Topics in 20th Century US History: Cold War, Multiculturalism

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Cold War

The Cold War Era is that period in USA-Russia relations that immediately came after the end of WW2 characterized by conflict of national interest between both countries. Whereas the US and Russia were allies during the Second World War as part of the winning Allied Forces, the reconstruction of Europe after the war became a point of contention between both parties. This contention grew to include a conflict over political and social ideology (communism vs. democracy) and as both countries sought to influence other nations around the world, what resulted were proxy wars including the Vietnam War and the Korean War that resulted in the division of the 2 Koreas (divided in the 27th parallel). The Cold War lasted 45 years, and animosity between the US and Russia rose overtime. Apparently (US History, n.d.), "Cold War confrontations were nearly always conducted through surrogates — or by economic pressure, selective aid, diplomatic maneuver, propaganda, assassination, low-intensity military operations — in order to avoid a direct confrontation that could have led to a nuclear war. In fact, on several occasions, the two nations came close to just such a holocaust, for example the Cuban Missile Crisis, but through both luck and strategy they managed to avoid it." The following are the conditions Pre and Post Cold War that are considered important points of the factors and impact of the conflict:

Pre Cold War:
1. Conflict over ideology - democracy (will of the majority, representative government, capitalist economy) vs. communism (will of the minority, supposed equal distribution of wealth and power, control by a minority group) where the ideology of each is a threat to the way of life of each
2. Militant nations keen on expansion - both countries, after WW2 had strong military and are keen to expand influence and territory around the world, including exporting their ideologies and way of life, both nations shown just after the war to be equally strong and influential as each other
3. Different Aims - Stalin wanted Germany to pay huge war repatriations as well as the creation of buffer states to deter future invasions of Russia from Europe; US and the ally UK are worried that 'nominated buffer states' are coming under Soviet control and are keen to help Germany's economy and society recover to protect democracy; this was evident in many meetings and conferences including the one n Yalta. The US and Russia were not able to see eye to eye eventually leading to the division of Germany.
4. Historical Resentments and Events - the USSR won't forget ...