The Impact of the Cold War on America Essay Example

The Cold War is important because of the new ideas it brought about. While it brought about new advancements, it also brought panic. There was a constant fear that a nuclear war would break out between the United States and the Soviet Union. This changed everyday life for citizens. The Cold War is important because it shaped American Diplomacy and political ideas, impacted the national economy, and affected the personal lives of Americans.

The Cold War greatly affected American Diplomacy. The Cold War was a diplomatic contest between the United States and the Soviet Union. There was a major idealistic conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union. The United States wanted to stop the spread of communism while Russia wanted to promote it. This caused strong disagreement between the two countries. The countries never fought physical battles,  But the two superpowers continually antagonized each other through political schemes, military partnerships, reconnaissance, and proxy wars between other nations. The diplomacy of the cold war affects us today because it helped for current alliances and hostilities.

The national economy was affected by the Cold War. The Cold War contributed to a period known as The Great Inflation, which occurred between 1965 and 1982. “Keynesian economics led to high government spending that triggered inflation. After that, the U.S. shifted to tax cuts and Reaganomics, cutting inflation and resuming economic growth. This resulted in tremendous deficit spending.” (Rust, 2021)

Americans' everyday lives were affected by the cold war. There was a constant fear among Americans that a nuclear war would break out between the United States and the Soviet Union. Citizens' fear was reflected through  movies, songs, television, and behavior. American culture incorporated a wide scale of Cold War themes and issues into all areas of society.  It became the normal to have a bomb shelters in your home and to have bomb drills in schools and businesses.

In conclusion, The Cold War is important because it shaped American Diplomacy and political ideas, impacted the national economy, and affected the personal lives of Americans. American diplomacy, political ideas, and the national economy were all greatly affected by the cold war. It changed citizens' expected conformity and normalcy. Some of the great advancements we have today are because of the cold war. Many ideologies and technological advancements would not have been made without the Cold War.