Discuss the extent to which the US economic power led to the end of the Cold War.
American economic power promoted the end of the Cold War by weakening the Soviet Union. As the United States was a superpower they had colossal economic power usually demonstrated in the form of their powerful military. The reason that the Cold War was so notable is because of the fact that both America and the USSR were superpowers and had the economic ability to own and research nuclear weapons. Due to the fact that the US was so economically and in turn politically powerful it is obvious that their actions and pressure made influential movement in the Cold War. Many events that led to the end of the Cold War stemmed from or were promoted by America’s economic …show more content…
As part of US strategy, the United States increased defence expenditure so therefore the USSR would do so as well. The United States knew that their economy could sustain their large military spending, and comprehended that the Soviet Union might not have been able to keep up with them. This then became true as the Soviet Union obsessed over building up their military they neglected other aspects of their economy and as a result became impoverished and collapsed. It cost up to eight trillion US Dollars for America in military expenditure, but it cost more for the Soviet …show more content…
They achieved this through various strategies and policies most of which involved forcing the Soviet Union into competition, and obstructing alliances or acquisitions of new territory. This is illustrated in Glasnost and Perestroika, the arms race, and the Truman Doctrine. While some actions by the United States encouraged the prolongation rather than the conclusion of the Cold War, most procedures were emphatic and stimulated the end of the Cold War. Although it should be acknowledged that the United States’ economic power and influence were not the only factors in the debilitation and collapse of the Soviet Union but was a nonetheless a major instrumentality. Without the United States effectively utilising their economic power, the end of the Cold War would have happened much later or not at
American economic power promoted the end of the Cold War by weakening the Soviet Union. As the United States was a superpower they had colossal economic power usually demonstrated in the form of their powerful military. The reason that the Cold War was so notable is because of the fact that both America and the USSR were superpowers and had the economic ability to own and research nuclear weapons. Due to the fact that the US was so economically and in turn politically powerful it is obvious that their actions and pressure made influential movement in the Cold War. Many events that led to the end of the Cold War stemmed from or were promoted by America’s economic …show more content…
As part of US strategy, the United States increased defence expenditure so therefore the USSR would do so as well. The United States knew that their economy could sustain their large military spending, and comprehended that the Soviet Union might not have been able to keep up with them. This then became true as the Soviet Union obsessed over building up their military they neglected other aspects of their economy and as a result became impoverished and collapsed. It cost up to eight trillion US Dollars for America in military expenditure, but it cost more for the Soviet …show more content…
They achieved this through various strategies and policies most of which involved forcing the Soviet Union into competition, and obstructing alliances or acquisitions of new territory. This is illustrated in Glasnost and Perestroika, the arms race, and the Truman Doctrine. While some actions by the United States encouraged the prolongation rather than the conclusion of the Cold War, most procedures were emphatic and stimulated the end of the Cold War. Although it should be acknowledged that the United States’ economic power and influence were not the only factors in the debilitation and collapse of the Soviet Union but was a nonetheless a major instrumentality. Without the United States effectively utilising their economic power, the end of the Cold War would have happened much later or not at