Trade bloc

American and European powers. Formed in response to the spread of Soviet influence, NATO continues today to ensure the defense of its member states. Following World War II, the world became split between the Western nations and the Communist Eastern bloc, headed by the US and USSR respectively. During this postwar period, the USSR began expanding their influence into neighboring states and instituting satellite governments throughout Eastern Europe. In response, the US and its allies sought a…

revenue. 50% of the source of state income came from foreign aid from countries like the U.S. Afghanistan entered into the realm of international relations during the proxy wars between the powers in the Western Bloc(the United States, its NATO allies and others) and powers in the Eastern Bloc (the Soviet Union). This war was an ideological war and it was ideas of free-market capitalism which formed the basis of American policy toward the Soviet Union. Afghanistan become important in this…

The Cold War is a war unlike any other that if a person would ask different historians or people who lived during the time what it was, that person would get so many different and varied answers. Fear and hysteria dominated the public and political atmosphere during the time after World War II because of the start of a conflict that what was to be called the Cold War. This war dragged on for decades lasting from 1945 to 1991 when the Soviet regime finally fell. It was an unusual war that saw…

nations work to remove trade barriers and create greater trading opportunities, the school of thought has been global trade liberalization and/or regional free trade agreements. While economists and politicians have argued on both sides of this issue, there has yet to be a consensus on the most optimal arrangements. This is a complex and multifaceted question which requires finesse and cooperation among nations and globally. Presented is an analysis of regional free trade agreements, benefits…

United States used displays of lavish and modern consumerism, as an effective tool in the fight against communism. The thesis of the article is that the desire for consumer goods is, at least, partially responsible for causing unrest in the Eastern Bloc and exposed how different the Soviet’s communist tenets were from what humans’ desire. In the introduction of Greg’s article, he speaks of a fictitious account published in 1951 by sociologist David Reisman’s. In this account Reisman tells of how…

A symbol of oppression for the German people, the Berlin Wall was a barrier that separated the city of Berlin in both the physical and metaphorical form of the word. Officially designated the “Anti-Fascist Protection Rampart” by the government of the German Democratic Republic, the wall split the city of Berlin into two segments. One half was controlled by the Soviet Union and the other half of Berlin was administered by an alliance of the three Western allied powers, comprised of the United…

The Second World War was one of the most challenging periods humanity has ever faced. The world was plagued by death and destruction caused by feuding countries in a war of power. During the war, the United States of America and the Soviet Union played a great role. Their military forces helped bring down Nazi Germany and recovered what was left of Europe. But issues ensued during these trying times that caused these wartime allies turn on each other and become enemies during the Cold War. What…

Frederick Taylor author of The Berlin Wall: A World Divided 1961-1989 written in 2007, brings to the front an almost forgotten event in history. He writes an in depth novel of what precipitated the events before the wall was built, and after it was torn down. Taylor gives a thorough account of the happenings, and with the use of evidence, personal account, interviews, and opinion he gives a delightful and at time somewhat controversial account of the Berlin Wall. The author gives account of the…

In 1945 directly following the end of WWII, Nazi territory was separated into zones. Each Allie country (US, France and Great Britain) were given a zone during the Potsdam Conference. During this conference the Soviet Union’s assigned zone encompassed all of Germany, along with other European countries. This concerned the Allies as it was apparent the priority of the USSR was to spread communism and their idealistic views. Therefore the Allies divided the city of Berlin into East and West…

The Berlin Journal by Robert Darnton provides an account on the reunification of East and West Berlin. Throughout the journal, Darnton reveals how confronting the past is an important step in moving forward. Darnton also examines the different meanings the Berlin Wall symbolized for East and West Berliners. Finally, the effects of reunification on the economic system were a concern among East Berliners as they did not want to let go of socialism. The three major themes in Darnton’s Berlin…