Cold War

No, atheism was not the official religion of Cold War Russia. The Soviet Union was officially atheist and promoted atheism as the state ideology, but it did not establish atheism as a religion. Religion was actively suppressed during this time, and believers faced persecution.

The Cold War led to increased government funding for higher education, as both the United States and the Soviet Union viewed scientific and technological advancements as crucial for gaining a strategic edge. This resulted in the expansion of research programs and institutions, as well as a focus on STEM fields. The competition between the two superpowers also influenced academic disciplines, such as international relations and area studies.

I have learned a lot from this experience and I plan to use this knowledge to continue growing and improving. I will reflect on my progress, identify areas of strength and weakness, and set goals for further learning and development in the future. Overall, this experience has been valuable in helping me to become a better learner and practitioner in my field.

During the Cold War, the principles of liberalism included advocating for democratic governance, individual rights, free markets, and the rule of law. Liberalism also emphasized the importance of international cooperation, human rights, and non-intervention in the affairs of sovereign states. It stood in contrast to the authoritarian and centralized control promoted by the Soviet Union and its allies.

The weakness of communist satellite governments in the Cold War was most apparent in Eastern Europe, particularly during popular uprisings like the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and the Prague Spring in 1968. These events highlighted the discontent and resistance to Soviet control, revealing the fragility of the communist system outside of the Soviet Union.

Generational tensions in the movement were fueled by differing perceptions of strategies and ideologies. Older generations tended to favor traditional, peaceful approaches, while younger activists sought more radical tactics. Additionally, younger activists were critical of the slow progress made by older leaders in achieving racial equality. These tensions were exemplified in conflicts between civil rights leaders like MLK and more radical figures like Malcolm X.

The Cold War developed from post-World War II tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, leading to a standoff marked by political, economic, and military competition. In individual nations, it shaped political systems through the spread of communism and democracy, with each side forming alliances and influencing domestic policies. Economically, it led to military buildups, technological advancements, and the division of countries into capitalist and socialist spheres of influence.

The proliferation of nuclear weapons and the arms race dynamics developed during the Cold War continued to shape global politics post-Soviet Union. The legacy of proxy wars and conflicts fueled by Cold War rivalries also persisted, influencing regional dynamics in various parts of the world. Additionally, the establishment of alliances and strategic partnerships formed during the Cold War continued to impact international relations in the post-Cold War era.

The two opposing ideologies that waged the Cold War and created two major political boundaries were Communism and Democracy.

After the Cold War, key goals included promoting democracy and market economies, expanding NATO and the European Union, managing nuclear proliferation, and fostering peace in regions like the Middle East and the Balkans. Policies focused on supporting democratic transitions, economic development, and promoting human rights globally, while also pursuing arms control agreements, conflict resolution, and humanitarian interventions.

Realpolitik focused on pragmatic policies rather than ideological considerations, promoting the pursuit of a nation's self-interest and power. This approach led to policies such as detente and negotiations with rivals to manage conflicts, affecting the Cold War by easing tensions and reducing the risk of direct military confrontation between the superpowers. Realpolitik also influenced alliances and engagements with non-aligned countries, shaping the global dynamics of the Cold War period.

Realpolitik was important in the Cold War because it prioritized practical and strategic considerations over ideological concerns. This approach allowed policymakers to navigate complex global dynamics and pursue stability through pragmatic decision-making. Realpolitik helped the superpowers manage the intense rivalries and conflicts of the Cold War era without risking a direct confrontation.

Both the Communist bloc and the Western nations tried to tried to extend their influence to Africa. The result mostly was that these countries were inundated with 'development' money in return for their support for either the East or the West.

The West mostly won out in Africa, but pouring trillions of dollars in often little-developed economies and mostly rural societies did not lead to major development. Much more, it lead to large-scale corruption and self-enrichment by those countries' elites, to clientelism, spending on armies and weaponry and to a massive growth of people employed by the Governments - and as a consequence, to an enormous bureaucracy that slowed down economic growth rather than stimulating it.

Despite having gotten much more in aid money than ever was taken out of Africa in 70 years of colonialism, the East/West race to 'buy' African countries' loyalty ended with many of them being now worse off than they were in the Sixties.

Realpolitik is a political approach that prioritizes practical concerns over moral or ideological considerations, often involving pursuing self-interest and power. Containment, on the other hand, was a U.S. foreign policy strategy during the Cold War that aimed to prevent the spread of communism by using diplomatic, military, and economic means to contain Soviet influence.

A common political factor for US-aligned states in Europe during the Cold War was their shared commitment to containing the spread of communism. These states often formed alliances, such as NATO, to counter the influence of the Soviet Union and its allies in Eastern Europe. The US provided military and economic support to these countries as part of their efforts to uphold Western democratic values and oppose communism.

Very tense and somewhat .. cold. Countries distrusted each other as alliances between either the U.S. or USSR were formed by many nations, some opting to get the best of both superpowers. Politics operated with a looming threat of nuclear war which came close several times. The superpowers avoided direct confrontation with each other but that didn't prevent allied countries of one superpower from fighting those of another.

The Warsaw Pact (1955-91) is the informal name for the Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance. The treaty was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe. It was established at the USSR's initiative and realized on 14 May 1955, in Warsaw.

Some countries that transitioned to democracy after the Cold War include Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania). These countries were formerly under Soviet influence but eventually embraced democratic principles and institutions.

The main countries involved in the Cold War were the United States and the Soviet Union. The key political ideas were capitalism, promoted by the U.S., and communism, promoted by the Soviet Union. This ideological conflict resulted in global tension and competition between the two superpowers.

During the Cold War, the two main political ideologies were capitalism, championed by the United States and its allies, and communism, promoted by the Soviet Union and its allies. Capitalism favored private ownership of property, free markets, and individual freedoms, while communism advocated for state ownership of property, central planning, and the collective welfare of the society. This ideological divide fueled tensions and conflicts between the two superpowers.

Liberalism emphasizes economic interdependence and the role of institutions in promoting peace, highlighting how economic factors influenced interactions during the Cold War. Realism focuses on power struggles between states, showcasing how competition between the US and USSR led to arms races and proxy wars. Constructivism highlights the role of ideas, norms, and beliefs in shaping behavior, demonstrating how opposing ideologies of capitalism and communism fueled the conflict.

The Space Race sought to flex the technological muscles of both the Americans and Soviets. If one country could show that their rockets were superior, the other would be more intimidated by how this could translate to war.

National pride best describes the political goals of the space race. Each country wanted to be first to prove that they were better.

Constant interventionism by the United States on Latin America's internal affairs. Some examples include the military coup d'etat against Chilean president Salvador Allende or the Nicaraguan Contra guerrillas, both of them sponsored by the US government.

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were charged, convicted, and executed for espionage, specifically for passing information about the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union during the Cold War. They were found guilty of conspiracy to commit espionage and sentenced to death in 1953.