Cold War Era and the Threats to American Families Essay

Cold War Era and the Threats to American Families - Essay Example For instance, when Cuba fell to Fidel Castro in 1959, they immediately got aid and support from the U.S.S.R.[Shermen, 2004, p. 17]. Likewise with a wide range of nations. In general, the Cold War became a situation where both the US and the USSR continued to expand their interests internationally, and in turn, grew their military power. Included in the growth of the military, was the expansion of nuclear arms. A nuclear bomb was first used by the US on Japan in the Second World War, and its effectiveness became the catalyst for developing these types of bombs in both the US and the USSR. The Cold War was thus synonymous with the 'arms race' [Westad, 2000, p. 207], which would eventually bankrupt the USSR. Explain the specific threats to American citizens. The US lived under the threat of nuclear bombs. These were not just in the USSR, but during that era, were the cargo for bombers constantly circling the world and also, located in allies of the USSR like Cuba. Thus, the US was under threat of being bombed and to a lesser extent, they felt they were under an ideological threat. One of the aspects of the Cold War, was the general fear that communism was expanding and within the US too.