Cold War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cold War - Essay Example There was, however, also a policy in place to never give ground throughout the Cold War, meaning that there were frequent proxy conflicts throughout the world in order for either country gain an ideological advantage. These included proxy conflicts in Afghanistan, Vietnam, Korea as the best known examples. The United States also engaged in huge industrial efforts, to force the Soviet Union to match them – things like the Space Program and the Interstate highway system. These proxy conflicts, however, also caused many problems for the United States. Arming the Mujahedeen in Afghanistan, for instance, led to those same arms later being used against America, while the proxy conflicts in Vietnam significantly reduced America’s attachment to fighting wars and reduced national moral. Furthermore, America supported essentially any regime that would aid in the fight against Communism, regardless of the consequences. This included the rather dictatorial Shah of Iran, who was the n overthrown by a revolution that included a huge amount of Anti-American sentiment. To this day America has to deal with a dangerous and Anti-American regime because of its habit of supporting dictators who had political moods that aligned with what the United States wanted during the Cold War. These are two types of blowback: one in which the US government faced international pressure because of its international intervention, and one in which its own populace raised against it in attempts to change the course of foreign intervention. The latter kind set rise to all sorts of things, including the Kent State riots, while also giving further impetus to the civil rights movements. The Cold War was the defining conflict that shaped America throughout the 20th century. It had an impact on every part of American life, from people who went off to wars to everyday American who lived under the threat of the bomb. Though it has ended, its shadow on American politics lingers to the present d ay. 1. US foreign policy in the interwar years was dominated by two principles: the Monroe doctrine, which indicated that the United States had a sphere of influence over the Americas that no other country could influence, and a significant policy of isolationism on the international stage. This was not complete isolationism, as the United States still had significant trading partners, but military isolationism was relatively extreme. Examples of this isolationism include America’s failure to join the League of Nations, which doomed the enterprise from the start. It was understandable that the United States wanted to be so isolationist, considering the history of European squabbles that could so easily engulf the young country if it were to get involved. 2. The Civil Rights movement was a movement, led by Black people from the South of the United States, to end oppression based on race and to gain basic liberties enjoyed by people of other races. Its roots can be traced back to the civil war, after which it was officially illegal to bar people from voting on the basis of race. Many Southern States, however, put together a series of laws and acts of intimidation that still prevented blacks from enjoying equal rights and protections. Lynching still occurred, it was still illegal for a black person and a white