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FACULTY OF BUSINESS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
The Security Dilemma between
United States and Soviet Union
During the Cold War
Compiled by :
Name : Yuliana Dolok Saribu
ID : 016201400179
Program : International Relations
Subject : Introduction to Political Science
Lecturer : Natasya Kusumawardani, S.IP., MProfStuds (Hons)
Class : International Relation 4 Batch 2014
President University
Jl. Ki Hajar Dewantara, Cikarang Baru, Bekasi, Jawa Barat 17550
The Security Dilemma between United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War
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Abstract
The Cold War which was occurred since 1945 until 1991 has brings out the security dilemma
between blocks of United States and Soviet Union. The security dilemma is a state of weapons
dependence that become a policy of a country as if for the states interests defense of a country
but actually it is for threaten other countries. The security dilemmas which occur more than 40
years, brings many issues in international relations. The purpose of this study “Security Dilemma
between United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War” is to identify and understand the
relations between cold war and security dilemma. This study give attention to meaning of cold
war and security dilemma, why it was happened and what kind of security dilemma that has
experienced by Soviet Union and United States during the Cold War.
The Security Dilemma between United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War
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I. INTRODUCTION
When studying the cases in Political Science, we often find thing which called as “War”. There
are so many wars that have been going on and change our universe. There are three wars that
known as the biggest war in our history. First is the World War I, which was occurred because
the economics, politics and territory reasons which were emerged by the Allies (United
Kingdom, France and Soviet Union) and the Central Power (Germany, Austria-Hungary and
Turkey). World War I occurred since 1914-1918 with the victory to the Allies. The second war is
the World War II, occurred because the failure of League of Nations, the competed and
strengthen military weaponry by developed country , the Germany Nazis, and also Japan
behavior in attacked Pearl Harbor, but unfortunately they defect again because many reasons like
their military itself and their economy itself. The World War II occurred since 1939 until 1945.
The third war is the Cold War. The Cold War itself rather different with the two wars before. It
was because the actor in the Cold War never combats in directly. It is also because the Cold War
occurred by the different ideologies and principals of United States and Soviet Union in handle
the Europe after the World War II. The Cold War itself begins since 1945-1991.
During the periods of the Cold War, we often find “Security Dilemma” word. That’s why there
some questions risen up when studying about the Cold War. First is why Security Dilemma
appears in the Cold War? Second, what kind of Security Dilemma had experienced by United
States and Soviet Union during the Cold War? Well, to answer both questions, this research
essay will give an explanation by the analyses of the Cold War with referenced to the
international relations as one of the subject matter or boundaries of political science itself.1
1 M Murali and Kumaresan Raja N.K, "Political Science," Higher Secondary –First Year, 2005.
The Security Dilemma between United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War
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II. THE SHORT IDENTIFICATION OF WAR, SECURITY AND THE SECURITY
DILEMMA
War
Every time we heard the word “war”, automatically the thing had comes to our mind is the
massive condition followed by violence, ceasefire or arms race. War is something a threat and
becomes feared especially for the civil. It can be seen from what the civil perceived from the
beginning until the end of the World War I and II. They got mental shock, physical defect, losing
family members and relative, and also a destroyed living environment. The presence of war
makes the civil society more aware. War itself essentially exists because there is a power rolled
by the actor, like a state. The power that use in war can be in soft power or hard power. Soft
power tending to intangible power, like ideology or politics, while hard power tending to
tangible power, like military.
War can’t be avoided, because we don’t have an absolute international power to ensure it, even
now world already has United Nations as its peace keeper, but it still can’t warrant. Furthermore,
as like Karl Marx statement, written in The Critical Security Studies Concepts and Cases book,
“men makes their own history, but they do not make it just as they please; they do not make it
under circumstances chosen by themselves” 2 it showed us that war as a cultural phenomenon
(and hence a cultural problem) because war itself emerged by the basic of human nature that
defend what their wants, such like economics reason, territory , beliefs and so forth without
consider about their condition.3
Security
War had tight relations with strategy and security. Why? Because war is like play gambling. You
need to think about your security and your strategy to can win in it, same with war. If you want
to win in the war whether it in hard or soft power, you should think about your strategy to defeat
your enemy, but you should not forget about your condition. You should be aware about your
security. You need to build shield as your defense to protect you when your enemy attempts to
2 Keith Krause, Critical Security Studies Concepts and Cases, (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1997)
3 Ibid.
The Security Dilemma between United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War
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attack you when you in careless. This is also happening to a state. Furthermore, both war and
security are kind of political practices by the state. In international relations, more or less
security level of a country ensures its survival in international system. Since security becomes
one of the vital interests of a country, the country will use all manners to maintain its security.
Security dilemma
To be secure is conventionally thought to refer to threats that originate from outside of the border
of the state and, if fulfilled, could undermine the stability and integrity of the state.4 That is why
sometimes the activities to maintain its security could establish security dilemma.
Security Dilemma is one of the concepts in the theory of realism that arise as a result of the
action of a country to improve their security caused of high suspicion, enmity and conflict
history between those states and finally this led to decline the security of one of those countries.
States begin not trust one another and fear that one state might become too powerful and risk the
security of another state.
This situation called as dilemma because all states begin competing over security measures, yet
in the end no state feels more secure. The impact of this condition is or called as balance
of power. When there is a country has its security more developed than the other, the other will
be increasing its security. It is aimed to balance their security with that country because to the
rest countries it is look alike a threat to their countries. The balance of power which is holds
might be more destructive if notice from the advance of technology and the development of more
advanced weaponry.
4 Ibid.
The Security Dilemma between United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War
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III. THE COLD WAR
Short Approaches
The term "Cold War" was first used by The British writer, George Orwell, in 1945 to deplore the
worldview, beliefs, and social structure of both the United States and the Soviet Union, and
undeclared state of war that would come to exist between them after the end of World War II. 5
After that the “Cold War” word introduced to public by Bernard Baruch and Walter Lippman in
1947, which describes the relationship between United States and Soviet Union.
The United States and the Soviet Union were an alliance with France and involved in World War
I and II. In the World War I, Germany, Austria, and Turkey also make their alliance and work
together. At the start, the United States was neutral and impartially anyone. But when Germany
submarine accidentally hit the United States vessels in 1916, it had created the United States
anger. Finally, United States becomes sided with Britain, the Soviet Union and France which
was the opposite of the Germany alliance. The immersion of the United States facilitated the
Germany defeat and Allies countries won the World War I.
In the World War II, the US and the Soviet Union were in allied and defeat and destroyed
German Nazis. After the end of World War II, The Allies— the United States, the British and the
Russians — got together to address the question of how to organize the world after the war in
treaty of Yalta (from 4 to 11 February 1945) and the other in Potsdam (from 17 July to 2 August
1945).6 But nothing in history is strictly inevitable. It is plausible to argue that the Soviet Union
and United States in the Cold War was an inevitable. The old European balance of power had
just been destroyed utterly and only two states were still standing as truly great powers. Britain,
France and China were treated as great powers, but that was more attributable to habit, courtesy,
convenience and interests than to real strength.7
5 Melvyn P. Leffler and Odd Arne Westad. The Cambridge History of the Cold War, (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010), 3. 6 Ibid. 7 Gray, Colin S. War, Peace and International Relations: An Introduction to Strategic History. London: Routledge, 2007.
The Security Dilemma between United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War
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As logic in international politics, when two polities stand far above the rest, sooner or later they
are bound to be rivals. That’s why the United States and Soviet Union becomes an enemy. As
Gordon S. Barras said that Cold War happened because a toxic mix of history, ideology,
geography and strategy8. The United States seeing this world should be lead in capitalist but the
Soviet Union seeing this world should be lead in communism.
These diverge of pretensions made those superpower country built their alliance and its puppet
state. This established East block referred to communist ideologies and chaired by Soviet Union,
while West Block is referred to capitalist and democracies ideologies and chaired by United
States. Over the next few decades, the competition between them more broader beyond Europe
and to the rest of the world while the US build a "defense" against communism by forming
alliances with various countries, especially with countries in Western Europe, the Middle East,
and Southeast Asia.
Although the two superpowers never fought directly, but the conflict between them indirectly has
led to a variety local wars or also called with proxy war, such as the Korean War, the Soviet
invasion of Hungary and Czechoslovakia and the Vietnam War. The results of the Cold War
were including (from multiple viewpoints) dictatorship in Greece and South America, the Cuban
Missile Crisis and also the more complex Middle East crisis. Another impact is Germany divided
into two parts, West Germany and East Germany. They were separated by the Berlin Wall. But
there are also times where the tension and competition between them was reduced. The Cold
War was ended in the 1980s when the Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev launched a
reform program, perestroika and glasnost. Constantly, the Soviet Union lost power and control
over Eastern Europe and eventually disbanded in 1991.
8 Ibid.
The Security Dilemma between United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War
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IV. UNITED STATES AND SOVIET UNION SECURITY DILEMMA
EXPERIENCES
Security Dilemma in As one of the biggest war that has occurred in this world, men really
curious about what kind of security dilemma experienced by United States and Soviet Union
during the Cold War. The competition between United States and the Soviet Union was so fierce.
No one state wants their country defeat. That is why they strengthen their security and always
have a look and compare to others. Despite the name is security dilemma, but it doesn’t mean
that the dilemma only turn up in military field. The security dilemma also affects and turns up in
politic fields. Why? It was because the security has tight relations with politics. The United
States and Soviet Union want their country to get “safe and secure”. Therefore the dilemma not
only arises in hard power, military, but also in soft power, politics.
1. The security dilemma in military fields
Competition in the military aspect is shown in the form of building bases and the race of nuclear
weapons development, aircraft, weapons and aid to allies. At the first, the United States has
succeeded in creating their atomic bomb. It was used in shattered 2 cities of Japan, Nagasaki and
Hiroshima. In 1949, the Soviet Union held a test detonation of the first atomic bomb and they
succeed. It raises United States concerns in create and developing other bomb. Therefore the
United States immediately conduct research on the hydrogen bomb. In 1950, United States
President Harry S. Truman ordered the procurement of an emergency program for the study of
the hydrogen bomb. Research and testing was successfully conducted in November 1952.
However, nine months later, the Soviet Union has also been able to make their own hydrogen
bomb.
2. The security dilemma in politics field
In political fields, the United States tried to hold military-political cooperation with other
countries through some of the following names.
a. NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
b. CENTO (Central Nation Treaty Organization)
c. SEATO (South East Treaty Organization)
The Security Dilemma between United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War
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d. ANZUS (Australia, New Zealand, United States)
To match the power of the United States and its allies, the Soviet Union entered into
collaboration many countries through some of the following names.
a. COMECON
b. WARSAW PACT
Also to demonstrate the effect of simultaneously establishing political power, the United
States provides economic assistance to other countries with the purpose is they
participating and work together to stem the communist influence. Here is the assistance
given the United States economy.
a. Marshall Plan aid that appears in the Paris Conference of 1947 was awarded to Western
European countries, this assistance ended in 1951.
b. Truman Doctrine, the United States economic aid given to three countries: Turkey,
Greece, and
Japan.
c. Mutual Security Act (MSA) is given to Asian countries with the aim of helping the CIA
fight against communism and the Soviet Union.
Meanwhile to counterbalance the power of the United States, the Soviet Union is also
providing assistance to the communist states in Eastern Europe with the name Molotov
Plan.
The Security Dilemma between United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War
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V. CONCLUSION
A situation can establish other situations. It is better to us to know the background of a situation
that can be established another situation which more complicated, broader and scared. Like the
Cold War .Studying the background is useful to us. It is also useful in studying the Cold War.
As in the short approaches, it is giving an overview in understanding the Cold War itself. The
short approaches In the Cold War, as explained before, it was occurred because the different
ideologies, and principals between United States and Soviet Union in handling the Europe at the
end of World War II. The different desired of both countries bring them into their security
dilemma that makes those countries feel not confident with their situation.
From the explanations before, now we know why the Security dilemma can occurs. It is the point
of doing this research essay. To research why there is Security Dilemma during the Cold War,
and also to understand why what United States and Soviet Union faced, they experienced the
security dilemma in two fields. The first field is in military fields which is the kind of hard power
of a country. While the second is the politics field which is the kind of soft power of a country.
The Security Dilemma between United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War
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