Cold War & Decolonization (1900-Present)

• The Cold War and decolonization era occurred from approximately 1900 to the present.

Overview of the Cold War

• The Cold War began at the end of WWII and involved a series of three conferences.
• The Tehran Conference (1943) established an allied strategy for WWII with Russia attacking from the east and the U.S. and Britain from the west; the USSR would receive part of Poland following the war.
• The Yalta Conference (1945) addressed post-WWII Europe and the defeat of Japan; the U.S. wanted free elections and Soviet help in the Pacific, while the USSR desired control over Eastern Europe.
• The Potsdam Conference (1945) discussed peace in Europe, but Stalin refused to leave Eastern Europe, leading to Germany and therefore Berlin being split into four sections between allied powers.
• The League of Nations failed, so the US, Britain, USSR, and China created the United Nations in 1945.
• The US and USSR emerged as the two new superpowers after WWII.
• The US had suffered the least destruction during WWII.
• The USSR was the only country able to challenge the US militarily and politically.
• Capitalism/Democracy was the ideology of the West.
• Communism challenged the West's economic, political, and cultural influence.
• The atomic bomb greatly impacted the Cold War.
• The Cold War was fought without direct military confrontation between the US and USSR through alliances, arms/space races, and proxy wars.
• The Iron Curtain was coined by Winston Churchill, symbolizing the divide between Western and Eastern Europe
• The Cold War was fought through propaganda, secret operations, war of ideology, and intimidation.

Cold War Alliances

• NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) was formed in 1949 to view Communism as a disease, support member nations, and prevent its spread.
• The Domino Theory suggests that the spread of communism would cause governments to topple one after another.
• Containment involved accepting communism where it existed but preventing its further spread.
• The Truman Doctrine promised U.S. support to stop communist influence, particularly in Greece and Turkey, with economic and military aid.
• The Marshall Plan offered $12 billion to all European nations to modernize industry, support trade, and rebuild infrastructure.
• The Warsaw Pact was created in 1955 as the USSR and the communist bloc.
• The Warsaw Pact countries viewed the West as aggressive and combined armed forces of member nations, led by the USSR.
• The COMECON (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance) was formed for Eastern European satellite states, similar to the Marshall Plan, but had a modest impact on the economy.
• The Non-Aligned Movement consisted of countries, typically in Africa and Asia, that wanted to stay out of the Cold War.
• The Bandung Conference saw delegates from 29 countries condemn colonialism.
• Although many sought a new framework without superpower conflict, many eventually allied with one superpower or the other.

Arms and Space Race

• The Arms Race involved stockpiling and mass production of nuclear weapons.
• The Hydrogen Bomb, more powerful than atomic bombs, was developed in the 1950s.
• The Military-Industrial Complex developed weapons and led to an informal alliance between the government and large defense contractors, gaining too much power.
• Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) ensured that either country would be destroyed.
• Sputnik 1 which was launched into space by the USSR in 1957.
• Explorer 1 launched into space by US in 1958.
• NASA was founded in 1958.
• Yuri Gagarin was the first USSR man in space in 1961.
• John Glenn Jr was the first US man in space in 1962.
• Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon with Apollo 11 in 1969.

Proxy Wars and Interventions

• Proxy wars involved major powers instigating conflict between other nations without directly fighting each other.
• In the context of the Berlin Blockade, Airlift, and Berlin Wall, Berlin was divided into four zones, with three western sections becoming a free city within East Germany.
• USSR blockaded Berlin to prevent the West from accessing or sending supplies.
• Allies responded with the Berlin Airlift, flying supplies over the blockade and airdropping necessities to West Berlin.
• Germany split into West Germany (Federal Republic of Germany) and East Germany (German Democratic Republic).
• Europe was seen as solidly divided into East and West.
• The Berlin Wall was erected, due to citizens of East Germany migrating to the West which symbolized the end of the Cold War.

Vietnam War

• Prior to WWII, Vietnam was a French colony that was occupied by Japan during WWII. After WWII, France tried to retake its colony, leading to a civil war and eventual split between North and South Vietnam.
• North Vietnam became communist, while South Vietnam became non-communist.
• North Vietnam invaded South in 1955.
• The USSR supported the North with weapons and information.
• The US and the UN helped the South.
• The US withdrew in 1973 because of the high cost of war and lack of domestic support.
• The war ended with Vietnam reunified under the North, and friendly ties reestablished with the US in 1980; estimated 2 million casualties.

Bay of Pigs Crisis

• The US was concerned about Cuba's recent conversion to communism under Fidel Castro.
• Kennedy/US government supported Cuban exiles to invade Cuba and assassinate Castro, but it failed.
• Castro survived assassination attempts, and Cuba and the USSR grew closer.

Cuban Missile Crisis

• Tensions arose when the USSR sent nuclear weapons to Cuba.
• Spy planes discovered the missiles in 1962, and Kennedy ordered a blockade of the island and began talks with USSR ambassadors and the UN.
• The US and USSR came to the brink of nuclear war.
• The USSR agreed to remove missiles if the US removed missiles from Turkey.
• A direct line was set up between US and USSR offices for better communication in the future.

Korean War

• Post WWII, Korea was divided into North (USSR backed) and South (US/UN backed) across the 38th Parallel (DMZ).
• The start of war started with North invading South in 1950.
• General MacArthur crossed the Yalu River into China, entering on the side of the North.
• War ended in a stalemate across the 38th parallel, resulting in 4 million casualties, and Korea remained divided.

Other Conflicts

• Angola (Africa)
• Contra War (Nicaragua)

End of Cold War and its Effects

• Challenges to nuclear technology and weapons was the antinuclear weapons movement.
• It began in Japan in 1954 and eventually spread to other countries.
• Test Ban Treaty was in 1963 to limit radiation exposure through nuclear weapon testing in space.
• The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1968 that prevented nuclear technology spreading to countries without it.
• The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) was signed in 1987 restricted creation and use of intermediate-range nuclear weapons and signaled a thawing of the Cold War.
• Detente occured in 1960s and 1970s which involved a relaxed relationship between the USSR and US after the Bay of Pigs and Cuban Missile Crisis.
• Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty of 1972: agreement between USSR and US that froze the number of ICBM.
• US began to sell grain to the USSR and sought trade relationship with China.
• Detente ended when USSR invaded Afghanistan and the US halted grain shipments.
• Soviet-Afghan War: USSR invaded to support the communist regime, had to withdraw in 1989, and civil war continued in Afghanistan, weakening the USSR's economy.
• 1980s leaders and renewed tension in both US and USSR had about 12,000 nuclear missiles.
• Strategic Defense Initiative (Star Wars Program); plan to create a defense system that would prevent missiles hitting the US or USSR (specifically via space).
• Gorbachev adopted Perestroika- which was the restructuring the strict government-controlled economy to one with some private ownership and Glasnost- opening up Soviet society to more freedoms.
• Gorbachev stops supporting Soviet satellites with military and economic aid which led to democatic reform movements in Eastern European nations (1989).
• Then the Berlin Wall was torn down, Germany reunites in 1990.
• These events led to democratic reform movements within the USSR itself; USSR crumbles and then The Cold War is over.

Decolonization and New Government Regimes

• Also know as "AKA what else is going on during the Cold War" "AKA it's not all about YOU two, US and USSR!"

Non-Aligned Movement

• Countries taking part of this movement not only fought against the 'inevitability' of two superpowers fighting a Cold War, but fought for independence from colonialism.

Types of Resistance (to Colonization and Government)

• Nonviolent: Civil Disobedience; use of peaceful protesting through breaking of laws and boycotting.
• Civil Disobedience was seen with Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. Nelson Mandela; often and student protests.
• Violent: Armed conflict, guerrilla warfare, terrorism
• Examples: Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Northern Ireland and Basque Homeland and Freedom (ETA) in Spain al-Qaeda (Middle East), Boko Haram (Africa) Islamic State of Iraq/Levant (ISIL), Taliban (Middle East)

Decolonization after 1900

• India has been a British colony since 1858. and has pushed for independence and decolonization through the Indian National Congress and leaders like Mohandas Gandhi.
• Factors Leading to Self-Determination After WWII include: WWII, weakens Britain, who can no longer fight against this movement and Royal Indian Navy Revolt (1946)
• In 1947, India is divided into two independent countries: India, and Pakistan.
• This leads to mass migration (at least 10 million) and violence (at least 500,000-1 million deaths) which causes Tensions: and India begin to distrust one another.
• Canada: Quebec was historically close to France due to colonization, and continued to align with the French even when the British took over.

Vietnam Context

• Pre-WWII: Vietnam was a colony of France
• WWII: Vietnam is occupied by Japan
• Post-WWII: France occupies south Vietnam, but North Vietnam resists.
• War of independence 1954: ends with a treaty that divides Vietnam between communist North and non-communist South

Overview of Changes after WWII

• The changes occurring to states (government land reform) include Communism in China and Changes in Iran.
• China: Followed Soviet style policies, and at first focus on a series of five-year plans to catch up in industry and nationalize in 1958. Also land is reorganized into government controlled agricultural communities which led to extreme starvation and resistance.
• Iran was occupied by the British and Russians when its leader shows signs of supporting Hitler; a new leader is given power .The US and Britain overthrow Mosaddegh and Shah takes power again.