fragmentation of cold war

1956 - 1968

essay thesis

a. cold war entered volatile phase with ideological fractures, regional crises, and superpower restraint

b. defining crises of the era exposed limits of both side’s control and growing independence of individual actors

c. also, collapse of socialist unity and rise of sino-soviet split signalled a transformation of conflict to multipolar

crisis and decolonisation 1956 - thesis

1956 the epitome of fragmentation of cold war order - both western and eastern blocs faced simultaneous challenges to authority (Suez Crisis and Hungarian Revolution)

crisis and decolonisation - development - Polish and Hungarian Crises

a. Khrushchev’s secret speech denouncing Stalin encouraged reformist movements - in Poland and Hungary limited success

b. outcome: 2500 Hungarians killed, and more fled - reasserted Soviet control but major ideological damage

c. western inaction demonstrated limits of rollback - showed coexistence subordinate to realpolitik

crisis and decolonisation - development - suez crisis

a. Nasser’s nationalism of the SC challenged western imperial control

b. Britain, France, and Israel invaded Egypt without US approval

c. Eisinhower condemned the invasion, forcing withdrawal - signalled end of European imperial dominance

d. USSR positioned itself as champion of anti-imperialism in global south

crisis and decolonisation - analysis

a. USSR could maintain control only through violence undermining appeal of destalinisation

b. west lost credibility as a colonial power

c. cold war’s centre of gravity shifted toward global south - nationalisma nd anti-imperialism intersected with ideological rivalry

berlin and failure of coexistence 1958-61 - thesis

second Berlin crisis and construction of the wall symbolised the failure of Khrushchev’s attempt at peaceful coexistence and revealed structural instability of divided Europe

berlin and failure of coexistence - development - Khrushchev Berlin Ultimatum

a. demanded western withdrawal from west Berlin and threatened to sign separate peace treaty with east Germany

b. aim to halt mass east German emigration and secure recognition of GDR sov

c. escalated tensions - US reaffirmed rights of access to west Berlin

berlin and failure of coexistence - development - `U2 incident

a. US spy plane shot down over USSR - Paris Summit 1960 collapsed

b. symbolised breakdown of detente efforts

berlin and failure of coexistence - development - wall construction

a. physical division ended regugee crisis but became symbold of cold war repression

b. Kennedy’s response avoided war and 1963 speech affirmed western resolve

berlin and failure of coexistence - analysis

a. Berlin exposed paradox of coexistence i.e. peace required physical separation

b. wall stabilised status quo in Europe but worsened ideological stability

c. wall also demonstrated shift from open confrontation to managed containment

collapse of socialist unity and sino-soviet split 1958-66 - thesis

internal ideological divisions within communist world shattered unity of socialist camp

collapse of socialist unity and sino-soviet split - development - origins of split

a. ideological - Mao rejected Khrushchev’s peaceful coexistence, saw it as betrayal of Marxist Leninist revolution 

b. strategic - USSRs focus on Europe vs China’s claim to leadership of global revolutionary movement

c. personal - Mao resented Soviet condenscension and withdrawal of nuclear assistance

collapse of socialist unity and sino-soviet split - development - global consequences

a. fragmented communist bloc - competing claims to leadership

b. emergence of alternative alignments

c. USSR forced to compete with China for influence in third world revolutions

collapse of socialist unity and sino-soviet split - analysis

Sino-Soviet split ended bipolar communist world - opened ideological space for new forms of socialism and national communism as well as enabling US triangulation 

cuban missile crisis 1962 - thesis

crisis represented most dangerous confrontation of the war - demonstrated global reach of superpower rivalry and need to est. rules of restraint

uban missile crisis - development - background

a. Cuban revolution brought Castrop to power - US hostility led Cuba to ally with USSR

b. Bay of Pigs invasion humiliated Kennedy and pushed Cuba closer to Moscow

c. Khrushchev placed nuclear missiles in Cuba

cuban missile crisis - development - october crisis

a. US discovered missiles and naval quarantined Cuba

b. standoff represented world on brink of nuclear war

c. resolution - USSR withdrew missiles; US secretely withdrew missiles from Turkey; Kennedy pledged not to invade Cuba

cuban missile crisis - development - consequences

a. short-term - de-escalation - both sides recognised dangers of nuclear brinkmanship

b. hotline est. 1963 for direct communication

c. partial test ban treaty 1863 inaugarated limited arms control

d. long term - deterrence theory institutionalised i.e. MAD

cuban missile crisis - analysis

crisis globalised logic of deterrence and est. rules of nuclear diplomacy - marked peak of confrontation and start of cautious coexistence

end of post-Stalin order 1968 - thesis

by 1968 both western and socialist blocs faced profound internal and external challenges - marked end of relative stability post-1962

end of post-Stalin order - development - Prague Spring

a. reform movement sought “socialism with a human face”

b. Soviet invasion crushed reforms - many killed, involved Warsaw Pact troops

c. Brezhnev Doctrine asserted USSR’s right to intervene in socialist states to protect socialism

d. shattered hopes for reform - alienated western communists and non-aligned nations

end of post-Stalin order - development - Vietnam War escalation

a. US intervention deepened, symbolising militarised containment’s limits

b. test offensive undermined US public confidence and moral authority

c. demonstrated that ideology couldn’t override natioanlism - global south resisted superpower impositions

end of post-Stalin order - analysis

1968 symbolised disillusionment of both ideologies - Soviet communism lsot moral legitimacy through repression while US liberalism failed under Vietnam - bipolar order still but contested from within and below