The Cold War Between the United States and Russia - Essay Example

Both United States and Russia would end up losing if the cold war turned hot. This is likely why things never progressed further than they did.

            The Cold War officially ended in 1991. Just as there are a variety of reasons as to why the Cold War began, there are a few reasons as to why it ended. For one thing, the Soviet Union had collapsed by this time, which meant that the strength of Russia and its influence over other countries, such as Germany, was basically eliminated. In addition to their lack of influence, the Soviet Union did not have the resources to continue stockpiling weapons. Therefore, the Soviet Union had to call a “truce” with the United States, which they did during meetings between Mikhail Gorbachev, President Ronald Reagan, and, later on, President George H.W. Bush. The U.S. and the Soviet Union agreed to reduce their nuclear weapons that were set aside for war with each other. From there, the Soviet Union broke apart further, and the United States thrived.