n 1-3 paragraphs, compare and contrast the actions of the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Make sure to include citations for your research.
During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union exhibited contrasting actions that shaped the global political landscape. The U.S. embraced the policy of containment, aimed at preventing the spread of communism and maintaining capitalist systems worldwide. This led to interventions in countries like Korea and Vietnam, supporting anti-communist forces and engaging in military conflicts. According to Martin McCauley (2008), the U.S. believed in the domino theory, whereby the fall of one country to communism would lead to a cascading effect on neighboring nations. Therefore, the U.S. sought to counter communist expansion through military and political means.
On the other hand, the Soviet Union sought to expand its influence by encouraging communist revolutions around the world. They supported national liberation movements, such as in Cuba and Angola, providing military aid and economic assistance to socialist governments. According to Professor David S. Painter (2012), the Soviet Union aimed to spread its ideology and build alliances with like-minded countries to create a bloc against American imperialism.
While the U.S. focused on containment, the Soviet Union sought aggressive expansion, leading to a global power struggle that defined the Cold War era. Both nations engaged in proxy wars, espionage, and propaganda campaigns, resulting in a divided world and constant tensions between the two superpowers.