Cold War and Its Effects Essay -- World History

The end of the cold war signified a new era of history that has changed the entire world. The face of Europe and Asia has changed dramatically. Vast changes have been felt socially, politically, and especially economically. Also the effect the cold war had on foreign policy was paramount. The effect of these changes is not only felt across the ocean but can be felt here in America. The goal of this paper is to define what the cold war specifically was, and reflect upon the various choices throughout the world as a result of the end of the cold war. The cold war was a period of time in which the United States was the world power in the western world. The Soviet Union (now Russia) was the leading power in the eastern world. While this would seem typical in any planet to have two world powers this case is extremely interesting because they had different governmental structures that were completely the opposite. On one hand there was America. We are a free market economy that is defined as being capitalist. Capitalism is a social and political system that means every person must fend for themselves. This is true economically and politically. Each individual has the ability to do whatever they choose with their life. They can make their own choices, and move wherever they want. While there are laws, the government has no say so over things that we take for granted everyday such as freedom of expression, religion, the right to bear arms, and even march down the street in support of the Ku Klux Klan if you so choose! The Soviet Union at that time was represented by a form of governmental control called communism. Communism was formed by a man named Karl Marx. The belief is that the government should control ev... ... It all comes down to choice. After the Cuban missile crisis ended both superpowers realized the severe consequences of nuclear war. They knew the implications involved, and religion was not the issue. The Russian government suppressed it to an extent. It was humanity. What good would it do to blow up the earth? What good did it do to drop atomic bombs on Japan? Imagine what Bush felt on Sept. 11 and the choices he made to vow that this would not happen again. These are all choices that countries think about everyday, and the cold war is the latest and most powerful example of something that almost ended the world. References: http://www.aaup.org/publications/Academe/03so/03sowall.htm, "After the Cold War", by Mitchell B. Wallerstein, 11 pages. Twentieth Century World History, by William J. Duikker, 1999, Wadsworth Publishing, page 337 and page 166.