The Cold War Explained

For many people the concept of the Cold War is one that brings about many questions. This is very valid, the Cold War can seem like a confusing time in history due to its unusual nature, however in these series of articles, I will be explaining and summarizing the main themes, ideas and events. Let’s start at the beginning. What are the origins? What factors led to and influenced the nature of the war? What does the origin have to do with the characteristics and themes of the war?

Origins

I think one key concept that is important to remember is that the Cold War was not the kind of conflict we think of when we hear the word war. There were no bloody battles between the two sides (only through proxy-wars, which means that the sides fight vicariously through other states), it was a war of ideology. The two sides were the Soviet Union and the USA, considered the superpowers of the mid to late 20th century. The sides each represented a heavily influential ideology and wanted their ideology to spread through the post-WW2 countries of the world. These states were now weak and vulnerable after a long and straining war, both socially and economically. They were open to new ideas and systems that would ensure that the destructive chaos of WW2 would not happen again. This meant that after 1945 the world became a very divided place. A country was either on the American side (representing capitalism) or on the side of the USSR (representing communism). Although there were a few nations (such as Yugoslavia, India and Egypt) who joined the NAM (Non-Alignment Movement) which meant that they did not side with either the Soviet Union or the USA, most countries did not join this movement. So, since it’s a war of ideology, does it have a beginning? Well, there is no official date although most historians agree that it one of two options. (You can of course come to your own conclusion, because as I’ve said there is no one accepted date.) So, option one is 1917. Now you may think “but that’s not in the mid 20th century” and you’re right it isn’t however, this is the year that the Bolsheviks (Lenin and his communist party) won the Russian Revolution. This brought about a massive surge of communists all over the world. For example, Kun Béla in Hungary or Mao Zedong in China. The Bolshevik victory provoked ideological animosity to the well-established western liberal democracy. Option two is 1947. During WW2 the Big Three (USA, UK and the USSR) more or less worked together to defeat the threat of Hitler and the Third Reich. After their victory, this “common purpose” was removed and the superpowers now all wanted to be compensated for their efforts in the war. Thus, began the mistrust and suspicion that fueled the USSR and the USA to try and establish the higher ground, and grip over post war states.

This is ultimately the cause of the Cold War because without this continuously growing and strengthening mistrust the superpowers wouldn't have had any impetus to turn their concerns into actions.