EVOLUTION OF MODERN STATE SYSTEM

2.7. The Cold War and the Bipolar International System

The post-1945 world was dominated by the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, leading to a bipolar international system. The ideological competition between liberal democracy and communism influenced global politics, often through proxy wars and alliances such as NATO and the Warsaw Pact.

During this period, the modern state system expanded globally through decolonization. Former colonies gained independence, adopting the Westphalian model of sovereign states. However, many faced challenges in state-building due to colonial legacies, artificial borders, and economic dependency.

The Non-Aligned Movement, formed in the 1960s, represented an attempt by newly independent states to navigate between the two superpowers while asserting their sovereignty. The Cold War period thus consolidated the state system on a global scale, even as superpower rivalry often undermined the sovereignty of weaker states.