G12 AP World History Final Exam Study Guide - Cold War and Decolonization

Chapter 17: The Cold War, Communism, and the End of Europe’s Empires

• Key Terms:
  • United Nations: An international organization founded in 1945.
  • World Bank: An international financial institution that provides loans for development.
  • Marshall Plan: A U.S. initiative to aid Western Europe, aiming to prevent the spread of communism.
  • European Economic Community: A regional organization aimed at economic integration in Europe.
  • Iron Curtain: A term used to describe the division between the Western powers and the Soviet bloc.
  • Cold War: A period of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States.
  • NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance of Western countries.
  • Warsaw Pact: A mutual defense treaty between the Soviet Union and its Eastern bloc allies.
  • Nonaligned Nations: Countries that did not formally align with either the NATO or Warsaw Pact during the Cold War.
  • Sandinistas: A leftist political group in Nicaragua that opposed U.S. intervention.

1. Economic Systems of Western and Eastern Bloc States

• Western Bloc:

  • Economic system: Capitalist market economy
  • Features:
    • Private ownership of property & businesses
    • Limited government intervention in the economy
    • Profit drives innovation & efficiency
  • Countries: U.S., UK, France, West Germany

• Eastern Bloc:

  • Economic system: Command economy/State socialism
  • Features:
    • State ownership of property & businesses
    • Centralized state planning
    • Production targets set by the state, limited innovation incentives
  • Countries: USSR, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, East Germany

2. Key Causes/Origins of the Cold War

• Clash of ideologies: Capitalism vs. Communism
• Distrust fostered by Soviet expansion in Eastern Europe post-WWII
• U.S. policies: Truman Doctrine and containment strategy
• Disagreements in Yalta and Potsdam conferences
• Nuclear arms race dynamics
• Formation of military alliances (NATO and Warsaw Pact)

3. Proxy Wars Involving the US/USSR

• Korean War (1950-1953):

  • U.S./UN-backed South Korea vs. USSR/China-backed North Korea
  • Ended at the 38th parallel DMZ

• Vietnam War:

  • U.S./UN-backed South Vietnam vs. USSR/China-backed North Vietnam

• Afghan War (1979-1989):

  • USSR invasion vs. US-backed mujahideen resistance

4. Communist Movements in Asia and Latin America

• Cuba:

  • Fidel Castro leads revolution (1959), aligns with USSR
  • US failed Bay of Pigs invasion (1961)
  • Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

• Chile:

  • Augusto Pinochet led a CIA-backed coup (1973) against democratically elected Allende

• Iran:

  • 1953 US-backed coup against PM Mohammad Mossadegh (nationalizing oil production)
  • Shah's autocratic rule and subsequent 1979 Islamic Revolution

Chapter 18: Decolonization

• Long-term Impacts of British Colonialism on India:
  • Ethnic/religious tensions led to Partition (India & Pakistan) causing mass violence (1M+ deaths)
  • Introduction of Western systems created a new elite capable of revolution
  • Economic impact: emphasis on cash crops led to famines

Nationalist Movements in Africa

• Ghana:

  • First UK colony to gain independence (1957) led by Kwame Nkrumah
  • Influenced by Marxist/Leninist thought, promoted socialism and Pan-Africanism
  • Overthrown in 1966 coup due to controversial modernization efforts

• Egypt:

  • Led by Gamal Abdel Nasser (1952) with emphasis on Pan-Arab nationalism
  • Nationalized Suez Canal (1956) and played superpowers against each other

Economic Nationalism in Latin America

• Chile:

  • Nationalized the copper industry and pursued socialist policies

• Argentina:

  • Nationalized railroads and utilities; funded public works

• Mexico:

  • Nationalized oil industry and pursued land redistribution

Nonviolent Resistance Leaders

• Gandhi:

  • Pioneered nonviolent civil disobedience during the Indian independence movement

• Martin Luther King Jr.:

  • Fought for civil rights in America using nonviolent protests

• Cesar Chavez:

  • Co-founded United Farm Workers, utilized nonviolent methods for agricultural rights

Dictatorships and Cold War Relationships

• Iran:

  • Mohammad Reza Shah aligned with the U.S., led to increase in authoritarianism and Islamic Revolution

• Cuba:

  • Fidel Castro aligned with USSR, faced U.S. opposition during the Cuban Missile Crisis

• Chile:

  • Augusto Pinochet overthrew Allende in CIA-backed coup, received U.S. support

Causes and Consequences of Islamic Revolutions

• Iran:

  • Causes: Shah's authoritarian rule led to the establishment of the Islamic Republic under Khomeini
  • Consequences: Anti-Western sentiment and suppression of political dissidents

• Afghanistan:

  • Causes: Secular reforms alienated traditional demographics leading to resistance
  • Consequences: U.S.S.R. invasion led to a protracted conflict and rise of Taliban

Causes of the Collapse of the Soviet Union

• Heavy reliance on defense spending leading to economic inefficiency
• Long-term effects of the Afghan War
• Nationalism rising in Soviet republics and weakening of communist regimes in Eastern Europe
• Gorbachev's reforms, notably Glasnost and Perestroika, revealing systemic weaknesses in the USSR.