Cold+War

=The Cold War=

By Clint Cuthbertson
There were two main sides of the Cold War: the Democratic United States, and the Communist Soviet Union. To the U.S, the Soviet Union was becoming just like the Nazis, but they were impressing their communistic life-style onto the rest of the world. The U.S.S.R viewed Americans with the same fear of domination. This tension lead to a little more than 40 years worth of military campaigns, another potential world war, and oppression, but there was finally an era of peace. After Germany surrendered and WWII ended in 1945, the Allies, which included the U.S and the U.S.S.R, officially announced what the fate of Germany would be. It had been decided at thee famous Potsdam meeting that Germany and its capital would be divided up between the Russians, the Americans, the French, and the British. The Soviet Union, as compensation for the effects WWII had on it's economy, got the whole eastern half. France, Britain, and the U.S. got parts of the west. East Germany became the first of the many satellite states the U.S.S.R would control. Both the Russians and the Americans felt that if they had the better weapons, the other would back off and surrender. This was the same philosophy regarding the exploration of space, so the arms and space races were born. Even though the U.S was the first to develop nuclear bombs, the U.S.S.R was quick to replicate the destructive weapons, but they took it a step further. After Fidel Castro took over Cuba and allied himself with the Soviet Union, he allowed them to put nuclear war heads on his land. For 14 days in 1962, The Cuban Missile Crisis raged, with the U.S threatening war if the missiles were not removed. Thankfully, the U.S.S.R pulled the missiles out of Cuba, ending the crisis. This was the closest the world has ever gotten to open nuclear warfare. Besides The Cuban Missile Crisis, the U.S and the U.S.S.R were working behind the scenes of other major conflicts across the globe. North Korea's invasion of South Korea was supported by the Soviet Union, and the Americans backed up the South Koreans. In the the Vietnam conflict, the two super powers found themselves on opposite sides of the confrontation again. They were always trying to outdo each other, like rival football teams. Even at the U.S.S.R's home territory, Americans tried to help countries like Czechoslovakia, Poland, Austria, and even East Germany. There, a silent war was being fought. In the satellite states, the Soviet Union was sometimes referred to as "Big Brother." And like an older sibling, the U.S.S.R abused it's "younger siblings." In keeping with the communistic ideal, everyone was getting the same products. Food and gas lines were enormous, with people often waiting hours to get what they needed. Hygiene items were almost non-existent, with the economy focused on producing for the Russian's benefit. However, through many silent and open protests/ uprisings, the grip of the U.S.S.R began to slacken. More freedoms were given back to the people, and East and West Germany were eventually reunited. On the 31st of December 1991, all operations and institutions of the Soviet Union were disbanded/ceased, officially marking the end of the Cold War.