Cold War Chronicles

The aftereffects of the Cold War continue to impact the world today. Following the close of the Cold War era, Communism was no longer a pervasive force. Because Communist countries invested a significant amount of resources into military power, their economies became weak and neglected. Today, the nuclear arsenals created during the Cold War still exist, causing concern that these nuclear weapons will be used in the future. After the United States defeated the Soviet Union, it emerged as the preeminent world leader and became a strong influence on international politics. This book explores the political, economic, and technological impact of the Cold War on life today.

In the late 1950s, space became the new source of conflict for the United States and the Soviet Union. The world changed in 1957 when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik. The world's first satellite, Sputnik prompted advances in science and technology. Each side was determined to demonstrate technological acumen and military prowess through the ultimate space race. This book explores how technological power was used in the fight for political dominance.

The Cold War introduced new military arsenal, weapons of mass destruction. The United States and the Soviet Union invested billions of dollars into the development of sophisticated and destructive weapons. Creating a dangerous military arsenal became another objective. After the Soviet Union detonated its first atomic bomb, the United States tested the first hydrogen bomb. This book examines how nuclear proliferation and the arms race influenced the trajectory of the Cold War.

United States president John F. Kennedy advocated an invasion of Cuba. Led by anti-Castro supporters, the Bay of Pigs invasion was unsuccessful. Castro understood the invasion as an attempt to overthrow his government. After this unsuccessful event, the two superpowers of the United States and the Soviet Union came close to a nuclear confrontation. This book takes a closer look at this dramatic conflict and the tensions that emerged from the threat of nuclear power.

When the Soviet Union disintegrated into independent countries, the West hailed the collapse as a victory for democracy. The dismantling of the Soviet Union as the centralized economic system required the separate countries to establish their own economies, assemble political structures, and reconcile territorial issues. As a result of the disintegration, many peripheral wars have ensued. This book looks at the transformation of politics throughout the world as new military and economic alliances were established after the Soviet Union's breakup.

The growth of Soviet power prompted concern from the United States. President Truman asserted that the United States needed to prevent Communism from becoming stronger. His warning to Congress became known as the Truman Doctrine. When General George Marshall visited Europe, he feared that Europe's weak economy would encourage the growth of Communism. He established an initiative to provide economic support to rebuild Europe, which had been devastated by the war. This initiative was nicknamed the Marshall Plan. Congress was reluctant at first but ultimately approved the plan when Czechoslovakia became Communist in 1948. This book gives an in-depth discussion of European integration and the influence of Communism on Western Europe.

The looming threat of Communist expansion led the United States and eleven Western nations to establish the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Responding to NATO, the Soviet Union and the Communist Eastern bloc formed the Warsaw Pact. European nations soon aligned with one of the opposing military forces. This book takes a closer look at how NATO, the Warsaw Pact, and the Iron Curtain played a role in the sharp political division between the West and East.

The Cold War was a time of ultimate technological, military, and political competition between the United States and the Soviet Union. Proxy wars were fought between countries supported by one of the two superpowers of the United States or the Soviet Union. The United States and Soviet Union put their powers to the test in the arms race and the space race. This book describes how the landscape of war was forever changed as these formidable forces pursued political power through technology and weapons.