International Relations is an extremely important study that focuses on the relationships between countries, along with the roles of all governmental or non-governmental organizations. International relations have existed for thousands of years starting from 3500 BC The most significant and influential period that had the greatest impact on international relations was the Cold War, which was more of a conflict between the United States of America with NATO ( North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies. what a war. It was given the name “cold” simply because there was no direct fighting between the two sides. Many people thought that America and the Soviet Union were allies during World War II, however the only thing that made them “friendly” was that they both had a common hatred for a common enemy, Nazi Germany. Even during the war there were tensions and a common distrust between the United States and the USSR. So, although the United States and the Soviet Union were uneasy allies, allies only because they shared a common fear that the Nazis would gain total control over all of Europe, they were separated by a difference in a common ideology. Now, although many historians believe that the negativity of the Cold War was fueled solely by having different ideas and beliefs, but how each country ran its government was also factored into the equation. There were major Cold War events that contributed to the outcome of international relations. Conflicts such as Korea and Vietnam were also emerging problems brought about during the Cold War. These conflicts exposed American soldiers to different styles of warfare, such as guerrilla warfare, underground warfare which also made it... middle of paper... Arsaw Pact. On the other hand, the United States was actually defensive towards Latin American countries because it feared that widespread communism in those areas would immediately become threatening. Another aspect of the Cold War that affected international relations was the fact that millions of people died in third world countries due to civil wars and other conflicts. According to Painter, “most of the deaths were in third world countries, so there was a clear effect on those parts of the world.” (Painter 2001) The Cold War helped provide a perfect example of how countries can come together to achieve common goals and aspirations. The United States protected its interests by providing support to countries that were capable of falling to communism. Eventually, the Soviet Union's economy collapsed, leaving the United States and the most powerful superpower of all.