AP World History Unit 8: 1900-2026

Unit 8: Cold War and Decolonization c. 1900-2026

Cold War

Cold War: political and ideological rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union.

• indirect conflicts known as the proxy wars.

• US and USSR supported opposing sides in wars such as Korean and Vietnam wars.

When did it begin: The Cold War begin after WW2 when USSR and US were once allies.

Causes: USSR and the US have different political beliefs.

• USSR was a communist dictatorship, and the US was capitalist democratic.

• The US viewed communism as a threat to democracy and strived to eliminate and contain communism through its economic aid and military

• The Soviet Union sought to expand its influence in Eastern Europe by establishing communist governments.

Outcomes: Increased global tension, increased hostility between the two nations.

• 1) Alliances, 2) Arms race/Space Race, 3) Proxy Wars, 4) Decolonization

• Propaganda spread to receive support

Communism in Cuba:

• Fidel Castro- The leader of the Cuban communist revolution, transformed Cuba during the revolution in 1959, successful in establishing a new communist government in Cuba, established a relationship with the Soviet Union.

• Bay of Pigs Invasion- unsuccessful attempt by the US to take down Cuban dictator, Fidel Castro

• Trade Embargo- John F. Kennedy proclaimed an embargo (ban) on trade between US and Cuba in 1962

Cuban Missile Crisis: a major confrontation that brought the US and the USSR close to war because USSR put missiles in Cuba.

• US put missiles in Turkey and Italy.

• USSR/Khruschev agree to remove missiles in Cuba if the US/Kennedy

  remove missiles from Turkey.

Wars during the Cold War:

• Korean War: North Korea vs South Korea

• Vietnam: North Vietnam vs South Vietnam

Korean War

Start: North Koreans invaded South Korea.

United Nations intervened on South Korea’s behalf and China aided North Korea

No sides won

Vietnam War

Berlin

West Germany (1949)- controlled by the British, French, and the USA

• Capitalist

Easy Germany- controlled by the Soviet Union.

• Communist government, socialist economy

Berlin Blockade- Soviet Union attempt to limit ability of the west in 1948 to travel to Berlin.

• 2.5M citizens had no access to basic goods

Berlin Airlift- western powers berlin airlift that lasted from 1948-1949 and declined vital supplies and relief to West Berlin

Berlin Wall- built on the border dividing West and East Berlin in 1961

• prevent east Berliners from escaping into west Berlin

Alliances/Treaties

The League of Nations of WWI failed, so the US, Britain, USSR, and China create the UNITED NATIONS.

United Nations: an international organization of countries set up in 1945, in succession to the League of Nations, to promote international peace, security, and cooperation.

Warsaw Pact: defense treaty established in 1955 among the Soviet Union and several Eastern Bloc countries

• aimed to solidify the Soviet Union's influence over Eastern Europe and provide a unified military command among its member states.

• Views the West as aggressive; combined armed forces of member nations and

  based leaders in the USSR

• Signed in Warsaw, Poland

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization): military and political alliance established in 1949 with the signing of NATO by 12 founding countries including the U.S.

• support member nations in conflicts/wars, prevent communism from spreading

• Truman Doctrine: promise that the US would stop communist influence,

  especially in Greece/Turkey with economic and military support

• Marshall Plan: offered 12 billion to all nations of Europe to modernize industry, support trade, rebuild infrastructure

• Containment: the best way to stop communism is to accept it where it

  is, and halt its spread

Non-Aligned Movement: countries that sought to remain independent from both the U.S. and Soviet blocs during the Cold War

Bandung Conference: delegates from 29 countries condemned colonialism and western influence

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (1968)- prevent spread of nuclear weapons achieving nuclear disarm.

SALT I & II- signed by the US and the USSR intended to restrain the arms race

START I & II- negotiation between the US and the Soviet Union aimed at reducing arsenal of nuclear warheads.

Vocab

Political Ideologies:

• Democracy- power in the population

• Communism- all property is owned by the community, and each person contributes and receives according to their ability and needs.

Important Figures:

• Theodor Herzl- political form of Zionism, promoted Jewish immigration to Palestine to form a Jewish state

• Nikita Khruschev- leader of the USSR after Stalin

• Karl Marx- Author of The Communist Manifesto.

Iron Curtain: Winston Churchill’s metaphor describing the split between Western and Eastern Europe

Domino Theory- belief that when one country falls to communism, other countries start to fall as well.

Proxy Wars- war fought between groups of smaller countries that each represent the interests of other larger powers

Diaspora- displacement of people from their home

Zionism- Jewish nationalism movement. Goal=creation and support of a Jewish national state

The British Mandate of Palestine- British were granted control over Transjordan and Palestine.

• Zionism vs Nationalism

Hussein-McMahon Agreement: traded British support of an independent Arab state for Arab assistance in opposing the Ottoman Empire

Sykes-Picot Agreement: secret treaty between UK and France for control partition of the Ottoman Empire

Balfour Declaration- British government support for a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

End of the Cold War

Mutually Assured Destruction- the idea that two nations would destroy one another if they fired their nuclear missiles at one another