ABSTRACT
The United States became a superpower at the end of World War II, as it was the dominant power in the West and the only possible rival for the Soviet Union, the survivor of the epic struggle with Nazi Germany in the East. For nearly half a century afterwards, the world was divided between the two superpowers, each with its own collection of allies and dependent nations. A number of non-aligned and mostly weak nations mattered little in international relations except as pawns in the superpower competition. National strategies for each superpowers were simple: frustrate the other’s ambitions while expanding its own sphere of influence, short of provoking nuclear war. Each maintained a substantial military, a vast nuclear arsenal, and considerable doubts about the willingness of allies to sacrifice for the common cause.
