The Cold War: A New History

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What were the major factors that led to the end of the Cold War?

The second half of the twentieth century was characterized by conflicts and wars among the world’s strongest nations. The main war during that period was the cold war. The United States of America and the Soviet Union were the two most powerful nations involved in the war. The leaders of these two nations also played a big role during the cold war and at the end of it. They were at the forefront in bringing the war to a stop. This essay will discuss the major factors that saw the cold war come to a stop.

President Ronald Reagan played the greatest role in bringing the cold war to a stop. In fact, he spent most of his time advocating for the end of the war. Reagan achieved this by using diplomatic means to persuade the Soviets to move away from war. He made them understand that the perpetual war would not only destroy the nation but also the entire world. He further emphasized that what was needed was concentration on other important issues.

President Ronald Reagan also pushed Gorbachev to make significant reforms that would turn the country’s attention from war. Reagan urged Gorbachev to use the economic system of the United States as a paradigm to set its new goals that would see it recover from the effects of war. Reagan even offered the advisory services of his secretary of state, George Shultz, to Gorbachev in a bid to instruct him on the significant steps that should be taken.

This was a step towards the implementation of free market economics in the country¹. Furthermore, the speech that President Ronald Reagan gave at the Berlin Wall during the celebration of Berlin’s 750^th birthday had a crucial impact on the cold war. During the speech, Reagan urged Gorbachev to tear down the wall of Berlin. Gorbachev actually saw the wall brought down, a move that marked the end of the cold war. President Ronald Reagan therefore played a great role in the efforts to end the cold war.

Another factor that contributed to the end of the cold war was the economic deterioration of the Soviet Union. It is estimated that towards the end of the cold war, Moscow had accumulated a military force that used twenty five percent of the gross national product of the Soviet Union. This high percentage of revenue was spent on maintaining the military forces at the expense of the common people. As a result, the living standards of the people deteriorated in what has been termed as the worst economic crisis to have ever hit the Soviet Union.

Too much expenditure on the upkeep of the military force also led to lack of savings among the civilians. Consequently, no significant investments were made by the citizens during the whole period of war. The civilians also avoided investing in the economy because of the high level of insecurity. The result of this was a dormant economy. In the year 1985, the Soviet Union suffered a slackened rate of economic that almost hit the zero mark. They are these hard economic times that obliged the Soviets Union to give up war and resolve on building a nation that had been torn apart by the effects of the war.

What were the lessons learned from the U.S. experience in Somalia?

The United States’ experience in Somalia during the 1992-94 operation serves to teach military forces all over the globe important lessons while carrying out their duties. The experience is also beneficial to any individual who is interested in seeing utter peace and food sufficiency restored to the surface of the earth. First and foremost, the operation gave a new meaning to peacekeeping missions. Prior to this operation, such missions were mainly war-oriented in all aspects. However, the United States’ military encountered people who were in dire need of humanitarian assistance in Somalia. The majority of the population was emaciated and starving to death.

The United States’ operation in Somalia therefore came as a wakeup call for the rest of the world to give priority to humanity in its list of preference. The operation emphasized the fact that fighting wars in a bid to maintain the peace and stability of a region will be futile if the inhabitants of that particular region lack basic needs. The military forces of the United States of America therefore served as an epitome to other military forces by airlifting medical supplies and food relief to thousands of Somali citizens who were on the verge of death².

The operation of the United States in Somalia was also the first peace enforcement mission to be sanctioned by the United Nations. It served to test the usefulness and efficiency of such future peace missions. Although the United States did not fulfill the overambitious goals of the United Nations, the success of the mission gave way to subsequent peace missions in other regions. This operation therefore taught a lesson that peace can be restored using such missions.

Some believe The Patriot Act and U.S. actions at Guantanamo Bay violate traditional American values of liberty. Have Americans become less free in the Post 9/11 world?

Americans have become less free after the 9/11 attacks. A number of facts lend credence to this statement. First and foremost, Americans have been subjected to security checks in virtually every place they go. Elaborate security systems have been developed to safeguard the security of the state. There has also been an increased use of surveillance cameras in most commercial buildings.

All these security measures portend that the United States of America has actually become a fearful nation. The majority of Americans are always unsure of their security when in crowded places because such places are the targets for terrorism acts. Therefore, it is true that Americans have become less free in the post 9/11 period. The fact that the citizens cannot freely move from one place to another depicts this situation. The citizens have also limited their own freedom through their perpetual fear of insecurity³. Living in fear of an attack is tantamount to restricting oneself from freedom.

The introduction of The Patriot Act and the Guantanamo bay indicates the fear that the government has towards a repeat of the 9/11 attacks. These two measures are regarded as an overreaction towards the security threat in the nation. This overreaction creates the impression among citizens that their security is indeed at risk. To date, most Americans have their own misgivings when they are around any Muslim individual. These states of fear and desperate measures that have taken to ensure security have limited the freedom of Americans.

In conclusion, it is clear from the above discussion that President Ronald Reagan and the economic deterioration of the Soviets Union are the main factors that led to the end of the cold war. It can also be seen that the United States operation in Somalia had a lot to teach the world about such missions. Lastly, it can be comprehended from this essay that Americans have become less free following the 9/11 attacks.

Bibliography

Gaddis, Lewis. The Cold War: A New History. New York: Penguin Press, 2005.

Stafford, Smith. Bad Men. London: Phoenix, 2008.

Stewart, Richard. The United States Army in Somalia 1992–1994. Washington D.C.: United States Army Center of Military History, 2005.

Footnotes

Lewis Gaddis, The Cold War: A New History (New York: Penguin Press, 2005), 23.
Richard Stewart, The United States Army in Somalia 1992-1994 (Washington D.C: United States Army Center of Military History, 2005), 13.
Smith Stafford, Bad Men (London: Phoenix, 2008), 2.

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The Cold War: A New History

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