Cold War and Decolonization

Context: Cold War and Decolonization

The decline of colonial empires and the rise of the Cold War after world wars.
Nationalist movements intensified in African and Asian colonies.
Colonies achieved independence through negotiation or armed struggle, leading to population resettlements and new states.
Newly independent states promoted economic development, including movements to redistribute land and wealth.
The United States and the USSR emerged as competing superpowers, leading to a power struggle between capitalism and communism.
The Cold War was expressed through military alliances, a nuclear arms race, and proxy wars.
Movements advocating nonviolence and alternatives to the established order became influential.
Soviet economic stagnation and public discontent led to the collapse of communist governments and the end of the Cold War.

Setting the Stage for the Cold War and Decolonization

Anti-imperialist sentiments grew after World War II.
Colonies desired independence, intertwining with a global ideological conflict.
The Big Three (Great Britain, the U.S., and the USSR) planned for the post-war world.
During the Tehran Conference in 1943, the Allies agreed on spheres of influence in Europe.
At the Yalta Conference in 1945, leaders discussed reconstructing Eastern Europe and defeating Japan; Stalin demanded influence over Eastern Europe as a buffer zone.
The Potsdam Conference in 1945 addressed free elections in Eastern Europe, but Soviet troops occupied the region, leading to communist control.
The U.S. and the Soviet Union lacked trust, setting the stage for the Cold War.
Europe and Asia were devastated after the war, with significant population losses and destruction of infrastructure.
Massive destruction in East and Central Europe led to decreased European influence, while the U.S. and the Soviet Union became more powerful.

The U.S.-Soviet Rivalry

The U.S. emerged as the most powerful country with an intact industrial base and lower loss of life.
The Marshall Plan provided financial aid to European countries.
The Soviets successfully tested their own atomic bomb in 1949.
Military research led to technological advances, such as penicillin and plastics.
Tensions at Tehran, Yalta, and Potsdam made conflict likely, leading to the Cold War.
The U.S.-Soviet rivalry led to proxy wars worldwide.
Both countries developed the hydrogen bomb, fostering a close relationship between the military and defense industries.
President Eisenhower warned against the military-industrial complex.

Breakdown of Empires

World War I marked the high point of colonial empires.
The demand for self-determination spread after World War I.
During World War II, colonial powers focused on stopping Hitler, strengthening anti-colonial movements.
After World War II, movements for self-determination grew, colonial powers weakened, and the Cold War gave anti-colonial activists two superpowers to recruit as supporters.

The Cold War

The democratic U.S. and the authoritarian Soviet Union emerged as the strongest countries.
The power struggle between capitalism and communism became the central global conflict.

Rivalry in Economics and Politics

The United Nations (UN) was established in 1945 to promote peace.
Winston Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech symbolized the split between Eastern and Western Europe.
The U.S. and capitalist countries had privately owned economic assets, emphasizing freedom and self-interest.
The Soviet Union and communist countries had government-owned economic assets, emphasizing equality.
The U.S. had free elections and an independent press, while the Soviet Union had government-controlled elections and press.

Conflicts and Similarities

The U.S. criticized the Soviet system for restricting freedoms.
The Soviets criticized the U.S. for economic inequality and discrimination.
Both countries had economic decisions controlled by groups and acted out of fear, making the military powerful.

Conflicts in Expanding Influence

The USSR aimed to make Eastern European governments like the Soviet government, developing five-year plans focused on industry and collective agriculture.
Satellite countries were economically and politically dependent on the USSR.
The Soviet Union viewed capitalism as a threat, supporting revolutions worldwide.
U.S. diplomat George Kennan advocated containment to prevent communism from spreading.
The Truman Doctrine stated the U.S. would stop the spread of communist influence.
The Marshall Plan offered aid to rebuild Europe, while the Soviet Union developed COMECON.

The Space Race and the Arms Race

The Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957, starting the Space Race.
Both nations realized they reached mutual assured destruction (MAD), leading to a balance of terror.
The Non-Aligned Movement was formed by countries wanting to stay out of the Cold War, but faced challenges in maintaining neutrality.

Effects of the Cold War

New military alliances formed, with the threat of nuclear war preventing direct conflict.
Proxy wars resulted in millions of deaths.

Allied Occupation of Germany

The debate over Germany's occupation exemplified conflict among the Allies.
Germany was partitioned among France, Great Britain, the U.S., and the Soviet Union.
Berlin was divided into four zones, leading to the Berlin Blockade and the Berlin Airlift.
Germany split into West Germany (Federal Republic of Germany) and East Germany (German Democratic Republic).
The Berlin Wall was constructed to prevent East Germans from fleeing to the West.

NATO, the Warsaw Pact, and Other Alliances

Western nations created NATO in 1949 for mutual support against conflicts.
The Soviet Union responded with the Warsaw Pact in 1955.
Other treaty organizations formed to halt the spread of communism.

Proxy Wars

The Korean War (1950-1953) began when North Korea invaded South Korea.
The UN defended South Korea, but the war ended in a stalemate.
The Vietnam War involved U.S. military advisors and troops supporting South Vietnam against communist North Vietnam.
The Bay of Pigs Crisis and the Cuban Missile Crisis brought the superpowers to the brink of nuclear war.
The Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty aimed to limit nuclear weapons.

Angola

Won independence in 1975, leading to ethnic conflict and civil war, supported by various countries.

The Contra War

In Nicaragua, the Contra War involved the U.S. backing opponents of the Sandinistas.

Antinuclear Weapon Movement

The anti-nuclear weapons movement grew in response to the nuclear arms race.

Spread of Communism after 1900

The Cold War influenced countries' handling of feudalism, capitalism, and colonialism legacies.

Communism in China

Communists and Nationalists fought for control, with the Communists winning support by redistributing land.
Mao Zedong established the People's Republic of China in 1949, nationalizing industries.

Great Leap Forward

Was a policy that organized peasant lands into communes, leading to severe food shortages and millions of deaths.

Cultural Revolution

An effort to reinvigorate China's commitment to communism, silencing critics and solidifying Mao's power.

Turmoil in Iran

Iran fell under foreign domination in the late 19th century, particularly from Britain and Russia.
The U.S. and Great Britain engineered the overthrow of Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh in 1953, returning the Shah to power.

Land Reform in the White Revolution

Instituted progressive reforms, including land redistribution, though it faced opposition.

Iranian Revolution

A revolution toppled the Shah in 1979, leading to a theocratic government.

Land Reform in Latin America

Governments redistributed land, facing political repercussions.
In Guatemala, efforts at land reform led to the overthrow of the government.

Decolonization after 1900

Nationalist groups challenged colonial rule through negotiation and armed struggle.

Movements for Autonomy: India and Pakistan

The drive for Indian self-rule began in the 19th century.
India and Pakistan gained independence in 1947, leading to division and conflict.

Decolonization in Ghana and Algeria

Ghana gained independence through negotiation, while Algeria endured violence.

Algeria Cont.

The Algerian Civil War followed in reaction to one-party rule.
Negotiated independence occurred in French West Africa.

Nationalism and Division in Vietnam

France reoccupied southern Vietnam after World War II, leading to a war of independence.
The U.S. supported South Vietnam in the Vietnam War.

Struggles and Compromise in Egypt

Egypt became a republic in 1952 under Gamal Abdel Nasser, who promoted Pan-Arabism.
The Suez Crisis occurred when Nasser nationalized the canal.

Independence and Civil War in Nigeria

Nigeria gained independence in 1960, followed by the Biafran Civil War.

Canada and the "Silent Revolution" in Quebec

Quebec underwent political and social change, leading to desires for separation from Canada.

Newly Independent States

Imperialistic powers handing over gave way to new states.
Boundaries of the new states led to conflicts, population displacement, and resettlement.

Israel's Founding

The Zionist movement led to the creation of Israel in 1948.
Multiple wars broke out between Israel and neighboring Arab countries.
The Camp David Accords in 1979 was a peace agreement between Israel and Egypt
Ongoing violence continued in the 21st century.

Cambodia and Vietnam

Cambodia gained independence in 1953.
A communist guerrilla organization called the Khmer Rouge, with Pol Pot took over Cambodia.
India and Pakistan Became Separate Countries.
Women Gained Power in South Asia.
Tanzania Modernize.

Global Resistance to Established Power Structures

The conflicts of the 20th century: Affected newly independent states and long-established ones. Some of the most: Successful challenges to existing order: Used nonviolence, other violent resistance.

Military-industrial complex: That President Eisenhower warned about took hold in other countries, Increase in arms supplies, and traded weapons with one another.

Nonviolent Resistance as a Path to Change:
Used nonviolence to bring about/effect change.

Challenges to Soviet Power in Eastern Europe
Satellite States Wanted Freedom 1950 and 1960:
The Soviets clamped down against. Dissent for a great amount of this movements.

1968: The Year of Revolt
-Many countries saw protests in campuses, student rights. Civil rights, women’s rights, workers ,and The Vietnam War commanded attention. University reform called.

France
The student movement reached a. Critical point in 1968. 10MM French workers protested French party won.

The United States
US citizens demonstrated for women and black citizens rights.

An Age of Terrorism
Individuals/ unaffiliated states committed acts of terrorism: Western Europe, South America, Islamic World, and the US.

Conflict in Northern Ireland:
Catholic protestants wanted to join the Irish Republic.The violence came in the 60s and by the 90s 3,500 citizens were dead.

Response of Militarized States:
Conflicts under military dictators running the government worse.

The Franco Dictatorship in Spain, Idi Amin, Uganda; brutal treatment for citizens: Expulsion of citizens +economic instability.

The Military-Industrial Complex
Conflicts around the world: Increased the amount of military spending; Defense spending a great importance.

President Dwight Eisenhower: Government spending on Defense threatens the countries Democ

End of the Cold War

Power structures continued to change in the 1980s and 1990s. President Reagan’s appeal to Soviet Union leaders tore down the walls of the USSR and ended the Cold War, This action prompted governments in Northern Korea, China, and Cuba to call themselves communist.
Final Decades of the Cold War.
Agreements between The USS and USSR to the soviet era.
- Thaw was to was stable
- Détente improved international relations as political climate decreased.
- Carter ended grain shipments in 1980

Soviet-Afghan War

The Soviet military could. Not topple guerrillas: Loss of respect.
Mikhail Gorbachev came into power. Reform free enterprise + Soviet society = increase = freedom.
Soviet-Afghan War: Stress on economic system left leader vulnerable to reform. Reagan and Gorbachev increase the tension to the Soviet Union as “ the evil empire”.

New Challenges

Opportunity: Economic + political alliances change and increased the connectedness as The world became equal.