CHAPTER FIVE
The Origins and End of the Cold War

Study
Following World War II, the world became polarized in a cold war between two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union. Realists list several possible reasons for this standoff: Perhaps the Cold War began because of Soviet aggression, perhaps because of the expansionist nature of the U.S. capitalist system, or perhaps simply because the international security dilemma left the two countries no other viable option. Whichever the reason, realists argue that the United States won the Cold War by means of deterrence and an arms race that bankrupted the Soviet Union. Focusing on institutions and negotiations, liberals attribute the origin of the Cold War to the UN's failure to establish collective security; its end came about through the slow process of communication, negotiations, and détente. For the identity perspective, the Cold War was about values and common humanity, and they point to the nature of American democracy and Marxist-Leninism as the origins of the conflict. Accordingly, it came to an end only when the two superpowers' ideologies became less divergent.

Study Questions

1. What were the main points of George Kennan's "ong telegram?" Which perspective best characterizes it?
   



2. What are the three realist explanations for the cause of the Cold War? Which is most compelling?
   



3. According to the identity perspective, why did the two superpowers' perceptions of the other as enemies, not merely rivals, contribute to the beginning of the Cold War?