Who won the Cold War and why was this outcome significant to the progression of world history?

Break this question into two parts. Firstly, what was the result of the Cold War? Secondly, why was this result important? To answer the first question, ask yourself when the Cold War ended and why you think that? The Cold War was primarily a conflict between two opposing political systems – capitalism and communism – meaning that the event would conclude with the victory of one system over the other. Since the Cold War period ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union as numerous states under its control fought for and declared their own independence, capitalism was the winning system. Moreover, capitalism actively contributed to the collapse of communist universalism by successfully propagating its own advantages through cultural means such as the American National Exhibition that came to Moscow in 1959. Secondly, ask yourself how the victory of American capitalism shaped our world today? With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States became the sole major power where two major powers had previously competed following World War Two. This result along with the programs established during the Cold War era such as the Marshall Plan enhanced America’s global power economically by providing a market for American consumer goods. It also led to a valuation of American culture which further secured its new position of power. Moreover, the victory marked a change in styles of warfare and diplomacy. While both World Wars led to an escalation of warfare because the employment of new weaponry resulted in total warfare, the Cold War placed a new emphasis on alternative means of waging war such as propaganda since neither side was willing to use its atomic weapons. As a result, the Cold War perpetuated the longest period of peace between major European powers in history from the end of World War Two until the present day.