Carl von Clausewitz defines ‘war’ as the continuation of politics by other means. Thus building onto this definition we can say that the Cold War was a form of warfare but by non-lethal means. The Cold War was the increased tensions between the The United States of America and U.S.S.R after World War II. The term ‘cold’ was associated with it because it supposedly never heated into an actual armed conflict between the two super-powers as they sought geopolitical, ideological, and economic influence over the world. It is best to describe the Cold War as an era that spanned roughly from the years 1945 to 1991.
War has many themes, predominantly they are political, technological, cultural, ideological and economical. The Cold War holds significant position in recent history because it has redefined our understanding of warfare in the aforementioned paradigms. Before I deep dive into the details of how Cold War changed the spectrum of warfare, I want to establish the ‘unchanging nature of war.’ Throughout the progression of my essay, I conceptualise new ideas but they should understood keeping in mind that if war’s nature were to alter inherently, it would become something else for the characteristics may vary but the nature remains constant. Thus, I write this essay from the ideological standpoint of a structural realist who believes that ‘anarchy’ is the natural state of the world and the reason to wage wars absolute power over others which is the logical step towards that goal.
To what extent has the character of war changed since the end of the Cold War?
In game theory, there is an finite game and an infinite game. A finite player seeks power while the infinite player displays self-sufficient strength. Until 1988 both USA and USSR were playing the finite game, attempting to overpower each other. In 1989, the Berlin Wall came down marking the victory of capitalistic policy advocated by the USA. America won the cold war however it also ended the finite game that existed between it and USSR where the opponent was visible and the rules were established and made USA an infinite player which showed self-sufficient strength, this not only made it a ‘hegemon’ but also transitioned it into the infinite game giving birth to new and invisible players on a geo-political landscape operating without any predefined rules. Since the fall of Berlin Wall all of America’s enemies have been belligerents of the third-world. The 9/11 attack which was the most prominent hostile attempt on the American soil was executed by ‘player’ (Al-Qaeda) whose strengths were questionable and was invisible up until the event transpired and played by none of the known rules.
A new form religiously motivated terrorism is on the rise. Unquestionably, there has been a sweeping change in the nature of the dominant form of terrorism since the end of Cold War. Religious extremism rose post 1990 because of radical changes in the political and social systems. Whether it be Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram etc. that have existed over decades or the recent growth IS (Islamic State), the ideological clashes are similar to that of the cold war. Alterations in the social landscape since the post cold war period have had the most impact in proliferating religious terror activity. Rapid urbanisation after cold war and the heavy migration of made the governments in various regions economically bankrupt and incapable of providing basic services such as food and shelter, this role was adopted by religious groups in different countries. Therefore people’s belief in the communist and capitalist ideals eventually died out while cultural and religious values were exhumed. The resurgence of the ‘religion factor’ within international relations has smoothly replaced the communist ideology which was dominant during the Cold War. Faith in god which filled the divide of social space in the 21st century, a space that in the 20th century was occupied by the Marxist Communism.
Advancements of Modern Weaponry: It’s not only the conventional ideologies that have changed warfare in the post cold war world.The Cold War is credited with some of the most advanced technology used in the fields of detection and reconnaissance in history and these types of technology still play roles today. There has been swift advancements in the military capabilities of countries. The end of cold war plunged the rival countries to create new methods and tools for inflicting massive destruction. Advancements in offensive technology in a way of nuclear energy harnessed in the form of the nuclear bomb.The sheer number of nuclear weapons today is overwhelming. With increasing technological advancements the military doctrines of many countries is changing rapidly. Nuclear Weapons were the highlights of the cold war between two superpowers, however today 9 countries possess more than a whopping 14000+ nuclear weapons stockpile with USA and Russia accounting for 93% of them. Subsidiary to this other branches such as ‘Bio-Chemical Wars’, using toxins or infectious agents such as viruses with the intent to kill or incapacitate humans, as an act of war are also developing. While alternatively, ‘Cyber Warfare’ where actions by a nation to penetrate another nation's computers or networks for the purposes of causing damage or disruptions are also growing. Thus war has changed forms and is multiplying itself on new and growing platforms.
The cold war left a lasting impact on the world, it shaped foreign policy and bilateral relations among many countries, by making allies. It shaped our perceptions towards both offence and defence. However I believe that a heavy focus on military transformation and bilateral agreements tends to obscure the fact that war is about a lot more than warfare. War is not a self occurring phenomenon and understanding the objective nature of war and that biggest gear, behind any war is the political context in the 21st century.