Cold War: Military Alliances, Nuclear Proliferation, and Proxy Wars

Military Alliances

  • Western nations formed NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) in 1949 as a mutual defense alliance against the Soviet Union.
  • In 1955, the Soviet Union formed the Warsaw Pact as a military alliance.
  • Both alliances operated under the agreement that an attack on one member was an attack on all.

Nuclear Proliferation

  • The US and the Soviet Union engaged in an arms race, developing increasingly powerful nuclear weapons.
  • The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 was a critical moment when the Soviet Union placed nuclear missiles in Cuba.
  • The US responded with a naval blockade, leading to a tense standoff.
  • The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty was created in 1968 to prevent non-nuclear countries from developing nuclear weapons.

Proxy Wars

  • Proxy wars were indirect conflicts where the US and the Soviet Union supported opposing sides in local wars.
  • Korean War:
    • North Korea (backed by the Soviet Union) invaded South Korea (backed by the US and the UN).
    • The war ended in a stalemate in 1953.
  • Angolan Civil War:
    • Various Angolan ethnic groups fought for power after independence from Portugal.
    • The Soviet Union, the United States, and South Africa backed different groups, escalating the conflict.
  • Contra War in Nicaragua:
    • The US backed the Contras to overthrow the Sandinistas, who had support from the Soviet Union.
    • The conflict ended in a ceasefire, and the Sandinistas were defeated in the subsequent election.