Cold Warfare

Abstract

This chapter discusses America's ascent to great power status following the Second World War. It argues that the nation emerged out of the war with great wealth, unparalleled military capabilities and a series of bases spread around the world. The chapter then elaborates the key factors that compelled policymakers to aggressively defend US primacy in the new geopolitical context. It also discusses the profound militarization of US foreign policy and a new level of worldwide vicarious warfare following the onset of the so-called Second Cold War in the 1980s. Ultimately, the chapter presents fierce controversy that surrounds the question of responsibility for the onset of the Cold War. It then details the most potent and pervasive weapons system of contemporary vicarious warfare: the sophisticated unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), or drone, guided by advanced communications technologies and armed with precision-guided cruise missiles.