STUDY WPU

Setting the Stage for the Cold War & Decolonization

• World War II Aftermath:

  • Revived hopes for colonial self-government

  • U.S.-Soviet rivalry shaped global politics

  • Rise of anti-colonial movements

• Major Conferences Shaping Post-War Politics:

  • Tehran Conference (1943) – Soviets freed Eastern Europe; Allies shifted Polish territory

  • Yalta Conference (Feb 1945) – Roosevelt pushed for free elections, Stalin demanded Eastern European influence as a "buffer zone"

  • Potsdam Conference (July 1945) – Truman demanded free elections; Stalin refused, leading to Soviet control over Eastern Europe

Cold War Begins: U.S. vs. Soviet Rivalry

• Economic & Political Differences:

  • U.S.: Capitalism, democracy, free elections

  • Soviet Union: Communism, government-controlled economy, authoritarian rule

• Containment Policy (1947) – U.S. strategy to stop communist expansion

• Truman Doctrine (1947) – Military/economic aid to nations resisting communism (Greece & Turkey)

• Marshall Plan (1947) – $12B aid to rebuild Europe, prevent communism spread

• Soviet Response: COMECON (1949) for economic control of Eastern Europe

• Military Rivalry Intensifies:

  • Atomic bomb (1945) – U.S. had the advantage; USSR developed its own in 1949

  • Hydrogen bomb (1950s) – U.S.-Soviet arms race escalated

  • Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD) – Both sides avoided direct war due to nuclear fear

Decolonization & Shifting Global Influence

• Collapse of Colonial Empires:

  • Anti-colonial movements gained momentum

  • European colonial powers weakened after WWII

  • Cold War provided global superpower backing for independence movements

• Non-Aligned Movement (1961) – Nations like India, Ghana, Egypt, Indonesia sought neutrality in the Cold War

  • Key leaders: Nehru, Nkrumah, Nasser, Sukarno