Cold War and Decolonization Flashcards ( AP World History Unit 8)

Cold War: Global Power Shifts

• Definition: A state of hostility between countries that does not result in direct warfare.
• Time Period: 1945 to 1989/1991.
• Main Powers: United States (U.S) and the Soviet Union (USSR).

Causes of the Cold War

• Economic Systems:
  • U.S: Capitalism (private ownership of capital goods).
  • USSR: Communism (government ownership of capital goods, distributed evenly).
• Styles of Government:
  • U.S: Democratic (free elections).
  • USSR: Authoritarian (run by a dictator).
• Ideological Conflict:
  • U.S: Promoted a democratic world.
  • USSR: Aimed for a communist world, seeking conformity.

How the Cold War was Fought

• Soviet Bloc:
  • Lenin's plan to make Eastern European countries communist.
  • Implemented via economic and political pressure.
• Marshall Plan:
  • U.S. economic aid to Western Europe to support democracy and rebuild after WWII.
  • Billions of dollars in aid to prevent the spread of communism.
• Containment:
  • Developed by George Kennan under President Truman.
  • Truman Doctrine: Promised military aid to countries threatened by communism.
• Arms Race:
  • Competition to develop the most powerful weapons.
  • Examples: Hydrogen Bomb, missiles.
  • M.A.D (Mutual Assured Destruction): The concept that nuclear war would result in complete annihilation for both sides, preventing either side from initiating an attack.
• Space Race:
  • U.S. and USSR competed to develop rocket technology, initially to deliver atomic weapons.
  • USSR was the first to achieve space-related milestones.

Non-Aligned Movement

• New Asian and African nations that did not want to take sides in the Cold War.
• Aimed to create new social, political, and economic paths, independent of the superpowers.

Cold War and Decolonization

• Context: Cold War followed WWII.
• Global Superpowers: U.S. and USSR.

Economic and Technological Advances

• U.S:
  • Industrialization led to an economic boom.
  • Marshall Plan: Provided $13 billion to struggling countries, further boosting the U.S. economy.
• USSR:
  • Heavily impacted by WWII, but possessed abundant natural resources, a large population, and infrastructure.

U.S. and USSR Military Power

• U.S: Demonstrated power with the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leading to the end of WWII and initiating the Arms Race.
• USSR: Developed atomic weapons, escalating the Arms Race.

Decolonization

• Colonies gained independence.
• World Wars as a Catalyst: The world wars set the stage for decolonization.
• Colonial Military Contributions: Colonies fought for their rulers, expecting land or freedom in return.
• Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points: Advocated for self-determination (though initially rejected).
• Mandate System:
  • Intended to replace colonialism but often continued it, sparking anti-imperial movements.

Setting the Stage: Cold War/Decolonization

• The Big Three: Great Britain, U.S., USSR.
  • Goal: Determine how to