Essay sample causes and events of the Cold War

With the increasing tension between the current US and Russian political leadership, the topic of cold war becomes more pressing than ever before. Sanctions and mutual accusations have reached the point where two super powers can no longer cooperate and build constructive relations (Sampathkumar, 2017). Lessons learned during the notorious Cold War of 1947-1991 may throw light on the current problems because history repeats itself. In this short essay, I intend to explore this turbulent period of military and political tension between the two powerful states to get insight into the problematic relationships between them. Specifically, I will describe who were the presidents during the cold war, how it started, its key events, and consequences. Key Players Cold War was the long-term geopolitical tension that affected many countries and lasted for several decades. The Soviet Union and the USA were the major cold war countries involved. Given its timeframe, it is not surprising that many political leaders were involved, all pursuing similar goal – do not let their opponents to gain more power on the international stage. There were six American presidents during the cold war, contrary to only four Soviet leaders during the cold war that were selected by the communists (Gilfillan Xidias, 2017). As seen, it is impossible to answer the question â€Å"who was the leader of the soviet union during the cold war† because there were several of them, all following similar foreign policy. Moreover, there were less prominent yet influential people who need to be mentioned, such as, for example, Allen Dulles. This man was the director of the CIA and actively advocated for covert operations against Russians to stop the spread of communism (Gilfillan Xidias, 2017). Joseph McCarthy is another person who influenced the way the Cold War developed. He was the one who capitalized on Americans’ fear of communism by accusing many government employees in supporting this regime (Herman, 2000). Although his accusations were not supported by evidence, he made the nation see perfectly clear who was our primary enemy during the cold war. One may also mention Yuri Andropov, who worked in the KGB and was the prominent member of the Communist Party. This person is famous for suppressing the dissent and advocating for the invasion of Afghanistan (Gilfillan Xidias, 2017). The Beginning and Main Events After the defeat of Nazis and their allies, there were two main countries deciding how the world should look like – the USA and the USSR. Although in the beginning, their leaders were ready to seek compromise, which is exemplified by the Yalta Conference, their ambitions eventually grew too high. The USA was not satisfied with the way its opponent spread its influence in Germany, North Korea, the Middle East, and even South America, and was determined to suppress it by all means (Immerman Goedde, 2013). For example, the USA promised to provide economic and political support to any European country struggling to oppose the Soviet influence. So, where did the cold war turn hot? It is difficult to answer this question, but I would suggest that the US-Soviet Union relationship deteriorated during the infamous Berlin blockade, which showed how far the communist leaders can go to protect their political and ideological interests. They cut all transportation links to Western Berlin occupied by their militaries and made local people suffer from hunger and deprivation (Gilfillan Xidias, 2017). As time went by, Western leaders realized that a cooperative approach was needed to suppress the communist influence, so they formed NATO – international organization that still deals with protecting military and political interests of the Western member states (Gilfillan Xidias, 2017). Later, the Korean War made things even worse, as the Soviet Union supported North Korean troops when they invaded South Korea (Immerman Goedde, 2013). However, the key events that nearly led to the open conflict occurred during the heated Cuban crisis. The US spies found out that the Soviet soldiers developed their nuclear missile not far from the US borders and immediately reported President Kennedy, who decided to begin a naval blockade. Luckily, the war was averted when the Soviet leaders agreed to negotiate and ultimately promised to back off (Njà ¸lstad, 2004). One needs to understand, though, that given the military possibilities of both states, the war could have led to devastating consequences for the whole world. It is also important to highlight that although the Soviet Union provoked the West by its expansion policies, US presidents contribution to cold war tensions was also significant, which is exemplified, for example, by the Vietnam War (Immerman Goedde, 2013). There were no wars started by democratic presidents, but their decisions were not always wise and relevant. Consequences and Conclusion The consequences of Cold War were significant for both sides. Both countries spent millions of dollars on strengthening their military potential. Moreover, this long-term war affected third parties immensely, as it contributed to several devastating proxy wars in Vietnam, Korea, and Afghanistan (Immerman Goedde, 2013). It is also important to mention the nuclear legacy of this war because it still affects international relations and raises concerns of political leaders. Nuclear weapons developed during the Cold War still threaten the world, especially in the hands of short-sighted leaders that continue to boast their power and fight for supremacy. To summarize, I would like to note that although the Cold War was not the war in the true sense of the word, it changed international relations forever, and its consequences are still seen in US-Russian relations.