The Cold War Essay - 1913 Words

Many of the theories and much of the research in the subject of international relations have arisen from the study of the Cold War. International Relations as a discipline began after World War II to predict and prevent such events from happening again; as such, the Cold War was evaluated by nearly everyone in the field. Even with all of this analysis, the abrupt end of the Cold War came as a surprise unpredicted by scholars. Since then, the causes of the end to the have been studied and placed into international relations theories. This essay will evaluate the two cornerstone theories, realism and liberalism, and how they combine to make the most convincing explanation for the end of the Cold War. The realist rationalization for the decline of the Soviet Union, and therefore the end of the Cold War, was the change in the balance of power from a bipolar system, the Soviet Union and the United States, to a unipolar system, the United States alone (Wagner, 1993: 97). Power, and the way power is balanced throughout states, is a fundamental concept of realism. After World War II, the Soviet Union and the United States became the two giants of the world; this state of having two superpowers at once whom both have main influence in the global stage is called bipolarity (Heywood, 2011: 40). A bipolar system is the most stable system because the two powers are more concerned with each other; no other state can do as much harm as the other power, so allies are not as much of aShow MoreRelatedThe War Of The Cold War1644 Words   |  7 PagesThe Cold War was a state of political and military tension stemming from World War II fought primarily between the United States and the Soviet Union. Although the start and end dates of the Cold War are frequently disputed over, it is generally accepted that the conflict started at the conclusion of the Second World War and stemmed from the social climate and lingering tensions in Europe and the increasing power struggles between th e Soviet Union and the United States. Along with economic separationRead MoreThe War Of The Cold War Essay1525 Words   |  7 PagesOne major war ended and another to begin. The Cold war lasted about 45 years. There were no direct military campaigns between the United States and Soviet Union. However, billions of dollars and millions of lives were lost. The United States emerged as the greatest power from World War 2. (Give Me Liberty 896) The country boasted about having the most powerful navy and air force. 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Stalin wants to punish Germany and make them pay outrageous sum of money for reparation. However, Truman has a different plan than Stalin. Truman believes that industrialization and democracy in Germany and throughout th e world would ensure postwar stability. Stalin also wanted