who if any one won the cold war? :: essays research papers

The time period between 1945 and 1991 is considered to be the date of the Cold War. The Cold War, known as the encounter between the joined States and the Soviet Union, each known during this time as the super powers. This conflict consisted of the differing attitudes on the ideological, policy-making, and military interests of these two states and their allies, exte nded around the globe. A common political debate covers the issue of who, if anyone won the Cold War. Many take the coupled States won the Cold War since (it) had resulted in the ultimate pay of the Soviet Union. While others are to believe the United States had not won it as much as the Soviet Union had lost it since they feel Reagan did not give the axe the Cold War, but that he prolonged it (Baylis & Smith, 2001.) This has lead me to believe that there is no winner, only losers of the cold war. The cold war for the Soviet Union was to ensure security, block out capitalism, gain power, and improve their economy . While, on the other hand the United States just wanted to stop the pervade of communism, which they felt, would spread rapidly throughout the world if they did not put an end to it soon. Both the United States and the Soviet Union wanted to avoid WWIII in the process of trying to achieve their goals.The cold war was failed by the Soviet Union for many reasons, including the sudden collapse of communism (Baylis & Smith, 2001.) This sudden collapse of communism was brought on ultimately by internal factors. The Soviet unions prexy Gorbachevs reforms glasnost (openness) and perestroika (political reconstructering) ultimately caused the collapse of the Soviet Empire. Gorbachevs basics for glasnost were the procession of principles of freedom to criticize the loosening of controls on media and publishing and the freedom of worship. His essentials of perestroika were, a new legislature creation of an executive presidency ending of the booster cable role of the communist party allowi ng state enterprises to sell part of their merchandise on the open market lastly, allowing foreign companies to own Soviet enterprises (Baylis & Smith, 2001.) Gorbachev believed his reforms would reach his country, but the Soviet Union was ultimately held together by the soviet tradition he was trying to change. The Soviet Union was none the little held together by powerful central institutions, pressure for ideological conformity, and the little terror of force.