Arenas of the Cold War

The cold war was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of the political conflicts, military tension, between the powers of the western bloc including Soviet Union and later Russia, the United States and their respective allies. A typical historiography of the conflict begins with 1946, the year U.S diplomat George F. Kennan’s long telegram from Moscow cemented a U.S policy of containment of soviet growth. The cold war was fought on many fronts: in politics, propaganda and espionage. It was also fought in a more internal sense with an arms race, proxy wars, and border conflicts. The tensions between the United States and Soviet Union began during World War II.

Cold War 

• The confrontations of Korea (1950 – 53), Berlin (1958 – 62), the Congo (the early 1960s), Vietnam, and Afghanistan
• These confrontations occurred, and several people lost their lives in these arenas, but the governments didn’t take desperate measures and launched a full-scale nuclear war

Impact of these crises 

• All of those governments were in mutual suspicion and feared the impact of the cold war, and they prepared themselves to fight any day
• Good stock of arms and ammunition was considered to be necessary to prevent the war
• Those countries later realized that the war might occur despite restraint

Efforts at reducing Cold War crises: 

• Other countries were participating in keeping the peace maintained, avoiding the cold war conflict, and trying to curb the impact of the cold war

Jawaharlal Nehru – 

He played a prominent role and was a key leader of the NAM. In addition, he was playing as a mediator between both Korea’s. 

• During the Congo crisis, the UN Secretary-General played an essential mediatory role
• The superpowers realized that the maximum number of people should be away from International Affairs to avoid war as much as possible

Realization about Arms Control: 

• As the Cold War did not decrease the rivalry between the county’s governments, the US and USSR thought of finding different ways to eliminate and limit a few types of nuclear and non-nuclear weapons
• That’s when the system of Arms Control was established
• At the start of the year 1960, both the countries signed three different agreements in a decade itself. These agreements were: 
  • The limited test ban treaty 
  • Nuclear non-proliferation treaty 
  • Anti-ballistic missile treaty

Arms Control Activities

• Afterwards, the superpowers took several rounds of arms and its limiting conversations leading to arms control, and they also signed many other treaties to their arm limitations 

Cuban Missile Crisis

In April 1961, the Soviet Union or USSR which stands for union of soviet socialist republics were worried that the USA  would take over Cuba and hand over the presidential role to Fidel Castro amid the Cuban Missile Crisis. 

• The Soviet Union and Cuba were known to be knit together
• The premier of the state was Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev, who was determined   to convert Cuba into a Russian base
• In 1962, Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev successfully placed nuclear missiles in the land of Cuba. These installations would be used to target the US inside their limits. The US started to become aware of it and wanted to challenge it
• John F. Kennedy, who was the president of the United States with his advisors, was not sure of starting a huge war (nuclear war) between both countries
• That is when American warships were ordered by Kennedy to know if any Soviet Ships that were heading to Cuba to warn the USSR of the serious situation. This is also known as the Cuban Missile Crisis
• This clash made the whole world worried and anxious because of their confrontations, nuclear superpower, and destructive capabilities

Conclusion-

The cold war was a period of relative peace between the Soviet Union and the United states from 1946 to 1991. There was great political tension, military build-up and economic competition between the United States and the Soviet Union and its effects are still being felt today. We also come to know the crises that occurred during the cold war and its impacts. Jawaharlal Nehru had a major role in the war, he was the mediator between both Koreas. We also came to know about arms control and how it was established. And the realization about arms control. We also come across the Cuban missile crisis where the Soviet Union was worried that the US would invade communist-ruled Cuba and make Fidel Castro the president of their nation amidst the Cuban Missile Crisis. Cuba was also known as the ally of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union and the United States were afraid that if they started a war, neither would be able to survive it, so each side made sure not to attack the other. Because there weren’t any major wars in this time period, this is often referred to as the long peace.