Six-to eight-page paper that gives a basic idea of what the Cold War was, explains one of the proxy wars of the Cold War, and defines realist and idealist theoretic worldviews to explain the proxy war. The paper will also discuss the reasons the Soviet Union fell in 1991, explain the chaos that resulted from the collapse, and use realist or idealist theoretical worldviews to support the explanation. Further, the paper will describe how the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union have impacted (and continue to overshadow) current politics. You will examine the similarities, if any, between the Cold War and the current War on Terror. Finally, you will draw conclusions about the scope and practice of international relations based on your research by explaining the theoretical and practical foundations you have acquired.

Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
I. Defining the Cold War
a. Define the political tension that exists among nations during a “cold war.”
b. Describe the conflict that developed between the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II.

II. Cold War Proxy
a. Identify a proxy of the Cold War and describe the events of that war.
b. Explain how this is a proxy war for the Cold War between the United States and Russia.
c. Use realist or idealist theoretical worldviews to explain the proxy war.

III. The Collapse of the Soviet Union
a. Explain the collapse of the Soviet Union.
b. Explain the chaos that resulted from the collapse of the Soviet Union.
c. Use realist or idealist theoretic worldviews to support the explanation.

IV. Impact: Explain the impact on theorists and practitioners of international relations
a. Describe the dilemmas faced by international political relations scholars at that time as a result of the collapse of the international political system.
b. How did this impact foreign policy at the time?
c. What is the impact on current U.S. foreign policy?
d. Are there similarities between the Cold War and the War on Terror? If so, what are they?

V. Conclusions
a. Describe the impact of history on current political events.
b. Describe the scope and practice of international relations.
c. Explain the theoretical foundations you have acquired.
d. Explain the practical foundations you have acquired.

Six-to eight-page paper that gives a basic idea of what the Cold Wa...