Introduction to International Relations - Introduction to International Relations - Was the Cold War Inevitable?

Part 4 of 5 of my lecture on International Relations during the Cold War. This video considers whether the Cold War could have been avoided if the US and the Soviet Union had bothered to understand each other more. It also asks whether a conflict between two states with different international ideologies could ever have found common ground in an age of decolonialization, and the rise of the "Third World". We apply Immanuel Wallerstein's World Systems Theory to look at core-periphery relations, and how the Soviet Union capitalized on promoting international Communism as a compatible political model for the developing world - and how the United States responded by working to undermine any regime that didn't support the transnational global capital model. While leaning towards theories of Constructivism, this discussion also notes the utility of Realism in that socio-economic development often develops the best within a larger framework of security - hence NATO's contributing role to the development of economically cooperative organizations in Western Europe. Lecture 09: The Cold War in International Relations Studies Part IV: Was the Cold War Inevitable? How World Systems Theory Explains U.S. and Soviet Foreign Policies Dr. Michael Rossi Department of Political Science Rutgers University November 2, 2015 Chapter Markers: 00:40 - A Review of the Cold War Thus FAr 09:00 - The Cold War and the Periphery 15:40 - The Cold War and the Core Music - John Williams, "The Mission Theme (Theme for NBC News)", An American Journey ℗ 2002 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT Released on: 2001-01-01 Associated Performer: Recording Arts Orchestra of Los Angeles Producer: Ken Wannberg