Select ONE of the following possibilities.
1. Why did the Cold War begin? Who won? How did this conflict impact individuals all throughout the world? Are the costs of the Cold War still being felt today?
You must address every aspect indicated above in order to properly respond to this series of questions. The Gaddis book and at least four of the brief readings that have been uploaded on Blackboard should also be well-cited in addition (see syllabus).
2. In your perspective, how similar or distinct were the pre-Second World War struggles between European imperialist countries to the American-Soviet war against one another and expansion of dominance over the world? In other words, did the Americans basically replace the British Empire, and did the Soviet Union replace itself? Was the conflict between the US and the USSR fought differently? Other significant players, like China or Europe, were there? Who won? Was this triumph any different from other international imperialist conflicts?
Again, you must address every aspect described above in order to adequately respond to this series of questions. The Gaddis book and at least four of the brief readings that have been uploaded on Blackboard should also be well-cited in addition (see syllabus).
Short answer: Select two from the list below.
3. How powerful were the United States and the Soviet Union? Was there a cap? Give specific instances, referencing the readings as well (Gaddis, quick Blackboard reads, etc.).
4. In the Cold War, who were the rebels? Were they guerrilla warriors, thugs, urban revolutionaries, terrorists, members of one of these groups in particular, or something else different? Give specific instances, referencing your readings (Gaddis, Baumann, brief Blackboard reads, etc.).
5. What or who was the Cold War’s origin? Why is it important to comprehend this in light of the world we live in today? Once more, give particular illustrations, referencing your readings (Gaddis, brief readings from Blackboard, etc.).
Overview
Over time, the relationship between the Soviet Union and the United States fluctuated between cautious collaboration and sometimes acrimonious superpower competition as a result of a complex interaction of ideological, political, and economic reasons. The stark contrasts between the political systems of the two nations frequently prevented them from coming to an agreement on important matters of policy and even, as in the instance of the Cuban missile crisis, came them dangerously close to war.
The Soviet leadership’s decision to remove Russia from World War I aroused the ire of the American administration, which also opposed a communist-based state. Despite the fact that in the early 1920s, the US launched a famine relief operation in the Soviet Union and American businessmen established commercial ties there during the period of the New Economic Policy (1921–29), the two countries did not establish diplomatic relations until 1933.