The Cold War (1947-1991) History PDF

The Cold War ( 1947 - 1991) Nature of the Cold War 1) ideological Conflict - Clash between capitalism ( USA) and communism ( Soviet Union) - Both wanted their political and economic systems to be implemented/practiced globally 2) Po...

The Cold War ( 1947 - 1991) Nature of the Cold War 1) ideological Conflict - Clash between capitalism ( USA) and communism ( Soviet Union) - Both wanted their political and economic systems to be implemented/practiced globally 2) Political and Military Rivalry - superpowers engaged in indirect military confrontation - PROXY WAR + they supported opposing sides in various conflicts around the world ; Vietnam war 3) Nuclear Arms Race - Both superpowers developed extensive nuclear weapons leading to a state of mutually assured destruction - MAD + created a tense atmosphere where direct conflict was prevented by the the threat of total annihilation 4) Espionage and Intelligence Operations - both sides employed extensive spying and intelligence-gathering efforts to gather information and undermine each others influence ; CIA 5) Cultural and Propaganda Battles - each side tried to promote its ideology through the media, literature and the arts Characteristics of the Cold War 1) Bipolar World Order - The global political landscape was dominated by the two superpowers + lead to the division of influence and alliances with countries affiliated with NATO (USA) or the WARSAW PACT (soviet union) 2) Conflict in Third World Countries - many countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America became battleground for influence + often received support from one of the superpowers which led to civil wars and regime changes 3) The Space Race  - Cold War spurred a competition for supremacy in space exploration 4) Domestic Impact - the Cold War influenced domestic policies in both the USA and the Soviet Union + lead to McCarthyism in US and repression in the Soviet bloc 5) Detente and Escalation - Cold War saw periods of tensions and escalations such as the Cuban Missile Crisis + brought the world to the brink of nuclear war 6) Cultural exchange ad Competition - included moments of cultural exchange where both superpowers tried to showcase the superiority + EG : the Olympics Situation After the second world war Tehran conference - Second World War Potsdam Conference ( 28 Nov - 1 Dec 1943) ( 17 Jul - 2 Aug 1945) - Held during world war 2 ATTENDEE Joseph Stalin ( Joseph Stalin ( Soviet Joseph Stalin (soviet S soviet union) union) union) Franklin D. Franklin D. Roosevelt Harry S Truman Roosevelt ( United (United states ) (united states) states) Winston Churchill (United Clement Atlee Winston Churchill ( Kingdom) (united kingdom) United Kingdom) AIMS Coordination of Set the conditions for a Confirm the terms military efforts combined military effort to for the defeat and Discuss plans for ensure germany's occupation of post war europe and unconditional surrender germany the fate of germany The leaders wanted to Establish post war Strengthening determine how germany borders and cooperation and would be rebuilt ( with territories in europe unity amongst allies particular focus on easter Enforce the and central europe) reconstruction of Formation of the UN ( germany and the created to promote peace establishment of the and prevent future UN conflicts) Strategies for Stalin wanted to secure japan’s soviet influence over unconditional eastern europe surrender Deal with emerging tensions between soviet union and western powers DECISION Support for the Germany would be Germany and its S soviet union ( divided into four zones. occupation provision of supplies Berlin ( located in soviet - Demilitarisation / and equipment) zone) would also be denazification divided into four zones - Reparations : soviet Division of post war would get from their germany and Formation of the UN ; the own zone and reparations establishment of the portion of other SECURITY COUNCIL zones Agreed on the influence that the Stalin agreed to join the soviet unions would war against japan ( in Pro soviet have in eastern return for control over government europe Manchuria, the kuril cemented in poland ; islands and the southern increasing part of sakhalin) communist influence Leaders agreed that Soviet influence in Poland's government eastern europe ; would include stalin maintained communists and non control over satellite communists. states Soviet union granted Japan SIEE: Romania, - Potsdam declaration Czechoslovakia, Hungary, ; called for japan's Poland, Bulgaria unconditional surrender Germany would be de-nazified and reparations would be Truman informed payed stalin on successful test of atomic bomb ; led to growing mistrust between superpowers Reaffirmed  commitment to establishment of UN IMPACT Strengthened allies Growing tensions with the Growing tensions cooperation western powers between US and Decision to open a concerned with the soviet union second front lead to spread of communism - Western powers overall defeat of nazi and soviet influence pushing for germany Ideological division of capitalism while The rise of the soviet germany stalin had already union as a world - German democratic influenced superpower republic ( East germany) communism Creation of the UN - Federal republic of - Stalin did not keep germany ( West germany) his promise on free elections and Division of berlin became democratic focal point of cold war ; governments ; developed the increased mistrust construction of the berlin and establishment of wall of 1961 iron curtain across Soviet bloc ; eastern bloc eastern europe ; communist block Creation of the UN Use of atomic bomb Delayed trust due to - US use of atomic ideological differences bomb in japanese Poland under soviet war ; consequences control became major regarding arms race point of cold war of cold war Shift of power in europe - East europe - authoritarian communist - West europe - democratic capitalist  Soviet bloc emerged as direct challenge of western powers Japan’s surrender highlighted the dire effect of atomic and nuclear weapons How the USSR and the USA created spheres of influence in Europe The Truman doctrine ( March 1947) - Aimed to prevent the spread of communism by providing political, economical OBJECTIVE and military support to countries threatened by the communist uprising and soviet expansion CONTEXT - Doctrine was initially applied to Greece and Turkey who were facing communist and soviet pressure. USA provided 400 dollars in aid to countries facing soviet influence IMPACT - marked the beginning of the U.S. commitment to defend any nation against communist threats, signaling the U.S. intent to create a sphere of influence in Europe by supporting pro-Western governments and countering Soviet influence. SOVIET - The Soviet viewed the doctrine as an aggressive and interventionist policy RESPONSE aimed at containing soviet influence. Doctrine heightened tensions between the USA and the USSR - Stalin created the Communist information Bureau (COMINFORM) Consisted of all the satellite states ; stalin wanted to tighten his grip on them ; Russian stye communism States were expected to only trade w/ other communist countries - Yugoslavia  objected these conditions and was expelled from cominform The Marshall Plan / EUROPEAN RECOVERY PROGRAM ( 1948) OBJECTIVE - US economic aid for European recovery. Prevent the spread of communism, which thrived in economically distressed regions. CONTEXT - Americans believed that communism was only attractive in times of economic struggle; basically the whole of europe after ww2 IMPACT - Marshall plan ended by 1953 as malnutrition had ended and economies were recovering - Popularity of communist countries began to decline - Recovering european countries provided a trade market for the USA ; increasing international trade SOVIET - The Soviet Union, seeing this as a threat to its own control over Eastern RESPONSE Europe, rejected the plan and encouraged its satellite states to do the same. - Stalin created the Molotov plan/COMECON ; an economic alliance of communist countries Why Berlin Was A Flash Point Of The Cold War ( events in berlin from 1948 - 1961) THE BERLIN BLOCKADE THE BERLIN AIRLIFT THE BERLIN WALL ( 1948 - 1949) ( june 1948 - may 1949) CAUSES The division of berlin The berlin blockade Post-WWII into 4 zones while it Division of was in the soviet zone Germany Differing economic The stark policies : western allies contrast in  wanted to recover economic germany while soviet conditions and union wanted to keep personal germany economically freedoms led weak and dependant ; many East the introduction of the Germans to flee new currency - The to the West. Deutsche mark Mass emigration : The Soviets feared a Between 1949 unified, economically and 1961, around strong West Germany 2.7 million East aligned with the U.S. Germans fled to and its allies. West Germany, primarily through Berlin. Cold War Tensions: The emigration problem was a significant embarrassment for the Soviet Union and the East German government, as it demonstrated a lack of faith in the communist system. EVENTS The soviets imposed a The United States Construction of blockade on all access and its allies the Wall (August to west berlin from west organized an airlift to 13, 1961): In the germany ; aimed to supply West Berlin early hours of force the Western Allies with food, fuel, and August 13, 1961, out of Berlin by starving other the East German the city into submission. essentials.Planes government, with The berlin airlift landed at Tempelhof the backing of the  Airport, Gatow, and Soviet Union, later Tegel, bringing began in thousands of tons constructing the of supplies each day. Berlin Wall. ( at its peak, planes were landing every Attempts to few seconds) Escape : some escaped successfully while other were caught and killed Reactions from the West: President John F. Kennedy's famous 1963 speech in West Berlin, where he declared "Ich bin ein Berliner," reaffirmed U.S. solidarity with West Berliners and reinforced the city as a symbol of freedom amid Cold War tensions. OUTCOME End of the Blockade End of berlin Physical and (May 12, 1949): The blockade Ideological Soviets lifted the Barrier: It blockade after it became an became clear that the emblem of the airlift was succeeding Cold War, and that the Western symbolizing Allies would not be repression in the  forced out of Berlin. Eastern Bloc. Families and blockade deepened the Lives Disrupted division between the Fall of the Wall Eastern and Western (November 9, blocs, accelerating the 1989): formation of separate End of the Cold political and military War: The fall of alliances (e.g., NATO in the Berlin Wall 1949) was a pivotal Symbol of Western moment that victory/ upper hand symbolized the collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe and contributed to the eventual dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Factors that led to the creation of opposing military alliances Power vacuum: Division of Germany: The disagreements over the future of Germany, particularly the division of Berlin, heightened tensions and set the stage for military alignment. Mutual Security Concerns: Soviet Expansion in Eastern Europe: The Soviet Union established control over Eastern European countries by installing communist governments and creating satellite states. This expansion alarmed Western nations, who feared that communism might spread further into Western Europe.  Containment Policy: The United States adopted a strategy of containment, aimed at preventing the spread of communism beyond its existing borders. This policy justified the creation of military alliances to counter Soviet influence. Military Developments: Arms Race: The nuclear arms race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union further fueled the need for formal alliances. The existence of nuclear weapons raised the stakes of conflict, prompting nations to seek collective security as a deterrent. Conventional Military Power: Both blocs built up conventional armed forces, increasing the perception of a need for mutual defense pacts to protect member states. Formation of NATO (1949): Western Alliance: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was established in April 1949 as a collective defense pact between the U.S., Canada, and several Western European countries, including the U.K., France, Italy, and others. NATO was designed to provide mutual defense in case any member was attacked, mainly as a safeguard against possible Soviet aggression. First Test of Unity: The Berlin Blockade (1948-1949) and subsequent Berlin Airlift reinforced the idea of collective Western defense, solidifying NATO's formation. Soviet Response: The Warsaw Pact (1955): Countermeasure: In response to the integration of West Germany into NATO, the Soviet Union and its Eastern European allies formed the Warsaw Pact in May 1955. This alliance included the Soviet Union, East Germany, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Albania. It served as a formal military alliance and a tool for the USSR to exert control over its satellite states. Maintaining Control: The Warsaw Pact not only aimed to balance NATO's power but also acted as a mechanism for the Soviet Union to maintain control over Eastern Europe, as demonstrated during interventions in countries like Hungary (1956) and Czechoslovakia (1968) to crush reform movements. 7. Global Strategic Interests: Proxy Conflicts: The formation of alliances extended beyond Europe to global regions where both the U.S. and Soviet Union sought to expand their influence. This led to proxy wars (e.g., the Korean War, Vietnam War, conflicts in the Middle East) where alliances played critical roles in supporting one side or another.  Containment and brinkmanship ( Nature and Definition) Containment was a strategic U.S. policy aimed at preventing the spread of communism beyond its existing borders Characteristics : - Economic and Military Aid - Military alliances - Proxy wars - Political support Brinkmanship was the policy of pushing dangerous situations to the edge of conflict without actually engaging in full-scale war. It was based on the belief that demonstrating a willingness to go to the brink of war would deter opponents from engaging in aggressive actions. Characteristics - Nuclear threats - Show of threats - High - stakes negotiations - Psychological warfare