Soviet Union And U.S. in Cold War: The Rise of Global Politics of Science and Technological Advancement

in #science6 years ago (edited)

Hello today I will present to you a seminar paper in our Contemporary Europe class which will be dealing with the rapid rise of technology during Cold War era.

The Rise Of Technological Advancements during Cold War
Cold war period was marked in the history as the phase of innovations and exploration. It was characterized as the epoch of societal development and the struggle to keep up from the pressure of who will dominate the world in terms of philosophies and technological advancement. Military prowess, space exploration and artillery innovation were displayed throughout the duration of cold war. It was also the time when USSR and U.S appropriates large sum of money on defense and technology.

Massive monetary allocation was justified by the government in order to prevent attacks and to secure the people from invasion. Historians regard the superpower arms race as one of the cold war’s central features.


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US versus Soviet Union Technological Competition
In the advent of cold war technological advancement was synonymous with security. The nation felt secure if their weaponry was somehow modernized. Both USSR and U.S wanted to occupy the uppermost strata of the social echelon, which clearly denotes power and supremacy.

Political entities use modernity and security as their universal banner with regards to their relationship to other countries. In fact, some historians would refer cold war as the age of intellectual turn, pointing out to the discoveries and exploration made by the superpowers. People with creative minds are among the highlights of this period.

Experts in the field of science and mathematics were secured and venerated by the government and society because their expertise was highly needed in the race of advancement. The strong government and military patronage led to a new institutional arrangement: shaping the structure of science. This paved way to "technological politics"wherein one uses technology as a tool of politics rather than a mode itself.

Technological advancement as a form of Security
Technological advancement was used to enact the political aspiration of each nation, and claimed that it’s a process leaning towards modernity. We cannot deny the fact that most of it were initiated for the benefit of the people; to live life efficiently yet leaders devout their time on military empowerment through artillery or weaponry innovations. Timothy Mitchell referred cold war as "Techno Politics" because of the vital role of people inclined to science and mathematics. Subsequent stages of technological developments lead to improvements of economic progress and human life. Assuming, that science and technology would ease the global problem faced by each country and/or a remedy to the challenges posed by cold war.

However, in this period of time, superpowers utilize its resources into weaponry advancement neglecting the issues that confronts the states. Another important facet of cold war was the competition of space exploration between the two. When Russia notably breaks the bonds of earth's gravity by sending the first man to space, United States did its best to counter the success USSR had set. Looking through the actions portrayed by the superpowers, we can infer that it’s more of showing one's might through challenging what has been set by one of them.

Clash of Ideology
In the preceding years of war marked as the phase of percolating one's philosophies throughout the world. Communist-capitalist views represented by Russia and United States imposed their belief to other countries through trading relations and policies. In the case of United States policies, often times economist considers its policies on commerce as aggressive since it wanted to instill in the minds of the countries that one can only engage if they accept its concepts of trading. Policies became the move of superpowers to curtail the spread of its beliefs and philosophies. United States for example used its market in order to inhibit communism and at the same time to propagate capitalism to the world. Rigid policies serve as their defense mechanism also to the growing market of USSR, when most of the European countries where on its side. Trading contact among the participating countries will be hard not mentioning the import base nation in Europe were among the most affected of these policies. Containment is among the examples of United States policy; a response to a series of moves done by Soviet Union to enlarge its sphere of influence. Thus, making it a global phenomenon since the war was not only limited onto Europe and America alone but in Asia as well.


Competition continued as the Two Nations developed more Military Weapons


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Accordingly, technological race between the two superpowers implies that war may occur any moment. Advancement would also mean a preparation for war since most of the time innovations were confined mainly on military. Both countries wanted to transform the world by inculcating into their minds that modernity was the answer to its problem. In order for them to reach a modern society one must adapt to changes imposed by the superpowers.

However, cold war was not about domination at all, rather to take a grip of every nation by means of controlling them through swearing of allegiance. In doing so, one will be provided with benefits and privileges one could enjoy. On the other hand, it also means that one will be involved in the game of the US and USSR, opening one's nation into the constant interference to its political and economic affairs. Nation's under their care, sovereignty often jeopardize and its land would be open to threats of invasion. For an instance, countries like Turkey and Greece who sought protection to President Harry S. Truman of United States even magnified the problem, for in the view point of Russia these countries must be under them. In the Americans perspective this would be an opportunity for them to establish an allied force in Europe.

The countries would serve to the Americans as an access point to penetrate other countries and might as well serve as a base in times of war. Involvement of the superpowers in the ferocious civil wars and regional wars in Asia and Europe was the consequence of cold war. Frequent intervention in the third world countries were among the pernicious global legacies of cold war.

Technological Advancement for Modernization
Accordingly, U.S and Russia see themselves as an embodiment of universal virtues: progress and modernity. Under this universal banner superpowers able to justify its motives and action, assuming the title as peace keeper. Historians used to refer United States as “an interventionist power that based its foreign policy on territorial expansion”. Soviet Union communist views posed threat to its capitalist ideology and commerce. In a similar way, U.S hinders the Russian aims, drawing from the central discourse of modernity in which both meets. Consequently, the fulfilment of their mission was gradual in the sense that they differ in the philosophical standpoints. Both countries wanted to provide a model to the newly independent states to which they can emulate. U.S and USSR became the prototype of other nation, with regards to progress, development, and modernity.

International relations were among the concerns of the superpowers, to foster good relationship among other nation to meet each other intents. To conceal its intention, one would use technology. Thus, making cold war multifarious for the grounds that it touched all aspect of the global systems. However, when we try to assess the trends of cold war, it's more off politics of science and technology. The rapid augmentation of money devoted solely on science and technology could attest to this claim. There even comes a point in American history that it encompasses other departments and exceeded the nation's annual budget in terms of money allocation and expenditures.

The Rise of Global politics of science and technology in a short period of time

Accordingly, cold war was "global politics of science and technology" in which America and Russia were among the key players. In the preceding years of war, Russia saw the relevance of third world countries particularly Asia to counter US. It would be the best place to spread its ideologies and philosophies for most of the countries were still on the process of maximizing its resources, leading toward modernity; which entails that they were more open to changes because of their fascination of the Western progress and technology.


Some Inventions


Advancement of the Nuclear Program on both sides


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The Space Race and the introduction of satellites


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Lasers


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Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles


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Advances in Computers


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The Predecessor to the Internet


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Long Distance Calling


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Both countries were willing to wage a nuclear war, for each of them was equip enough of the facilities and weapons to make it happen. Although, U.S and USSR wanted to maintain the image of neutrality, yet scientific and technological progress and specific technologies as such are never neutral. Diplomats and political entities are among the leading figures of cold war, mostly instigators of wars. Fear and terror reigned in the hearts of the people due to the fact that war may happen any time, and to think most of the emerging states were still recuperating from the havocs of World War II. Emerging States and newly established states were among the victim of cold war period, by the time they decided to take side or even those who didn’t; their fate solely relies on the hands of the superpowers. In terms of technology and military prowess, Russia and U.S were at par with each other, but both were not contented with this setting, for there should only one to take the lead.
Conclusion

Cold war period was a massive transformation of political arena, from incorporation of Communism as a political philosophy, the integration of technology and politics, and as well as the evolution of policies. Technological advances were made for efficiency of human life vis-a-vis to its milieu. However, the series of development were confined on personal gains, and that interest was prominence. Behind these innovations and discoveries was the pride and honor of one's nation in leading the venture. It was undeniably true that during cold war, technological advancement became the priority of every nation, particularly by the superpowers. Prelude to cold war was a series of fight involving the two leviathans, namely Russia and United States on their struggle to widen its sphere of influence. Communist-capitalist ideologies, technological advances, economic policies and international relation were the primary affected aspects, in the course of war. Militarization was among the domains of the nations equated to security, and even said to have equal footing to power.

Military and artillery were among the enchantment of cold war, producing self-destructive weaponries; high powered armaments were made to inflict harm to others. Adversities of technology were far more, compared to the goodness it could bring. Although, science and mathematics paved way to the exploration of space that helps makes the life of the people efficient and somehow corrects the fallacies about galaxies, heavenly bodies and the cosmos. Advancement would also mean responsibilities, for one must use it for the greater good not the other way around. Technological race between the superpowers contributed a lot to the whole world that it was considered as the peak of advancement. Each one of them was willing to take the risk, willing to take the lead of advancement. Ergo, it was then that cold war became synonymous and inseparable with advancement since most of years were mark with discoveries and innovations.

Thank you for reading ❤️

References
Book source

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