IEB Grade 12 Cold War Summary

Overview of the Cold War

The Cold War was an ideological and political confrontation primarily between the USA (Capitalism) and the USSR (Communism) from 1945 to 1990. This period was characterized by indirect confrontations, mainly through proxy wars and an arms race, without direct military conflict.

Origins of the Cold War

  • The Cold War stemmed from deep-seated distrust following the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917.

  • The collapse of the WWII Grand Alliance involving the USA, USSR, and Britain heightened tensions.

Key Conferences

  1. Yalta Conference (February 1945)

    • Attended by Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill.

    • Agreement to divide Germany into four occupational zones.

    • Decision to hold free elections in liberated European states.

  2. Potsdam Conference (July-August 1945)

    • Tensions increased as Truman inherited presidency and discovered atomic bomb secrets.

    • Disagreements regarding pro-Soviet government formation in Poland.

    • Disputed German reparations: Stalin sought $20 billion in reparations, while the USA aimed for stability.

US Foreign Policy

  • Central to US policy was containment, articulated in 1946 by George Kennan, limiting Soviet expansion.

  • Iron Curtain: Term by Winston Churchill illustrating the divide between West and East.

  • Truman Doctrine (1947): Provided political, military, and economic support to nations resisting communism, specifically Greece and Turkey.

  • Marshall Plan: Allocated $17 billion for Western Europe's reconstruction to prevent communism.

Responses to US Policy

  • Cominform (1947): Established by Stalin to unify communist parties in Europe.

  • Comecon (1949): Economic collaboration program for Eastern European states.

Major Events

  • Berlin Blockade (1948-1949): Stalin blocked land access to West Berlin, leading to a Western airlift lasting 11 months to supply the city.

  • The division of Germany resulted in the formation of the German Federal Republic (West Germany) and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany).

  • The Berlin Wall (1961) was built to stop the migration of three million East Germans to the West.

Military Alliances

  • NATO (1949): Defense alliance formed by Western nations to counter Soviet threat.

  • Warsaw Pact (1955): USSR's response to West Germany's NATO membership, aligning Eastern European states.

Arms Race

  • Both superpowers developed extensive nuclear arsenals, leading to Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD). Efforts like the Strategic Arms Limitations Treaty (SALT I) in 1972 sought to limit nuclear arsenals.

Space Race

  • The USSR achieved significant milestones, such as Sputnik (first satellite) and sending the first human, Yuri Gagarin, into space, prompting the USA's lunar program culminating in the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969.

Cuban Missile Crisis

  • This critical 1962 showdown began with Castro’s alliance with the USSR following the 1959 Batista overthrow.

  • Discovery of Soviet missiles in Cuba led President Kennedy to implement a naval blockade, escalating tensions to the brink of nuclear war.

  • Resolved when Khrushchev agreed to dismantle Cuban missiles in exchange for the withdrawal of US missiles from Turkey.

  • This led to direct communication between the US and USSR and contributed to the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (1963).

Historiography

  • Different interpretations of the Cold War's causes include:

    • Soviet Interpretation: Views expansion as a defensive measure.

    • Orthodox Perspective: Blames Stalin's aggressive policies.

    • Revisionist Perspective: Critiques US economic motivations and actions.

    • Post-Revisionist School: Suggests miscommunications and legitimate security concerns influenced the conflict on both sides.