Question

Did the Soviet Union (and/or communism) represent a real (or overblown) threat to freedom around the world?

Answer 1

The Soviet Union represented a great threat to the freedom of Continental Europe, and only a semi-threat to freedom in other countries, at the end of World War 2, the greatest concentration of Military power on continental Europe belonged to The Soviet Union. Without the threat of Mutually Assured Destruction there is no question the soviets would have eventually attacked Europe. As far as threat to freedom around the world, they could use their materials to support hostile nations, for example the Russians loaned Cuba nuclear weapons, demonstrating their will to actually give random countries weapons so long as they used them the way they wanted.