How were the Cold War conflicts fundamentally different from more recent conflicts involving terrorism? What were the principal conflicts and where did they take place? Who were the principal combatants? How were these conflicts resolved?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer:
An ideal response will:
1. List the main characteristics of the Cold War, which included a period of increased tensions (but not live combat) between the United States and the Soviet Union, the desire to contain communism, and heavy reliance on nuclear weapons.
2. Detail the principal Cold War confrontations in Europe that involved strengthening countries trying to ward off communist influence, such as in Turkey, Greece, and Western Europe (through the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan).
3. Identify the principal Cold War confrontation in Latin America: the Cuban Missile Crisis.
4. Describe the Vietnam War as a direct military conflict driven by the Cold War mentality about the need to stop the spread of communism in Asia.
5. Identify the main Cold War combatants as the United States and the Soviet Union (or as NATO and the Warsaw Pact).
6. Reveal how the Cold War conflict was finally resolved with the collapse of the Soviet Union, although the tensions had somewhat subsided beforehand.
7. Discuss the main characteristics of recent terrorist conflicts, which include attacks by nongovernmental actors on civilian targets in order to instill fear.
8. Review how the war in Afghanistan was a direct response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, whereas the war in Iraq was about preventing a future terrorist attack before the threat had fully developed.
9. Identify the main combatants in terrorism as nongovernmental actors wishing to bring about political change, and the United States as the country leading the charge against terrorism.
10. Conclude that the fight against terrorism continues and has not been resolved, although the United States did make significant gains against terrorism in Afghanistan and Iraq.