stockpiles of nuclear weapons. However, even though the Cold War ended, nuclear weapons are still a threat. Countries around the world strive to create nuclear power, and they do not promise to use it for peaceful purposes. Some examples of the struggles caused by nuclear weapons include the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and Iran’s recent nuclear weapon program. Surely, nuclear weapons have created conflict all over the world since the Cold War era.
Within a few years the world had suddenly polarized into two distinct groups. When the USSR detonated it's first nuclear weapon in 1949, the confrontation between East and West reached new heights. It suddenly became a matter of survival for the entire world. What had been thought of as a war that would center over the divided state of Germany suddenly fractured into many smaller conflicts all over the world, each just as important as the next.
Without doubt, all these advanced science and technology and modern weapons played critical role in the Cold War, and it was just because technology and weapons that kept the cold war from becoming a warm war, and prevent the outbreak of the Third World War. Both of these two countries were superpowers, they were almost equally matched, in terms of the technology they developed and weapons they possessed. They also knew that they were not completely sure to defeat the other side if they fought, and that is why the war was called “cold war”. Moreover, the leaders of the two countries knew very clearly that modern weapons including nuclear weapons were so destructive that they could not only destroy a country, but also the world. That would be a disaster for the whole human being. I think it was so lucky that, at that serious situation, the leaders from both countries remained a “cool” mind and did not launch the