Introduction The Cold War constitutes one of the defining phenomena of twentieth-century international politics, fundamentally shaping the global strategic, ideological, economic, and diplomatic landscape from the end of the Second World War in 1945 until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Unlike conventional interstate wars, the Cold War was characterized by sustained political … Continue reading Assess whether the formative characteristics of the Cold War were primarily products of ideological incompatibility, geopolitical rivalry, or structural changes in the post-war international system.