Home/Samples/Exploring Different Cold War Theories

Exploring Different Cold War Theories

The Cold War, the antagonistic relationship between the United States and the USSR, which is characterized by a great deal of distrust, has been the focus of endless research on the part of historians in an endeavor to explain its background and consequences. So, Marxists see the Cold War as the product of the U.S.’s desire to have supremacy in the economy, while Revisionists argue upon the position of the leaders, such as Stalin and Truman. However, beyond these viewpoints, there are also other counterarguments coming up that should not be neglected. While economic interests and individual actions were the principal actors in steering the Cold War and forging its dynamics, other models regarding geopolitical ideologies, security considerations, and ideas could be the underlying factors of the Cold War development. Nevertheless, the Cold War was not the only outcome of historical forces that could have been avoided if not for missed diplomacy opportunities, not a conflict that was primarily shaped by nothing but the narrow pursuit of economic interests and individual leaders’ personalities alone. This paper considers the question of whether the Cold War was inevitable, exploring various structural and profound factors that have led to the occurrence of the Cold War.

Explanations

Through the process of historical writing on the U.S., there have been a number of interpretations of the origin and ongoing nature of the Cold War period. Marxist historians usually depict this conflict in terms of the U.S.’s determination to ensure its financial supremacy on a world basis and highlight the economic-imperialist predicaments inherent to American foreign policy. In contrast, the responsibility has been attributed to the leaders, with emphasis being put on Joseph Stalin and Harry Truman, who get most of the blame from the historians, who think that their ideologies and geopolitical ambitions led to the whole tension (Roark et al., 2012). While these disputes viewpoints are conspicuous, some other theories regarding the Cold War origin and continuity have also been put forward. These alternative views can comprehend numerous elements comprising ideological views, political realignments, colonial heritage, superpower rivalry, and complex networks of national interests among global actors. The varying interpretations of the phenomenon provide evidence that the Cold War was not a straightforward phenomenon to explain, implying that it can never be attributed to monocausal theories or models based on either economics or agency only. Apart from economic supremacy and the individual agent, scholars have given space to issues of culture, technology, and psychology in understanding the Cold War.

Was the Cold War Inevitable?

Retrospectively, the Cold War is a natural outcome of the shift in ideological views and geopolitical situation following World War. In any case, it did not have to happen, but rather, it was a consequence of particular historical occurrences and the absence of diplomacy. The fact that the Baruch Plan and Morgenthau Plan, which aimed to induce a future peace cooperation system, have failed showcases the influence of diplomatic mistakes on the development of the Cold War. Secondly, the destinies of the key individuals, such as Stalin and Truman, greatly affected the course of the Cold War, although they did not determine the war’s development mainly (Johnson, 2012). Structural characteristics, which include bipolarity in the international system, the legacies of World War II, and the everlasting compulsions of superpower competition to a certain extent, all contributed to the inability of the Cold War.

Factors that Influenced the Cold War

Geopolitical Ideologies and Competition of Power

A second approach to the Cold War comes out of the inherent contradiction of geopolitical ideologies between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. The American Promise underlines the fact that the ideological gap between the two systems was prompting each side to hype their version of the model of world governance (Roark et al., 2012). Reading the American Past depicts the Truman Doctrine and the policy of containment, both of which aimed to prevent the spread of Soviet communism and symbolize a very profound fear that communism would take over the centers of the world. Furthermore, Soviet actions like founding satellite states in the Eastern European region revealed their intention to expand communism and weaken the hegemony of Western capitalism. Similarly, the tussle for power in critical regions like East Europe, Asia, and the Middle East increased the tensions among both superpowers (Reis, 2021). Post-war Europe’s fashion for influence, witnessed by the division of Germany and the Berlin Blockade, perfectly fits the modus operandi of geopolitical interests and ideological implications that dominated the Old World and stirred more tensions.

Nuclear Deployment and Safety Worries

The mutual security options of the United States and the Soviet Union played a vital role in the renewal of the Cold War. The Cuban Missile Crisis iconized the risk of nuclear disaster, and thus, the precarious balance of power was even more enhanced. At the same time, the arms race was in full swing with the growth of powerful nuclear arsenals and the spread of proxy conflicts, making the situation even more mistrustful between the two superpowers. Furthermore, military alliances such as NATO and the Warsaw Pact had been rooted in the bipolar character of the Cold War (Johnson, 2012). NATO was primarily established as a direct reaction to the Soviet expansion in Europe and as a collective security measure, which was meant to be a deterrent for possible future threats. The member states did not dare to disarm because they dreaded being seen as a sign of weakness by their adversaries in the case of disengagement. As a result of this, among other regional conflicts, which were fueled as well by the superpowers’ ideological competition, such as in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, the situation has become more unstable for the world. Further, the space race became a significant spot for displaying technological superiority and military prowess, which contributed to the competition between the two blocs.

Conflicts Between Cultures and Ideologies

The thing that made the colonies unique was their societal norms and institutions, as well as divergent ideologies, which influenced the emergence of conflicts within and between the colonies. Ideological divergence and cultural squabbles also made matters worse for the technological background of the Cold War. The American Promise points out the fact that the encompassing atmosphere of the McCarthy era and the Red Scare clearly demonstrates the internal fear that, along with the belief in communism at large, led to mass paranoia and the concealing of dissenting voices (Roark et al., 2012). Equally, the suppression of dissent and the ban on free information flow are the features of the ideological fight for hearts and minds in the world arena that existed in the Soviet Union. Apart from ideological competition, cultural conflicts, such as the space race and the competition for lead in science and technologies, also strained the relationship between the Cold War rivals. One of the main topics that The American Promise focuses on is how Sputnik’s launch by the Soviet Union created a situation where the United States feared its technological life of a kind, and therefore, its science and education received extra funds. Likewise, the American Past by Reading demonstrates cultural exchange, especially the ping-pong diplomacy between the USA and China, which can easily be used as a medium of Cold War and propaganda.

Economic Competition

Economic competition had its way of defining the course of the Cold War play. The U.S. and its allies were advocating for the capitalist system. At the same time, the centrally planned economy was highly valued by the Soviet bloc, thus leading to a confrontation through the manifestation of economic rivalry. However, the American Promise (main topic) merely gives a hint to this with the mention of the Marshall Plan and the economic aid offered to Western Europe as an antithesis to Soviet influence. Nonetheless, the economic oasis was not just limited to the focuses directly aid projects (Johnson, 2012). It also covered investment strategies, the arrangements of trade blocs, and development initiatives that spread across the globe. Besides others, the Cold War period saw a rise in economic proxy conflicts in which the superpowers meddled in the political affairs of countries such as Latin America and Africa. The primary motivation behind this was the fact that these superpowers wanted to support the regime change of countries due to their tendency to lean more towards capitalist or communist ideologies. Accordingly, political ideology and culture played a significant part. However, competition in the economic sector of the United States and the Soviet Union was something that stood at the focal point in shaping the contours of the Cold War conflict.

Similarly, technological competition was also a big part of the Cold War. Here, the United States and the Soviet Union were in an arms race trying to get by the others in space conquest, weapon development, and scientific research. The quest for supremacy, however, generated the space race, which climaxed with extraordinary achievements like Sputnik’s launch by the Soviets and eventually the subsequent Apollo moon landings by Americans (Morcillo, 2022). On the other side, economic rivalry between the two superpowers occurred in the design and conduct of the Brahman weapons and then in the development and expansion of their stockpiles. It was this arms race that prompted each country to develop and deploy strategic defense systems. The pursuit of the economic upper hand also led to the rule of many alliances and regional conflicts as both sides were thirsty for better access to the primary resources and markets. However, they were eager for longer-term geopolitical influence. Generally, this economic competition had a very multidimensional character in the course of the Cold War. It not only influenced the global political economy but also accelerated the pace of human achievements in science, technology, and military affairs.

Conclusion

To some extent, both Marxist and revisionist historians can explain through the relations of economics as well as the individual factors of the Cold War. Nevertheless, other interpretations of the East-West conflict, based on geopolitical priorities, security concerns, and cultural conflicts, maybe the main reasons for the Cold War. In addition, the downfall was not the byproduct of entropy but a product of interactions of historical factors and opportunities missed for diplomacy. The above deliberations allow us to see that the Cold War was far from just a political contest as it has a multifaceted nature and has impacted global politics and society for several decades.

References

Johnson, M. P. (2012, January 5). Reading the American Past: Volume I: To 1877. Macmillan. http://books.google.ie/books?id=ae8V71zDJiQC&dq=Reading+the+American+Past&hl=&cd=1&source=gbs_api

Morcillo Laiz, Á. (2022). The Cold War Origins of Global I.R. The Rockefeller Foundation and Realism in Latin America. International Studies Review24(1), viab061. https://doi.org/10.1093/isr/viab061

Reis, J. C. G. D. (2021). Politics, power, and influence: Defense industries in the post-cold war. Social Sciences10(1), 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci10010010

Roark, J. L., Johnson, M. P., Cohen, P. C., Stage, S., & Hartmann, S. M. (2012, January 9). The American Promise, Volume I: To 1877. Macmillan. http://books.google.ie/books?id=xs6AJ5107fwC&dq=The+American+Promise&hl=&cd=1&source=gbs_api

Writer: Alan Jabbour
Did You Like This Essay?
If you liked this essay, we can write a similar custom one just for you. Let our professional writers craft a high-quality essay tailored to your needs. Place your order today and experience the excellence of EssayWriter.pro!
Order now