The Cold War Era Detailed Notes

Overview:
- The Cold War was a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union following World War II.
- Emerging as superpowers, they clashed ideologically over capitalism (US) and communism (USSR).
- Hostilities began as early as 1945, with the Soviets occupying Eastern Europe to create a buffer zone.

Cold War Characteristics:
- The term "Cold War" denotes the absence of direct military conflict between superpowers.
- Proxy wars involved indirect conflicts where the superpowers supported opposing sides (e.g., Vietnam War, Angola).

Formation:
- Established on October 24, 1945, to maintain international peace and prevent wars.
- Came as a response to the ineffective League of Nations.
Structure:
- General Assembly: Each member nation has one vote to discuss issues.
- Security Council: Composed of 5 permanent members (US, USSR, UK, France, China) with veto power.
Humanitarian Work:
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948): Set global standards for human rights and addressed abuses (genocide, oppression).
International Court of Justice: Resolves disputes concerning international law.
Protection of Refugees: Aid for people fleeing conflict or disaster through UN agencies like UNHCR.
Peacekeeping Missions: Deployment of peacekeeping forces to troubled regions, started during the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Containment Policy:
- Aimed to prevent the spread of communism, articulated by diplomat George Kennan.
Truman Doctrine (1947):
- Stated US commitment to support countries resisting communism, particularly in Greece and Turkey.
Marshall Plan (1947):
- US provided $13 billion for European recovery to rebuild economies, reduce the risk of communist revolutions.

Division of Germany:
- Germany divided into four occupation zones post-WWII, leading to the creation of West Germany (1949) and East Germany.
- Berlin Blockade (1948-1949) by the Soviets initiated the Berlin Airlift by the West.

Nuclear Arms Race: Development of hydrogen bombs and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) intensified competition.
Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD): Doctrine ensuring that neither side would initiate nuclear war knowing mutual destruction would ensue.
Space Race: Soviet launch of Sputnik in 1957 signifying the start of the space competition.

China:
- Rise of the People's Republic of China under Mao Zedong post-civil war (1949).
- Policies like the Great Leap Forward (1958) and the Cultural Revolution (1966) had disastrous humanitarian impacts.
Korean War (1950-1953):
- Conflict resulting in a divided Korea, marked by US-led UN intervention against North Koreans.
Vietnam War:
- US involvement escalated to prevent communism in South Vietnam, ending with the fall of Saigon (1975).

Détente (1970s): Easing of tensions between superpowers marked by Nixon's visit to the USSR and signing of SALT I.
End of Détente: Soviets invaded Afghanistan (1979), leading to increased hostilities.

Gorbachev's Reforms: Introduced glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructure) leading to reduced Soviet control in Eastern Europe.
- Resulted in the fall of the Berlin Wall (1989) and the dissolution of the Soviet Union (1991).
Impact of Non-aligned Movement: Countries sought to navigate superpower tensions without choosing sides, yet often became battlegrounds for influence.

The Cold War shaped international relations and conflicts for decades, influencing global politics, economies, and social movements during the late 20th century.