impact of the war

• had very little direct effect on the structure and function of Russias government
• de-stalinisation was an attempt to present russia in more positive light to the rest of the world which was especially important at a time when the USA was determined to enforce its containment policy towards Russia
• American politicians never wavered from trying to prove that communism was evil and would easily spread if it was allowed to
• the nuclear arms race and space race were very expensive causing living standards to be much lower than in the West. Russian people weren't afraid to express their discontent but protest were ruthlessly dealt with