The Cold War, lasting from 1947 to 1991, was a geopolitical rivalry primarily between the United States and the Soviet Union, characterized by ideological, economic, and military competition without direct large-scale fighting between the two superpowers
. The widely accepted view is that the United States "won" the Cold War, as the conflict ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. This collapse was preceded by revolutions in Soviet satellite states and the fall of the Berlin Wall, signaling the failure of Soviet communism and the end of its global influence
. Several factors contributed to this outcome:
- The U.S. maintained financial and technological superiority, which strained the Soviet economy, particularly through policies like the Reagan Doctrine that supported anti-communist forces worldwide and pressured Soviet resources
- Ronald Reagan's administration adopted a strategy to roll back Soviet influence, combining military build-up (including the Strategic Defense Initiative) and economic pressure, which significantly weakened the Soviet Union's position
- Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms (Glasnost and Perestroika) and willingness to engage with the West also played a crucial role in ending the Cold War peacefully, as his leadership marked a departure from previous Soviet hardline policies
However, some scholars argue that no one truly "won" the Cold War since the Soviet Union's collapse was largely due to internal systemic failures and corruption, rather than solely external pressure
. In summary, the Cold War ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, marking a victory for the United States and its capitalist democratic model, but this outcome was shaped by a complex interplay of internal Soviet weaknesses and sustained U.S. strategic efforts
