unit 8

almost mud

Cold War

A state of hostility that doesn’t really use guns, but is more a problem between 2 states ideologically. For example, the 40-year war between the US and USSR after WW2

How the United states became a superpower

The way this state became strong after WW2

Economic Turnaround

• Didn’t face too many consequences on their land during WW2

• Helped a lot of Europe get back on its feet, making friends

Technological Advancements

• Developed the Atomic Bomb, made it clear that this state was oc.

How the USSR became a superpower

Commanded economy

• Had hella resources due to their vast territory

Large population

• Their citizen worked/forced to help economic recover

Decolonization steps

The process by which colonies gained independence and formed their own governments. Like after World War II weakened European powers economically and militarily, independence movements spread across Africa and Asia, leading to the creation of around 80 new nations as empires broke apart.

Cold War Causes

Conflicting Ideology

• Democratic Capitalism (U.S.) vs Authoritarian Communism (U.S.S.R)

Mutual Mistrust

• the Soviet Union created a group of tightly controlled states in Eastern Europe to act as a buffer zone, while the United States saw this expansion as aggressive, increasing tension and fear on both sides.

Non-align Movement

A group of countries that chose not to align with either major side during the Cold War; in practice, many newly independent nations wanted to avoid being controlled or influenced by either superpower and instead focused on their own development and independence in global politics. (3rd world countries)

Consequences of the Cold War

Alliances

• NATO (US and Western Europe)

• Warsaw Pact (USSR and Eastern Europe)

Proxy Wars

• They didn’t want to fight each other, so they picked sides in already going smaller conflicts. They wanted to prove their dominance by winning these smaller wars. (Latin America, Asia, and Africa)

Korean War

A proxy war.

After Japan was defeated, this asian peninsula was divided into a communist and an anti communist side. The North (communists) invaded the South (anti communists) in 1950. It ended in 1953 as basically a draw

nuclear proliferation

The spread of nuclear weapons to more countries; in practice, during the Cold War, multiple nations developed these weapons to protect themselves and compete with rivals, increasing global tension and the risk of large-scale destruction.

Contra War

A conflict in the 1980s where a rebel group fought to overthrow a leftist government in Central America; in practice, the United States secretly supported the rebels to stop the spread of communism, while the government was backed by other communist-aligned forces, making it part of a larger Cold War struggle.

Angolan Civil War

A prolonged conflict after independence in which rival political groups fought for control of a southern African country; in practice, one side was supported by communist states and the other by Western and regional allies, turning it into a Cold War proxy war driven by foreign intervention and competition for influence.

Communist China

After years of civil conflict following the fall of imperial rule, a communist-led revolutionary movement (with help from the USSR) defeated the nationalist government in 1949; in practice, the new government established one-party control under a central leader, redistributed land, and reorganized society and the economy along socialist lines. They tried to make their communism different from the USSRthat of

Socialism

An economic and political system where the government plays a major role in owning or controlling key industries and distributing resources more equally; in practice, this meant reducing private ownership, increasing state planning, and trying to limit extreme wealth gaps between people.

Communism

A political and economic system where the state controls most or all production and property, aiming to create a classless society with equal distribution of wealth; in practice, this often involved one-party rule, strict government planning of the economy, and limits on private ownership and political opposition.

Socialist Egypt

Gamal Abdel Nasser (leader) increased state control over the economy and major efforts to reduce foreign influence; in practice, land was redistributed from large landowners to peasants, key industries and infrastructure were nationalized (Suez Canal), and the government used central planning to modernize the country under strong state leadership.

Socialist Vietnam

The region was divided after the end of French colonial rule; in practice, a communist government controlled the north while a separate anti-communist government controlled the south. The communists began land redistribution from the rich people who had most of this states agricultural land

Vietnam War

The communist side won. It led to the unification of the country under a one-party government after a long war; in practice, the new state nationalized land and industry, removed political opposition, and reorganized the economy under central planning while rebuilding from extensive war damage.

Communist Cuba

First, Fidel Castro led a revolution that established this state as communist. They created a land redistribution wage program (15% of the economy goes to the poor). The new government removed US companies’ ownership to reduce foreign control and redirect resources to the state and local population.

Democratic Capitalism

A system combining political democracy with a market-based economy where private individuals and businesses own property and compete freely; in practice, citizens vote for leaders in elections while the government generally limits its control over economic activity and protects private ownership and individual rights.

Nationalized

When a government takes control of private businesses or industries and runs them as state-owned organizations; in practice, this often happens in efforts to control key resources like oil, transportation, or banking to increase state power over the economy.

Collapse of the USSR

The collapse of this state. This caused the Cold War to end

• They couldn’t keep up with the US Military and Technological Development (Strategic Defense Initiative)

• Their failed invasion of Afghanistan, the US repelled the USSR invasion to set up a communist regime in Afghanistan. They fought a losing war for 9 years. Hurt economy hella

• Gorbachev's nice reforms helped states under communist rule declare for independance.

Gorbachev’s reforms

Policies introduced in the 1980s to fix a struggling Soviet system by making it more open and flexible; in practice, this included allowing more public discussion of government problems (Glasnost), reducing strict state control of the economy (Perestroika), and encouraged no military intervention, which ultimately weakened central authority and contributed to the system’s collapse.

USSR process to dissolve

After Gorbachev's reforms, the states under communist rule were like “y’all rules sweet asl now? We're outta here.” So they all started declaring independence. The Berlin Wall also came down (1989). The government, seeing all of this, decided just to dissolve this state.

Negotiated Independance

A process where former colonies gained independence through formal agreements rather than war; in practice, imperial powers and local leaders negotiated the transfer of political control, often to avoid conflict, leading to the creation of new independent states after World War II. Like India and the British

India Independence’s

Through a long independence movement led by nonviolent protest, mass civil disobedience, and political pressure on the colonial government; in practice, widespread resistance, economic strain after World War II, and growing unrest made continued control difficult, leading Britain to agree to withdrawal and the creation of an independent state in 1947.

India After Independence

The minority muslims (North), inside India created the Muslim League, and resulted in the partition of India. (Pakistan)

The Muslims fled north to Pakistan while the Hindu fled south to India. Which lead to each side committed horrible violence against each other. (about 1 million died)

Armed struggle

A way of decolonization, (which depended on the european ppl population. less = negotiations)

Independence gained through violence and military conflict against colonial powers; in practice, some liberation movements rejected negotiations and instead fought guerrilla wars or full-scale rebellions to force European empires out when a peaceful transition was not achieved.

Algeria Independance

France gave independence to the neighboring Morocco and Tunisia states, but not to them. Due to hella French ppl in this state.

The Arab and Berber Muslims formed the National Liberation Front, which fought the French. The French crashed out and killed hella people, ended with Charles de Gaulle's opening negotiations

Legacy Boundares

Borders that were created during colonial rule and left in place after independence; in practice, European powers often drew lines with little regard for ethnic or cultural groups, so when colonies became independent, those artificial borders sometimes led to internal conflict and instability.

Zionism

A Jewish nationalistic ideology that advocated for Jews to have a state of their own

Israel/Palestine

First, the Muslims lived there during the Ottoman Empire. But after the Ottomans were defeated, the British took over and allowed some Jews to live there. (cuz promised 3k years ago and shi). Then the UN partition plan and the declaration of a new state were accepted by some but rejected by others, leading to displacement, resistance, and immediate fighting between local communities and neighboring states.

Decolonized States having a bigger role in economy

India under Indira Gandhi is a clear example; in practice, her government expanded state control over key industries like banking and heavy manufacturing, increased regulation of private business, and used central planning policies to direct economic development and reduce inequality.

Green revoluition

A movement that involved biologically engineered seeds and fertilizers that led to increased agricultural yields and made India agriculturally self-sufficient.

Migration, (decolonization tho)

A process in which people move in search of work on account of the economic difficulties they face at home. Now, however, it occurred between newly independent states and their former metropoles. (ex. Algerians to France and Filipinos to the U.S.). Happened because former colonial people spoke the language and were familiar with the cultural customs of their past imperial overlords

Impact of Migration

Migration to metropoles helped maintain the cultural and economic ties between former colonies and their metropoles.

Migration transformed majority-white and culturally homogeneous societies into multi-ethnic societies

Mohandas Gandhi

He used peaceful resistance to pressure the colonial government by refusing to cooperate with its laws and institutions. This included boycotting British goods, organizing mass protests (Salt March and Homespun Movement), and encouraging civil disobedience, such as breaking unfair laws without using violence, which drew global attention and weakened British authority. Key contributor to India's Independence.

Martin Luther King Jr.

He used peaceful protest to challenge segregation and discrimination by refusing to respond to violence with violence. This included organizing marches, sit-ins, boycotts (like the Montgomery bus boycott), and speeches that called for equal rights through nonviolent resistance (Civil Rights Movement), which helped gain public support and push for legal change.

Nelson Mandela

He initially supported peaceful resistance to challenge racial segregation for South Africans by encouraging protests, strikes, and civil disobedience against unfair laws set by the British. He later became part of the violent wing of the movement after peaceful efforts were met with heavy repression, but after his imprisonment, he again emphasized negotiation and reconciliation. He won the presidency in 1994, which eventually helped end the system of apartheid.

Chile and Augusto Pinocent. Violent Response to conflict

In this state, after a political crisis and a military takeover in 1973, the new regime used harsh repression, including arrests, torture, and forced disappearances, against opponents. These actions increased fear and violence within society and deepened political divisions instead of resolving them peacefully.

Al Queda Violence Against Civilians (Terrorism)

Groups like Al Qaeda, Shining Path, or Irish republican Army way to get their point across. They killed people to get independence. Like Al Qaeda that attack the U.S. in hopes to stop the U.S. involvement in the middle East. Instead the U.S. got more involved.