Usachev V. A., Gritsaenko I. A.

Donetsk National University of Economics and Trade named after M. Tugan-Baranovsky

The History of Cold War

The Cold War was a huge mistake that cost the world a huge effort and enormous human and material losses in the period of 1945-1991. It is useless to find out who was more or less to blame - equally responsible for that politicians both, Moscow and Washington.

After the Second World War, the victorious powers were not able to establish a relationship between each other. The main controversy was between the Soviet Union and the United States. Both states were formed-plated military units (unions) that in case of war would come out on their side. The confrontation between the USSR and the USA and their allies was called the Cold War. Despite the fact that the military operations were not carried out, the two countries were in a state of almost continuous confrontation (enmity) from the late 1940s to the mid-1970s., Constantly building up its military potential.

The Soviet-American cooperation were no signs of anything like this. President Roosevelt after the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941. wrote that "it means the liberation of Europe from Nazi domination. At the same time, I do not think we need to worry about any possibility of Russian dominance. " Roosevelt believed that the grand alliance of the victorious powers could continue to operate after the Second World War, and the prevention of mutual distrust between the allies he considered one of its main objectives.

With the war over the polarity of the world has changed dramatically - the old colonial Europe and Japan lay in ruins, but moved forward the Soviet Union and the United States, only marginally involved in the global balance of power up to this point, and now filled the original vacuum left by the collapse of the Axis countries. And from that point of interests of the two superpowers came into conflict - and the Soviet Union, and the United States has sought as much as possible to extend the limits of its influence, the struggle on all fronts - in ideology, to win hearts and minds, in aspiration to get ahead in the arms race, to talk to the opposite side of a position of strength, in economic terms - that have demonstrated the superiority of its social system, even in sport - as John F. Kennedy said, "The international prestige of the country is measured by two things: nuclear missiles and a gold medals".

One of the symbols of the Cold War was split into two parts of Germany. The border between the two camps (Western and socialist) passed right over the city of Berlin, and not symbolic, but a real - in 1961 the city was divided into two parts by the Berlin Wall.

The arms race swallowed up huge resources both units. By the beginning 1980s the Soviet Union was much to lose in the competition between the two systems. The socialist camp more behind the advanced countries of capitalist West. The Soviet Union was forced to begin a large-scale reforms - restructuring - leading to radical changes in International politics. The Soviet Union and the United States signed an agreement on Restrictions on the arms race and new partnerships. The Cold War began to fade. The socialist camp collapsed.

West won the Cold War, and the Soviet Union lost its voluntary. Now, dissolving the Warsaw Pact and the Council for Economic Mutual, breaking the "iron curtain" and combining Germany, destroying superpower and banning communism, Russia in the 21st century can make that is not an ideology, but only the geopolitical interests prevailed in Western political thought. Pushing of borders of NATO closely to Russia's borders, placing its military bases in half of the former Soviet republics, U.S. policymakers are increasingly turning to the rhetoric of times of Cold War, demonizing Russia in the eyes of the world community. Still we want to believe in the best - that the great powers of the East and the West will not interfere, but to cooperate adequately solve all the problems at the negotiating table without any pressure and blackmail, had dreamed of the greatest U.S. president of the 20th century. It seems that it is quite feasible - in the new era of globalization Russia slowly but steadily integrating into the world community. Russian companies enter foreign markets, and Western corporations are coming to Russia and only a nuclear war can prevent, for example, Google and Microsoft have been developing its hi-tech products, and Ford to produce its cars in Russia. And Millions of ordinary people in the world most importantly - "that was not the war ..." - neither a hot nor cold.