Cold War

List of Cold War articles

nonalignment-george-wylesol-illustration-site
nonalignment-george-wylesol-illustration-site

Is Nonalignment Such a Big Deal?

Here’s what neutrality means in the 21st century.

Then- U.S. President Ronald Reagan speaks with Secretary of State George Shultz in the White House's Oval Office
Then- U.S. President Ronald Reagan speaks with Secretary of State George Shultz in the White House's Oval Office

How George Shultz Helped End the Cold War

The official biography of Ronald Reagan’s secretary of state reveals startling lessons for U.S. engagement today.

Rep. Mike Gallagher presides over the first hearing of the U.S. House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party in Washington on Feb. 28.
Rep. Mike Gallagher presides over the first hearing of the U.S. House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party in Washington on Feb. 28.

The Real Risk of the China Select Committee

Why alienate the very people whose expertise and connections might help Congress understand the Chinese government?

Chinese President Xi Jinping holds an umbrella while walking in the rain.
Chinese President Xi Jinping holds an umbrella while walking in the rain.

Why China Is Not a Superpower

How the United States, China, and the former Soviet Union stack up.

Ukraine soldier in front of bombed building
Ukraine soldier in front of bombed building

U.S. Deterrence Failed in Ukraine

Washington’s prewar efforts were weak and inadequate.

U.S. sailors recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon.
U.S. sailors recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon.

Spy Balloons Evoke Bad Cold War Memories for China

Covert U.S. intrusions into Chinese airspace were common for decades.

An illustration shows George Kennan, the father of Cold War containment strategy.
An illustration shows George Kennan, the father of Cold War containment strategy.

Is Cold War Inevitable?

A new biography of George Kennan, the father of containment, raises questions about whether the old Cold War—and the emerging one with China—could have been avoided.

A military propaganda image appears on a giant screen in Beijing on May 18, 2021.
A military propaganda image appears on a giant screen in Beijing on May 18, 2021.

5 Ways the U.S.-China Cold War Will Be Different From the Last One

Guardrails and statesmanship will be even more important this time around.

Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva listens as Chadian environmentalist Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim speaks during the United Nations climate change conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Nov. 17.
Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva listens as Chadian environmentalist Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim speaks during the United Nations climate change conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Nov. 17.

Latin America and the New Nonalignment

Hit by economic shocks and the threat of a new Cold War, the region spent this year recalibrating its place in the world.

President John F. Kennedy, announces on television the strategic blockade of Cuba
President John F. Kennedy, announces on television the strategic blockade of Cuba

The Cuban Missile Crisis, 60 Years On

The Cold War-era standoff is more relevant than ever.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg

NATO’s Stoltenberg: Ukraine’s Gains Are ‘Extremely Encouraging’

The trans-Atlantic alliance chief discusses Russia’s war in Ukraine and competing with China.

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers a primetime speech at Independence National Historical Park Sept. 1 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers a primetime speech at Independence National Historical Park Sept. 1 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

What Does Biden’s Confrontational Speech Mean for U.S. Foreign Policy?

Framing geopolitics in terms of democracy and autocracy won’t necessarily help bring peace.

A close up photo shows Gorbachev's face.
A close up photo shows Gorbachev's face.

Gorbachev’s Disputed Legacy

A hopeful moment in Russian history dies with the former Soviet leader.

A group of German children stand atop building rubble to cheer a U.S. cargo plane as it flies over a western section of Berlin in 1948 as American and British forces airlift food and supplies to after Soviet forces surrounded and closed off the besieged city. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images
A group of German children stand atop building rubble to cheer a U.S. cargo plane as it flies over a western section of Berlin in 1948 as American and British forces airlift food and supplies to after Soviet forces surrounded and closed off the besieged city. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

Why Superpower Crises Are a Good Thing

A new era of tensions will focus minds and break logjams, as Cold War history shows.

Chinese military aircraft carry a Chinese flag
Chinese military aircraft carry a Chinese flag

China’s Strategy Needs Study, Not Assumptions

Elbridge Colby’s influential take on combating Beijing doesn’t add up.

A young Czech woman shouts at Soviet soldiers
A young Czech woman shouts at Soviet soldiers

The West Needs a Cure for Cold War Fever

Yes, a new cold war is upon us. It’s time to stop talking about it and start trying to win it.

arms race-senor-salme-illustration-site
arms race-senor-salme-illustration-site

The Art of the Arms Race

To avoid disaster, the United States must relearn crucial Cold War lessons.

nonalignment-george-wylesol-illustration-site
nonalignment-george-wylesol-illustration-site

A New Cold War May Call for a Return to Nonalignment

Why a growing number of countries want to avoid getting stuck in a great-power tussle—again.

new-iron-curtain-george-wylesol-illustration-site
new-iron-curtain-george-wylesol-illustration-site

The Classic Cold War Conundrum Is Back

It is impossible to forget Russia’s violent and repressive actions in Ukraine, but it is necessary to deal with them to avoid escalation.

United Nations troops fight in the streets of Seoul, South Korea, on Sept. 20, 1950.
United Nations troops fight in the streets of Seoul, South Korea, on Sept. 20, 1950.

Ukraine Is the Korean War Redux

Russia’s invasion heralds the transition to a new global order—but it will be less stable than the Cold War.

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