Abstract
Understanding the Cold War, it is central to understand the history of the 2nd half of the 20th century. Between 1945 and 1991, there were lots of casualties in more than 100 wars that took place in the 3rd World in that period. Moreover, most of the crisis that threatened to escalate into a nuclear war occurred in the 3rd World. Far reaching and long lasting, the Cold War gave rise to a multitude of often conflicting interpretations, regarding responsibilities for its outbreak, its persistence and its final demise. Almost all of these interpretations were shaped by the on-going Cold War and many were profoundly political; the positions they argued were part of contemporary political as well as scholarly debates. The end of the Cold War and the limited opening archives in the former Soviet Union and its allies had not ended these debates. However, it is now possible to ask new questions about responsibilities in controversies about the persistence of the Cold War. David Painter focuses on the interactions on international systemic factors and national policies and politics, taking into account all events all over the world.
