Cold War History

Definition and Duration

• The Cold War was a period of geopolitical tension and rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union from 1947 to 1991.
• It was a "cold" war because it did not involve direct military conflict between the two superpowers.

Causes of the Cold War

• Post-WWII ideologies: US (capitalist, democratic) vs. USSR (communist, authoritarian)
• Soviet Union's expansion into Eastern Europe and the US's response to contain it
• Yalta Conference (1945): disagreements over post-war reorganization and spheres of influence
• Truman Doctrine (1947): US policy of providing economic and military aid to countries threatened by communism
• Marshall Plan (1948): US economic aid to rebuild war-torn Europe, seen as a challenge to Soviet influence

Key Events

• Berlin Blockade and Airlift (1948-1949): Soviet Union's attempt to cut off West Berlin, countered by US-led airlift
• Korean War (1950-1953): conflict between North Korea (backed by China and USSR) and South Korea (backed by US and UN)
• Cuban Missile Crisis (1962): US-Soviet standoff over Soviet missile deployment in Cuba
• Vietnam War (1955-1975): US involvement in conflict between North and South Vietnam, seen as a proxy war against communism

Propaganda and Ideology

• Both sides engaged in propaganda campaigns to promote their ideologies and discredit the opponent
• The "Iron Curtain" speech by Winston Churchill (1946) and the "Evil Empire" speech by Ronald Reagan (1983) exemplified the ideological divide

Proxy Wars and Alliances

• The US and USSR supported different sides in various regional conflicts, such as:
  • Greek Civil War (1946-1949)
  • Angolan Civil War (1975-2002)
  • Nicaraguan Revolution (1960-1990)
• NATO (1949) and the Warsaw Pact (1955) were formed as military alliances to counterbalance each other's influence

Détente and End of the Cold War

• Détente (1960s-1970s): period of reduced tension, marked by agreements like SALT I (1972) and the Helsinki Accords (1975)
• Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms (1980s): glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) led to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991

Definition and Duration

• The Cold War lasted from 1947 to 1991, characterized by geopolitical tension and rivalry between the US and the USSR.
• It was a "cold" war because it did not involve direct military conflict between the two superpowers.

Causes of the Cold War

• The conflict stemmed from post-WWII ideologies, with the US representing capitalism and democracy, and the USSR representing communism and authoritarianism.
• The Soviet Union's expansion into Eastern Europe and the US's response to contain it contributed to the Cold War.
• The Yalta Conference (1945) highlighted disagreements over post-war reorganization and spheres of influence.
• The Truman Doctrine (1947) and the Marshall Plan (1948) marked significant US policies to counter Soviet influence.

Key Events

• The Berlin Blockade and Airlift (1948-1949) saw the Soviet Union attempt to cut off West Berlin, countered by a US-led airlift.
• The Korean War (1950-1953) was a conflict between North Korea (backed by China and the USSR) and South Korea (backed by the US and UN).
• The Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) was a US-Soviet standoff over Soviet missile deployment in Cuba.
• The Vietnam War (1955-1975) was a US involvement in a conflict between North and South Vietnam, seen as a proxy war against communism.

Propaganda and Ideology

• Both sides engaged in propaganda campaigns to promote their ideologies and discredit the opponent.
• The "Iron Curtain" speech by Winston Churchill (1946) and the "Evil Empire" speech by Ronald Reagan (1983) exemplified the ideological divide.

Proxy Wars and Alliances

• The US and USSR supported different sides in various regional conflicts, including:
  • Greek Civil War (1946-1949)
  • Angolan Civil War (1975-2002)
  • Nicaraguan Revolution (1960-1990)
• NATO (1949) and the Warsaw Pact (1955) were formed as military alliances to counterbalance each other's influence.

Détente and End of the Cold War

• The period of détente (1960s-1970s) saw reduced tension, marked by agreements like SALT I (1972) and the Helsinki Accords (1975).
• Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms (1980s) led to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, with glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) being key factors.