Introduction
The end of World War II did not necessarily imply the beginning of peace but in reality, the dawn of other more complicated conflicts. The term Cold War appeared for the first time in an essay by George Orwell, a famous journalist and English author, entitled You and the Atomic Bomb, released on October 15 of 1945, immediately after World War II. The term defined the conflicts of the world as they unfolded after World War II. Despite its end, economic competitions, proxy wars, military as well as political conflicts, took the stage.
These disputes involved both the Communist world, consisting of Russia and its satellite states and the Western world, consisting of the US, among others. Worth noting is that these clashes were not direct as it was for World War II. On the contrary, they entered in form of technological contentions, military coalitions, propaganda, proxy wars, and sports competitions, quoting a few. Who were the main participants?
Key Countries
The key countries participating in the war were Russia, France, Germany, the US, Hungary, and Belgium, Italy, among others, For instance, although USSR and the US were both friends and anti-axis powers, they could not agree on “…political philosophy and the configuration of the post-war world while occupying most of Europe” (Kort, 2001, p.3). During this period, there was a pronounced calmness coupled with international tensions. The two opposing sides sought possible ways out of the then tensions and conflicts.
However, among the suggested ways like discouraging direct armed forces attacks aroused the possibility of giving way to nuclear weapons, a case that attracted immediate reforms, which later saw the end of the Cold War in 1991. The collapse of the Soviet Union that brought the end of the war gave way to the US as the major military power. The debate about what fuelled the war still rages. While some argue that, it began soon after World War II, others trace its roots towards the period immediately before World War I. The issue of communism serves as the root cause of the Cold War.
Causes
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 Soviet Union, a ‘socialist island’ was planning to replace the prevailing capitalism with communism. Turker (1992) observed the efforts of the Soviet Union of ensuring that “…the present capitalist encirclement is replaced by a socialist encirclement” (p.3).
If this were given the chance to happen, then the Soviet Union would have drawn many countries, and possibly the world, into communism at a time when the capitalist countries wanted capitalism to spread, rather than communism. However, following the then “temporary stabilization of capitalism” (Turker, 1992, p.45), collapsing of the world was the obvious outcome, hence the war. The possession of atomic weapons by America was yet another cause.
The fact that the Americans owned nuclear weapons posed aroused a lot of fear in the Soviets. Following the harm and power that is associated with nuclear or rather atomic bombs, the Soviets could not tolerate the situation, that the Americans, their worst enemies, had the weapons when they (Soviets) did not have. Therefore, they felt so insecure that they knew they could be outwitted, should the Americans declare war against them. In addition, both the Soviets and the Americans feared one another, as is expected of two enemies. They thought that each could decide to attack the other because they were both able and willing to do so and hence the cold war.
The 1917 actions taken against Russia too explain the cause of the Cold war. Charles (2002) observes that “As a result of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution in Russia (followed by its withdrawal from World War I), Soviet Russia found itself isolated in international diplomacy” (p.6). With the Soviet Union unsatisfied with this, other countries suspected that the Soviets could decide to attack them any time when they were unaware. The issue of the partitioning of Europe was also a cause of the Cold war.
There was a disagreement concerning the shape that Europe was to assume after the proposed issue of its division. However, following the prevailing records of frequent attacks of the Russians, there was a feeling of insecurity by the affected Russians. For instance, the attack that they experienced that saw the death of millions of its people as well as the destruction it encountered during World War II, they resolved into nurturing their security by dominating most of Eastern Europe, a factor that contributed to a large extent the then US suspicions.
Moreover, the attitude of the then US president towards Josef Stalin, the then Soviet Union leader contributed significantly towards the cause of the Cold war. Stalin was comfortable with the Soviet Union as a ‘Socialist country’, a stand that did not please the US president because he was a capitalist country. As a result, he (US president) developed a personal attitude against Stalin, hence the Cold war. Soviet Union’s activities in the regions dominated by the Americans were also fuel to the Cold war.
The Soviet Union had a share in most of the regions that America had taken control. The Americans wanted to establish their activities in their ways, which they thought were right, even as per the judgment of the capitalist countries. Therefore, following the entry of Soviets in the regions, they were not comfortable especially when the Soviets began their projects in the same regions. The Soviet kingdom was treated as evil and whose activities were unfit in any capitalist regions.
Revealing this observation, Pillai (1998) exposits “In the ’80s President Ronald Reagan of the US dubbed the Soviet Union as an “evil empire” and predicted that it would be consigned to the ash heap of history” (p.13). In addition, there was a notable fear by the Soviets following the strong base that America had established in Western Europe. As the two were enemies, the Soviets feared that this could serve as a base for its attack by the Americans hence contributing to the Cold war. However, the Cold war not only had causes but also effects, which range from economic to political, as they unfold in both Eastern and Western Europe. The war led to the division of Germany.
Effects of the Cold War
Among the numerous outcomes of the Cold war was the division of Germany. Since the Cold war only meant the exclusion of weapons in the various conflicts, it led to other issues, which passed for conflicts though weaponless. One of the major causes was the plan of Germany to resist the divisions, proposed for it by other countries. However, since it refused the proposition, by the end of the war, it had assumed several occupational divisions, each of which was under the control of Britain, the US, France, and the Soviet Union.
In addition, the Cold war brought significant technological progress in Europe. For instance, “Germany had new technologies that people these days would not be able to live without” (Charles, 2002, p.34). Only the armed forces could access internet services meant to facilitate the war. However, it is surprising to realize that most of the technological advancements evident today have their roots in the military officers, to whom the then inventions were restricted. This drives home the point that the Cold war was no more than a way of creating rooms for better things, technologically, economically, as well as politically. The war too affected society.
The war did not spare the society as well as the social attitudes of most of the European countries, which actively participated in the war. With France serving as the best illustration, its 4-trillion dollar debt traces its roots into the Cold war. “The Cold War changed how people thought” (Baker, 1998, p.45). Initially, people had learned from the war that they could kill themselves. However, this was the tip of the iceberg. From the unfolding of the war, they realized that they could, not only destroy themselves but also the entire planet. They also learned that, just as people die, so can the world.
Despite the technological and industrial developments that came from the war, tensions and heightened competition came as a result. The proxy wars, evident today arose from the cold war, following the invention of nuclear gadgets. This explains the reason why many European countries have nuclear weapons, which otherwise pose a danger, not only to people but also to the world itself. The issue of communism was no more than the epicenter of the Cold war. It was the major enemy under attack by all, who were against the war. Fortunately, the enemy was defeated. In conclusion, one can ask, ‘What brought the collapse of communism?’
The collapse of Communism/Conclusion
What brought about the collapse of communism is a question, frequently asked, but rarely answered right. Worth noting is that most of the events that unfolded, communism included, because of the war were unexpected. However, there exist some insinuated and complicated reasons explaining the fall of communism. As Robinson (2003) puts it, “The fall of communism was the result of the complex interaction of all these causes on various levels, between different states, but also between states and societies” (p.32). The level of interaction, as highlighted seems to have played a major role in firing communism.
However, in other countries like Russia, communism is thought to have arisen from within owing to its stand as a communist country. In addition, inadequate funds and support explain the cause as well. Eastern Europe suffered from both financial and political crises. Russia received a lot of support from the European countries during WWI, all of which is used for its defense.
Unfortunately, this was the time it stood strong as a communist country. However, following the European states’ inability to fund it further, it experienced a rapid downfall not sparing its stand as a communist state and hence the fall. More reasons continue to arise including the issue of solidarity whose failure to end in Poland saw its end as a communist government, hence contributing towards the end of communism in general.
Reference List
Baker, P. (1998). Britain and the Economic Problem of the Cold War. Poland: Ashgate Publishers. p. 45. Print.
Charles, H. (2002). The Two Germanies since 1945: East and West. Connecticut: Yale University Press. Print.
Kort, M. (2001). The Columbia Guide to the Cold War. Columbia: The University Press. p. 3. Print.
Pillai, G. (1998). Reagan, Bush, and Gorbachev: Revisiting the End of the Cold War. Westport: Greenwood Press. Print.
Robinson, C. (2003). Aid to Russia, 1941–1946: Strategy, Diplomacy, the Origins of the Cold War. Columbia: The University Press. Print.
Turker, J. (1992). The Cold War 1945-1991. Oxford: Blackwell. Print.