Compare and contrast how US-Soviet relations shifted during the Cold War.
Have a clear argument/thesis-statement and use supportive logic and evidence to support your answer.
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Evolution of US-Soviet Relations During the Cold War: A Comparative Analysis
Thesis Statement:
The relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War evolved from initial cooperation during World War II to intense rivalry and confrontation, characterized by ideological differences, arms races, proxy wars, and occasional detente efforts, shaping global politics for decades.
Cooperation during World War II
Argument: Initially, the United States and the Soviet Union cooperated during World War II against the common enemy of Nazi Germany. This period of collaboration laid the groundwork for post-war international institutions like the United Nations.
Supportive Logic and Evidence:
1. Alliance against Axis Powers: The US and the Soviet Union formed the Grand Alliance with other Allied powers to defeat the Axis powers. This alliance demonstrated a shared commitment to defeating a common enemy.
2. Yalta and Potsdam Conferences: The Yalta and Potsdam Conferences in 1945 saw agreements on post-war Europe and the division of Germany, reflecting a degree of cooperation between the US and the Soviet Union in shaping the post-war order.
Intensification of Rivalry and Confrontation
Argument: The post-war period witnessed a shift from cooperation to rivalry as ideological differences, competing spheres of influence, and military build-ups fueled tensions between the US and the Soviet Union.
Supportive Logic and Evidence:
1. Ideological Divide: The ideological differences between capitalism and communism became a central point of contention, leading to the spread of influence through propaganda, espionage, and proxy conflicts.
2. Arms Race: The development of nuclear weapons by both superpowers intensified the arms race, leading to a state of mutually assured destruction (MAD) and escalating tensions over nuclear proliferation.
3. Proxy Wars: The US and the Soviet Union engaged in proxy wars in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and other regions, using third parties to advance their interests without direct military confrontation.
Periods of Detente and Thaw
Argument: Despite the intense rivalry, there were periods of detente marked by efforts to reduce tensions, promote arms control, and engage in diplomatic dialogue between the US and the Soviet Union.
Supportive Logic and Evidence:
1. Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT): The SALT agreements in the 1970s aimed to limit nuclear arms proliferation and reduce the risk of a nuclear war between the US and the Soviet Union.
2. Helsinki Accords: The Helsinki Accords in 1975 promoted human rights, economic cooperation, and security measures among European nations, signaling a brief period of detente between East and West.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the evolution of US-Soviet relations during the Cold War reflects a complex interplay of cooperation, rivalry, confrontation, and detente. The ideological divide, arms race, proxy conflicts, and occasional diplomatic efforts shaped a bipolar world order that defined global politics for much of the 20th century. Understanding this dynamic relationship provides insights into how superpower interactions can influence international relations and security dynamics on a global scale.
