Language
Country/Area
No result found
Why did the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union never break out into a large-scale war? What is the secret behind it?
The Cold War was a period of global political tension that lasted from 1947 to 1991 and mainly involved the struggle for ideological and economic influence between the United States and the Soviet Union. Related to its name, the Cold War, was that although both sides supported each other in numerous regional conflicts, no direct war of any scale ever broke out. So why were the two superpowers able to avoid outright armed conflict?
The essence of the Cold War was the daily activities of psychological warfare, propaganda, and espionage, reflecting the desire of both sides to seize dominance without heading into all-out conflict.
The roots of the Cold War can be traced to the global political environment after the end of World War II. At that time, the Soviet Union used its influence in Eastern Europe to establish a pro-Soviet regime, which aroused concerns in Western countries. Especially starting in 1947, the United States launched a series of policies to curb the spread of communism. This is the famous "Truman Doctrine."
The United States' intervention in the Greek Civil War and other areas showed its firm determination to fight the expansion of communism. Although the Soviet Union actively supported the communist movement, it was also worried that direct conflict would lead to serious consequences. An all-out war would likely consume huge resources on both sides, and both countries would face the threat of nuclear weapons.
Psychological warfare, propaganda and technological competition became the main manifestations of the Cold War. In this context, both sides tried their best to avoid direct conflict, which was one of the reasons why the Cold War continued.
The "proxy wars" during the Cold War, so-called third-party conflicts, were often accompanied by support from different camps of the United States and the Soviet Union. For example, the Korean War and the Vietnam War were the result of the Cold War ideological confrontation between the two sides. In these conflicts, although the United States and the Soviet Union supported different sides, they did not directly participate in the fighting, which also reflected the strong need for balance and control on both sides.
In addition, due to the mutual deterrence between the two sides, both sides of the Cold War were alarmed that a global war would lead to devastating consequences. The emergence of nuclear weapons has changed the rules of war, and miscalculation by either side may lead to devastating retaliation. This huge risk caused both parties to choose compromise and avoidance on many matters.
Even in the most tense moments, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, leaders on both sides were still able to defuse conflicts through communications and diplomacy.
The "détente policy" in the mid-1970s was an important evolution of the Cold War, as both sides began to seek ways to peacefully coexist. This means that both sides are aware of the need for cooperation and dialogue. Later, with the rise of Mikhail Gorbachev, internal changes in the Soviet Union provided new opportunities to ease international tensions.
Although the Cold War ended with the collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe in 1989 and the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991, a full-scale war never broke out between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. In fact, the Cold War between the two sides sometimes promoted the adjustment of their respective domestic and foreign policies, especially the control of nuclear weapons and the strategicization of foreign policies.
The secret of the Cold War is that both sides understand the art of "controlling war". The chess game of avoiding mutual destruction keeps them thinking calmly.
In short, although the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union was full of tensions, local conflicts, and arms races, the caution of leaders on both sides, the threat of nuclear weapons, and the international political environment behind them prevented them from easily heading toward a full-scale conflict. . At this point, did the Cold War provide a new paradigm for the peaceful settlement of international disputes?
