Unit 8 Review Summary: Cold War and Decolonization

  • Unit Overview:

    • Cold War, Effects, Spread of Communism (Post-1900)
    • Decolonization and Newly Independent States
    • Global Power Structures and End of Cold War

  • Setting the Stage for Cold War:

    • Post-WWII colonial aspirations for self-governance.
    • Rise of anti-imperialism with capitalism vs communism struggles.

  • Key Conferences:

    • Tehran Conference (1943): US/GB vs USSR post-war strategy.
    • Yalta Conference (Feb 1945): Focus on Eastern Europe reconstruction, differing views on free elections.
    • Potsdam Conference (1945): Final meeting of Big Three; increasing mistrust leads to Cold War rhetoric.

  • Consequences of WWII:

    • Massive destruction and loss of life in Europe.
    • US emerges as a superpower, industry and infrastructure intact.
    • USSR also develops military strength with A-bomb.

  • Start of the Cold War:

    • Proxy conflicts emerge without direct military confrontation.
    • Propaganda and arms race ensue, leading to nuclear brinkmanship (e.g. H-Bomb).

  • Economic and Political Rivalries:

    • Formation of NATO and the Warsaw Pact (1955).
    • US adopts Containment policy to prevent communism spread (Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan).

  • The Arms and Space Race:

    • Sputnik (1957): USSR launches first satellite.
    • Development of ICBMs leads to Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD).

  • Proxy Wars:

    • Korean War: North (communist) vs South (US-backed).
    • Vietnam War: US intervention under the pretext of containment.

  • Crisis and Movements:

    • Cuban Missile Crisis (1962): Near nuclear war over Soviet missiles in Cuba.
    • Non-Aligned Movement forming post-colonial globe.

  • Impacts of the Cold War:

    • Establishment of military alliances and proxy wars (e.g. Korea, Vietnam).
    • Heightened tensions, ongoing global confrontations.

  • Decolonization Movements:

    • Indian Independence (1947): Mass civil disobedience led by Gandhi.
    • Ghana (1957) & Algeria (1962): Violent struggles against colonial powers.
    • Land reform and redistribution pivotal in post-colonial states.

  • Women in Leadership Roles:

    • Rise of female leaders in newly independent nations (e.g. Gandhi, Bhutto, Bandaranaike).

  • Dissolution of USSR:

    • 1989 Berlin Wall falls; shifts lead to the end of Cold War.
    • Gorbachev's reforms (Glasnost, Perestroika) catalyze independence movements in Eastern Europe.
    • By 1991, USSR collapses, leading to increased national autonomy and independence.