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Analytical Essay- Cold War

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Introduction

The Cold War evolved into a dominant influence on several aspects of American society

for a relatively large part of the 20th century. Essentially, the cold war escalated due to the

prevalence of antagonistic values progressed by Americans, representing democracy and

capitalism on one side, with the Soviet Union, on the other side, holding onto authoritarianism

and communism ideologies. Undoubtedly the two nations were the dominant powers at the time,

supremacy acquired after the end of the Second World War, with the ideological difference

turning into a global conflict. However, it is evident that the United States played due to its

involvement in the arms race. On this note, the war played a normative role in the past recent

United States. Fundamentally, the normative role in this regard acts as an evaluating standard for

the past of recent America as far as Cold War is concerned. During the war, the USA sought to

manage its normative interplay by accepting some limits in exchange for increased legitimacy ad

acceptance of its ideologies by others. 

Increased armament was central in the midst of increased tension. America started to

equip its military, aerial threat, and naval supremacy by making weapons such as hydrogen

bombs to exert its superiority compared to other nations. Similarly, the testing of atomic bombs

was often done in the oceans, creating fear among the rivals and showcasing the might and

damage that such weapons would cause if directed at the enemy territories (Roark et al 2012

p.1083). The growing arms race increased the US weapon standards during the Cold War period.

Notably, this increase in weaponry was also reflected in the domestic lives of ordinary American

citizens. Individuals began building bomb shelters in their homesteads. Attack moves were

practiced regularly in populous public places as well as in educational facilities. 

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The cultural battles between the superpowers were not only limited to the arms race. As a

propaganda tool, the American national securities urged the film industry to produce various

anti-communist movies, encouraging Hollywood to change scripts to ignore elements that did

not completely match American ideologies. As a consequence, a litany of films promoting and

sparking patriotism emerged while also creating suspicion of communist activity in the United

States. This development led to the rooting out of some communists. On the other hand, several

lives were ruined on the grounds of weak evidence as well as unsubstantiated claims of holding

onto communist ideas. This anti-communist fever trickled down to the local communities

affecting the lives of the ordinary citizen (Roark et al 2012 ,p 1099). Several people were fired

from their jobs, denied some of their civil rights, and blacklisted by the local authorities on the

basis of these claims. Typically the anti-communist wave during the cold war negatively

impacted the lives of some Americans, as opposed to protecting and progressing their interests. 

From a political angle, the Soviet Union and the USA were completely polar sides

towards the end of World War Two. The increasing decolonization by major European nations

and the Axis forces' withdrawal from all their occupied lands created a 'power vacuum' not just

in Europe but worldwide ..The us facilitated its global institution of order through enforcing it's

wider geopolitical interests across Western Europe (Lewkowicz 2018,, p.6). The Soviet Union

and the United States embarked on a mission of influencing new governments in these nations,

with the United States being the proponents of their favored democratically representative

governments while the Soviets were at the center of promoting authoritative communism.

Towards the end of World War 2, the Soviet forces had already occupied a big part of Eastern

Europe, motivated by the need to occupy these zones as a prevention measure against the
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invasions (Roark et al 2012, p1085). America was not willing to commit to a military

engagement; thus, Eastern Europe remained under Soviet control.

On the other hand, the implications of the World War 2 had devastating effects on Russia; thus,

the Soviets did not want to risk war with the United States, thus leaving Western Europe under

American influence. This 'arrangement' led to the creation of formal alliances, for instance, the

North Atlantic Treaty organization, formed between America and some Western Europe nations.

Notably, the tension between these two nations was high but was mostly defined by mutual fear,

preventing large-scale war in Europe. 

Conclusion

In summation, the longest 20th-century conflict, the Cold War, impacted everything from

domestic and foreign policy and political ideology to the presidency and individual American

citizens' lives. The power imbalance is primarily the cause of this war, comprising unfinished

affairs resulting from World War tensions. The subsequent effects remarkably changed the lives

of Americans, with the pursuit of influence globally, defining America's 20th century, with the

war playing a normative role in the nation's recent past. Additionally, the war left America less

stable and less secure due to the military confidence that resulted during the war, culminating in

resentment and making the lives of Americans more difficult

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Bibliography

Lewkowicz, Nicolas. The United States, the Soviet Union and the geopolitical implications of

the origins of the Cold War. Anthem Press, 2018.

Roark, James L., Michael P. Johnson, Patricia Cline Cohen, Sarah Stage, and Susan M.
Hartmann. The American promise, volume I: to 1877: a history of the United States. Vol.
1. Macmillan, 2012.