Notes on the Cold War: Alliances, Nuclear Proliferation, and Proxy Wars

Cold War Military Alliances

  • Soviet Block

    • Formed post-World War II, with the Soviet Union occupying Eastern Europe and establishing Communist governments.
    • This resulted in economic policies that served the Soviet Union instead of local populations.

  • NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

    • Formed in 1949 by Western nations as a response to the threat posed by the Soviet Block.
    • A mutual defense pact: if one member was attacked, all would respond.
    • The US played a central role, alongside Western European nations.

  • Warsaw Pact

    • Created by the Soviet Union in 1955 as a counter to NATO.
    • Included the USSR and its Eastern European allies, also under the principle of mutual defense.

  • Impact of Alliances

    • The establishment of these massive military alliances significantly heightened tensions during the Cold War.

Nuclear Proliferation

  • Arms Race

    • Post-World War II, the US and USSR engaged in a race to develop nuclear weapons.
    • US first to develop atomic bombs; USSR followed in 1949.

  • Hydrogen Bomb Development

    • The US developed the hydrogen bomb, a more powerful weapon.
    • USSR responded with its own hydrogen bomb.

  • Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

    • Triggered when the USSR placed nuclear missiles in Cuba following a failed US intervention against Fidel Castro.
    • US discovered missiles via spy planes, leading to a naval blockade ordered by President Kennedy.
    • Standoff lasted 13 days, heightened global anxieties over nuclear war.
    • Founded the realization of the dangers of nuclear proliferation, leading to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (1968), aimed at preventing nuclear weapon development in non-nuclear states.

Proxy Wars

  • Definition

    • Proxy wars are local conflicts that involve the superpowers supporting opposing sides without direct confrontation.

  • Korean War (1950-1953)

    • Following WWII, Korea was divided into North and South Korea.
    • North Korea, backed by the USSR, invaded South Korea, which was supported by the US and UN forces (mainly the US).
    • War ended in a stalemate with an armistice in 1953; approximately 3 million died.

  • Angolan Civil War (1975-onward)

    • Post-independence from Portugal, Conflicts erupted over which ethnic group would take power.
    • The US supported one faction, while the USSR supported another, turning it into a Cold War battleground.

  • Contra War in Nicaragua (1979-1990)

    • In 1979, the Sandinistas (self-identified socialists) took power.
    • The US, opposing socialism in Latin America, backed the Contras in attempts to overthrow the Sandinistas, leading to widespread human rights abuses.
    • Ultimately, the Sandinistas were defeated in the subsequent elections following a ceasefire.