Realism And The Cold War - 843 Words

What is Realism? Realism is defined in the book as a school of thought that explains international relations in terms of power. This basically means that realism is a political view on global issues that puts stress on both the conflict side and the competition side in the scenarios. â€Å"Realists tend to treat political power as separate from, and predominant over, morality, ideology, and other social and economic aspects of life† (Goldstein 44). Now after learning all this information about realism, the question being asked is does it do a good job of explaining the end of the Cold War? Everyone can have their own answers and reasonings behind why they think it does or doesn t explain it well enough. Realists view the Cold War as an attempt to keep the balance of power between the states and inside the states themselves. Neither states were able to dominant over everything or declare all out war against each other, therefore both the United States and the USSR would dominate international relations without a lot of conflict occurring. In my opinion, I would say yes, realism does do a good job explaining the ending of the Cold War. Based on the history of the Cold War and what realism is, I came to this conclusion because no country took control over the other and leadership issues caused problems inside the USSR. When the Cold War first began in 1940s, both super-powered sides were ran by two leaders; who had full control over everything involving the state. TheShow MoreRelatedStructural Realism After The Cold War853 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Structural Realism after the Cold War,†1 and Andrew Moravcsik s â€Å"Taking Preferences Seriously: A Liberal Theory of International Politics,†2 it is clear that theories presented in each (Realism and Liberalism) are at odds with one another in many ways. But why did the authors reach the conclusions they did about the way that states behave in the international system? This paper se eks to answer that question. In â€Å"Structural Realism...† Waltz defends his theory of Structural Realism against criticismRead MoreRealism And Liberalism : International Relations, And The Cold War Period939 Words   |  4 PagesRealism and liberalism are the two main theoretical perspectives in International Relations, and both theories provide well developed explanations of the dynamics of the international system on the world stage. A system is a group of units or parts united by some form of regular interaction, in which a change in one unit causes changes in the others. In the international system, the states and sub-state actors, the institutions, and norms regulate their interaction. This implies that these actorsRead MoreThe Cold War, from the Prespectives of Realism, Pluralism and Structuralism2142 Words   |  9 Pagesnone of the three main approaches to world politics (Realism, Pluralism and Structuralism) predict the end of the Cold War? Should they have done so? This essay will address why the three main approaches to world politics did not predict the end of the Cold War. Firstly it will briefly give a background insight into what the Cold War was. Then it will go on to explain what characterises the three main approaches to world politics which are Realism, Pluralism and Structuralism, it then will brieflyRead MoreRealism Is The Most Convincing Paradigm For International Relations? Essay1579 Words   |  7 PagesWOULD YOU AGREE THAT REALISM IS THE MOST CONVINCING PARADIGM FOR INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS? WHAT ARE THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF REALISM AS A THEORY FOR INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS? Realism has dominated international relations theory since emerging in the 1930’s. The era of state conflict lasting from the 1930’s to the end of the cold war in 1947, proved the perfect hostile environment to fit the largely pessimistic view of world politics. While many aspects of realism are still alive in InternationalRead MoreThe Cold War And Initiation Of Neoliberalism Essay900 Words   |  4 Pagesframeworks including realism, liberalism, and idealism; furthermore, each has emerged into new schools of thought after the conclusion of the Cold War. The liberal school of thought has inherited many developments and new features since 1989. The ending of the Cold War and initiation of neoliberalism was expected to lead to a decline in conflict and result in a cooperating international system under the anarchic system. In addition, to the new features of liberalism, new features of realism (neorealism)Read MoreThe Spy and The Bravo785 Words   |  3 Pagessuch as, t he Cold War, which will be discussed in this essay and how it became to influence the writing of spy fiction and how it built its popularity in the literature world. The Cold War emerged in 1946 due to the tension between the western powers (USA, UK, Europe and Canada) and the Soviet Union, which included the Russian communist. Shortly after the Second World War ended, the Soviet Union refused to remove its forces in areas of Europe that they have taken over during the war. This causedRead MoreU.s. Foreign Policy Approaches1424 Words   |  6 PagesThe United States (U.S.) uses two approaches to their foreign policy. The first approach is realism. This viewpoint stresses that the principal actors, states, will pursue their own interests in an anarchical world. States will try to establish a balance of power that restrains aggressive states from dominating weaker ones. The second approach is idealism. This view stresses that states should transform the system into a new internationa l order where peace can prevail. This approach emphases theRead MoreChallenges of Realism816 Words   |  3 Pagespursuit of power may lead to some unforeseeable consequences, such as wars or terrorism. Realism often meets some challenges especially in the issue of September 11 and the end of cold war. In the following essay, it is divided into three major parts. Firstly, I will illustrate the background information of realism in international relationship. Secondly, I will talk about the situation of September 11 and the end of cold war separately. At last, I discuss the reason of September 11 gives a greaterRead MoreThe Realist Way Of Looking At The International System Essay1622 Words   |  7 Pagesmeasured in power. To better understand how war acts as a means to this end, scholars have proposed many theories. The three most plausible theories are offensive realism, the power transitions theory, and defensive realism. After applying these theories—offensive realism, power transitions, and defensive realism—to World War I and the Cold War, this paper examines them in the context of the present climate of Eastern Europe, and argues that while great power war will likely occur in the next fifteenRead MoreThe Cold War And The Collapse Of The Soviet Union987 Words   |  4 Pagesexplain the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Two prominent political theories which I will explore throughout this essay are the Realist and Idealist theory. No one theory is completely correct, as many different factors must be considered regarding the collapse of the Soviet Union and end of the Cold War. For example, one essential influence to the end of the Cold War was the role of nuclear weapons and how they were used. I believe that realism does in fact do a good job