In-Depth Notes on the Cold War and Its Impact

Chapter 36 New Conflagrations: World War II and the Cold War

Rosie the Riveter and Women's Role in WWII

• Rosie the Riveter: Icon of female strength and determination during WWII
  • 1942 poster: "We Can Do It!"
  • Highlighted women's contributions in war production and other roles.

Overview of the Cold War

• Post-WWII Dynamics:
  • Initially marked by camaraderie among Allied powers (Soviet Union, U.S., Great Britain).
  • Post-Germany's surrender in 1945: Alliances began to fracture as countries prioritized national interests.
• Cold War Definition:
  • A geopolitical and ideological struggle primarily between the Soviet Union and the United States.
  • Characterized by military and political alliances, arms race, and widespread global influence.
  • Iron Curtain: Term used by Winston Churchill to describe the division in Europe.

Origins of the Cold War

• United Nations (UN):
  • Established in 1945 to maintain global peace; comprised permanent Security Council members: U.S., USSR, Great Britain, France, China.
  • Nearly succeeded but strained alliances emerged regarding control over Eastern Europe.
• Key Events:
  • Truman Doctrine (1947): U.S. policy to support free peoples against oppression and contain communism.
  • Marshall Plan (1948): Economic aid to rebuild Europe to prevent communism's spread.
  • Soviet response: COMECON established to integrate Eastern economies against Western influence.

Military Alliances and Tensions

• NATO (1949): U.S.-led military alliance to counter Soviet threats.
  • Included Western European nations for collective security.
• Warsaw Pact (1955): Response from the USSR, consolidating Eastern European communist states.

The Divided Germany

• Post-WWII: Germany and Berlin divided into occupation zones by Allies.
  • Berlin Blockade (1948-1949): Soviet action to cut off access to West Berlin was met with the Western Allies' airlift to supply the city.
• Berlin Wall (1961): Erected to stop the flow of East Germans fleeing to the West; heavily fortified.

Cold War Culture and Censorship

• United States: Fear of communism led to McCarthyism, targeting alleged communists.
• Soviet Union: Repressions against artistic expression and dissent in the name of communist ideology.
• Notable events included artistic suppression and the failure to allow Boris Pasternak to receive the Nobel Prize.

Globalization and the Cold War

• China: Shift to communism post-1949 with Mao Zedong, impacting global dynamics.
  • Collaboration with USSR early; tensions arose later leading to the Sino-Soviet split.
• Korean War (1950-1953): Marked the cold war's expansion into Asia.
  • Initiated by North Korea's invasion of the South; led to a prolonged military stalemate.
• Domino Theory: U.S. belief that communist takeover in one nation would lead to subsequent takeovers in neighboring countries.

Nuclear Arms Race

• Early developments included the Soviet atomic bomb testing in 1949, escalating the arms race.
• Cuban Missile Crisis (1962): Closest point to nuclear conflict; resulted from Soviet missiles being placed in Cuba.
• Resolution: U.S. agreement to not invade Cuba in exchange for dismantling missiles.

Détente and Later Cold War Events

• De-Stalinization: Post-Stalin era led to liberalization and a softening of repressive policies but did not ease tensions permanently.
• Brezhnev Doctrine: Justified Soviet intervention in socialist states threatening to reform.
• Détente (1970s): Period of relaxed tensions, with arms control agreements like SALT.

The Fall of the Berlin Wall and End of the Cold War

• Collapse of Communism: Rapid decline of communist regimes in Eastern Europe, facilitated by Gorbachev's reforms (Perestroika and Glasnost).
• Berlin Wall's Fall (1989): Symbolized the end of Cold War divisions; led to Germany's reunification in 1990.
• Soviet Union Dissolution (1991): Resulted from internal pressures, economic failures, and rise of independent republics.

Conclusion

• The Cold War significantly influenced global relations and ideologies, leading to a new world order post-1991, characterized by increased economic globalization and shifting power dynamics.