A question about the Cold War...

[Violet_Crumble]

This may for some strange inexplicable reason look like an attempt to get some pointers on what to write about for 40 minutes during an exam ;) If you had to discuss the significance for International Relations of the Cold War, what would be the issues you'd address? So far I've got things like the balance of power and a bipolar world, the deterrence theory, identity politics, and the arms race, though I'm sure there's more....

Any assistance or anything's going to be gratefully accepted...


Violet...

[Darranar]

1. The Crumbling of Idealogy...

I'm not sure how much it applies to "the significance for International Relations of the Cold War", but I think an essay on how both the US and the Soviet Union completely abandoned their ideology for national interests would be interesting.

For instance, the way the United States propped up corrupt and unfree regimes in South Vietnam and South Korea despite thier protestations of defending freedom, and how the government of the Soviet Union and the governments of the satellite states became the same sort of elitist bloc that Karl Marx despised, but empowered by authoritarianism instead of capitalism.

Of course ideology in foreign policy is almost always propaganda, but pointing out hypocrisy is always fun...

The issue of containment is another good one. The Soviet sattelite states in eastern Europe and the various hot wars fought by the US against communism and leftist retards is a topic full of interesting matters to discuss.

[rini]

2. help

the role of the media, economic changes on both sides, melding of ideologies, make it all compare and contrast. That is what I expect of my students. X did this and Y responded by this...cause and effect is important. In IMO, economics and media have played central roles in the start, continuation and ending of the cold war. Remember, $ guides politics 99 out of 100 times.

good luck

[Violet_Crumble]

3. Thanks to both of you...

Thanks for the help. And containment's a keeper. I reckon a more fun question for the exam would be who started the Cold War, but I shouldn't be complaining seeing we've been given two questions I can write about without too many problems, and one I'm hitting the books for...

Violet...