Post-War Period: Cold War & Decolonization

• The post-war period in the English-speaking world is characterized by decentralization, economic difficulties in Britain, complex decolonization, and US Cold War politics.

The Cold War

• After the Second World War, Europe lost its central role in world power, with the US and the Soviet Union becoming the main players.
• The world was divided by ideological, economic, political, and lifestyle differences between capitalism and communism.
• The Cold War began, forcing countries to align, and ended between 1989 and 1991 with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union's dissolution.

Decolonization and the Golden Age

• Decolonization in Africa and Asia, marking the end of colonial empires, and a 25-year period of economic development (1945-1970s) known as the 'Golden Age' significantly shaped international relations.
• The Golden Age affected capitalist countries, changing their social and economic profiles, spreading wealth, and boosting consumption.
• 1945: The Labour Party wins the election in Great Britain.
• 1947: India and Pakistan become independent from Great Britain.
• 1948: The National Health Service extends medical care to all British citizens.
• 1954: A Supreme Court sentence outlaws racial segregation in schools in the US.
• 1956: The Suez Crisis occurs.
• 1957: The European Economic Community is created, but Britain does not join.

Britain After the War

• In 1945, Britain focused on fighting unemployment, nationalizing services, creating a Welfare State, and investing in new construction.
• British voters supported the Labour Party, whose slogan 'Let Us Face The Future' resonated with their desires, although the victory was unexpected.
• The Welfare State, established by Clement Attlee's government (1945-51), provided welfare assistance to all citizens regardless of income.
• Measures included old-age pensions, unemployment and illness benefits (National Insurance Act, 1946), and extended medical care (National Health Service, 1948).
• The government invested in public housing and nationalized basic services like electricity and the railway system, improving the quality of life for British citizens despite persistent poverty.
• The Conservatives returned to power in 1951, led by Winston Churchill (1951-55), Anthony Eden (1955-57), and Harold MacMillan (1957-63), overseeing a decade of economic growth with rising salaries, consumption, and property ownership.
• 1963: American President John Fitzgerald Kennedy is murdered in Dallas.
• 1971: The Industrial Relations Act in Britain attempts to limit workers' rights to strike.
• 1973: Britain officially joins the European Economic Community (EEC).
• 1974: The Watergate scandal leads to US President Nixon's resignation.
• 1978: The Camp David Accords are signed.
• 1979: Margaret Thatcher becomes Britain's first woman Prime Minister.

The Empire and The Cold War

• Maintaining a large army and presence in the Empire became incompatible with Britain's economic resources after the war and the Suez Crisis of 1956.
• During the Suez Crisis (1956) Britain, France, and Israel launched a military expedition to defend their commercial interests after Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal.
• The war lacked US support, forcing Britain to withdraw, revealing a shift in Western power relations.
• Britain's disengagement from the Empire was gradual, with the Commonwealth maintaining economic significance and representing Britain's global presence.
• The slow withdrawal from colonies reflected America's desire to have Western garrisons to prevent decolonization from turning into a communist victory.

Decolonization

• India, Britain's main colony, achieved independence along with Pakistan in 1947, following a persistent movement towards self-government that started early in the 20th century.
• Burma and Ceylon gained independence the following year, and the decolonization process continued well into the 1960s, with most African, Asian, and Caribbean territories gaining independence.
• Most colonies achieved independence peacefully, with a few instances of wars of national liberation.
• Britain retained a small number of Pacific islands, Hong Kong (until 1997), Gibraltar, and the Falkland Islands.

The Return of the Labour Party

• The Labour Party, led by Harold Wilson, regained power after 13 years (1964-70).
• The government faced problems such as a trade deficit, and weak policies to promote British exports.
• Britain had to rely on US financial aid.
• The Labour Party lost credibility.
• Nationalist political forces in Wales and Scotland further weakened Wilson's party, leading to their defeat in the 1970 election.

Britain and Europe

• Britain traditionally remained isolated and had a sense of national superiority, thus initially avoiding participation in the European Economic Community (1957) to maintain its supremacy and strengthen its alliance with the US.
• Facing the loss of the Empire, Britain sought different commercial areas outside the Commonwealth and drew closer to the EEC throughout the 1960s, officially joining it between 1972 and 1973.
• This coincided with a major oil crisis, leading to renewed distrust toward Europe.

Economic and Political Crisis

• The early 1970s were dominated by economic crises, addressed by Edward Heath's Conservative government (1970-74) with free-trade policies that sought to protect British production.
• After enacting the Industrial Relations Act (1971) to limit the right to strike, friction between Heath and Trade Unions intensified.
• In 1972, strike days reached highs, and the miners, proving particularly assertive, secured considerable pay rises.
• The election of 1974 was significant.
• The victory of the Labour Party stirred things up within the Conservative Party, leading to Margaret Thatcher ascending as the party's leader in 1975.

The Iron Lady

• Margaret Thatcher's victory from 1979-1990 marked a radical change in British politics.
• She became the first woman Prime Minister and implemented neo-liberal policies: reduced state intervention, privatized state companies, and deregulated the economy.
• Known as the Iron Lady, Thatcher fought against strikes and trade unions, while also trying to reinforce her country's nationalistic spirit.
• Military intervention in the Falkland Islands, a British colony occupied in 1982 by the Argentinian dictatorship, took place.
• Victory in the Falklands boosted her popularity, but growing economic hardships led to her political defeat in November 1990.

The US at the End of WWII

• In April 1945, Harry Truman succeeded the late Franklin Roosevelt.
• The US and the Soviet Union emerged as the world's two main powers.
• American supremacy led to new responsibilities.
• Truman reorganized the military defense and created the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
• The CIA worked to counter communism and intervened in favor of friendly governments.

Fear of Communism

• The political climate in the US was marked by widespread fear of communism, especially following the communist takeover in China in 1949.
• Nuclear development in the USSR and the outbreak of the Korean War led to further American fear.
• Senator Joseph McCarthy led a ‘witch-hunt' through the House Committee on Un-American Activities, investigating and punishing anyone suspected of being communist.
• Measures affected the world of culture and show business.
• Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were charged with espionage and sentenced to death in 1953.

The Americanization of the World

• The climate facilitated Eisenhower's victory, backed by the Republicans.
• His presidency coincided with a prosperous economy: mass consumption grew, per-capita income increased, and life expectancy rose.
• The 'American way of life' became a model worldwide.
• Poverty remained in the country, especially within the community of farmers and black people.

The Kennedy Presidency

• John F. Kennedy became the youngest president and first Catholic in the White House at the beginning of the 1960s.
• Television played a crucial role in his campaign, aiding the young Democratic candidate with communication skills win.
• Kennedy's campaign slogan was the 'New Frontier.'
• Improve salaries, jobs, and healthcare.
• Focus on technological development.
• Emphasis on opposition to communism and protection of civil rights.

The African-American Civil Rights Movement

• The black minority was harshly discriminated against and faced limited citizens' rights.
• In 1954, the Supreme Court outlawed racial segregation in schools, but enforcement was low.
• Organised militancy and civil rights groups followed two paths: integration led by Martin Luther King Jr., and separatism led by Malcolm X.
• Both black leaders were killed in the 1960s.

The Vietnam War

• President Kennedy was murdered in Dallas in 1963, and Lyndon B. Johnson succeeded him.
• Johnson had to deal with high expenditure linked to the country's progressive involvement in the Vietnam War.
• America had lost, undermining America's prestige in the world since the US began to be seen as fighting to deprive a nation of its independence.

Protest Movements

• The conflict deeply divided the country, with both government lies and high death tolls that were viewed as imperialist rather than libertarian.
• Anti-war protests became unifying forces for youth and university movements across the US.
• Between 1964 and 1967, the country saw mobilizations against conformism in favor of civil rights, especially black rights and feminism.

The Nixon Years

• The conservative side of America sought order and stability, and found their ideal representative in the Republican candidate Richard Nixon.
• The oil crisis, military expense linked to the Vietnam War and international competition generated economic depression.
• The Watergate scandal led to Nixon's resignation, as he had representatives of the Democratic Party spied on.

Reagan's Neo-Liberalism

• After the presidency of Jimmy Carter (1976-81) - whose main credits were his commitment to arms control between superpowers and the Camp David Accords - the Republicans returned to power with Ronald Reagan (1981-89).
• The strategies Reagan implemented for economic recovery were the same as that of Margaret Thatcher's: limiting inflation, ending strikes, limiting intervention in services and reducing company taxation.
• Reagan promoted the idea of the US as a defender against the evil empire of communism, and had a good relationship with Gorbachev.