The misperception between the Capitalist United States and the Communist Soviet Union in the Cold War

in 1945-1991

Lecturer: Loic Diels Group 2: Tran Ngoc Mai Nghiem Thi Tuyet

Theories

Neo-realism
It was born in 1979 by Keneth Waltz. Known as structural realism, it provides a structure-centered approach to international relations. The theory depicts an international political system as a whole, with different levels of units and structure (Waltz, 2003).

Neo-realism
The common way to look at structural neo-realism is by analyzing the famous balance of power theory - that happens when every state, as a further reaction to survival, seeks to maximize their relative power. Balance of Power includes 3 possible systems: Unipolarity: happens where there is only hegemony ruling over the world. It is short-lived and conflict-ridden since it has to be under too many tasks and responsibilities as well as the response from other states in the system will be to ally against it in order to counterbalance its power (Moe, 2004, p.2). Bipolarity: proxy war is common in the world of bipolarity whose perfect example can be found during the Cold War (19451991) (notes). A multi-polar order, logically, involves more than two great powers in the political world. The multi-polar world today has become a global reality (Dickinson, 2009) with the US no longer the sole hegemony after the USSRs collapse in 1991 and the rise of China as a superpower.

Communism
Communism has been a major historical theme since the Bolshevik Revolution of Russia in
1917.

According to Karl Marx, Communism is the doctrine of the conditions of the liberation of the
proletariat.

Karl Marx, Engels profoundly encouraged this theoretical development by writing The
Communist Manifesto, published in 1848 Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communist revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Working men of all countries, unite! (Karl Marx, 1848)

Communism
Most of American economist and writers rejected communism containing unpractical ideals and criticized Marx have just pictured the imaginary prospect.
Most people who read "The Communist Manifesto" probably have no idea that it was written by a couple of young men who had never worked a day in their lives, and who nevertheless spoke boldly in the name of "the workers".

(Thomas Sowell, 1930)

Communism is the death of the soul. It is the organization of total conformity - in short, of tyranny - and it is committed to making tyranny universal.

(Adlai E.Stevenson, 1990-1965)

Theories in Action

The Marshall Plan (1947)

After the World War II, almost European countries suffered severe
loss in economy and politics. They dropped into the poverty while the US became rich in the short time. the Marshall Plan (1947) of the US with $17 billions for 16 European countries including Soviet Union. the European countries would rely on the US USSR rejected it, supposed that the US did not want to help us but desire to infiltrate European countries and restrain the strong influence of Soviet on this area ( Neo-realism)

The Communism development

After the World War II: The impact of the communism was growing. A wide range of countries in Eastern Europe, Asia and Latin America after the completion of the national revolution, people democracy, has declared to follow communism with Soviet Union then united a communist system.. the United States and its allies could not take into account the fact of strong development of communism. In short, Soviet Union abused their support to the movement for peace, national independence, democracy and social progress to open the underground fight against the United States. Indeed, from time to time, during the path of the revolutionary movement in the world, Soviet Union has still intertwined separated interests of its country and people, which is often referred to as neo-realism. In the period after the Second World War to the mid-70s, the encouragement to the worlds revolutionary movement was proved to be more positive, however, from the second half of the 70s when the Cold War ended, there was a decline and even many places, stages had contrary expression (the Gorbachev period, from 1985 to 1989).

The Arm Races

The arm races between Soviet Union and the US happened inevitably.

Conclusion
The Cold War ended, showing partly the failure of Soviet Union in building the communist society. After became Party leader in 1985, Gorbachev had to admit this failure. As he told in February 1986:
Much has changed in our life in the quarter of a century since the adoption of the Third Party Programme. New historical experience has been accumulated. Not all of the estimates and conclusions turned out to be correct. The idea of translating the tasks of the full-scale building of communism into direct practical action has proved to be premature. Certain miscalculations were made, too, in fixing deadlines for the solution of a number of concrete problems.

The U.S. and Soviet Union never confronted conflict directly with each other because of its interests for economy and citizen lives.