POLS 2940 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Asian Century, Nuclear Arms Race, Vladimir Putin
Document Summary
Factors in causes of cold war - incompatibility between the social and economic systems of. East and west, mutual fears on the part of the ussr and usa concerning the other"s intentions, and insecurities generated by an ongoing nuclear arms race. Beginning in europe, cold war soon spread to what became known as the third world. Some theorists argue bene ts from this new international order. Kenneth waltz - reducing the number of major international actors to only two (bipolarity), the cold war created its own form of stability. John lewis gaddis - a "long peace" - organizing the world into two separate blocs, by keeping germany divided, and by maintaining a proverbial superpower headlock on nationalism in europe. Economic decline, the cost of war itself, east european discontent with russian rule, and reformist policies pursued by the last soviet leader mikhail gorbachev nally spelled doom for the soviet system.