Analyze at least three characteristics of the cold war. Which is the most important and why?

What was the Cold War?

The Cold War was a period of tension between the United States and the Soviet Union that lasted
between the end of World War II (1945) and the fall of the Berlin Wall (1990). This tension was
given by two opposite economic and social systems: capitalism (sustained by the United States) and
communism(sustained by the Soviet Union).

It is called ” cold ” because this conflict never reached an official armed confrontation between the
two countries. However, clashes occurred through subsidiary wars, that is, armed clashes in
peripheral countries (countries that are not world economic powers). In these subsidiary wars, both
the United States and the Soviet Union intervened by offering financing, training, strategic
information and weapons to local factions, and in some cases even contributing their troops.

Depending on whether he won one or the other faction, the country would later be aligned to the
United States (with a capitalist regime) or the Soviet Union (with a communist regime). These
clashes claimed millions of lives and destroyed economies that in many cases could not recover. So,
despite being an “cold” war officially, over the decades it accumulated consequences as severe as a
world war.

This situation did not improve with the different conferences and treaties, so some voices among the
allies warned of the “red danger” that loomed over Europe: Churchill in Fulton (April 1946), Byrnes
in Stuttgart (September 1946), Truman (March 1947) and Marshall (June 1947).

The Paris Conference of July 1947, meeting to discuss the acceptance or rejection of the European
Recovery Plan , known as the Marshall Plan , was a tragic exponent of the new world situation. The
Soviet representative , Molotov, unmarked himself from the rest of the nations and faced the sixteen
European states that subscribed US aid.

The reason was that he considered the plan designed by the Americans ” an imperialist way of
intervening in European politics .” This position was repeated again at the London Conference in
August 1947, where the distribution of German areas was discussed. The European allies refused to
criticize US policy, which caused the creation of the Kominform in October of that year.

But, even with all this, the spark that burned the fuse of the Cold War in Europe was the Prague
coup in February 1948, when all Czech government ministers resigned to criticize Stalin’s ban on
accepting the Marshall Plan . Taking advantage of this situation, the Soviet leader imposed on the
Czech president a cabinet formed by communist supporters of the Soviet Union.
The reaction of the allies in the face of this action against Czech sovereignty was the reunification
of their zones , creating the so-called “ trizona ”. The Soviets then proceeded to close all access to
their area of ??Berlin on June 24, 1948. But the blockade of Berlin failed , due to an air bridge
established by the allies to guarantee the supply of food and supplies to their areas.

The Cold War was also an ideological war since capitalism and communism are based on opposite
principles:

The capitalism is based on the right to private property and investment with the aim of obtaining
economic benefits. Ideologically defends the individual initiative, based on the principle of freedom
and criticizes communism for limiting that individual initiative.
The communism is based on common ownership of the means of production and therefore the
equitable distribution of its benefits. He criticizes capitalism for relying on the exploitation of the
working class for the benefit of a few individuals who accumulate capital.

Cold War characteristics

Two blocks
The Cold War confrontation was not only between the two powers but in two blocks of countries led
by each of the powers. These two worlds were called:

First World : Led by the United States, it is characterized by having a mixed capitalism system, that
is, private investment is promoted while there is a certain public investment. Together with
capitalism, a consumer society is established. The political system is parliamentary democracy. The
countries of Europe and Japan are also found in the First World.
Second World : Led by the Soviet Union, it is characterized by a socialist economic system, which
limits or prevents private investment. Consumption capacity is scarce but there is less difference
between the richest and poorest sectors. The exception is usually the political class. In the Second
World there are also China, North Korea, Vietnam and Cuba.
Third World : This expression, currently associated with countries with limited economic
development, was born during the Cold War to refer to countries not aligned with either capitalism
or communism. During the Cold War these countries were those that suffered peripheral wars, or
were dominated by dictatorships sustained economically by the Soviet government or by the US
government. These events left local effects that continued after the Cold War, creating economies
dependent on the powers.
The technological career
Peripheral wars allowed the two great powers to measure their military capabilities. They constantly
tried to outdo each other in technology and power, in the so-called ” arms race .” The development
of nuclear energy was associated with this competition, as well as the exploration of space, called
“space race.” Some of the technological developments that marked these careers are:

R – 7 Semiorka : First intercontinental ballistic missile, developed by the Soviet Union.

LGM – 30 Minuteman: First nuclear intercontinental missile, developed by the United States.
Sputnik : First artificial satellite, launched in 1957 by the Soviet Union.
Apollo 11 : First manned mission to the Moon, developed by the United States in 1969.

Korean war
Since 1945 the Korean peninsula is divided into North Korea, under the communist regime,
and South Korea, under the capitalist regime. This division occurred after the invasion of
communist China and the support of the local population.

The Marshall Plan

Because all European powers suffered World War II in their own territory, the United States
was the only power involved in the conflict that was not devastated.

Because of its interest in preventing the economic crisis from leading European countries
towards communism, the United States government developed the Marshall Plan in 1947,
which consisted of a series of economic aids for the necessary reconstruction after the War.

NATO
NATO is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It was founded in 1949 and the
commitment of the United States to defend Western Europe militarily, that is, to the
European countries belonging to its bloc, was made official.

Cuba
Cuba is the only Latin American country that in 1959 managed to establish a socialist
regime outside the influence of the United States, through a revolution. This was a major
blow to the neighboring country, since in 1960 all American companies were nationalized,
that is, they were taken from foreign private hands and managed by the Cuban State. In
retaliation, since 1962, the United States established a trade embargo on Cuba that continued
until 2014 when it began to rise.

Subsidiary wars
Also called “peripheral wars,” in these warlike conflicts the communist and capitalist
powers measured their forces and tried to add new territories to their bloc, sustaining the
conflicting local factions with economic resources and weapons.
Greek Civil War
Vietnam War
Afghanistan First War
Lebanon Civil War
Angola War
Indo-Pakistani War
Gulf War
People’s Republic of China
In 1949 the Red Army (communist force) defeated the Kuomintang army (backed by the
United States) and founded the People’s Republic of China, with the backing of the Soviet
Union. Although the Cold War ended with the fall of the Soviet Union, this enormous power
continues to this day governed by the Communist Party.

Germany separation
Since Germany was defeated in World War II, the Allies imposed a series of conditions,
among which were an occupation of its territory between the United Kingdom, the United
States, France and the Soviet Union. Since three of these countries were capitalists and the
Soviet Communist Union, the influence competition developed with special intensity in this
territory. From this bipolarity two different German countries were created in 1949:

German Federal Republic, under the influence of the United States.

German Democratic Republic, under the influence of the Soviet Union.
Berlin: city that remained divided into both administrations, such as West Berlin and East
Berlin. This division is due to the construction, in the early 1960s, of the Berlin Wall. It was
destroyed in 1989.
Consequences
In short, the Cold War was a conflict that lasted almost half of the twentieth century and that
led the human being to the edge of the nuclear catastrophe at several key moments. It was
characterized by the constant confrontation of the two sides, as well as by a tension that
prevented them from attacking or defending themselves without causing great human losses.

The Cold War came to an end with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, although this
did not mean the end of communism. This confrontation had several consequences:

Economic growth of the First World and the Second World and indebtedness of the Third
World .
Strengthening of the middle classes in the powers involved.
Technological and arms development in the powers involved
“CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COLD WAR”
https://www.lorecentral.org/2019/08/characteristics-of-the-cold-war.html

Analyze at least three characteristics of the cold war. Which is the most important and
why?

The Berlin Wall, which separated East and West Germany for nearly 45 years, was another
factor that contributed to the differences between the two countries. It was difficult for East
German individuals to travel and interact with the outside world, as the wall had become a
symbol of the division between his two camps. The country's economy and society certainly
suffer from this isolation.

Below are some key aspects of the Cold War.

Ideological differences:
The conflict during the Cold War was essentially between communism and capitalism. Just
as the capitalist United States tried to stop the spread of the Soviet Union's communist
ideology, the communist Soviet Union did the same.

nuclear weapons:
The Cold War was heavily influenced by the development and proliferation of nuclear
weapons. Both the Soviet Union and the United States had developed substantial nuclear
weapons, and the threat of a nuclear weapons exchange lingered throughout this period.

Proxy War:
To avoid direct combat, the Soviet Union and the United States often supported opposing
factions in international conflicts. These conflicts were known as proxy wars.

Each of these qualities is essential in its own right, so it's difficult to define which one is the
most important. Although it could be argued that the ideological differences between
communism and capitalism were the main reason for the tension that started the Cold War.

Primary Source
“19 Characteristics of the Cold War”, simplicable.com
Compare and contrast life in east and west Germany before 1989. why was one country a
success and the other a failure?

Before 1989, life in East Germany and West Germany was vastly different. In East Germany, the
government was controlled by the Communist Party, and the economy was based on the Soviet
model of central planning. This meant that the government had a great deal of control over the lives
of its citizens, and many basic goods and services were provided by the state. However, this system
also led to widespread shortages and inefficiencies, and many people lived in poverty.

In contrast, West Germany was a liberal democracy with a market-based economy. The government
had less control over the lives of its citizens, and the economy was driven by private enterprise. As a
result, West Germany was more prosperous and had a higher standard of living than East Germany.
One reason for the success of West Germany and the failure of East Germany was the different
economic systems they employed. The central planning of the Soviet model was not as efficient as
the market-based economy of West Germany, and this led to lower levels of productivity and
growth in East Germany. Additionally, the lack of freedom and political repression in East Germany
likely stifled innovation and entrepreneurship, further hindering the country's economic
development.

Another factor that contributed to the differences between the two countries was the presence of the
Berlin Wall, which separated East and West Germany for nearly 30 years. The wall was a symbol of
the divisions between the two sides and made it difficult for people in East Germany to travel and
interact with the outside world. This isolation likely had a negative impact on the country's economy
and society. Overall, the success of West Germany and the failure of East Germany can be
attributed to a combination of factors, including the different economic systems they employed, the
lack of freedom and political repression in East Germany, and the isolation caused by the Berlin
Wall.
Compare and contrast life in east and west Germany before 1989. why was one country a
success and the other a failure?

On August 13, 1961, the Communist government of the German Democratic Republic (GDR,
or East Germany) began to build a barbed wire and concrete “Antifascistischer Schutzwall,”
or “antifascist bulwark,” between East and West Berlin. The official purpose of this Berlin
Wall was to keep so-called Western “fascists” from entering East Germany and undermining
the socialist state, but it primarily served the objective of stemming mass defections from
East to West. The Berlin Wall stood until November 9, 1989, when the head of the East
German Communist Party announced that citizens of the GDR could cross the border
whenever they pleased. That night, ecstatic crowds swarmed the wall. Some crossed freely
into West Berlin, while others brought hammers and picks and began to chip away at the wall
itself. To this day, the Berlin Wall remains one of the most powerful and enduring symbols
of the Cold War.

The Berlin Wall: The Partitioning of Berlin

As World War II  came to an end in 1945, a pair of Allied peace conferences at Yalta and
Potsdam determined the fate of Germany’s territories. They split the defeated nation into four
“allied occupation zones”: The eastern part of the country went to the  Soviet Union , while
the western part went to the United States, Great Britain and (eventually) France.

Even though Berlin was located entirely within the Soviet part of the country (it sat about
100 miles from the border between the eastern and western occupation zones), the Yalta and
Potsdam agreements split the city into similar sectors. The Soviets took the eastern half,
while the other Allies took the western. This four-way occupation of Berlin began in June
1945.

The Berlin Wall: Blockade and Crisis

The existence of West Berlin, a conspicuously capitalist city deep within communist East
Germany, “stuck like a bone in the Soviet throat,” as Soviet leader  Nikita Khrushchev  put it.
The Russians began maneuvering to drive the United States, Britain and France out of the
city for good. In 1948, a Soviet blockade of West Berlin aimed to starve the western Allies
out of the city. Instead of retreating, however, the United States and its allies supplied their
sectors of the city from the air. This effort, known as the  Berlin Airlift , lasted for more than
a year and delivered more than 2.3 million tons of food, fuel and other goods to West Berlin.
The Soviets called off the blockade in 1949.

After a decade of relative calm, tensions flared again in 1958. For the next three years, the
Soviets–emboldened by the successful launch of the  Sputnik  satellite the year before during
the “Space Race ” and embarrassed by the seemingly endless flow of refugees from east to
west (nearly 3 million since the end of the blockade, many of them young skilled workers
such as doctors, teachers and engineers)–blustered and made threats, while the Allies
resisted. Summits, conferences and other negotiations came and went without resolution.
Meanwhile, the flood of refugees continued. In June 1961, some 19,000 people left the GDR
through Berlin. The following month, 30,000 fled. In the first 11 days of August, 16,000 East
Germans crossed the border into West Berlin, and on August 12 some 2,400 followed—the
largest number of defectors ever to leave East Germany in a single day.

The Berlin Wall: Building the Wall

That night, Premier Khrushchev gave the East German government permission to stop the
flow of emigrants by closing its border for good. In just two weeks, the East German army,
police force and volunteer construction workers had completed a makeshift  barbed wire and
concrete block wall –the Berlin Wall–that divided one side of the city from the other.

Before the wall was built, Berliners on both sides of the city could move around fairly freely:
They crossed the East-West border to work, to shop, to go to the theater and the movies.
Trains and subway lines carried passengers back and forth. After the wall was built, it
became impossible to get from East to West Berlin except through one of three checkpoints:
at Helmstedt (“Checkpoint Alpha” in American military parlance), at Dreilinden
(“Checkpoint Bravo”) and in the center of Berlin at Friedrichstrasse (“Checkpoint Charlie”).
(Eventually, the GDR built 12 checkpoints along the wall.) At each of the checkpoints, East
German soldiers screened diplomats and other officials before they were allowed to enter or
leave. Except under special circumstances, travelers from East and West Berlin were rarely
allowed across the border.

The Berlin Wall: 1961-1989

The construction of the Berlin Wall did stop the flood of refugees from East to West, and it
did defuse the crisis over Berlin. (Though he was not happy about it, President  John F.
Kennedy  conceded that “a wall is a hell of a lot better than a war.”) Almost two years after
the Berlin Wall was erected, John F. Kennedy delivered one of the most famous addresses of
his presidency to a crowd of more than 120,000 gathered outside West Berlin’s city hall, just
steps from the Brandenburg Gate . Kennedy’s speech has been largely remembered for one
particular phrase. “I am a Berliner.”

In all, at least 171 people were killed trying to get over, under or around the Berlin Wall.
Escape from East Germany was not impossible, however: From 1961 until the wall came
down in 1989, more than 5,000 East Germans (including some 600 border guards) managed
to cross the border by jumping out of windows adjacent to the wall, climbing over the barbed
wire, flying in hot air balloons, crawling through the sewers and driving through unfortified
parts of the wall at high speeds.

The Berlin Wall: The Fall of the Wall

On November 9, 1989, as the Cold War  began to thaw across Eastern Europe, the spokesman
for East Berlin’s Communist Party announced a change in his city’s relations with the West.
Starting at midnight that day, he said, citizens of the GDR were  free to cross  the country’s
borders. East and West Berliners flocked to the wall, drinking beer and champagne and
chanting “Tor auf!” (“Open the gate!”). At midnight, they flooded through the checkpoints.

More than 2 million people from East Berlin visited West Berlin that weekend to participate
in a celebration that was, one journalist wrote, “the greatest street party in the history of the
world.” People used hammers and picks to knock away chunks of the wall–they became
known as “mauerspechte,” or “wall woodpeckers”—while cranes and bulldozers pulled down
section after section. Soon the wall was gone and Berlin was united for the first time since
1945. “Only today,” one Berliner spray-painted on a piece of the wall, “is the war really
over.”

The reunification of East and West Germany was made official on October 3, 1990, almost
one year after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Primary Source
“Berlin Wall” , history.com