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The Cold War refers to the period of geopolitical tension and rivalry between the United States and its allies, representing the Western bloc, and the Soviet Union and its allies, representing the Eastern bloc, from roughly the late 1940s to the early 1990s. This hostility between the two superpowers was first given its name by George Orwell in an article published in 1945. Orwell understood it as a nuclear stalemate between “super-states”: each possessed weapons of mass destruction and was capable of annihilating the other. The Cold War began after the surrender of Nazi Germany in 1945, when the uneasy alliance between the United States and Great Britain on the one hand and the Soviet Union on the other started to fall apart.
Unlike traditional wars, the Cold War was characterized by indirect conflicts, ideological competition, nuclear arms races, proxy wars, and the struggle for global influence, rather than direct military confrontation between the superpowers. It involved key events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Space Race, and the arms race, with the ultimate goal being the spread of democracy and capitalism (by the U.S.) or communism (by the USSR).
Before we discuss the origins of cold war 1945 we need to understand the philosophy of cold war.
Communism in Soviet Union
Before the 1917 Russia was under the Tsar Nicholas II was an autocratic monarchy. There government with widespread poverty, inequality, and poor living conditions for peasants and workers. Industrialization was slow, and there was growing discontent among workers and peasants. Defeats in wars, such as the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905) and World War I, further weakened the monarchy and the economy.
The government of Tsar Nicholas II fell on March 15, 1917 (March 2, 1917, according to the Julian calendar used in Russia at the time). This marked the end of the Romanov dynasty and the Russian Empire after over 300 years of rule. The fall occurred during the February Revolution (named for February in the Julian calendar). Massive protests, strikes, and riots broke out in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg) due to widespread dissatisfaction with Russia’s involvement in World War I, severe food shortages, and economic hardships. Facing overwhelming pressure and realizing he had lost the support of the military, the people, and even members of his government, Tsar Nicholas II abdicated the throne in favor of his brother, Grand Duke Michael.
After his abdication, a Provisional Government was established, but it struggled to maintain order and address the grievances of the people. The provisional government was weak and riven by internal dissension. It continued to wage World War I, which became increasingly unpopular. There was a nationwide crisis affecting social, economic, and political relations. Gross industrial production in 1917 decreased by over 36% of what it had been in 1914. In the autumn, as much as 50% of all enterprises in the Urals, the Donbas, and other industrial centers were closed down, leading to mass unemployment.
The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, criticized the Provisional Government and gained popular support with their slogans like “Peace, Land, and Bread” and “All Power to the Soviets.” On October 25, 1917 (Julian calendar), the Bolsheviks, with the support of the Petrograd Soviet, overthrew the Provisional Government in the October Revolution. The Bolsheviks seized key government buildings, including the Winter Palace, and established a new government led by Lenin. This marked the start of Soviet rule and the transition to communism.
The Bolsheviks faced resistance from other political factions, including the Mensheviks and the Socialist Revolutionaries. The Russian Civil war started in 1918 between Bolsheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries which were known as whites. By 1922, the Bolsheviks had consolidated power across Russia and established the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). The Red Army’s superior organization, leadership, and control of industrial centers contributed to their victory.
In December 1922, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was officially established, uniting Russia with other Soviet republics (Ukraine, Belarus, and Transcaucasia initially). The Bolsheviks faced hostility from Western powers, which had supported the Whites during the Civil War. They focused on spreading communist ideology abroad through the Comintern (Communist International), established in 1919 to promote global revolution. Relations with neighboring countries remained tense, particularly after the Polish-Soviet War.
The Bolshevik victory solidified the world’s first communist state, setting an example for future communist movements. The US recognize Soviet Union on November 16, 1933, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. This decision was motivated by economic interests, the desire to counteract rising Japanese and German aggression, and the potential for increased trade between the U.S. and the USSR.
Origins of Cold war 1945
World War II began on September 1, 1939, when Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, invaded Poland. This act of aggression triggered a global conflict as it violated international agreements, prompting Britain and France to declare war on Germany on September 3, 1939. Operation Barbarossa started when Germany invaded Soviet Union in June 22, 1941. This act of aggression by Hitler close the Soviet Union to Allied forces like UK, France USA. World War II ended in 1945 with the unconditional surrender of the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan).
After World War II, colonialism entered a period of rapid decline, colonial powers like Britain and France were no more powerful. They financially bankrupted and the power was shift toward the new superpowers United States and Soviet Union. The United States and the Soviet Union, despite being allies against Nazi Germany, had deep-seated ideological differences. The United States promoted capitalism and democracy, while the Soviet Union stood for communism and a centrally planned economy. These contrasting ideologies inevitably led to tension, as both superpowers aimed to expand their influence on a global scale.
A significant early point of contention was the delay by the Allies, Stalin had repeatedly pressed the Western Allies to launch an invasion of Western Europe to ease the burden on Soviet forces battling the Nazis on the Eastern Front. The delayed D-Day invasion in 1944 deepened Soviet mistrust of Western motives. The other critical moment was when US use the Atomic bombs in Nagasaki and Hiroshima. it also demonstrated the United States’ formidable military power and sowed seeds of fear and mistrust in the Soviet Union, which was not yet a nuclear power.
In march 1946 British PM Winston Churchill delivered a speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. Churchill described how Europe was divided between Western democracies, which were mostly aligned with the United States, and Eastern Europe, which had come under Soviet influence. He stated:
“From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent.”
Churchill warned of the Soviet Union’s increasing control over Eastern Europe and its imposition of communist governments in countries like Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Romania. Churchill advocated for a stronger Anglo-American alliance, suggesting that only by maintaining close ties between the U.S. and the UK could the Western world resist Soviet influence. He stressed the importance of unity and collective security to prevent the spread of communism.
The Iron Curtain Speech is considered one of the opening moments of the Cold War, as it publicly acknowledged the growing divide between the Soviet-controlled East and the democratic West. The Truman Doctrine, announced by U.S. President Harry S. Truman on March 12, 1947, was a key element of U.S. foreign policy during the early Cold War. The doctrine arose from political instability in Greece, where a civil war raged, and in Turkey, which faced Soviet pressure over control of the Dardanelles. The U.S. stepped in to provide military and economic aid to both nations, fearing that their fall to communism would destabilize the region and threaten U.S. interests.
Truman stated:- “I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures.”
The Truman Doctrine is often seen as the starting point of the Cold War because it committed the United States to a global struggle against communism, not just in Europe but around the world.
The speech outlined a clear ideological framework that would define U.S.-Soviet relations for the next four decades, pitting democracy against communism. It set a precedent for U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts and laid the groundwork for later policies like the Marshall Plan (1948) and the creation of NATO (1949).
The Cold War differed from traditional wars as it was defined by indirect conflicts, ideological rivalry, proxy wars, a nuclear arms race, and a global competition for influence, rather than direct military clashes between the superpowers. Key events included the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Space Race, and the arms race. The overarching aim was the expansion of democracy and capitalism by the United States and communism by the Soviet Union. The Cold War ultimately concluded with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Conclusion
Cold shaped today’s Global world order. It still affects today’s international system. I think we better understand the origins of cold war 1945. In the next article we will discuss how cold war ends.