The affordability of war is partly attributed to the fall of the iron curtain, the Soviet Republic. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), with a threat of going to war with the United States during the cold war era, stockpiled lots of weapons. When the USSR collapsed and broke into individual countries, many of the stockpiles were left in the hands of nations struggling to establish themselves. Corruption in such nations meant that this huge stockpiles were available for sale in the International market at throwaway prices.