FACULTY OF DEFENSE STUDIES AND MANAGEMENT

BACHELOR OF STRATEGIC STUDIES (1ZP44)

SEMESTER MARCH 2022 - JULY 2022

DSS 3323
THEORIES AND APPROACHES IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

DISCUSS THE ORIGINS AND THE MAIN FEATURES OF THE COLD WAR?

NO. NAME MATRIC ID

1 MUHAMAD AZNAN BIN KAMARUDDIN 2210582

PREPARED FOR: DR JATSWAN SINGH SIDHU

SUBMISSION DATE: 7th APRIL 2022

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 TABLE OF CONTENT

CONTENT PAGES

Introduction 3-4

Content

2.1 The Origins of The Cold War 5-6

2.2 The features of The Cold War 7-9

Conclusion 10

References 11-12

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1.0 INTRODUCTION

According to Antonius (2018), war has been a bleak part of humanity's history. Throughout
history, wars have resulted in the deaths of millions of people. Property that had been constructed
as a form of cultural expression was destroyed as a result of the war. In the twentieth century, the
world was witness to two world wars that involved people from all over the world. Various
methods must undoubtedly be devised to ensure that there are no more wars in the twenty-first
century, as well as in the following centuries. Many wars in the twenty-first century are limited in
scope. Wars are no longer fought between countries on the battlefield but are instead fought behind
the scenes with a small number of participants, such as in intelligence operations, cyber warfare,
and trade wars, among other things. The victim may not appear in front of the eyes right away, but
he or she is more structured. In the case of trade wars, international economic stability has been
shattered, with the consequences of economic inequalities, poverty, and other social problems. It
was inevitable that radical groups would spring up to fight for the worth of their lives through
violence, including discrimination and intolerance, as a result of this development.1
The Cold War is a global state in which nuclear war looms above the horizon, a condition
in which the world is defined by "peace but utter discord" and strained relations as potential
triggers of nuclear war conflict, with each superpower bracing itself for the possibility of a nuclear
blast (Kort, 1998).2
Communism is a political philosophy and economic system that aims to establish a society
in which everyone has equal access and control over the means of production and other forms of
property, although they are from different social or economic classes. According to Marx,
communist society is the ultimate goal of human society, and it can only be achieved through the
revolutionary revolution of the proletariat. Marx defined “pure communism” as a classless,
stateless, and easily oppressive society, in which decisions about production and policy were made
democratically. Because the communist system is tightly controlled by the top leadership in a
government, it is difficult for every member of society to participate economically, politically, and

1 Antonius Wattimena, R. A. (2018). Bisakah Perang Dihindari? Sejarah, Anatomi dan Kemungkinan Perang di Abad 21. ARY SUTA CENTER
SERIES FOR STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT, 43.

2 Kort, M. (1998). The Columbia Guide to the Cold War [E-book]. New York: Columbia University Press.
https://www.scribd.com/read/338694973/The-Columbia-Guide-to-the-Cold-War

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socially (Greg, 2005).3 As said by Adam and Jessica (2004), Communist society is a term used in
the social sciences to describe the critique of capitalism and liberal theory which is one of the
anthological doctrines introduced by Marxists in search of a proletarian revolution that would later
create a new concept of society known as communism. from poverty, social class, and division of
labor, as well as a society without institutional authority as a tool of oppression and social
superiority.
According to Britannica (2002), Capitalism is an economic and social system that promotes
the accumulation of wealth by individuals without the involvement of the government and intends
to profit from the system. Here, an individual is not limited to a single person, but rather includes
a group of individuals, such as a company. Economies based on the capitalist system are driven by
market forces in determining production, costs, prices, investments, and profits. 4 Kartini et al.
(2017) identified five characteristics of a capitalist economy that distinguish it from other types of
economies. First, creating commodities to maximize profit is the starting point for the capitalist
style of manufacturing. In addition, production is based on private ownership of the means of
production. Third, production is carried out to gain a dominant position in markets that are under
the control of rivals. Fourth, capitalists seek to maximize their profits by taking actions that benefit
them. And the last one is the accumulation of capital is the ultimate goal of production, which
brings it to a full target.5
Among the importance in studying this topic is that we can know the real essence that
wants to be fought by both parties who want to fight for their ideology is the communist ideology
represented by the USSR and the capitalist ideology represented by the United States. Moreover,
let us maintain the unity and peace of the country, and let us not allow the sacrifices of people to
become in vain.

3 Greg, G. (2005). Communism. AllAboutPhilosophy.Org. https://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/communism.htm

4Britannica. (2022). capitalism | Definition, Characteristics, History, & Criticism. Encyclopedia Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/capitalism

5 Kartini, D. S., Mulyawan, R., Yuningsih, N. Y., & CosmoGov. (2017). KAPITALISME PEDESAAN DI KAWASAN EKONOMI KHUSUS
(KEK) TANJUNG LESUNG KABUPATEN PANDEGLANG PROPINSI BANTEN. Jurnal Ilmu Pemerintahan, 3(1), 55.
https://doi.org/10.24198/cosmogov.v3i1.12636

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2.0 CONTENT

2.1 THE ORIGINS OF THE COLD WAR

In this section, the researcher discusses the results of data analysis in more detail on the
studies that have been conducted related to the origins of the Cold War. The results of data analysis
through reference methods that have been done are also available in this section.

In 1945, the Potsdam Conference was held. Three government leaders attended, including
Joseph Stalin representing the Soviet Union, Harry S. Truman representing the United States, and
Winston Churchill representing the United Kingdom. The conference took place from July 17 to
August 2, 1945, and was attended by representatives from all three countries (Avalon, 2008).6 As
said by Hariz Barak (2020), the fate of Germany after World War II was the most pressing issue
discussed at the Potsdam Conference. The Soviets wanted Germany to unite but also demanded
that Germany be completely disarmed. Several high-ranking American officials, including
Truman, harbored grave misgivings about Soviet intentions in Europe. As a result, the Soviets had
already taken control of a large portion of Eastern Europe. As far as the Soviet Union was
concerned, Germany was the only country that stood in its way. When it came time to deal with
German reunification, the Three Great Powers agreed to divide Germany into three occupation
zones, one for each country. 7

After the Japanese rejected the Potsdam Declaration, President Truman authorized the use
of the atomic bomb at any time after August 3, 1945. On the morning of August 6, 1945, the first
atomic bomb, nicknamed Little Boy, was dropped on Hiroshima. When an intense burst of heat
flattened 60 percent of the city, more than 70,000 people lost their lives in a matter of seconds. On
August 9, a second bomb, Fat Man, was dropped on Nagasaki, three days later. At the stroke of
midnight, over 20,000 people died. Thousands more Japanese died as a result of radiation
poisoning in the following weeks (Adam & Mark, 2014).8

6 The Avalon Project. (2008). Avalon Project - A Decade of American Foreign Policy 1941–1949 - Potsdam Conference. Lillian Goldman Law
Library. https://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/decade17.asp

7 Barak, H. (2020). 2-8-1945: Berakhirnya Konferensi Potsdam Jadi Panggung Pembuka Perang Dingin. liputan6.com.
https://www.liputan6.com/global/read/4319487/2-8-1945-berakhirnya-konferensi-potsdam-jadi-panggung-pembuka-perang-dingin

8 Adams, & Mark. (2014). Atomic Bomb: August 6, 1945 | Harry S. Truman. Harry S. Truman Library, Museum.
https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/education/lesson-plans/atomic-bomb-august-6-1945

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 The Russian Revolution caused Russian society to become very backward in the early
1800s compared to Western Europe. The two main groups of Russian society are the landlords
(nobles and peasants) (commoners) and the middle class (bourgeoisie). In Russia, agriculture is
still a major occupation. The lack of bourgeoisie makes liberalization difficult in Russia. The
absence of the bourgeoisie makes it difficult for liberalism to enter Russia because usually, the
bourgeoisie is a supporter of liberalism. Much like the French Revolution of 1789-1795, which
was triggered by public dissatisfaction with the government and the desire to abolish feudalism
and group discrimination. The Russian Revolution was inspired by the French Revolution, which
demanded equal rights and duties for all classes. Workers in Russia are fed up with blackmail and
low wages while entrepreneurs amass large sums of the property while workers earn nothing
(Brinton, Crane, 1965).9

9 Brinton, C. (1965). The Anatomy of Revolution (Revised and Expanded ed.) [E-book]. Vintage.
http://gen.lib.rus.ec/book/index.php?md5=ac07fb6c7baa8f618c9975174d94eba7

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2.2 THE FEATURES OF THE COLD WAR
Firstly, the American company and the Soviet Union always seemed suspicious of each
other and felt threatened by the other. As a result, the Soviet Union was designated as the Eastern
bloc and the United States was designated as the Western bloc, leading to the Cold War. Because
both the United States and the Soviet Union regarded the other as a potential threat to their own
interests, they turned their attention to third countries as potential areas of influence expansion.
During the Cold War, the United States spread Liberalism through the expansion of trade and
economic aid under the pretext of fighting for human rights, whereas the Soviet Union spread
Communism through the provision of weapons and the promotion of the liberation struggle against
imperialism and colonialism. Conflicts in several Third World countries are inextricably linked to
the interests and ambitions of the United States and Russia (McNamara 1989).10

According to McNamara (1989), The United States of America misunderstanding of

communist ideology that emphasized "class struggle”. The doctrine of "Socialism in One
Country," meant that the Soviet Union wanted to rule the world as the only socialist state. The
savagery of Stalin, Lenin, and Kruschev is evidence of this doctrine in action. This suspicion was
bolstered by the widespread communist influence in Third World countries that later became
communist countries. Notably, the Soviet Union unilaterally established an economic
administration in East Germany after communism in China won the Nationalist (1949). Poland,
Bulgaria, and Romania followed in 1947, and then Czechoslovakia and Hungary were all
communist countries by that point. Knowing this, the United States is concerned that communist
ideology may be spreading to other countries. After all, communists promise revolutionary and
anti-capitalist change.

The Soviet Union's foreign policy did not accept the US concept of nuclear deterrence
during the period of military transition. The logic of prevention leads to an endless nuclear arms
race (spiral undying) and requires each party to prepare a team to deal with the possibility of
nuclear war, which is why this concept is known as 'blackmail policy.'" After the escalation of the
conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union, the Soviet Union welcomed President
Johnson's proposal in January 1967, which he put forward to reduce the dangers of nuclear
weapons. Kanet (1982) said that the main purpose of the detention was not to establish peace, but

10
McNamara, R. S. (1990). Out of the Cold: Vol. 67 Issue 1. London: Bloomsbury. https://doi.org/10.2307/2621322

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rather to find their advantages, even if the rhetoric was aimed at reducing the arms between the
two countries.11

In the course of space exploration, another Cold War battlefield was discovered. Russia's
intercontinental ballistic missile, the R-7, successfully launched Sputnik, the world's first man-
made satellite and the first man-made object to orbit the Earth on October 4, 1957, using the
Russian R. -7 intercontinental ballistic missiles. Many Americans were surprised by the launch of
Sputnik because the event did not go positively. Space exploration is widely regarded as the next
frontier in the United States, and the United States mustn't lag behind the Soviet Union in this
effort. As a result of these demonstrations, it became more critical to gather intelligence on Soviet
military activity in the United States because of the R-7’s significant ability to launch nuclear
weapons into American airspace (History.com, 2022).12 The National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) was established on October 1, 1958, in response to perceptions of Soviet
technological success. NASA is the primary federal agency responsible for aerospace research and
the civilian space program, and it is based in Washington, DC. NASA acquired control of the Jet
Propulsion Laboratory, which was previously operated by the California Institute of Technology,
in December, resulting in the formation of the NASA-JPL organization. In 1958, the Advanced
Research Projects Agency (ARPA) was established, which was responsible for pioneering the
development of space technology for military purposes (Khan, 2022).13

The Korean War was a conflict between North Korea and South Korea that resulted in the
deaths of approximately 2.5 million people. It was a two-country battle. North Korea's invasion of
South Korea in June 1950 marked the beginning of a conflict that had reached global proportions.
They received assistance and advice from the Soviet Union. With the United States as a major
participant in the war, the United Nations (UN) sided with the South Koreans, while the People's
Republic of China sided with the North Koreans. A total of more than a million combat deaths
were suffered by both sides before the war on the Korean Peninsula was brought to a close in July
1953. Since 1954, the front line has been recognized as the demarcation line between North and

11 Kanet, & Roger E. (1982). Soviet Foreign Policy in the 1980s (4th ed., Vol. 43) [E-book]. New York: Praeger Publisher.
https://doi.org/10.2307/2499331

12 History.com Editors. (2022). The Space Race. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/space-race

13 Khan. (2022). The start of the Space Race (article). Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/postwarera/1950s-
america/a/the-start-of-the-space-race

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South Korea, following a failed attempt to reach an agreement during negotiations in 1954
(Britannica, 2022).14

More than half a century ago, the Cold War was only getting started. It was capitalism in
the West versus socialism in the Soviet Union. However, there was a second group of countries to
take into consideration. Several of them had previously been colonies. None of them could be
classified as belonging to either the Western or Soviet political camps. Munni (1979) said that
when the term "Third World" was used, people from the Third World had different perspectives
on their interactions with people from the developed world. During the early 1960s, the term had
become synonymous with terms such as "underdeveloped world," "developing countries," "less
developed countries," "former colonies," "Afro-Asian," "Latin American," "South American," and
other similar terms that have since become common usage. 15

14 Britannica. (2022). Korean War | Combatants, Summary, Years, Map, Casualties, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/event/Korean-War

15 Muni, S. D. (1979). The third world: Concept and controversy. Third World Quarterly 1, 1(3), 121.
https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597908419446

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CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, the Cold War is still going on to this day, especially since it is focused on
the conflict between NATO and the Russian Federation. Not forgetting the conflict between North
Korea and South Korea, which often dispute the Korean Demilitarized Zone on a strip of land
running across the Korean Peninsula near the 38th parallel north.

This Non-Alliance Movement or well be known as NAM emerged after decades of struggle
following post-war decolonization and emerged during the Cold War. This demand is made by
many newly independent countries who "reject the use of collective defense arrangements to serve
the particular interests of any superpower." To fight all forms of colonialism and empire, they
argued that developing countries should band together to support national self-determination rather
than aligning with either of the two great powers (the US or the USSR).

Southeast Asian countries want the five nuclear-weapon states to sign and ratify the
protocol of the Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (SEANWFZ). Achieving the
protocol's objectives would help keep Southeast Asia peaceful and neutral in an era of rising great
power competition. Many of the concerns are obsolete due to military technology advancements.
If all parties, including Southeast Asian countries and nuclear-weapon states, are willing to show
political flexibility, a quick deal should be possible. Amidst increasing international pressure to
make new disarmament progress, signing and ratifying the protocol should be considered a top
priority.

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 REFERENCES

Adams, & Mark. (2014). Atomic Bomb: August 6, 1945, | Harry S. Truman. Harry S. Truman
Library, Museum. https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/education/lesson-plans/atomic-bomb-
august-6-1945

Antonius Wattimena, R. A. (2018). Bisakah Perang Dihindari? Sejarah, Anatomi dan

Kemungkinan Perang di Abad 21. ARY SUTA CENTER SERIES FOR STRATEGIC
MANAGEMENT, 43.

Barak, H. (2020). 2-8-1945: Berakhirnya Konferensi Potsdam Jadi Panggung Pembuka Perang
Dingin. liputan6.com. https://www.liputan6.com/global/read/4319487/2-8-1945-
berakhirnya-konferensi-potsdam-jadi-panggung-pembuka-perang-dingin

Brinton, C. (1965). The Anatomy of Revolution (Revised and Expanded ed.) [E-book]. Vintage.
http://gen.lib.rus.ec/book/index.php?md5=ac07fb6c7baa8f618c9975174d94eba7

Britannica. (2022). capitalism | Definition, Characteristics, History, & Criticism. Encyclopedia

Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/capitalism

Britannica. (2022). Korean War | Combatants, Summary, Years, Map, Casualties, & Facts.
Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Korean-War

Greg, G. (2005). Communism. AllAboutPhilosophy.Org.

https://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/communism.htm

History.com Editors. (2022). The Space Race. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/topics/cold-

war/space-race

Kartini, D. S., Mulyawan, R., Yuningsih, N. Y., & CosmoGov. (2017). KAPITALISME
PEDESAAN DI KAWASAN EKONOMI KHUSUS (KEK) TANJUNG LESUNG
KABUPATEN PANDEGLANG PROPINSI BANTEN. Jurnal Ilmu Pemerintahan, 3(1),
55. https://doi.org/10.24198/cosmogov.v3i1.12636

Kanet, & Roger E. (1982). Soviet Foreign Policy in the 1980s (4th ed., Vol. 43) [E-book]. New
York: Praeger Publisher. https://doi.org/10.2307/2499331

Khan. (2022). The start of the Space Race (article). Khan Academy.
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/postwarera/1950s-america/a/the-
start-of-the-space-race

Kort, M. (1998). The Columbia Guide to the Cold War [E-book]. New York: Columbia University
Press. https://www.scribd.com/read/338694973/The-Columbia-Guide-to-the-Cold-War

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McNamara, R. S. (1990). Out of the Cold: Vol. 67 Issue 1. London: Bloomsbury.
https://doi.org/10.2307/2621322

Muni, S. D. (1979). The third world: Concept and controversy. Third World Quarterly 1, 1(3),
121. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597908419446

The Avalon Project. (2008). Avalon Project - A Decade of American Foreign Policy 1941–1949 -
Potsdam Conference. Lillian Goldman Law Library.
https://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/decade17.asp

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