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110 Cold War Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

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The Cold War, a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union, lasted from the end of World War II until the early 1990s. This era shaped the modern world and influenced countless aspects of politics, economics, and society. If you're tasked with writing an essay about the Cold War, choosing a compelling topic is crucial. To help you brainstorm ideas and find inspiration, here are 110 Cold War essay topic ideas and examples.

• The origins of the Cold War: Analyzing the causes of the conflict.
• The Yalta Conference: Assessing its impact on the Cold War.
• The Truman Doctrine: Examining its role in shaping the Cold War.
• The Marshall Plan: Evaluating its impact on European recovery and the Cold War.
• The Berlin Airlift: Analyzing its significance in the context of the Cold War.
• The Korean War: Assessing its role as a proxy conflict during the Cold War.
• The Cuban Missile Crisis: Evaluating its impact on U.S.-Soviet relations and the Cold War.
• The Space Race: Analyzing its influence on the Cold War and technological advancements.
• The arms race: Assessing the importance of nuclear weapons during the Cold War.
• The Iron Curtain: Examining its role in dividing Europe during the Cold War.
• The domino theory: Evaluating its influence on U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War.
• The Suez Crisis: Analyzing its impact on the Cold War and decolonization.
• The Vietnam War: Assessing its role as a Cold War battleground.
• The Prague Spring: Evaluating its significance in the context of the Cold War.
• The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan: Analyzing its impact on the Cold War.
• Détente: Assessing the policies and consequences of the period of eased tensions.
• The Helsinki Accords: Evaluating their role in the Cold War and human rights.
• The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI): Analyzing its influence on U.S.-Soviet relations.
• The fall of the Berlin Wall: Assessing its importance in ending the Cold War.
• Perestroika and Glasnost: Evaluating their impact on the Soviet Union and the Cold War.
• The collapse of the Soviet Union: Analyzing its effects on the post-Cold War world.
• Proxy wars during the Cold War: Analyzing conflicts in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
• The impact of the Cold War on the Third World: Assessing economic and political consequences.
• The role of propaganda during the Cold War: Analyzing its use by both sides.
• The cultural impact of the Cold War: Evaluating the influence on film, literature, and music.
• The role of espionage during the Cold War: Analyzing famous spies and intelligence agencies.
• The arms control talks: Assessing their effectiveness in reducing Cold War tensions.
• The role of non-aligned countries during the Cold War: Analyzing their significance.
• The impact of the Cold War on sports: Evaluating the use of athletic competitions for propaganda.
• The Cold War and the nuclear family: Analyzing the influence on societal norms.
• The Cold War and the Red Scare: Assessing the impact on civil liberties in the United States.
• The role of women during the Cold War: Analyzing their contributions and limitations.
• The impact of the Cold War on popular culture: Evaluating its portrayal in movies and TV shows.
• The Cold War and the arms trade: Assessing the influence on global weapons proliferation.
• The impact of the Cold War on the Middle East: Analyzing regional conflicts and alliances.
• The Cold War and the space exploration: Evaluating the role of technology and scientific advancements.
• The role of NATO during the Cold War: Assessing its importance in collective defense.
• The impact of the Cold War on East Asia: Analyzing the division of Korea and China's role.
• The Cold War and the European Union: Evaluating the influence on European integration.
• The impact of the Cold War on Latin America: Analyzing U.S. interventions and communist movements.
• The role of technology in the Cold War: Analyzing advancements in communication and surveillance.
• The Cold War and the United Nations: Assessing its role in maintaining global stability.
• The impact of the Cold War on the arms industry: Evaluating its economic consequences.
• The space race and its impact on scientific research: Analyzing technological advancements.
• The Cold War and nuclear accidents: Assessing the risks and consequences.
• The influence of Cold War propaganda on public opinion: Analyzing its effects.
• The Cold War and the media: Evaluating the role of journalism in shaping public perception.
• The impact of the Cold War on education: Analyzing curriculum changes and ideological influences.
• The Cold War and the military-industrial complex: Assessing its influence on the economy.
• The role of ideology in the Cold War: Analyzing the clash of capitalism and communism.
• The Cold War and the nuclear arms control treaties: Evaluating their effectiveness.
• The impact of the Cold War on human rights: Analyzing violations and international responses.
• The Cold War and the rise of terrorism: Assessing its connection to geopolitical rivalries.
• The role of intelligence agencies during the Cold War: Analyzing covert operations.
• The impact of the Cold War on the environment: Evaluating nuclear testing and pollution.

These are just a few examples of the many possible topics you can explore in a Cold War essay. Consider your interests, the requirements of your assignment, and the available resources to choose a topic that engages you and allows for in-depth research. Remember, a well-chosen topic is the first step towards crafting an exceptional essay on the Cold War.

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151 Cold War Topics for Essay and Research

Welcome to our comprehensive collection of Cold War topics! The Cold War was marked by geopolitical tension and ideological confrontations between the United States and the Soviet Union. When writing on Cold War essay topics, the possibilities are boundless. So, we’re excited to guide you through these Cold War topics to write about.

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🏆 best cold war essay topics, 👨‍🏫 cold war topics for presentation, 👍 interesting cold war research topics, 💡 simple cold war title ideas, ❓ more cold war research & essay topics.

• The Role of Disney Propaganda During the Cold War
• The Cold War in Realism Theory
• The Nature of the Cold War Between the US and the Soviet Union
• “The Cold War: A New History” a Book by John Lewis Gaddis
• The Cold War and Decolonisation History
• The Cold War: International Relations between 1945 and 1989
• Origin and Course of the Cold War
• Popular Culture and the Cold War Popular culture was strongly restricted. The Cold War had an immense influence on the lives of people since they were afraid to be considered communists.
• “The Cold War: A New History”: Book Review The paper discusses the book “The Cold War: A New History”. It represents a sufficiently thorough coverage of the Cold War in its entirety.
• African Continent and the Cold War In the 1950s, the interest of superpowers in Africa was mainly determined by obtaining information about the plans and intentions of rival countries.
• The Vietnam War and the Cold War The Vietnam War and the Cold War were escalated by the assumption that the communist movement would spread out to other Asian states in the south east region.
• The Most Significant Cold War Events Although no real battles were fought, there was intense geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States.
• History: The Communist Revolution in East Asia and the Cold War The collapse of communism and the end of the Cold War de-legitimized the system and removed the rationale that initially had underpinned the global economy fragmentation.
• International System During the Cold War Era The basic characteristic of the international system during the Cold War era is its duo-polarity nature characterized by the ideological war of the two most powerful nations.
• The Cold War: The Arms Race and Territorial Claims This paper critically assesses the background of the Cold War and discusses the critical theaters of action, as well as the arms race and territorial claims.
• The Korean War and the Cold War There are many similarities and differences between the Korean War and the Cold War in terms of Truman’s response, how they ended, and their lasting impact.
• The Cold War: Causes and Impact on the Modern World The Cold War led to the fall of the Soviet Union as a superpower. The USA, owing to its capitalism policy, managed to influence the world and thus become the superpower.
• Pakistan-US Relations Post-Cold War Relations between Pakistan and the United States have been tumultuous since the 1950s, a trend that continued after the Cold War ended in 1991.
• The Cold War: Reasons and Lessons The lesson that nations should learn from the Cold War is that superpowers do not have any capability to control their allies and their dependents as is often thought.
• The Cold War History The facts surrounding the Cold War have forced many people to define it differently. This paper describes the responses provided by three interviewees.
• Prerequisites of Cold War During Yalta Conference The decade following WWII turned out to be rather challenging for the whole world, and the exam on peace co-existence was almost failed several times resulting in the Cold War.
• Was the Cold War Really a Cold War? The Cold War (1945-1991) was a period of political confrontations between two blocks, the Capitalist America and the communist USSR.
• Canada During the Cold War Canada pursued a moderate anti-communist policy during the Cold War while aiding struggling countries and promoting peace in the world arena.
• The Cold War Era’s Impact on the US Politics The Cold War era included many reforms that occurred internally and externally in relation to the politics of the United States.
• Normative Role of the Cold War The Cold War played a significant role in American history in the recent past, yet the role of this war is normative rather than anomalous.
• Comparison of Current Relationships Between US and Russia to Cold War There are many similarities between the relationships the US and the USSR in the middle of the 20th century and the relationships between the US and Russia in the current period.
• The Cold War Times and Economics The Cold War had two effects on domestic policy: social and economic. The extensive indoctrination of the American people resulted in a reversal of social improvements.
• The Cold War: Contemporary European History Though the Cold War can be considered as one of the main participants has ceased to exist, the conflict has percolated into the present relationships of the U.S. and Russia.
• The Cold War: Cultural Changes Massive cultural changes marked the post-Cold war period. The fall of the Soviet Union led to new social relations that facilitated the changes.
• The Second World War and the Cold War Diplomatic relations among nations played a significant role that shaping the Second World War. The Cold War began immediately after the end of the Second World War.
• The Impact of the Cold War on European History The aim of this paper is to examine the Cold War’s impact on European through increased east-led and west-led tensions and the establishment of the Iron Curtain.
• How the Cold War Ended Peacefully One of the factors that propelled the cold war to end peacefully was the election of President Richard Nixon, who formulated new approaches to attending to international relations.
• America and the Middle East During the Cold War The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, the outgrowths of which are still reflected today, ended in 1991.
• American Presidency During World War II and the Cold War World War II and the advent of the Cold War taught many lessons regarding the American presidency, especially on matters of foreign military policies and strategies.
• Canada and the Cold War in Relation to Korea The entry of the Canadian armed forces in the Korean War was a welcome move that helped protect the Republic of Korea.
• Cold War: History and Impact on Population This work aims to describe the causes and stages of the Cold War, as well as to assess its impact on the population through the use of qualitative research techniques.
• The Causes of the Cold War Between the US and the USSR The conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union and the ideological differences between the two countries served as causes for the beginning of the Cold War.
• The Significance of the Korean War to the Cold War The Korean War was the first major military confrontation of the Cold War, and it served as a model for many others.
• American History (1900s-Cold War Era) The history of the United States is a tale of people from diverse ethnicity who jointly form the United States of America.
• How the United States Fought the Cold War in 1945-1990 In 1948, a plan put forward by U.S. Secretary of State George Marshall and known in history as the Marshall Plan came into effect in the United States.
• Triumphs and Technological Advancements of The Space Race.
• The Cuban Missile Crisis: The Brink of Destruction.
• Nuclear Arms Race Long-Term Results in 2023.
• The Berlin Wall as a Symbol of Division and Reunification.
• McCarthyism: Unraveling American Society.
• Thawing Relations: Détente and Diplomacy.
• The significance of NATO establishment.
• Containment Policy: Limiting Soviet Expansion.
• Is the Korean War a Forgotten Conflict?
• Did Arms Control Treaties Help to Seek Stability?
• The Role of the Arts in Cultural Diplomacy.
• Proxy Wars: Battlegrounds of Ideology.
• Civil Defense: Duck and Cover Strategies.
• Space Race Achievements: Moon Landing and Beyond.
• CIA Interventions: Covert Operations.
• Espionage and Deception During the Cold War.
• The Sino-Soviet Split: A Communist Schism.
• The Vietnam War: A Cold War Quagmire.
• The Prague Spring and Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia.
• Nuclear Testing: Environmental and Human Impact.
• Red Scare in Hollywood: The Blacklist Era.
• Fallout Shelters: Preparing for Nuclear War.
• The Soviet-Afghan War: The Bear’s Quagmire.
• Economic Rivalries: Capitalism vs. Communism.
• The U-2 Spy Plane Incident: Crisis in the Skies.
• The Cold War’s Impact on the Fate of Nevada The Cold War is a military, economic and political confrontation between two military-political blocs led by the USSR and the United States.
• The Cold War’s History and Consequences The Cold War, a result of the development of nuclear weapons and the confrontation between two massive world powers, had many consequences that affected the entire world.
• The Security Concept in the Post-Cold War Era It is possible to admit the radical change in the security concept after the Cold War and the collapse of the global system characterized by two camps’ opposition.
• East-West Rivalry and Atomic Race of Cold War Cold War intensified after Russia and the United States got new leaders, namely Nikita Khrushchev and Dwight Eisenhower.
• The Cuban Missile Crisis in the Cold War This paper will explain the details of the most significant Cold War confrontation between the USSR and the United States, the Cuban Missile Crisis.
• The Influence of the U.S. Foreign Policy During the Late Cold War Historical understanding helps to make a more informed political analysis of the “War on Terror” today by explaining the roots of the perception of Muslims.
• The War in Donbass as the Legacy of the Cold War The War in Donbass is one of the most obvious legacies of the past confrontation as multiple processes affecting the region remain similar to previous ones.
• Cold War in Everyday Life of Americans The challenges of the Cold War historical period, which affected the everyday life of Americans, included the panic related to atomic weapons, and the methods for testing loyalty.
• Cold War in Europe and the Lessons to Be Learned from It This paper discusses why the Cold War developed first in Europe, how it defined Europe’s development, and how European leaders responded to the key challenges.
• 1970s History. The Third World Perspective on the Cold War The history of the United States is quite complex and riddled with numerous events and moments that contributed to the growth of the nation.
• Analysis of the World War 1 and Cold War The First World War is among significant wars that have occurred in history because it led to the Cold War characterized by persistent strains and conflicts.
• Cold War, Truman’s Foreign Policy This paper discusses why was the United States unable to avoid entering a Cold War with the Soviet Union and evaluates Truman’s foreign policy.
• The Reasons Behind the Cold War The Cold War was the result of the mutual aggressive aspirations of Western and Communist leaders. It can be briefly described as a rivalry for supremacy in the new post-war world.
• International Relationships During Cold War Cold War can be categorized as one of the most prominent occurrences in the international relationships of the 20th century.
• Cold War Gallery. Modern System Cold War Gallery of the National Museum of the United States Air Force features airplanes representing the Cold War years.
• The Cold War in the 1950’s The main causes of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union and their allies during the 1940s to the 1990s.
• The Conflicts of the Cold War in Latin America The paper looks at how the United States supported any regime whether corrupt or unpopular, as long as it was fighting communism.
• The Cold War: Was It Really a War? During the Cold War, the whole world was influenced by the politics of the USA and the Soviet Union. These were the two nations willing to overpower each other.
• America’s Fear during the Cold War Despite great strides in progress the average American feared that one day Russian Nukes would come raining from the skies and end civilization.
• The Logic of Cold War: American Cold War Policies This essay explains how the Cold War ideology that crystallized after WWII changed wartime alliances and how American Cold War policies and practices influenced international relations
• McCarthy Era and The Cold War When the Cold War between the USA and the Soviet Union broke out fear of spread of communist ideas was also common for Canada which played an important role in the war.
• Cold War-Era’s Influence on the World The examination of the Cold War-era demonstrates how the rise of two superpowers – the United States and the Soviet Union – after WW2 led to a series of conflicts all over the world.
• History of Cold War and International Law During the Cold War, there were many reasons for both the US and USSR to be equally interested in preserving the integrity of international law.
• America’s Geopolitical Stance During the Cold War America’s positioning as a “great power” during the Cold War era and the country’s sub-sequential rise to the position of a “superpower” is reflective of the Realist outlook on IR.
• Latin American Economies After the Cold War The economies of Latin American countries were developing at a high pace in the 1960s, and international financial institutions such as the World Bank.
• Voice of America during the Cold War The case of the Voice of America demonstrates the power of the public diplomacy. In order to establish a better environment for compelling transmission activity, the listeners have to acknowledge its impact on them.
• Communist Revolutions and Cold War in East Asia This analytical treatise attempts to explicitly review the historical significance of communist revolutions in East Asia, especially in China and North Korea.
• World War II, The Cold War and New Europe The WWII and its aftermath resulted in the development of another opposition of superstates. The former allies were not able to able to determine the spheres of their influence and make a compromise.
• Winston Churchill’s Speech and Cold War The Sinews of Peace known as The Iron Curtain is the speech of Winston Churchill to the United States and Great Britain that outlined the onset of the Cold War.
• Vietnam War History: A Cold War Triggered by Vietnam’s Decision of Resisting Colonial Powers Vietnam War was a cold war era military conflict which had started in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia from 1st November 1954 to 30th April 1975.
• History of Cold War and War on Terror The strategies used in Cold War intended to reform, not to destroy other countries. The current strategies are to obliterate terrorism wherever they are and these are extensive objectives.
• The Cold War and Its Effects on American Policies This paper discusses how the Cold War that occurred after 1945 influenced U.S. governmental foreign and domestic policies.
• The Civil War and the Cold War The Civil War and the Cold War were two important stepping stones that have proved that people’s views very much depend on the time and place and a difference in opinions causes a major conflict.
• Cold War Politics: Shaped by the Global Economic Crises of the USA and USSR
• American Post-cold War Relations
• Cold War and Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
• The United States’ Relationship to Israel During the Cold War
• Domestic Changes After Cold War
• Swiss Neutrality After the Cold War
• WWII and the Cold War: The World’s Haunting Past
• Cold War: Sanctions and Effects Diplomatic Relations
• America’s Superiority During the Cold War
• Overview How the United States Contained Communism During the Cold War
• Differences Between the Cold War System and Globalization
• Cold War Origins and Its Cultural Implications
• The American Strategy Throughout the Cold War and After
• Cold War and the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction
• The Cold War Was a Continuation of Colonialism
• Cold War and American Culture
• U.S. Foreign Policy During the Cold War
• Impact of the Cold War on the United States
• German Foreign Policy During the Cold War and the German Unification ESS
• American Presidents During the Cold War
• Global and National Developing Resulting From the Cold War
• The Impact of the Cold War on American Society and Entertainment
• Could the Cold War Have Been Avoided?
• Did America Win the Cold War?
• What Was the Argument in the Cold War?
• Who Was Responsible for Starting the Cold War?
• What Are the Major Arguments on the Causes of the Cold War?
• What Is the Cold War Concept?
• Why Was the US to Blame for the Cold War?
• What Caused the Cold War Between the US and Soviet Union?
• What Arguments Do Historians Make About Who Started the Cold War?
• Did Ronald Reagan End the Cold War?
• Was the Cold War an Ideological Conflict?
• Who Was the Aggressor in the Cold War?
• Which Statement Best Describes the United States Cold War Policy of Containment?
• What Is the Revisionist View of the Cold War?
• Which Two Ideologies Were Involved in a Conflict During the Cold War and Why?
• Has the Cold War Really Ended?
• What Was the Truman Doctrine in the Cold War?
• How Did the Cold War Affect Asian American Experiences?
• Was Joseph Stalin Responsible for the Cold War?
• How Did the Cold War Affect Domestic Policy and American Society?
• What Ideological Differences Caused the Cold War?
• What Was the Central Ideological Conflict of the Cold War?
• How Did the Truman Doctrine Increase Cold War Tensions?
• How Did the Cold War Shape the American Economy, Society, and Politics From 1945 to 1992?
• How Did the End of the Cold War Affect the Concept of Security?
• What Is Cold War in History Terms?
• Why Was It Called the Cold War?
• Was the Cold War Chiefly a Clash of National Interests, With Ideology Only Secondary?
• Was the Cold War Truly a Cold War?
• What Did the Berlin Wall Mean to Both Sides in the Cold War?

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StudyCorgi. (2021, December 21). 151 Cold War Topics for Essay and Research. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/cold-war-essay-topics/

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StudyCorgi . "151 Cold War Topics for Essay and Research." December 21, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/cold-war-essay-topics/.

StudyCorgi . 2021. "151 Cold War Topics for Essay and Research." December 21, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/cold-war-essay-topics/.

These essay examples and topics on Cold War were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

This essay topic collection was updated on January 22, 2024 .

100 Cold War Essay Topics

The Cold War significantly influenced even nations that were geographically distant. When tasked with writing about this subject, it’s crucial to aim for quality that will garner an impressive grade. The foundation of a compelling essay lies in its topic. A well-chosen topic can enhance the quality of the essay, while a complex one can make it challenging to craft a coherent piece.

Table of Contents

How to Select the Best Cold War Essay Topic?

Many find it challenging to choose suitable essay topics, either due to inexperience or a lack of creativity. When selecting a topic in this domain, opt for one you feel passionate about. This ensures a smoother writing process and helps in organizing the content coherently.

Topic scope is another crucial factor. Avoid overly broad topics as they might be challenging to cover comprehensively in an essay. Conversely, exceedingly narrow topics can hinder content generation.

Comprehensive List of Cold War Essay Topics

• How the conflict influenced the Vietnam War
• Actions the United States took that made the Soviet Union feel threatened
• The repercussions of the Cold War on North Korean citizens
• Russian policies that alarmed the Americans
• The Cold War’s influence on the Korean War
• The interrelation between the Cold War and the Cuban Revolution
• In-depth insights into the Red Scare
• Strategies that might have prevented the Cold War
• Reasons the Cold War seemed inevitable
• The U.S.’s role in the Cold War
• Berlin’s transformation during the conflict
• Comparing the Cold War to World War II
• The role of communism in the Cold War
• A thorough analysis of events during the conflict
• The interplay of racism during the Cold War
• The Cold War’s importance in global history
• The impact of the Cold War on Latin America
• President Reagan’s contributions to ending the Cold War
• Post-Cold War reconstruction processes
• Key factors leading to the Cold War’s conclusion
• The influence of nuclear power during the Cold War
• Differing ideologies that sparked the Cold War
• Essential events during the Cold War
• African nations’ contributions during the Cold War
• Adverse effects of the Cold War

Appropriate Cold War Decolonization Essay Topics

• European nations’ perspectives on the Cold War
• Causes for the peaceful end to the Cold War
• Minority groups’ roles during the conflict
• The United Nations’ approach to Cold War events
• Shifts in terrorism strategies post-Cold War
• Stalin’s role in escalating the Cold War
• The impact of the Yalta Conference on the Cold War
• Implications of the Cold War for U.S. homeland security
• Political catalysts of the Cold War
• Public sentiments during the Cold War

Geopolitical Impacts

• The Cold War’s influence on the Middle East
• NATO and the Warsaw Pact: A Comparative Analysis
• The Sino-Soviet split and its global ramifications
• The Cold War’s effects on African decolonization
• The role of non-aligned nations during the Cold War

Cultural and Societal Impacts

• The Cold War and its influence on American pop culture
• Soviet propaganda during the Cold War
• The role of sports, especially the Olympics, in the Cold War
• The Cold War’s impact on global literature and film
• Music as a tool of resistance and propaganda during the Cold War

Technology and Espionage

• The Space Race: Competing ideologies beyond Earth
• The role of spies and espionage during the Cold War
• Technological advancements driven by Cold War competition
• The importance of cryptography during the Cold War
• U-2 spy plane incident and its implications

Key Events and Turning Points

• The Cuban Missile Crisis and its global repercussions
• The Berlin Airlift: Symbolism and significance
• Hungarian Uprising of 1956 and global reactions
• The Prague Spring and its suppression
• Detente: Causes and consequences

Nuclear Proliferation and Arms Race

• The Cold War and the birth of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)
• The role of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
• Nuclear brinkmanship: Cases and consequences
• The arms race: Growth and limitations of nuclear arsenals
• Nuclear disarmament talks and their successes

Economic Dimensions

• The Marshall Plan and its impact on Europe
• Economic struggles in the Soviet Union during the Cold War
• The role of economic sanctions during the Cold War
• Comparative analysis of capitalist and socialist economic models during the Cold War
• Economic espionage and industrial sabotage

End of the Cold War

• The role of Mikhail Gorbachev’s reforms in ending the Cold War
• The significance of the fall of the Berlin Wall
• Economic challenges and the dissolution of the Soviet Union
• The impact of the Cold War’s end on global geopolitics
• The legacy of the Cold War in the 21st century

Cold War’s Legacy

• The Cold War’s lingering effects on global politics
• NATO’s role post-Cold War era
• The Cold War’s influence on contemporary military strategies
• The Cold War’s long-term effects on education systems worldwide
• Post-Cold War challenges in reconciliation and nation-building

Miscellaneous Topics

• The influence of the Cold War on global journalism
• The role of women spies during the Cold War
• Psychological warfare during the Cold War
• The Cold War’s impact on international travel and tourism
• The influence of the Cold War on the formation of the European Union

Diplomacy and Relations

• The role of summits and diplomatic meetings in easing Cold War tensions.
• The relationship between the Cold War and the founding of the United Nations.
• Analysis of U.S.-China relations during the Cold War after Nixon’s visit.

Influence on Developing Countries

• The Cold War’s impact on the non-aligned movement and its leaders.
• Soviet and American interventions in Latin America: A comparative study.
• Proxy wars in Africa: Superpowers’ indirect confrontations.

Media and Perception

• The portrayal of the “enemy” in school textbooks during the Cold War.
• Radio Free Europe vs. Voice of Russia: Battling radio waves.
• Hollywood and Soviet Cinema: How both sides portrayed the Cold War.

Scientific Endeavors and the Cold War

• Antarctica and the Cold War: The significance of the Antarctic Treaty.
• The role of scientific cooperation as a tool for diplomacy during the Cold War.
• The Cold War’s influence on medical research and breakthroughs.

Broader Impacts

• The Cold War’s contribution to the environmental movement.
• The effect of the Cold War on international trade agreements and policies.
• Analysis of the Cold War’s role in the formation and policies of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Cold War Essay Ideas

• Most influential nations during the Cold War
• Reasons the Cold War remains a focal point in history
• Catalysts of the Cold War
• Key figures during the Cold War and their significance
• Concepts that redirected the trajectory of the Cold War
• The Cold War’s relationship with women’s rights
• The impact of the Cold War on children
• Chile’s experience during the Cold War
• The Cold War’s imprint on global politics
• Limitations on nuclear weapons during the Cold War

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159 Cold War Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

• 🤫 Secrets of Powerful Essay on Cold War

🏆 Best Cold War Topic Ideas & Essay Examples

🥇 most interesting cold war topics to write about, 💡 simple & easy cold war essay titles, 🎓 good research topics about cold war, ❓ cold war essay questions, 🤫 secrets of powerful essay on the cold war.

The Cold War is a significant part of the world’s history. Its term refers to the period between 1950 and late 1980, known for a great tension between the Soviet Union and the United States.

Essays on the Cold War are important assignments because they allow students to research the topic in detail. As the war was a major event that has affected many countries, students should prepare well for writing their Cold War essays. Our goal is to help you in writing an outstanding paper.

Start with researching the topics for your essay and selecting the one that interests you the most. Here are some Cold War essay titles we can suggest:

• Does the Cold War affect people or nations today?
• The link between the Cold War and the Korean War
• Argumentative essay on which country started the war
• Capitalist and communist economies during the Cold War
• The impact of the Cold War on international relations
• The link between the Domino theory and the Cold War
• The Effect of the Cold War on the environment

Select one of our titles or check out the examples of the Cold War essay topics online. Now you are ready to work on your essay. Here are some secrets of writing a powerful paper on the Cold War:

• Research the selected issue and think of the Cold War essay prompts you will discuss. Develop an outline for your paper based on your future arguments. Remember that an outline should include an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.
• Do not forget to add a title page, if necessary.
• A good Cold War essay introduction should include some background information about the issue, its causes, and effects. Present a thesis statement in the last sentence of this section. It can look like this:

The Cold War still affects the population of North Korea.

• Discuss all relevant data in the body paragraphs. Identify the Cold War leaders, its ideology, global powers, and propaganda. Remember that the reader should get a full perspective on the issue you are discussing.
• Discuss the events that had happened before the Cold War began. What caused its eruption? What were the interests of parties responsible for the Cold War?
• Reflect on the consequences of the Cold War and its effects on today’s world. It will help you to get the reader’s interest.
• You can also discuss what would have happened if the war did not erupt or ended differently.
• Support your claims with evidence and add in-text citations when you refer to information from outside sources. Hint: Use peer-reviewed articles or scholarly books as your main sources of information. Do not rely on personal blogs or websites like Wikipedia.
• Summarize your arguments in a concluding paragraph. Restate your thesis and present the findings of the paper. Remember to end your essay on a positive note.
• Although content is important, make sure that you use correct grammar and sentence structures too. Check the paper several times to make sure that you have made no crucial mistakes. Remember that spelling is important too. You can ask your peers to review the paper for you, if possible.

Remember that our free samples are there for you if you need some ideas for your paper!

• “The Cold War: A New History” by John Lewis Gaddis In Chapter 1 “Return of Fear”, Gaddis states that the Cold War was caused due to the competing and divergent ideologies of the United States and the Soviet Union.
• The Cold War and the Balance of Power Theory The end of the Cold War and the fall of the Communist Block have led to a complete change in the balance of power in the international arena.
• The Film Industry During Cold War The end of world war two marked the start of the cold war between the Unites States of America and the Soviet Union.
• Post-Cold War Challenges At the time when strained relations between the US and the Soviet Union ended, the financial systems of several countries, particularly those in Eastern Europe, were in the process of collapsing.
• Countries That Suffered the Greatest as a Result of the Cold War After the Second World War, there was a long period of tension between the democracies of the Western World and the communists’ countries of Eastern Europe, which is called The Cold War.
• Latin America and the Cold War In the conditions of the Cold War, namely in the middle of the 1940s-1970s, Latin America was the arena of the struggle for the spheres of influence of the US and the Soviet Union.
• The Cold War and the Events of September 11 The anxieties arising from the issue of European immigrants echo the sentiments of securitization and Islamophobia following the events of September 11.
• Cold War: Summary, Causes, History, & Facts The plot of the Soviet Union to spread the issue of communism to all parts of the world stands out as the major cause of the Cold War.
• The End of the Cold War Analyzing Gorbachevs actions and his incentives in the economy of the USSR, it is possible to conclude that the primary aim of these actions was the destruction of the welfare of the country, the growth […]
• The Cold War: Causes and Consequences United States, which sustained the minimal damage during the apocalyptic war, was elevated to the status of the savior of the new world in the west whilst mighty Soviet Union whose winters not only mercilessly […]
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• The Cold War: US Foreign Policy The paper seeks to explore issues surrounding the US foreign policy in the course of the war, as well as the implications of the war on the United States’ society and culture.
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• Cold War Impact on Germany The question of Germany’s destiny, its state structure, and postwar borders were on the agenda of the meetings of representatives of the leading countries – members of the anti-Hitler coalition in the years of the […]
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• Causes of the Cold War’s End Reagan’s policies may have contributed to the fall of communism, but it is more likely that the internal changes in the Soviet Union and the countries it ruled contributed more to the end of the […]
• The Cold War as a Turning Point in History Thus, one of the main events that became the subject of public discussion and concern of the world community was the actions of the United States of America and Russia in relation to the Middle […]
• The Global Cold War Book by Westad In the book “The Global Cold War” by Westad, the author seeks to understand why the cold war took longer and also the reason it became global.
• Latin America Impacted by Global Cold War This paper aims to discuss the conceptual positioning of Latin America in the context of the Global Cold War as the heart of the Third World.
• The Events of 1968 in American History and the Cold War Therefore, 1968 was a year of the end of America’s involvement in the Vietnam War, the end of spying, Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination, racial protest in the Olympics, and the start of space exploration.
• The Cold War and Engagement The key elements of U.S.diplomacy to China and the Middle East were aimed at keeping the United States out of the problems of world affairs and improving foreign relations.
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• The Cold War and Motivations Behind It Evaluating the situation, it appears that the major motivation behind the actions of the major players in this conflict was the distribution of authority in the world which started after the capitulation of Germany.
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• Cold War Space Race Analysis The objective of this paper is to critically analyze the historic events that escalated as a result of the space race between America and the Soviets during the Cold war.
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• From World War to Cold War The end of World War significantly shifted the balance of power in Europe and globally, leaving a void that both the United States and the Soviet Union sought to fulfill.
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• China’s Rise and Cold War With the US Thus, it is necessary to apply the concepts of liberalism and constructivism to understand the real reasons and probable consequences of the rise of China for the world.
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• The United States in the Cold War Era and Korea The following paper will explain and cover the USA’s role in the Cold War era in Korea, and other significant shifts of this period.
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• Cold War and End of Empires in the 20th Century The Cold War was the political and military tension that existed primarily between the USA and its allies, on the one hand, and the USSR on the other, even despite the fact that these forces […]
• The Cold War Impact on Social Conditions One of the consequences of the Cold War for the lives of USSR civilians was the discord in the Soviet society.
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• The Cold War: Causes of Tension and Role of Media The Cold War involved the United States and the Soviet Union due to their different ideologies on ways of managing the economy of a country. The beginning of the Cold War was marked by the […]
• The Current Tendencies of the Cold War Stone estimates the principles of McCarthyism, which identifies the era of the Cold War regime and stems from the conspiracy games of the American senator Joe McCarthy.
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• Cold War Major Aspects and Events Conflicts of interest between the United States and the Soviet Union were the main cause for the cold war which replaced the Second World War in the year 1945.
• Muslims Increase and the Spread of Islam Also, the paper will highlight the reasons that have hampered the spread of Islam in the US and in the modern world.
• John Lewis Gaddis: “The Cold War: A New History” For the Soviet Union, the war was a significant devastation and the amount of people and cities lost was enormous. 2 It is obvious that the governments of the two powerful world nations had their […]
• How U.S. Relations Have Impacted and Affected Pakistani-Indian Relations Post Cold War S Pakistan relationship is however strained in that Pakistan has lost its trust for the U.S.it blames the U.S.for the violence that has escalated in the country in the recent past.
• Cold War Paranoia in “Captain America” and “Batman” This form of unexpected events underscores the uncertainty that surrounded the tension between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
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• The Onset of the Cold War The majority of historians adhere to the idea that the period of ideological tension dates back to the period after the World War II whereas other scholars agree that its beginning refers to the end […]
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• Cold War Politics, Culture and Wars The Western democracies led by the United States and the Soviet Union engaged in a discussion regarding the development of the war and the nature of the post-war settlement.
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• The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy Among the situations that called for America’s diplomacy during the Cold War include the deliberate efforts to improve relations with the Soviet Union and ease the hostilities between the U.S.and the Soviet Union.
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• Rethinking Cold War History Near the end of the World War II, upon the surrender of the Nazi, there emerged strong alliances among nations that had participated in the world war.
• The Cold War and Its Influence on the American Society After the collapse of the Nazi government, in the year 1945, the US and the Soviet Union became the world superpowers.
• Origins of the Cold War The Cold War was the repercussion of World War II following the emergence of two key supremacy blocs in Europe one of which was subjugated by ideologies of the democracy of the capitalist America.
• Cold War Era and Threats to American Families Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by an atomic bomb marked the end of World War II and the beginning of the cold war.
• Holocaust and the Cold War Cold war refers to the military and political tension between the United States of America and the Soviet Union immediately after the World War 2.
• The Cold War Between the United States and the Soviet Union Klaus and Lane state that this war came to be known as the cold war because the two sides: the Soviet Union and the United States never engaged in a physical fight. In conclusion, the […]
• The Causes of Korea War and How It Epitomized Cold War The Korean War was fought in Korean Peninsula between armies from North and those from South Korea. The only and main cause of the Korean War was the invasion of South Korea by North Korea […]
• The Major Causes of the Cold War Between the Soviet Union and the United States According to Leffler in his book “The Specter of Communism” the cold war was a political and economical war between the United States and the Soviet Union, which started few years after the end of […]
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• Modern American History From the Second World War to the Cold War From Ford’s, Jew hatred and political racism-Hitler was especially, personal had a high regard for the anti-Semitism of Henry Ford-; to the Carnegie’s involvement in creation of a Master Race; the relationship between Rockefeller and […]
• Physical Fitness and Sport Policy in the Cold War Johnson presidential administration shifted the priorities in the sports national policy and vision of sports rivalry in the United States.”Addressing the subject in terms of federal initiatives during the 1960s, this article will argue that […]
• To What Extent Did the Cold War Play a Role in the 1950s in Catalyzing the Iranian Revolution in 1979? S wanted the world to practice free trade while the Soviet union wanted nothing to do with international trade, the power rivalry where each of the nations wanted to dominate the other, another cause of […]
• To What Extent Did the Cold War Shaped the US Relations With Latin America? The reasons are on one hand, the great fear to the Soviet Union catch up and expansion, on the other hand the fear of Cuba bring communism domino effect to the Latin America countries and […]
• United States and Soviet Union Relationship Throughout the Cold War Soon after the end of the Second World War, the signs of tensions and mistrust reappeared even though the two nations had been allies during the war and the US had even supplied Russia with […]
• The Cold War’s Developments in the Relations Between the US and the Soviet Union The cold war was fueled by mistrust between the USSR and the U.S. At the end of the World War II, USSR was the only power centre that nearly equaled the U.S.
• The Cold War and the Fifties Studies point out that in 1945, the west, under President Truman strongly reacted to the policies set by Stalin in Poland by stopping all its support to the Soviet Union and expressing massive misgivings about […]
• Coverage of the Cold War in Life Magazine: The Bomb That Never Exploded The attitude to the atomic bomb and its role in the Cold War sufficiently changed with the course of time, and this change is reflected, in particular, in the coverage of Cold War events by […]
• The Cold War: Global Prosperity and Human Rights The Cold War was one of the most famous and crucially important conflicts between the United States of America and the Soviet Union.
• The Cold War Between the Union Soviet Socialist Republic and the United States of America The Americans believed in the principles of democracy and free enterprise while the Russians believed that the whole world must convert to a system of governance according to the teachings of Karl Marx and Lenin.
• Importance of Berlin in Cold War The main causes were; Economic: The United States was interested in supporting free trade in the whole World but The Soviet Union did not show any interest in this venture as it feared if it […]
• The Cold War and Its Influence on Europe Control of Europe was at the centre of the cold war because communists controlled Eastern Europe and wanted to extent their influence to Western Europe as well.
• How Did the Cold War Transform American Foreign Policy?
• What Are the Main Origins of the Cold War, and Why?
• What Role Did Sport Play During the Cold War?
• How Did the Cold War Begin and What Weapons Were Used to Fight This War?
• How Did Cold War Affect Popular Culture?
• What Factors Influenced the Origins of the Cold War?
• What Did the Berlin Wall Mean to Both Sides in the Cold War?
• Why Was the Cold War Called the Cold War?
• How Did the Cold War Shape the American Economy, Society, and Politics?
• How Did the Berlin Crisis Affect the Cold War?
• What Were the Main Reasons for the Beginning of the Cold War Between the USA and the Ussr?
• What Were the Key Elements of the Policy of Deterrence and Containment During the Cold War?
• How and Why Did the Cold War End?
• Why Did the Cold War in Europe and Asia Get More Serious?
• Did the Cold War Affect International Relations?
• Why Was Ronald Reagan Not Responsible for Ending the Cold War?
• Why Did the Cold War End, and What Roles Did Hard and Soft Power Play?
• Why Was the Cuban Missile Crisis a Turning Point in Cold War Relations?
• Why Did the Liberal World System Win the Cold War?
• Why Did the Detente Didn’t End the Cold War?
• What Impact Did World War II and the Cold War Have On the Development of Science in the 20th Century?
• Why Did the United States Get Involved in the War in Korea, and in What Sense Was It an Outgrowth of the Cold War?
• What Were Americans Fears During the Cold War?
• What Was the Domino Theory During the Cold War?
• What Was the Cold War, and How Did It Start?
• Did Ronald Reagan End the Cold War?
• Why Did the Cold War Never Become Hot?
• What Caused the Clash Between Communism and Capitalism During the Cold War?
• How Did the Cold War Affect Domestic Policy and American Society?
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2024, March 2). 159 Cold War Essay Topic Ideas & Examples. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/cold-war-essay-examples/

"159 Cold War Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." IvyPanda , 2 Mar. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/topic/cold-war-essay-examples/.

IvyPanda . (2024) '159 Cold War Essay Topic Ideas & Examples'. 2 March.

IvyPanda . 2024. "159 Cold War Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." March 2, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/cold-war-essay-examples/.

1. IvyPanda . "159 Cold War Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." March 2, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/cold-war-essay-examples/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "159 Cold War Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." March 2, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/cold-war-essay-examples/.

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World History Project AP®

Course: world history project ap®   >   unit 8, read: cold war - an overview.

• READ: The Cold War Around the World
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• BEFORE YOU WATCH: Decolonization and the Cold War - Through a Caribbean Lens
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• WATCH: Decolonization and the Cold War through an Asian Lens
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First read: preview and skimming for gist

Second read: key ideas and understanding content.

• According to the author, what was the basic difference at the heart of the Cold War conflict?
• What does this author identify as the three main features of the Cold War?
• Why did Stalin want to expand Soviet influence in Eastern Europe?
• What was the policy of containment and what does the author use as an example of this policy?

Third read: evaluating and corroborating

• To what extent does this article explain the causes and effects of the ideological struggle of the Cold War?
• The Cold War was a conflict that divided nations across the world. Which of the AP themes do you think best describes why the Cold War happened?

Cold War: An Overview

What was the cold war, a divided europe, the cold war heats up around the world, the end of the cold war, want to join the conversation.

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Cold War History

By: History.com Editors

Updated: June 26, 2023 | Original: October 27, 2009

The Cold War was a period of geopolitical tension marked by competition and confrontation between communist nations led by the Soviet Union and Western democracies including the United States. During World War II , the United States and the Soviets fought together as allies against Nazi Germany . However, U.S./Soviet relations were never truly friendly: Americans had long been wary of Soviet communism and Russian leader Joseph Stalin ’s tyrannical rule. The Soviets resented Americans’ refusal to give them a leading role in the international community, as well as America’s delayed entry into World War II, in which millions of Russians died.

These grievances ripened into an overwhelming sense of mutual distrust and enmity that never developed into open warfare (thus the term “cold war”). Soviet expansionism into Eastern Europe fueled many Americans’ fears of a Russian plan to control the world. Meanwhile, the USSR came to resent what they perceived as U.S. officials’ bellicose rhetoric, arms buildup and strident approach to international relations. In such a hostile atmosphere, no single party was entirely to blame for the Cold War; in fact, some historians believe it was inevitable.

Containment

By the time World War II ended, most American officials agreed that the best defense against the Soviet threat was a strategy called “containment.” In his famous “Long Telegram,” the diplomat George Kennan (1904-2005) explained the policy: The Soviet Union, he wrote, was “a political force committed fanatically to the belief that with the U.S. there can be no permanent modus vivendi [agreement between parties that disagree].” As a result, America’s only choice was the “long-term, patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies.”

“It must be the policy of the United States,” he declared before Congress in 1947, “to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation…by outside pressures.” This way of thinking would shape American foreign policy for the next four decades.

Did you know? The term 'cold war' first appeared in a 1945 essay by the English writer George Orwell called 'You and the Atomic Bomb.'

The Cold War: The Atomic Age

The containment strategy also provided the rationale for an unprecedented arms buildup in the United States. In 1950, a National Security Council Report known as NSC–68 had echoed Truman’s recommendation that the country use military force to contain communist expansionism anywhere it seemed to be occurring. To that end, the report called for a four-fold increase in defense spending.

In particular, American officials encouraged the development of atomic weapons like the ones that had ended World War II. Thus began a deadly “ arms race .” In 1949, the Soviets tested an atom bomb of their own. In response, President Truman announced that the United States would build an even more destructive atomic weapon: the hydrogen bomb, or “superbomb.” Stalin followed suit.

As a result, the stakes of the Cold War were perilously high. The first H-bomb test, in the Eniwetok atoll in the Marshall Islands, showed just how fearsome the nuclear age could be. It created a 25-square-mile fireball that vaporized an island, blew a huge hole in the ocean floor and had the power to destroy half of Manhattan. Subsequent American and Soviet tests spewed radioactive waste into the atmosphere.

The ever-present threat of nuclear annihilation had a great impact on American domestic life as well. People built bomb shelters in their backyards. They practiced attack drills in schools and other public places. The 1950s and 1960s saw an epidemic of popular films that horrified moviegoers with depictions of nuclear devastation and mutant creatures. In these and other ways, the Cold War was a constant presence in Americans’ everyday lives.

HISTORY Vault: Nuclear Terror

Now more than ever, terrorist groups are obtaining nuclear weapons. With increasing cases of theft and re-sale at dozens of Russian sites, it's becoming more and more likely for terrorists to succeed.

The Cold War and the Space Race

Space exploration served as another dramatic arena for Cold War competition. On October 4, 1957, a Soviet R-7 intercontinental ballistic missile launched Sputnik (Russian for “traveling companion”), the world’s first artificial satellite and the first man-made object to be placed into the Earth’s orbit. Sputnik’s launch came as a surprise, and not a pleasant one, to most Americans.

In the United States, space was seen as the next frontier, a logical extension of the grand American tradition of exploration, and it was crucial not to lose too much ground to the Soviets. In addition, this demonstration of the overwhelming power of the R-7 missile–seemingly capable of delivering a nuclear warhead into U.S. air space–made gathering intelligence about Soviet military activities particularly urgent.

In 1958, the U.S. launched its own satellite, Explorer I, designed by the U.S. Army under the direction of rocket scientist Wernher von Braun, and what came to be known as the Space Race was underway. That same year, President Dwight Eisenhower signed a public order creating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a federal agency dedicated to space exploration, as well as several programs seeking to exploit the military potential of space. Still, the Soviets were one step ahead, launching the first man into space in April 1961.

That May, after Alan Shepard become the first American man in space, President John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) made the bold public claim that the U.S. would land a man on the moon by the end of the decade. His prediction came true on July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong of NASA’s Apollo 11 mission , became the first man to set foot on the moon, effectively winning the Space Race for the Americans. 

U.S. astronauts came to be seen as the ultimate American heroes. Soviets, in turn, were pictured as the ultimate villains, with their massive, relentless efforts to surpass America and prove the power of the communist system.

The Cold War and the Red Scare

Meanwhile, beginning in 1947, the House Un-American Activities Committee ( HUAC ) brought the Cold War home in another way. The committee began a series of hearings designed to show that communist subversion in the United States was alive and well.

In Hollywood , HUAC forced hundreds of people who worked in the movie industry to renounce left-wing political beliefs and testify against one another. More than 500 people lost their jobs. Many of these “blacklisted” writers, directors, actors and others were unable to work again for more than a decade. HUAC also accused State Department workers of engaging in subversive activities. Soon, other anticommunist politicians, most notably Senator Joseph McCarthy (1908-1957), expanded this probe to include anyone who worked in the federal government. 

Thousands of federal employees were investigated, fired and even prosecuted. As this anticommunist hysteria spread throughout the 1950s, liberal college professors lost their jobs, people were asked to testify against colleagues and “loyalty oaths” became commonplace.

The Cold War Abroad

The fight against subversion at home mirrored a growing concern with the Soviet threat abroad. In June 1950, the first military action of the Cold War began when the Soviet-backed North Korean People’s Army invaded its pro-Western neighbor to the south. Many American officials feared this was the first step in a communist campaign to take over the world and deemed that nonintervention was not an option. Truman sent the American military into Korea, but the Korean War dragged to a stalemate and ended in 1953.

In 1955, the United States and other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) made West Germany a member of NATO and permitted it to remilitarize. The Soviets responded with the Warsaw Pact , a mutual defense organization between the Soviet Union, Albania, Poland, Romania, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria that set up a unified military command under Marshal Ivan S. Konev of the Soviet Union.

Other international disputes followed. In the early 1960s, President Kennedy faced a number of troubling situations in his own hemisphere. The Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 and the Cuban missile crisis the following year seemed to prove that the real communist threat now lay in the unstable, postcolonial “Third World.” 

Nowhere was this more apparent than in Vietnam , where the collapse of the French colonial regime had led to a struggle between the American-backed nationalist Ngo Dinh Diem in the south and the communist nationalist Ho Chi Minh in the north. Since the 1950s, the United States had been committed to the survival of an anticommunist government in the region, and by the early 1960s it seemed clear to American leaders that if they were to successfully “contain” communist expansionism there, they would have to intervene more actively on Diem’s behalf. However, what was intended to be a brief military action spiraled into a 10-year conflict .

The End of the Cold War and Effects

Almost as soon as he took office, President Richard Nixon (1913-1994) began to implement a new approach to international relations. Instead of viewing the world as a hostile, “bi-polar” place, he suggested, why not use diplomacy instead of military action to create more poles? To that end, he encouraged the United Nations to recognize the communist Chinese government and, after a trip there in 1972, began to establish diplomatic relations with Beijing.

At the same time, he adopted a policy of “détente”—”relaxation”—toward the Soviet Union. In 1972, he and Soviet premier Leonid Brezhnev (1906-1982) signed the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I), which prohibited the manufacture of nuclear missiles by both sides and took a step toward reducing the decades-old threat of nuclear war.

Despite Nixon’s efforts, the Cold War heated up again under President Ronald Reagan (1911-2004). Like many leaders of his generation, Reagan believed that the spread of communism anywhere threatened freedom everywhere. As a result, he worked to provide financial and military aid to anticommunist governments and insurgencies around the world. This policy, particularly as it was applied in the developing world in places like Grenada and El Salvador, was known as the Reagan Doctrine .

Even as Reagan fought communism in Central America, however, the Soviet Union was disintegrating. In response to severe economic problems and growing political ferment in the USSR, Premier Mikhail Gorbachev (1931-2022) took office in 1985 and introduced two policies that redefined Russia’s relationship to the rest of the world: “glasnost,” or political openness, and “ perestroika ,” or economic reform. 

Soviet influence in Eastern Europe waned. In 1989, every other communist state in the region replaced its government with a noncommunist one. In November of that year, the Berlin Wall –the most visible symbol of the decades-long Cold War–was finally destroyed, just over two years after Reagan had challenged the Soviet premier in a speech at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” By 1991, the Soviet Union itself had fallen apart. The Cold War was over.

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Cold War Essay Questions

• What Was the Impact of the Cold War on American Foreign Policy?
• What Are the Main Causes of the Cold War, and Why Did They Occur?
• What Was the Role of Sport During the Cold War?
• How Did the Cold War Begin, and What Were the Weapons Used to Fight It?
• How Did the Cold War Influence Popular Culture?
• What Factors Influenced the Cold War’s Origins?
• What Did the Berlin Wall Mean to Both Sides in the Cold War?
• What Caused the Cold War to Be Called the “Cold War”?
• What Was the Cold War’s Impact on the American Economy, Society, and Politics?
• What Impact Did the Berlin Crisis Have on the Cold War?
• What Were the Root Causes of the US-Soviet Cold War?
• What Were the Key Elements of Cold War Deterrence and Containment Policy?
• How and Why Did the Cold War Come to an End?
• Why Did the European and Asian Cold Wars Become More Serious?
• Did the Cold War Have an Impact on International Relations?
• Why Was Ronald Reagan Not Held Responsible for the Cold War’s End?
• What Roles Did Hard and Soft Power Play at the End of the Cold War?
• What Factors Contributed to the Cuban Missile Crisis Becoming A Watershed Moment in Cold War Relations?
• What Caused the Liberal World System to Win the Cold War?
• Why Didn’t the Détente End the Cold War?
• What Impact Did World War II and the Cold War Have on Science Development in the Twentieth Century?
• Why Did the United States Become Involved in the Korean War, and How Did It Correlate with the Cold War?
• What Were Americans Worried About During the Cold War?
• During the Cold War, What Was the Domino Theory?
• What Was the Cold War, and When Did It Begin?
• Did Ronald Reagan Bring the Cold War to An End?
• Why Didn’t the Cold War Turn Hot?
• What Caused the Cold War Conflict Between Communism and Capitalism?
• What Was the Cold War’s Impact on Domestic Policy and American Society?

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AP® US History

The cold war: ap® us history crash course.

• The Albert Team
• Last Updated On: March 1, 2022

You’ve probably heard of the Cold War, but do you know the foreign policies of the Cold War presidents, what happened during the Cold War in Asia, and how the Cold War affected the American people? Did you know that the Cold War lasted for about 45 years? This AP® US History crash course will give you everything you need to answer Cold War-related multiple choice questions and essays.

As an APUSH student there is a lot to cover on the Cold War, so this review will highlight the essential topics you need to know. Let’s get started!

Cold War Definition

The Cold War was a period of political, military, economic, and ideological tension between Western democratic nations led by the US and Eastern communist countries led by the Soviet Union (USSR) from around 1947 to 1991. War was never officially declared and the US and the USSR never actually physically went to war, but the two superpowers fought by way of the arms race, proxy wars, and the space race. Because of this, the Cold War can be thought of as more of a relationship between two countries than an actual war.

The beginnings of the Cold War

During World War II, the US and Soviet Union were on the same side. But this doesn’t mean they were ever friendly towards each other. They were really only united over a common enemy – Nazi Germany. The two had always had a very distrusting relationship, even as allies.

After the war, that distrust grew even greater. The Soviets, under Joseph Stalin, began violating postwar agreements that had been made at the Yalta and Potsdam Conferences, driving out German forces and expanding into Eastern bloc countries. The US, now led by Harry Truman after the recent death of Franklin D. Roosevelt, saw this move as a Soviet step towards Communist world domination.

The Truman administration had no plans to sit idly by and watch this happen, and so, after the Soviet Union invaded Eastern Europe, Truman decided to come up with a strategy to defend against the Soviet threat. Drawing upon the views expressed by diplomat George Kennan in his “long telegram,” the US adopted a policy of “containment.” (It’s important to note that the policy of containment lasted for the next 50 years).

The Truman Doctrine

To enforce his policy of containment, Truman wanted to block the Soviets from expanding into Greece and Turkey. In March of 1947, with this goal in mind, Truman sent $400 million in military and economic aid to the two countries. Defending what is known as the Truman Doctrine, Truman stated that the US should “support free people who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures.” This doctrine ended the communist threat in Turkey and Greece and set a precedent for foreign policy in the United States.

The Marshall Plan

Another part of Truman’s containment policy included the Marshall Plan (also known as the European Recovery Program, which just happens to be a lot more descriptive!). As you can probably imagine, Western Europe was left in ruin after World War II and the threat of Soviet interference was a constant fear. As a way to help the people of war torn Europe and stop the spread of Communism, Truman offered $13 billion worth in loans, food, machinery, and fuel to revive the economies of European countries.

What else did Truman do?

The NATO Alliance – The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed to create a military alliance between the US, Canada, and ten other Western European countries. It’s good to know that this was a stark contrast from the previous US policy of isolationism.

The Berlin Airlift – After the Soviet Union blocked access to West Berlin to try and keep the US and its allies away, Truman exercised his containment policy and had US planes lift supplies, food, and fuel into West Berlin.

Supported South Korea – After North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950, Truman condemned North Korea and sought to defend South Korea. He wanted to defend South Korea because after the “fall” of China to the communist People’s Republic of China, Truman needed to redeem himself and restore the American peoples’ trust in his policies.

Integration of the Armed Forces – During the Korean War, President Truman desegregated the Armed Forces and African Americans fought alongside white soldiers for the first time.

National Security Council and Policy Paper Number 68 – In 1949 , the Soviet Union tested an atomic bomb. Several months later, Truman issued NSC-68, which was a top-secret paper that stressed the need for military buildup in response to Soviet nuclear weapon buildup. This nuclear arms race brought a lot of tension, not just to political leaders, but also to the American people who lived in constant fear of an all out nuclear war.

McCarthyism

The AP® US History exam has dedicated several questions to McCarthyism in the past, so it’s important to study this section carefully. McCarthyism originated with US Senator Joseph McCarthy, who, without proper evidence, accused over 200 government officials of being Communists. He created fear and paranoia in the nation, as Hollywood actors were “blacklisted” and regular Americans had to undergo aggressive investigations. McCarthy accused both the US State Department and the US Army of being “infested with Communists.” His lack of evidence soon caught up with him, however, and the Senate censured him. He died a few years later, but the impact of McCarthyism is long lasting.

The Domino Effect

For the AP® US History exam, it’s essential that you know about the Domino Effect, sometimes called the Domino Theory. It was first put into words by Dwight D. Eisenhower in a 1954 speech. It’s a pretty simple theory. The US reasoned that if a country fell to communism, nearby countries would soon follow suit. After Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson both put faith in this theory and used it to further their policies of containment.

The Space Race

In 1954, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first ever satellite to orbit the Earth. This was seen as a surprise and a loss for the American nation. The US viewed itself as being on the forefront of innovation and exploration, so when the USSR was the first to make such a groundbreaking achievement, America had no choice but to try and one-up the Soviets. In response, Eisenhower launched the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and put America’s first satellite, Explorer I, into space. Congress responded by passing the National Defense Education Act, which funded math and science education.

After several years of what was essentially “one-upping” each other in the race to space, the US finally took the big step and landed the first man on the moon in 1969.

The space race wasn’t just a matter of pride, it was a matter of keeping up in the arms race and preparing for what seemed, at the time, to be an impending nuclear war. For the American people, the space race further cemented the idea that Americans were the ultimate heroes, while the USSR were communist villains.

Other important events to know

The Vietnam War, 1946-1963 – This was the first war to ever be broadcast on television. After North Vietnam came under communist influence, the US took action with their policy of containment. The first part of the war was fought through proxies, meaning neither US soldiers or USSR soldiers physically fought. The US supported South Vietnam and the Soviets supported North Vietnam. However, in the 1960s, US troops were sent to Vietnam under Lyndon B. Johnson. The results were terrifying for the nation, as nearly 60,000 Americans were killed. Because many of the terrors of war were brought into the average American home through TV, distrust in the government grew.

The Bay of Pigs, 1961 – When President John F. Kennedy came into office, he took over Eisenhower’s plan to overthrow the Cuban communist Prime Minister Fidel Castro. The scheme was to invade Cuba with an army of US government backed anti-communist Cuban exiles. The plot was a failure. The rebels were killed or taken hostage and Kennedy refused to rescue them. This drew much criticism from the American people. They saw Kennedy as indecisive and impulsive. The Bay of Pigs flop also contributed to a growing relationship between Cuba and the Soviet Union.

The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962 – Fidel Castro’s alliance with the Soviet Union soon led to a dangerous threat for the American nation. After the Bay of Pigs disaster, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev installed missiles sites in Cuba, less than a hundred miles from US shores. To avoid nuclear war, Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles in exchange for Kennedy’s promise not to invade Cuba.

Why is the Cold War important in APUSH?

You might be saying to yourself, “well, okay, I’ve read the information, but why is it important?”

Well, in 2012, a free-response essay question on the exam required test takers to compare and contrast the Cold War foreign policies of two presidents, chosen from Truman, Eisenhower, or Nixon. To answer this question effectively on the APUSH exam, it’s important that you know the facts. Make sure you can recall two or three specific policies for each of the Cold War presidents. Once you’ve written down a few foreign policies or specific events for each president, you can then start to draw some conclusions about the similarities and differences between two of them. From there, it should be no problem to write a really good essay. (A tip that I think is useful for the exam is to memorize the Cold War presidents in order. It helps in creating a timeline of events and policies in your mind).

In AP® US History, it’s important for you to know certain details, but it’s also important for you to know the significance and impact of certain policies, events, and ideas. With all this knowledge in mind, you’re on your way to a great score on the APUSH exam!

By the way, you should check out Albert.io for your AP® US History review. We have hundreds of APUSH practice questions written just for you!

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Reasons for the Cold War: 4 Essay Questions

For ‘O’ and ‘N’ Level History, the reasons for the Cold War are tested quite frequently. As a reason, I am giving out some suggested answers for the reasons for the Cold War. This is only a sample of the essay question database but I believe that it gives students a good variety of questions to refer to.

Download Here!

The reasons for the Cold War Essay questions are presented below:

1. Explain the reasons for the Cold War.

(P) The Soviets perceived that the Allies had purposely delayed the opening of the Second Front .

(E) The Soviet Red Army bore the brunt of the German attacks in World War Two. In 1941, Stalin urged the Allies to open a Second Front in France to relieve the Soviet forces of the immense pressure from the German army. But it was never opened until 1942.

( E ) Stalin perceived this delay as a deliberate attempt by the Allies to minimize their losses and to let Germany and the USSR weaken and destroy each other in the process.

(L) Hence, Stalin did not trust the Allies and this distrust was one of the reasons for the Cold War after World War Two.

(P) The disagreements during the Yalta Conference of February 1945 created a rift between the Allies and the Soviets.

(E) In Feb 1945, Stalin, US President Roosevelt and British PM Churchill met at Yalta to decide on how they should defeat Germany and arrangements for post-war Europe. They agreed to divide Germany and Berlin, set up the United Nations and Soviet assistant against Japan.

(E) Beneath the seemingly friendly relations and agreements among the three leaders were very different ideas about how post-war Europe should be. USSR wanted a Communist Europe while the USA and Britain disagreed.

(L) Thus, it was apparent from the difficult negotiations at the Yalta conference that the wartime alliance would soon give way to differences.

( P ) Another one of the reasons for the Cold War was the USA’s nuclear monopoly and the use of the atomic bomb on Japan was the final nail in the coffin.

(E) The Americans had been developing a new weapon, the atomic bomb, under the Manhattan Project since 1942. The USA used the atomic bombs on Japan in August to bring back a quick end to the war and hoped that it would give the USA political leverage over the USSR in post-war negotiations.

(E) However, the US kept the Project a secret and informed Stalin only after its successful testing. It only served to make Stalin suspicious of the US intentions. Stalin also saw the nuclear monopoly as a threat and this led to his desire for his country to catch up with the Americans, contributing to the arms race after World War Two.

(L)Thus the American nuclear monopoly further strained relations between the USA and the USSR resulted in the arms race, which led to the start of the Cold War.

2. “The Cold War came about because Stalin was afraid of the Western powers.” How far do you agree with the statement? Explain your answer.

(P) I agree in part that the Cold War came about because Stalin was afraid of the Western powers.

( E ) Stalin worried tremendously about the Western powers and his reaction to the Western powers accelerated the Cold War. The Western democracies and Communism have a long history of distrust so it is not surprising that Stalin feared that the Western powers would challenge the interests of the Soviet Union.

It did not help that the Western powers did not immediately create a second front during World War II. Stalin was convinced that the Western powers did that in the hope that Nazi Germany and Communist Soviet Union would exhaust each other.

He was also very concerned with America’s invention of the nuclear bomb. This concern was made worse when he learnt of it through spies instead of being informed as an ally should be.

( E ) As a result, he created a buffer zone around the Soviet Union by forcing Communism on the East European countries. He hoped that if an invasion came, these countries would shield the Soviet Union. Ironically, these moves made the Western powers even more suspicious of Stalin.

(L) Hence, one of the reasons for the Cold War was Stalin’s worry about the Western powers.

( P ) However, I also do not agree with this statement as the most important reason for the Cold War was the ideological differences.

( E ) The Western powers believed in democracy, where there is freedom of speech and political parties campaign to be the next leader via an election. The Soviets did not have any elections – the Communist party was the only political party. Even if there was a choice of leader, it would still be between two members of the Communist party.

In terms of economic structure, the Soviets had a command economy. Every company belonged to the nation and the nation controlled what was produced and at what quantity. Workers were paid equally.

On the other hand, the Western powers believed in capitalism. Private companies were allowed, and they could decide what to produce and at what quantity. As a result, some people became successful and earned a lot of money.

( E ) The history of conflict between the Western powers and the Communist Soviet Union go all the way back even before World War I. When the Soviet Union was first set up, the British and France sent troops to Russia to fight against them. Throughout the 1930s, they had an uneasy relationship with each other and frequently tried to persuade Hitler to act against the other side.

(L) Hence one of the reasons for the Cold War was due to ideological differences.

( Thesis ) I do not agree with the statement that the Cold War started because of Stalin’s fear.

( Weighing ) The Cold War started due to deep-seated differences from the first day Russia became Communist. Because their ideologies conflict with each other, it caused a long history of fear and distrust of each other. Stalin’s fear of the Western powers must be viewed within this context. Hence, I disagree with the statement.

3. Explain why the USA introduced the Marshall Plan in June 1947.

( P ) The USA introduced the Marshall Plan in June 1947 because they believed that it hindered the spread of Communism in Europe.

( E ) After WWII, the USA believed that every country in Europe was so poor that it was in danger of turning Communist. This was because Communism advocated equality and the equal distribution of resources. As a result, it was very appealing to the poorest as it would mean their lives would improve immediately when the wealth of the richest are redistributed.

( E ) Countries that received financial aid from the Marshall Plan were opening themselves to the USA’s influence. Communism soon fell in disfavour in Western Europe as Marshall Plan helped to kick-start the economic recovery in these countries. USA was perceived to be sincere and active in helping Europe while USSR was viewed as being more concerned with its own survival.

(L) Consequently, the Marshall Plan succeeded in containing the spread of communism by undermining Soviet influence in Europe.

(P) At the same time, the Marshall Plan had a humanitarian element to it as it was designed to help the countries that suffered the most during World War II.

( E ) Many leading industrial and cultural centres in Europe, including many cities in Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Belgium had been destroyed. The economic reports sent back to the United States suggested that some parts of Europe were on the brink of famine because the food production centres had been destroyed during the war. Furthermore, the transportation infrastructure like railways, bridges, parts and roads were destroyed.

( E ) The Marshall Plan sought to rebuild Europe with 15 billion. It began to reconstruct cities, industries and infrastructure heavily damaged during the war. It also removed trade barriers between European neighbours—as well as foster commerce between those countries and the United States.

(L) As a result, Europe rapidly recovered from the economic disaster created after the war.  

4. Explain why the American containment policy in Europe was a success in the late 1940s.

( P ) The American containment policy in Europe was a success in the late 1940s due to the USA’s willingness and ability to help the Western European countries economically.

( E ) the USA came up with the Marshall Plan in 1947 to contain Communism. USA believed that prosperity was an antidote to Communism so the USA aimed to offer financial help to Europe to help countries recover their economies after World War Two and build a prosperous and democratic Europe. Being the richer superpower as compared to USSR, the USA was able to provide US$13 billion in aid, funds and goods to 16 countries in Western Europe such as Britain and France.

( E ) As a result, it was a success as these countries were able to recover their economies more quickly than the countries in Eastern Europe under Communist rule. Due to the improvement in living standards in Western Europe, these countries were grateful to the USA for helping them and continued to stay democratic and support the USA.

(L) Therefore, the USA was successful in containing Communism as countries in Western Europe were not attracted to Communism at all and the spread of Communism was no longer a threat in Western Europe.

( P ) The American containment policy in Europe was a success in the late 1940s due to USA’s determination to protect their democratic allies in Western Europe.

( E ) the USA saw an urgent need to step up to protect Western European countries and deter Stalin from potentially spreading Communism to Western Europe with the use of force. Thus, the Northern Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in 1949 was a military alliance formed to defend Europe from Soviet attack.

( E ) With many Western European countries such as Britain, France, Italy, Belgium in NATO as well as USA’s firm commitment to help all member states if they were attacked by Soviet Union, this helped to further strengthen the security of Western Europe.

(L) As such, USA was successful in containing Communism as Western Europe emerged united and strong as a democratic bloc even when Cold War continued for many years.

This is part of the History Structured Essay Question series. The other topics are as follows:

• Treaty of Versailles
• League of Nations
• Rise of Stalin
• Stalin’s Rule
• Rise of Hitler
• Hitler’s Rule
• Reasons for World War 2 in Europe
• Reasons for the defeat of Germany
• Reasons for World War II in Asia-Pacific
• Reasons for the defeat of Japan
• Cuban Missile Crisis
• End of the Cold War

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The Cold War (1945-1989) essay

The Cold War is considered to be a significant event in Modern World History. The Cold War dominated a rather long time period: between 1945, or the end of the World War II, and 1990, the collapse of the USSR. This period involved the relationships between two superpowers: the United States and the USSR. The Cold War began in Eastern Europe and Germany, according to the researchers of the Institute of Contemporary British History (Warner 15).  Researchers state that “the USSR and the United States of America held the trump cards, nuclear bombs and missiles” (Daniel 489). In other words, during the Cold War, two nations took the fate of the world under their control. The progression of the Cold War influenced the development of society, which became aware of the threat of nuclear war. After the World War II, the world experienced technological progress, which provided “the Space Race, computer development, superhighway construction, jet airliner development, the creation of international phone system, the advent of television, enormous progress in medicine, and the creation of mass consumerism, and many other achievements” (Daniel 489). Although the larger part of the world lived in poverty and lacked technological progress, the United States and other countries of Western world succeeded in economic development. The Cold War, which began in 1945, reflected the increased role of technological progress in the establishment of economic relationships between two superpowers.   The Cold War involved internal and external conflicts between two superpowers, the United States and the USSR, leading to eventual breakdown of the USSR.

• The Cold War: background information

The Cold War consisted of several confrontations between the United States and the USSR, supported by their allies. According to researchers, the Cold War was marked by a number of events, including “the escalating arms race, a competition to conquer space, a dangerously belligerent for of diplomacy known as brinkmanship, and a series of small wars, sometimes called “police actions” by the United States and sometimes excused as defense measures by the Soviets” (Gottfried 9). The Cold War had different influences on the United States and the USSR. For the USSR, the Cold War provided massive opportunities for the spread of communism across the world, Moscow’s control over the development of other nations and the increased role of the Soviet Communist party.

In fact, the Cold War could split the wartime alliance formed to oppose the plans of Nazi Germany, leaving the USSR and the United States as two superpowers with considerable economic and political differences. The USSR was based on a single-party Marxist–Leninist system, while the United States was a capitalist state with democratic governance based on free elections.

The key figure in the Cold War was the Soviet leader Gorbachev, who was elected in 1985. He managed to change the direction of the USSR, making the economies of communist ruled states independent. The major reasons for changing in the course were poor technological development of the USSR (Gottfried 115). Gorbachev believed that radical changes in political power could improve the Communist system. At the same time, he wanted to stop the Cold War and tensions with the United States. The cost of nuclear arms race had negative impact on the economy of the USSR. The leaders of the United States accepted the proposed relationships, based on cooperation and mutual trust. The end of the Cold War was marked by signing the INF treaty in 1987 (Gottfried 115).

• The origins of the Cold War

Many American historians state that the Cold War began in 1945. However, according to Russian researchers, historians and analysts “the Cold War began with the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, for this was when the capitalist world began its systematic opposition to and effort to undermine the world’s first socialist state and society” (Warner13). For Russians, the Cold War was hot in 1918-1922, when the Allied Intervention policy implemented in Russia during the Russian Civil War. According to John W. Long, “the U.S. intervention in North Russia was a policy formulated by President Wilson during the first half of 1918 at the urgent insistence of Britain, France and Italy, the chief World War I allies” (380).

Nevertheless, there are some other opinions regarding the origins of the Cold War. For example, Geoffrey Barraclough, an outstanding English historian, states that the events in the Far East at the end of the century contributed to the origins of the Cold War. He argues that “during the previous hundred years, Russia and the United States has tended to support each other against England; but now, as England’s power passed its zenith, they came face to face across the Pacific” (Warner 13). According to Barraclough, the Cold War is associated with the conflict of interests, which involved European countries, the Middle East and South East Asia. Finally, this conflict divided the world into two camps. Thus, the Cold War origins are connected with the spread of ideological conflict caused by the emergence of the new power in the early 20-th century (Warner 14). The Cold War outbreak was associated with the spread of propaganda on the United States by the USSR. The propagandistic attacks involved the criticism of the U.S. leaders and their policies. These attacked were harmful to the interests of American nation (Whitton 151).

• The major causes of the Cold War

The United States and the USSR were regarded as two superpowers during the Cold War, each having its own sphere of influence, its power and forces. The Cold War had been the continuing conflict, caused by tensions, misunderstandings and competitions that existed between the United States and the USSR, as well as their allies from 1945 to the early 1990s (Gottfried 10). Throughout this long period, there was the so-called rivalry between the United States and the USSR, which was expressed through various transformations, including military buildup, the spread of propaganda, the growth of espionage, weapons development, considerable industrial advances, and competitive technological developments in different spheres of human activity, such as medicine, education, space exploration, etc.

There four major causes of the Cold War, which include:

• Ideological differences (communism v. capitalism);
• Mutual distrust and misperception;
• The fear of the United State regarding the spread of communism;
• The nuclear arms race (Gottfried 10).

The major causes of the Cold War point out to the fact that the USSR was focused on the spread of communist ideas worldwide. The United States followed democratic ideas and opposed the spread of communism. At the same time, the acquisition of atomic weapons by the United States caused fear in the USSR. The use of atomic weapons could become the major reason of fear of both the United States and the USSR. In other words, both countries were anxious about possible attacks from each other; therefore, they were following the production of mass destruction weapons. In addition, the USSR was focused on taking control over Eastern Europe and Central Asia. According to researchers, the USSR used various strategies to gain control over Eastern Europe and Central Asia in the years 1945-1980. Some of these strategies included “encouraging the communist takeover of governments in Eastern Europe, the setting up of Comecon, the Warsaw Pact, the presence of the Red Army in Eastern Europe, and the Brezhnev Doctrine” (Phillips 118). These actions were the major factors for the suspicions and concerns of the United States. In addition, the U.S. President had a personal dislike of the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and his policies. In general, the United States was concerned by the Soviet Union’s actions regarding the occupied territory of Germany, while the USSR feared that the United States would use Western Europe as the major tool for attack.

• The consequences of the Cold War

The consequences of the Cold War include both positive and negative effects for both the United States and the USSR.

• Both the United States and the USSR managed to build up huge arsenals of atomic weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles.
• The Cold War provided opportunities for the establishment of the military blocs, NATO and the Warsaw Pact.
• The Cold War led to the emergence of the destructive military conflicts, like the Vietnam War and the Korean War, which took the lives of millions of people (Gottfried13).
• The USSR collapsed because of considerable economic, political and social challenges.
• The Cold War led to the destruction of the Berlin Wall and the unification of the two German nations.
• The Cold War led to the disintegration of the Warsaw Pact (Gottfried 136).
• The Cold war provided the opportunities for achieving independence of the Baltic States and some former Soviet Republics.
• The Cold War made the United States the sole superpower of the world because of the collapse of the USSR in 1990.
• The Cold War led to the collapse of Communism and the rise of globalization worldwide (Phillips 119).

The impact of the Cold War on the development of many countries was enormous. The consequences of the Cold War were derived from numerous internal problems of the countries, which were connected with the USSR, especially developing countries (India, Africa, etc.). This fact means that foreign policies of many states were transformed (Gottfried 115).

The Cold War (1945-1989) essay part 2

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Cold War - Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

The Cold War was a defining period in world history, spanning from the end of WWII until 1991. It was a political, economic, and ideological struggle between the USSR and the United States, which dominated the global debate for decades. Writing a research paper about Cold War is a challenging task, but with the help of free essay examples on Cold War, students can gain insight into this complex period.

Our experts have prepared a collection of essay samples covering various aspects of this period, including its causes, effects, and debates. Students can use these examples to evaluate different thesis statements, outline their arguments, and craft an effective introduction and conclusion

The Cold War was fueled by the clash of two powerful ideologies: communism and capitalism. The Soviet Union was a communist country, while the USA was a capitalist democracy. The states involved in this struggle were split into two camps based on their ideology and political beliefs. The impact of the Cold War was felt worldwide, as many countries were forced to choose sides and take part in ideological conflict.

One of the most significant events of the Cold War was the construction of the Berlin Wall, which separated East and West Berlin for decades. By examining our argumentative essay topics, students can gain a deeper understanding of this critical period and make a summary of the human rights violations related to it.

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Essays About the Cold War Those who are eager to know the American history of the 20th century without opening the history books should embark upon reading To Kill a Mockingbird, one of the most brilliant masterpieces of American literature that was created by Harper Lee. It tells the story of the American communities between the years of 1933 and 1935 – when the Great Depression was sniffing in the streets – in the light of a child’s point of view. The novel gives the readers a look into how capitalism became one of the main causes of the Cold War. And thanks to the Animal Farm essay you can understand what was happening in the society of the Soviet Union on the eve of the Cold War. World War II that followed not long after the Great Depression has become the first time when the Eastern Bloc and the Western Bloc united for the sake of conquering one enemy – the Nazis. Unfortunately, the topics that were predominant in the American community of the 1930s talked not about the relations between the Soviet Union and the United States but rather about examples of communities in which the blacks were not even considered human beings.  Writing an essay on the Cold War seemed to be nonsense in the times that are described in the novel. However, when the novel was published, the introduction of the United States into the world of communism has become a widely discussed DBQ. Given that the novel and the times that the author is talking about have been greatly analyzed, we are ready to write a research paper or an argumentative essay about the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Our professional writers can follow your outline, or they can come up with one of their own, either way complying with the highest quality requirements. Ordering an essay on the Cold War from us, you can rest assured that your instructions will be followed, and your argument will be defended.

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