Cold War Dbq

A period of severe tension between the United States and the Soviet Union, the Cold War proved to be a pivotal period in world history. Lasting from the mid 1940s to the early 1990s, the Cold War shaped the world in many ways. Through numerous conflicts arising from the spread of communist ideals, both the US and Soviet Union engaged in several tactics and activities to negatively affect the other nation's ability to engage in war, or what is more important in this case, the other nation's spread of influence. I believe the Cold War was indeed a form of Total War as there are several examples that serve as evidence. These include the proxy wars that took place around the world, the arms race and nuclear standoff, and the extensive foreign aid
The developing nations of Africa became the stage for cold-war conflicts, with the United States and the Soviet Union competing for their allegiance, often through economic aid. At this time, various African nations revolted against European powers and began decolonization. Soviet Union saw Africa as a new place to influence and provided aid to any country that would adopt socialist policies. The US then became interested in Africa because of the growing Soviet influence and offered monetary and structural aid so that Soviet aid would not be taken. This continued throughout the Cold War. At the conflict's close, most aid vanished. This withdrawal left many nations severely impoverished. An example of a country affected by Cold War conflicts was Ethiopia. An independent country ruled by Emperor Haile Selassie, Ethiopia was soon influenced by the Soviet Union. After the military successfully stage a coup, monarchy ended and the new government embraced socialism. The US stopped its support and the Soviet Union began aiding Ethiopia. The Soviet Union eventually stopped it support as well. This led to the fall of Ethiopia's communist government. Many social problems continue to this