Dual Hegemony during the Cold War
Given the fact that we continue to sort out the implications of the end of the Cold war on present-day international relations,it is worthwhile to examine this era more closely. When did the Cold War actually begin? It could be argued it began in 1939 when two dictators, Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union and Adolf Hitler of Germany, agreed to divide Poland. Stalin’s broader European goals were consistent with those of his Kremlin predecessors: dominate the states bordering the Soviet Union and gain control over the Baltic region and the Turkish Straits that connect the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. Beyond that, Stalin hoped to influence strongly events in Eastern Europe and Germany