Free Essays on Cold War

How did the Cold War with the Soviet Union affect U.S. domestic politics and society in the late 1940s and the 1950s? In your view, who or what was most responsible for this â€Å"Second Red Scare,† and what were its most significant consequences? (Use lectures, textbook, and the Reader selections on McCarthyism.) Several factors in society and changes in domestic policies affected relations with the U.S. and Soviet Union. After WWII, the U.S. and USSR emerged as the top two most powerful countries in the world. The Soviets suffered major losses in agricultural, industrial and human losses. But both countries knew exactly what they wanted and did all they could to get it, which brought conflicts amongst the two countries thus leading to the Cold War. Effects on Society: On May Day 1950 at Mosinee, Wisconsin, American Legionnaires dressed up as Soviet soldiers and staged a mock communist takeover of the town. The arrested and locked up the mayor, clergymen, nationalized all businesses, confiscated all firearms, and rid the library of rows of objectionable books. They also forced the residents to change eating habits as restaurants served only potato soup, dark bread, and black coffee, only Young Communist Leaguers were allowed to eat candy. After the trial takeover, the residents were â€Å"liberated† along with a huge celebration of all things patriotic and the burning of communist literature. The residents did the experiment to see what communist life would be like, concluding it was hardly worth living. They lacked freedom of privacy, speech, press, religion and even food. One resident traveled to a nearby city just to get something else to eat. The event is known as Mosinee’s Red May Day. Effects on Domestic Politics: The most important issue dividing the two countries was how much control they should and did have over other nations. A policy of containment was adopted suggesting that the Soviets would expand only ... Free Essays on Cold War Free Essays on Cold War Who Was to Blame for the Cold War? The blame for the Cold War cannot be placed on one person it developed as a series of chain reactions as a struggle for supremacy. It can be argued that the Cold War was inevitable, and therefore no one's fault, due to the differences in the capitalist and communist ideologies. It was only the need for self-preservation that had caused the two countries to sink their differences temporarily during the Second World War. Yet many of the tensions that existed in the Cold War can be attributed to Stalin's policy of Soviet expansion. It is necessary, therefore, to examine the role of Stalin as a catalyst to the Cold War. Stalin's foreign policies contributed an enormous amount to the tensions of the Cold War. His aim, to take advantage of the military situation in post-war Europe to strengthen Russian influence, was perceived to be a threat to the Americans. Stalin was highly effective in his goal to gain territory, with victories in Poland, Romania, and Finland. To the western world, this success looked as if it were the beginning of serious Russian aggressions. The western view of the time saw Stalin as doing one of two things: either continuing the expansionist policies of the tsars that preceded him, or worse, spreading communism across the world now that his "one-state" notion had been fulfilled. It also must be mentioned that Stalin is seen as wanting "unchalleged personal power and a rebuilt Russia strong enough to withstand 'caplitalist encirclement.'"1 Admittedly, the first view of Stalin, as an imperialist leader, may be skewed. The Russians claim, and have always claimed, that Stalin's motives were purely defensive. Stalin's wished to create a buffer zone of Communist states around him to protect Soviet Russia from the capitalist West. In this sense, his moves were not aggressive at all they were truly defensive moves to protect the Soviet system. His suspicions of Western hostility wer... Free Essays on Cold War Cold War, term used to describe the post-World War II struggle between the United States and its allies and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and its allies. During the Cold War period, which lasted from the mid-1940s until the end of the 1980s, international politics were heavily shaped by the intense rivalry between these two great blocs of power and the political ideologies they represented: democracy and capitalism in the case of the United States and its allies, and Communism in the case of the Soviet bloc. The principal allies of the United States during the Cold War included Britain, France, West Germany, Japan, and Canada. On the Soviet side were many of the countries of Eastern Europe- including Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, East Germany, and Romania- and, during parts of the Cold War, Cuba and China. Countries that had no formal commitment to either bloc were known as neutrals or, within the Third World, as nonaligned nations (see Nonaligned Moveme nt). American journalist Walter Lippmann first popularized the term cold war in a 1947 book by that name. By using the term, Lippmann meant to suggest that relations between the USSR and its World War II allies (primarily the United States, Britain, and France) had deteriorated to the point of war without the occurrence of actual warfare. Over the next few years, the emerging rivalry between these two camps hardened into a mutual and permanent preoccupation. It dominated the foreign policy agendas of both sides and led to the formation of two vast military alliances: the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), created by the Western powers in 1949; and the Soviet-dominated Warsaw Pact, established in 1955. Although centered originally in Europe, the Cold War enmity eventually drew the United States and the USSR into local conflicts in almost every quarter of the globe. It also produced what became known as the Cold War arms race, an intense competit... Free Essays on Cold War 5) Why did the Cold War develop, and how did U.S. policymakers wage it in the late 1940s and the 1950s? Your answer should explain A) the origins of this superpower rivalry (reaching back into World War II if not earlier), B)the main ideas and tactics of successive U.S. leaders in fighting the Cold War, and C) at least two important examples of Cold War conflict around the world in the 1946-1955 period. The coldness between the U.S. and Soviet Union first appealed in closing months of the war. Americans were angry at the clear unwillingness of the Soviets to give up their control over Eastern Europe - by the late 1940s, they were setting up puppet Communist governments in Poland and Romania. The basic difference in ideology was becoming more apparent. The Americans, however, made no immediate attempts to roll back the Soviets where they were already in power - the U.S. domestic front wanted an end to war. A) The origins of the superpowers date back all the way to early 19th century. The soviets believe in a communist society and the American believe of capitalism made them both value different things. During and after WWII no nation suffered more than the Soviet Union. 16-20 million Soviets were killed, vast numbers taken prisoner, and large portions of the industrialized sectors were left in ruins. It emerged from W.W.II as a world power second only to the United States. By 1945, strains were appearing between the Allies. The groundwork of Cold War was laid even before W.W.II was over, in squabbles during the peace settlement. The world after W.W.II quickly split into two rival camps centered on the Soviet Union and the United States, and the tensions of the Cold War hastened the disintegration of the remaining colonial system, as the bargaining power of new nations was temporally increased by the rivalry between the two superpowers. The difference in treatment of the defeated power s in W.W.II, as opposed to W.W.I, was also a ... Free Essays on Cold War How did the Cold War with the Soviet Union affect U.S. domestic politics and society in the late 1940s and the 1950s? In your view, who or what was most responsible for this â€Å"Second Red Scare,† and what were its most significant consequences? (Use lectures, textbook, and the Reader selections on McCarthyism.) Several factors in society and changes in domestic policies affected relations with the U.S. and Soviet Union. After WWII, the U.S. and USSR emerged as the top two most powerful countries in the world. The Soviets suffered major losses in agricultural, industrial and human losses. But both countries knew exactly what they wanted and did all they could to get it, which brought conflicts amongst the two countries thus leading to the Cold War. Effects on Society: On May Day 1950 at Mosinee, Wisconsin, American Legionnaires dressed up as Soviet soldiers and staged a mock communist takeover of the town. The arrested and locked up the mayor, clergymen, nationalized all businesses, confiscated all firearms, and rid the library of rows of objectionable books. They also forced the residents to change eating habits as restaurants served only potato soup, dark bread, and black coffee, only Young Communist Leaguers were allowed to eat candy. After the trial takeover, the residents were â€Å"liberated† along with a huge celebration of all things patriotic and the burning of communist literature. The residents did the experiment to see what communist life would be like, concluding it was hardly worth living. They lacked freedom of privacy, speech, press, religion and even food. One resident traveled to a nearby city just to get something else to eat. The event is known as Mosinee’s Red May Day. Effects on Domestic Politics: The most important issue dividing the two countries was how much control they should and did have over other nations. A policy of containment was adopted suggesting that the Soviets would expand only ...

Turkey in the European Union

Turkey in the European Union The country of Turkey is typically considered to straddle both Europe and Asia. Turkey occupies all of the Anatolian Peninsula (also known as Asia Minor) and a small part of southeastern Europe. In October 2005 negotiations began between Turkey (population 70 million) and the European Union (EU) for Turkey to be considered as a possible member of the EU in the future. Location While most of Turkey lies geographically in Asia (the peninsula is Asian), far western Turkey lies in Europe. Turkeys largest city of Istanbul (known as Constantinople until 1930), with a population of over 9 million is located on both the east and west sides of the Bosporus strait so it straddles both what are traditionally considered Europe and Asia. However, Turkeys capital city of Ankara is fully outside of Europe and on the Asian continent. While the European Union is working with Turkey to help it move toward being able to become a member of the European Union, there are some who are concerned about Turkeys potential membership. Those opposed to Turkish membership in the EU point to several issues. Issues First, they state that Turkeys culture and values are different from those of the European Union as a whole. They point out that Turkeys 99.8% Muslim population is too different from Christian-based Europe. However, the EU makes the case that the EU is not a religion-based organization, Turkey is a secular (a non-religion-based government) state, and that 12 million Muslims currently live throughout the European Union. Nonetheless, the EU acknowledges that Turkey needs to Substantially improve respect for the rights of non-Muslim religious communities to meet European standards. Secondly, naysayers point out that since Turkey is mostly not in Europe (neither population-wise nor geographically), it should not become part of the European Union. The EU responds that, The EU is based more on values and political will than on rivers and mountains, and acknowledges that, Geographers and historians have never agreed on the physical or natural borders of Europe. Too true! A third reason Turkey might have problems is its non-recognition of Cyprus, a full-fledged member of the European Union. Turkey will have to acknowledge Cyprus to be considered a contender for membership. Additionally, many are concerned about the rights of Kurds in Turkey. The Kurdish people have limited human rights and there are accounts of genocidal activities that need to stop for Turkey to be considered for European Union membership. Finally, some are concerned that Turkeys large population would alter the balance of power in the European Union. After all, Germanys population (the largest country in the EU) is only at 82 million and declining. Turkey would be the second largest country (and perhaps eventually the largest with its much higher growth rate) in the EU and would have considerable influence in the European Union. This influence would be especially profound in the population-based European Parliament. The low per-capita income of the Turkish population is also of concern since the economy of Turkey as a new EU member might have a negative effect on the EU as a whole. Turkey is receiving considerable assistance from its European neighbors as well as from the EU. The EU has allocated billions and is expected to allocate billions of euros in funding for projects to help invest in a stronger Turkey that may one day become a member of the European Union. I was particularly moved by this EU statement on why Turkey should be part of the European Union of the future, Europe needs a stable, democratic and more prosperous Turkey which adopts our values, our rule of law, and our common policies. The accession perspective has already driven forward bold and significant reforms. If the rule of law and human rights are guaranteed throughout the country, Turkey can join the EU and thus become an even stronger bridge between civilizations as it is already today. That sounds like worthwhile goal to me.