Sparks Commentary: Spies, nukes, and communists: The complicated legacy of the Cold War

The Cold War affected both sides of the twentieth century’s greatest conflict, in every region of the world. These included largely neutral areas stretching from Latin America and the Middle East … to South Asia and Indonesia. Some of the ripple effects come from the Soviet war in Afghanistan, the establishment of the modern state of Israel, and the conflicts between Israel and its various neighbors. All have since become particularly relevant at the time that I write this. The Eastern European theater of the Cold War also explains some of the more recent conflicts in the region, such as the nineties war in Bosnia and the current war in Ukraine. Many Eastern European countries have since joined the European Union, which could likewise be considered as a sort of legacy of the Cold War period. The Cold War also influenced literature and cinema, with iconic spy movies like those of James Bond – which were popular enough to be spoofed in other franchises like “Get Smart.” There were also some post-apocalyptic themes in the era’s science fiction, including with some famous episodes of “The Twilight Zone.”

Goran Jelisić shooting a Bosniak in Brčko – Bosnian War, 1992

But the Cold War also had an effect upon our current world map, our current ideologies, and (in many ways) our current geopolitics. It involved some spilled blood in many parts of the world, the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and the rise of communist China as a world power. The glory of twentieth-century history tends to go to World War II, which arguably set the stage for the Cold War in many ways. But the Cold War may still be the most important conflict of the twentieth century. Only certain parts of the Cold War involved actual shooting therein, but there was scarcely a conflict anywhere in the world during that time that wasn’t somehow connected with the larger “Cold War.” Thus, this post will try to examine how the (First) Cold War affected us, and how we continue to deal with the ripple effects (of one sort or another) from this great international chess game. I will only be able to survey the ways that it affected us, and will have to leave out subjects like the important advances in computer technology and air power – even though they, too, are arguably an outgrowth of the “Cold War.”

A street in Kyiv following Russian missile strikes – Ukraine, 2022

We call it the “Cold War,” but it also saw blood being spilled in various “hot wars”

We call it the “Cold War,” because (with some important exceptions) it did not involve much actual shooting. But the Cold War saw some actual blood being spilled in various “hot wars,” from Korea and Vietnam to Angola and Afghanistan. Obviously, these hot wars had a great effect as well, by creating casualties in many places. These included casualties in the two main superpowers of America and Soviet Russia, which lost troops in some of these places. America, of course, lost troops in Korea and Vietnam, while the Soviet Union lost troops in twentieth-century Afghanistan (not to be confused with the American-led war in Afghanistan). In terms of actual shooting, the Cold War pales in size to the bloodier fighting of World War II. But it would be hard to ignore the fact that the Cold War did indeed produce some actual casualties – more than many people today would realize.

American POW bound and killed by the North Koreans – Korean War, 1950

There were also several trial runs with communism, with failures in every one of them

The Cold War also provided many trial runs with communism, with failures in every one of them – an area of some special interest for me. The attempts to escape, particularly at the Berlin Wall, bear a particularly strong testimony about the failures of the communist system. So do the various attempts to revolt against the system (more about those attempts here). From China, Vietnam, and North Korea to Cuba, Angola, and Eastern Europe, communism has indeed been tried many times (as I show here). In all of these trial runs, it has never been successful even once. Rather, the result has always been total and abject failure – with more poverty, rather than less (as I show here). Because of this, Marxists in the contemporary Western world tend to portray themselves as being “liberals” or “socialists” at most, and few tend to openly describe themselves as “Marxists” or “communists.” But Bernie Sanders honeymooned in the Soviet Union. Likewise, Tim Walz honeymooned in communist China. Despite the mountain of evidence for the failures of communism, they both decided to honeymoon in these “romantic” locations, as though to romanticize these failed experiments with communism. (But they had “good intentions,” or so the argument goes.)

Body of Peter Fechter, shot while trying to escape across the Berlin Wall (1962)

A soldier who successfully escaped to the West by leaping over barbed wire – Berlin Wall, 1961

It also contributed to the unfortunate spread of Marxist thinking in the West

Indeed, the media tended to portray the communist world as picked-on Third World nations. To them, America (rather than Russia or China) was the true aggressor, who needed to be unfavorably portrayed. Perhaps partially because of this, the Cold War may also have contributed to the spread of Marxist thinking in the West. Despite the unfortunate machinations of Joseph McCarthy, Marxism has gained quite a foothold in many Western countries. By contrast, it also produced the downfall of communism in many of the countries that were once controlled by the Soviet Union. Some have thus joked that socialism rises in the west, but sets in the east – while sanity seems to rise in the east, and set in the west. If so, sanity is like the sun, and thus continues to set in the west today. This may be yet another ripple effect of the (First) Cold War, which we continue to feel to this day. Moscow and Beijing were elevated from the status of bullies to that of “victims,” with the free world being added to the ever-expanding list of scapegoats.

Long line for cooking oil – Bucharest, Romania (then controlled by Soviet Union), 1986

The Cold War also saw much nuclear proliferation, and the rise of communist China

The Cold War also affected the nuclear powers of the world, with several nations following the United States by gaining nuclear weapons during this period. Others, such as Pakistan and North Korea, have gained these weapons since then – and Iran may soon do so in the coming years. Thus, the arms control agreements notwithstanding, nuclear proliferation seems to have become even more of a threat since 1991. Thus, the world may now be even more dangerous than it was during the twentieth-century dangers of Armageddon. We may one day see threats to rival the Cuban Missile Crisis, or the lesser-known “Able Archer 83” episode. (More about that episode here.) The Cold War also saw the communist revolution in China in 1949, and China’s subsequent acquisition of nuclear weapons in 1964. That is, communist China was then rising as a world power. Thus, in many ways, the current threat from China seems to have its origins in the (First) Cold War, and so is the rise of its communist way of life. I’m not sure how this situation will be resolved, but China has often been the most populous nation in the world – although it may have since been overtaken by India. (But that’s a subject for another post.) For better or worse, China will continue to have some clout in the years to come. For the moment, I will refrain from giving specific solutions on this score. Suffice it to say here that they are just one more ripple effect of the Cold War.

Project 596 – China’s first detonation of a nuclear weapon, 1964

Comments on the “Second Cold War,” which seems to be an outgrowth of the first one

There is talk now of a Second Cold War. Some would even say that what I refer to simply as the “First” Cold War never really ended. That is, in some sense, they argue that it is still going on today. There may be some truth to these claims. Nonetheless, there still seems to be some utility in making a distinction between the First and Second Cold Wars, just as there is with the First and Second World Wars. Those wars were also arguably two great rounds of a larger conflict, and yet it still makes some sense to delineate them into two separate wars. I should acknowledge that there is some controversy about the exact beginning and ending dates of the (First) Cold War. My own reading on this is as follows: the First Cold War began with the surrender of Japan in 1945, and ended when the Soviet Union finally collapsed in 1991. As far as when the Second Cold War began, this is somewhat harder to delineate at the time that I write this. Some hindsight may be needed to answer this question in a more satisfactory way. Nonetheless, my reading is that the Second Cold War is currently going on – that it began at some point after 1991, and that it continues today in full force. If so, then the Second Cold War is definitely an outgrowth of the First Cold War, and continues to be the backdrop for much of world affairs today. We live in the world created by the First Cold War, and the Second Cold War has many of the same players as the first one did. There may be times when a temporary alliance with Russia or China may be needed to counteract the influence of the other, or of still other nations that threaten us. Richard Nixon’s 1972 visit to China was a successful example of playing one of these powers against the other. I cannot now foresee when (or if) a repeat of this strategy might be needed, but I believe that this strategy should definitely be pursued whenever it becomes reasonable and prudent to do so.

Fall of the Berlin Wall, 1989

In many ways, it seems that we continue to be influenced by the (First) Cold War

To be clear, I do not expect that the Second Cold War will end within my lifetime. Again, I should acknowledge that some respectable people have disagreed with me about the existence of a “Second” Cold War. Some have questioned whether it ever resumed, while others argue that the first one never really ended – that it still continues today. But, whatever one’s verdict might be on these important questions, it is clear that we continue to be influenced by the events of the twentieth-century Cold War. In many ways, we continue to try to live with both the good and bad aspects of that conflict’s legacy, in a world whose boundaries have been shaped and moved by that conflict. I cannot now predict what the outcome of our current conflicts may be. I’m not sure that anyone can do so at this time. Nonetheless, it seems likely that, for good or evil, the first round will continue to affect us for years to come.

John F. Kennedy giving his Inaugural Address (quoted below), 1961

Epilogue about how we need to give our children a world … that is safe for liberty

I hope that some of our current conflicts may one day be resolved in a more satisfactory way. Some of these great resolutions may only come after the current generation is dead and gone. But I hope that I may possibly be lucky enough to see some of them getting resolved within my own lifetime – or, at least, that we may leave behind a better world for our children. Suffice it to say that they need a world that is as safe as possible for liberty. At times, this may involve shooting wars. At other times, where possible, a more peaceful solution may be available. But the safety of liberty is essential, and should always be our most important foreign policy goal. As John F. Kennedy once put it, “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” (Source: His Inaugural Address, 1961) This continues to be a good idea today, and one that we should continue to pursue … for now, and for all time.

If you liked this post, you might also like:

Why World War II continues to fascinate so many

A review of “The World at War” (World War Two series)

The Berlin Blockade: The first crisis after World War II

A review of CNN’s “The Cold War” (television overview)

Spying during the Cold War was a risky business

Behind the Iron Curtain: Occupation by the Soviet Union

Does communism cause poverty? (The two experiments that prove it does)

Nixon’s visit to China: Driving a wedge between China and the Soviet Union

Bedtime stories about Armageddon: The lessons of the Cold War about nuclear weapons

The Cuban Missile Crisis: A comparison of two movies

Cold War crises: Korean Air Lines Flight 007 and “Able Archer 83”