Walter L. Hixson
Interpreting the history of the Cold War has been a notoriously controversial pursuit. New evidence, unearthed in recent years from archives on both sides of the Atlantic and the Pacific, has not resolved old debates, but it has added immensely to our collective knowledge. Much remains to be learned and understood about the history of the global power struggle, the impact of which on the latter half of the twentieth century can scarcely be exaggerated. As it recedes into history, the passions of presentism (interpreting history on the basis of contemporary prejudices) have receded as well. These developments open up new possibilities for stimulating discussion of the evolution and interpretations of the Cold War.
Five key interpretive themes can be employed to explain the evolution of the Cold War and to interpret the history of the conflict: ideology, national expansionism, economic hegemony, militarization, and patriotic culture. These forces help explain the origins, evolution, and end of the Cold War. Despite the primary focus on Soviet-American relations, no one questions that the Cold War became a global phenomenon enveloping the fates of scores of nations, some modern and industrial, others premodern and developing. Nations such as Great Britain and China played key roles in the evolution of the Cold War, but so did smaller states as diverse as Angola, Cuba, Egypt, Greece, India, Israel, Japan, Korea, South Africa, Vietnam, and many more. As this list suggests, the Cold War encompasses a vast and complex history, overshadowing the latter half of the twentieth century.
See also ARMS CONTROL AND DISARMAMENT; ARMS TRANSFERS AND TRADE; BALANCE OF POWER; COLD WAR ORIGINS; COLD WAR TERMINATION; COLD WARRIORS; COLLECTIVE SECURITY; CONTAINMENT; COVERT OPERATIONS; DETERRENCE; DOMINO THEORY; FOREIGN AID; GLOBALIZATION; INTELLIGENCE AND COUNTERINTELLIGENCE; INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION; INTERVENTION AND NONINTERVENTION; THE NATIONAL INTEREST; NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL; NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION; NUCLEAR STRATEGY AND DIPLOMACY; OUTER SPACE; POST–COLD WAR POLICY; SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; SUMMIT CONFERENCES; SUPERPOWER DIPLOMACY; THE VIETNAM WAR.