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The War Of The Cold War

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After the end of World War II in 1945 many U.S. citizens, as well as the citizens of the world, hoped for a time of peace. This dream, however, was not the reality of what was to come next. While many hoped to avoid another major war, the fear that had been instilled within their hearts would result a much different type of conflict. Granted, the Cold War never escalated to physical battle, but nevertheless remains one of the most important wars in history. Lasting over a span of forty-five years the three major components of the Cold War include the rise of nuclear weapons, the red scare, and the space race. By now we all know how the U.S. ended World War II. To this day, many disagree with their methods, but there is no denying that they were effective. On August 6, 1945 the United States “dropped the world’s first deployed atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima” (History). This bomb killed tens of thousands of people, only to be followed by another bomb three days later in Nagasaki. Less than a week after these attacks, Japan surrender to the U.S. opening the world’s eyes to the effectiveness of nuclear weapons. Naturally, the crushing defeat inspired the Soviet Union, as well as other countries, to build their own form of the American atomic bomb. Seeing as the Soviet Union was a communist county, this determination to join the nuclear arms race scared most American citizens. On August 29. 1949 the Soviet Union successfully detonated their first atomic

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