Instant Access To 100,000+ Essays!

The Cold War, which existed between the Soviet Union and the United States following World War II, and the incessant threat of nuclear destruction which it presented, evolved throughout its history. The relationship between these two countries was strained at best - at worst, it was hostile and came near the unleashing of the devastating nuclear arsenal both countries possessed. The relationship also evolved over time, and the emergence of Fidel Castro in Cuba was a catalyst for a change in the nature of the relationship between these powers. The threat he and his Communist party presented to his American neighbours would change the way Americans dealt with their Cold War enemies. In the same way, Castro's Communists also gave Nikita Khrushchev and the Soviets an entrance into North and Central American affairs. Prior to the revolution in Cuba, during Batista's brutal regime, there was what is described as "an easing of tensions" (Lundestad 100) in relations between the East and the West. These tensions were eased because many of the potential conflicts between East and West had been resolved, such as the 1956 uprising in Hungary and the Suez conflict of 1956, which led to war between Egypt and the alliance of Britain, France a