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After the blockade of Berlin the two superpowers were engaged in conflict until 1989. 'Proxy' wars were conflicts that would be fought by countries hostile or sympathetic to the two different systems, namely communism and capitalism.
After the blockade of Berlin the two superpowers were engaged in conflict until 1989. 'Proxy' wars were conflicts that would be fought by countries hostile or sympathetic to the two different systems, namely communism and capitalism.
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After the blockade of Berlin the two superpowers were engaged in conflict until 1989. 'Proxy' wars were conflicts that would be fought by countries hostile or sympathetic to the two different systems, namely communism and capitalism.
Droits d'auteur :
Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Formats disponibles
Téléchargez comme PDF, TXT ou lisez en ligne sur Scribd
After the blockade of Berlin the two superpowers were engaged in conflict until 1989,
DEVELOPMENT OF THE COLD WAR
communist bloc
1985 Graton o he Warsaw Pact
1856 Suppeesion of the
ungarian Upesing
1959 Guba, Fe
Casto’ revlon
1952 The
Cuban risks
| 1956 suee
| canal Crisis
ae
[1949 creation
od ONTO
ssiitunan “i
we Lone
1968 The Saves
1979 USSR
Ivades|
‘Aghanstan
1985 Begioning of
Perestroika by
Gorbachev
1801
Disappearance
of USSR
tse | 109 aa
alviemm | Wat tora
ys leo
soieae na Sy
Grnata :
THE EARLY STAGES OF THE COLD WAR
The Cold War begins
In 1948 the USA, Great Britain and France decided
to merge their German sections and their territory
in Berlin. The USSR didn't agree and Stalin blockad-
‘ed the cityThe USA and Britain flew in supplies for
the civiian population of western Berlin over the
heads of the Soviet soldiers — this was called the
‘Berlin Aitlft. The Soviets did not dare to
shoot down the planes, because they
knew this would begin a new war When
Stalin ended the blockade in 1949, after
10 months, Berlin was divided into east
and west, and two new states were
forrmed: West Germany (a Federal Repub-
lic) and East Germany (Communist). East
Berlin became the capital of the new
communist nation. A new frontier had
been created between the two super
powers, It was the beginning of the Cold
War.
1 wc
oi
Creation of the military blocs
‘To make things worse for Stalin NATO (North At-
lantic Treaty Organisation) was formed in 1949 by
the USA and the western countries, as a military
pact against the Soviet threat. Stalin reacted, but not
until 1955, when the USSR and its allies formed the
Warsaw Pact.
Cone
ken
Fi foalProxy Wars
Proxy Wars were conflicts that
‘would be fought by countries
hostile or sympathetic to the
‘two different systems that we
have already outlined, namely
communism and capitalism.
‘They were ‘prony' wars because
the USA and the Soviet Union
did not fight each other face-to
face, but were rather represent-
ed’ by other countries,
By 1949, Europe was clearly die
vided into east and west, communist and capitalist.
‘Yugoslavia (under Josip Tito) was communist, but
remained independent from the Soviet Union. The
Iron Curtain was well and truly established. Stalin
‘was given his sphere of influence’. The world was
‘bi-polatised,, politically speaking
tt looked as though European co-existence was
possible, but there was the new problem of nuclear
‘weapons. The Soviets could not permit the USA to
develop nuclear weapons alone,
In August 1949 the Soviets tested a nuclear device,
a prototype of the hydrogen bamb The West was
alarmed and the ‘Arms Race! had begun. But the
USA and Russia knew that it would be almost im-
possible to fight each other now, because of the
massive destruction that nuclear weapons could
cause,
The most important consequence of the Korean
War was that the USA (and its allies) belioved that
‘the containment’ policy against communism was the
best one. But the idea of containment was modified
slightly when President Eisenhower frst mentioned
a new idea on a radio interview in 1954. He was
talking about Indochina (Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam).
He said that ifit fell to the communists, then there
was a possibilty that Burma, Thailand, Malaysia and
Indonesia would also be taken over ~ that they
would fall like successive dominoes, This would
THE ‘DOMINO THEORY’
‘This was the theory of deterrence’. The idea was
that you woulein’t attack with nuclear weapons, be-
‘ause you knew that the enemy would defend itself
~ with nuclear weapons. So nobody would use
them,
Nevertheless. this did not stop a series of proxy’
wars being fought between communists and the
‘West. Here we will describe only the most signifi
cant conflicts,
‘The first of these conflicts was in Korea, and itis
important historically because it represented the
first major conflict of the Cold War period, and it
was the first major proxy war: it was also an early
example of the consequences of decolonisation
‘that had begun after World War Two, because the
Korean peninsula had been occupied by the japan.
ese since 1910. In 1945, when the Japanese surren-
dered, they were obliged to leave Korea They were
replaced by the Soviets — who supported North
Korea, and the Americans, who supported South
Korea ~ an arrangement agreed at the Potsdam
Conference in 1945. The two countries were divid-
ed by the 38° parallel — a demilitarised zone,
‘To add to the problems, the Communist State of
China had been set up by Mao Tse Tung in 1949,
(after he had won the civil war that started at the
end of WWI), and the western powers were wor-
ried in case the whole of the peninsula became
communist, The protection of South Korea by the
USA was the first real test of the ‘Truman Doctrine’,
leave countries like Japan, the
Philippines, New Zealand and
Australia with the responsibilty
of resisting communism, because
they were geographically the
closest. Eisenhower was worried
that some of them might even
become friendly with the Sovi.
ets, mainly through trade.
Dsight David Esenhower US General
‘and pain (1890-1969)acu ha USC aS)
Situation: After Potsdam, Korea
was divided into two states:
+ North Korea was commu-
nist under the government
of Kirn fl Sung, supported by
the Soviet Union.
+ South Korea was anti-com-
rmunist, under the dictator.
ship of Syngman Rhee, sup-
ported by the USA,
+The two Korean leaders
hated each other Both lead-
cers wanted to preside over
the entire Korean peninsula,
+ In 1949, Kim Sung visited
Stalin then Mao Zedong to
ask them for'permission’ to
invade South Korea. They
gave this permission,
+ Injune 1950, North Korea crossed the 38" paral-
lel and invaded South Korea.
+ The United Nations asked their members to in-
tervene. The UN troops were 80% American, led
by General MacArthur
The North Koreans were very successful at first,
and they captured most of South Korea, But the
on
Gan
Consequences of war
UN troops fought back and by
October they had crossed
back over the 38" parallel and
were advancing towards the
Chinese border: The Chinese
were alarmed, and attacked
the UN forces with 500,000
soldiers, re-capturing North
Korea. Then MacArthur asked
‘Truman to use a nuclear bomb
to stop the Chinese, Truman
refused, and sacked MacArthur
The UN forces fought back
‘again, this time using jot-ighters
and heavy bombing of civiian
and miltary targets with incen-
diary devices (napalm). Al-
though the Soviets also sup-
plied jet fighters to the North Koreans, the United
States gradually began to win the war When Stalin
died in 1953 and Truman was replaced by President
Eisenhower the two sides agreed to stop fighting.
‘The war ended in July 1953 ina stalemate. The two
superpowers left and the borders were retumed to
the same as 1950. The nuclear risk had decreased,
but only after 5 million deaths, most of them civilian,A eee tec}
‘Another of the critical Cold War events, the Cuban
crisis, was the closest the world has ever come to a
full-scale nuclear war
‘The United States’ Cold War policy, as we know,
‘was one of ‘containment’ and the avoidance of the
domino effect. But it also wanted to maintain
friendly relations with all countries. geographically
close. The USA had supported the Cuban dictator
Batista since 1952, because American businessmen
‘owned much of Cuba's industry, and made big prof-
its, white most Cubans lived in poverty. In 1959,
del Castro overthrew Batista and set up a new
regime. Castro was pro-Communist, and immedi-
ately established friendly relations with the Soviet,
Union
But what caused the crisis with the USAT
* Castro nationalised hundreds of US comparies.
* Cuba began to sel its sugar to Russia, instead of
to the USA.
* Cuba began to buy weapons from Russ
+ The CIA began to train Cuban exiles in America
to invade Cuba.
When President Kennedy became US President in
1961, he authorised the invasion of Cubba by the ex-
ites, They tried to invade the Bay of Pigs, but were
easily defeated by the Cubans. Everyone knew that
the USA had supported the rebels, and as a result
Castro became more popular
Then in 1962 a US U2 spy plane took photographs
of several nuclear missile bases being built in Cuba.
Cuba was only 100 miles from the US coast. The
‘nuclear missiles would be brought in ships from
Russia. Khrushchev had done this because the
‘Americans had built a nuclear base in Turkey, close
to the Soviet Union. The USA began a naval block-
‘ade of Cuba, and demanded that the missile bases
bbe dismantled, When Russian ships continued to sail
‘towards Cuba in October 1962, people thought
‘that a nuclear war was really beginning.
lin the end, the ships turned round, Khrushchev
promised to withdraw the missle bases from Cu
ba, and Kennedy prom-
ised to withdraw his
from Turkey. War was a
avoided, but only just. aber 27, 1962-4 10S
In 1963, the two coun 98 He apenan
tries signed @ Nuclear Test Galices SH pate in
Ban Treaty, which limited ibe Ne ane ota ae
tests of these weapons “Pefifasthouattatia nuclear
Kennedy became very
‘Buttto
was removed fom pow Hi
er in 1964 and replaced
by Brezhnev, ie
Aikhipo) said.
ly saved’ the world
Fel Casiro ats Medial Congress.Cuba (Novem 1999)
Watcha eg. anrepated
popular, but Khrushchev oe
yal officers
ewe said yes,
fasiiiMexanidrovieh,
‘He proba~
0 'this;:theBr dha Gs
‘The Vietnam War was a good example of the
‘domino effect’, Vietnam had been part of the
French empire in Indo-China but by 1954 after the
‘decolonisation of Indo-China, Vietnam was divided
into two under the 17 Porolle! North Vietnam was
under a communist government, and South Viet
nam under a government friendly to the west
In 1956 there should have been an election to
choose a government for a united Vietnam, but the
United States opposed it because they were aft
that the communists would win and that other
states would follow ~ like dominoes. Many people
in South Vietnam resented this, which led to the Vi
etcong or NLF (National Liberation Front) fighting
to overthrow the South Vietnamese government,
with help from the North Vietnamese.
ST a
@ wmewnee
‘The new US President,
Lyndon Johnson, was de-
termined to keep South
Vietnam communist-free,
so he sent 23,000 troops
in 1964, By 1967 there
were 500,000 American
troops in South Vietnam.
But the war was very difi-
cult for the Americans. It
ended in 1975 when
Saigon fell to the Vietcong,
and the USA left Vietnam.
MEKONG DELTA,
Vieinar (1970).
Air Force cron 8 00
{combat set
‘ation over
reutheasiem Aaa
‘The Vietnam War was very traumatic for both
sides.
* For the USA, because they lost the war and ex-
perienced ideological divisions in their own
country.
+ ForVietnam, because the country was devastat-
ced by the waz with 4 milion civilians killed. After
the war ended, many South Vietnamese who
had supported the government were tortured
or obliged to leave. These refugees became
known as the Boat People!‘DETENTE’ AND TENSION
Eisenhower's idea of the domino effect had less im-
mediate consequences than the basic results of the
Korean War and the different events that happened
in the 1950s.These events led to a ‘détente’ situa-
tion after 1955, The events were:
+ The United States realised that it could not fight
China again, with its massive population
+ The Korean War showed how easy it was for a
regional conflict to suddenly escalate and cause a
possible world war
+ Russia accused the USA of using the UN for its
‘own purposes,
+ In 1953 Stalin died and was replaced by
Khrushchev.
+ In 1953 Eisenhower, who was less anti-comrnu-
nist, replaced Truman as American president.
+ In 1955 Eisenhower and Khrushchev met at the
Geneva Conference, and agreed to reduce Cold
War tensions
* Khrushchev rejected the
policies of Stalin and
shocked the Russians by
publicly criticising the old
regime.
+ In 1956 Khrushchey called
for'peaceful coexistence’
between East and West,
‘or between NATO and
the Warsaw Pact.
The first years after the Ko- Nita Sergyevich Khuschew
reanWarwere adefinite at. __Sovetpollan (894-1971)
tempt to reduce (relax)
tensions between the two superpowers, called ‘dé-
tente’ (relaxation in French). The only events that
‘threatened this ‘peace’ were the Suez (Canal) Cri-
sis and the Hungarian Uprising. both in the Octo-
berNoverber of 1956.
‘The Suez Crisis began when the Egyptian leader
Nosser decided to nationalise the Suez Canal Com-
pany in 1955. This caused problems for Great
Britain and France, because the canal had become
the major gale’ for Europe's booming oil industry.
Britain also owned 45% of the company. Also, the
new state of Israel, (whose history we learnt last
year) — and whose relationship with Egypt was very
bad — also wanted to use the canal.
Egypt was becoming friendly with the Soviet Union
and China, and had bought arms cheaply from both.
A coalition of French, British and Israeli troops in-
vaded the northern canal zone and fought with
Egyptian soldiers. The USA criticised the invasion
and was afraid it would provoke the Soviets into
fighting for the Egyptians. After US pressure, in 1957
the war ended, and the UN sent in a peace-force
(UNEF— United Nations Emergency Force) to pro-
tect the area.The English Prime Minister, Eden, was.
forced to resign, the French pulled their troops out
‘of NATO, and the Egyptian leader Nasser became a
hero from the more militant Arab perspective.
‘The Hungarian Uprising took place almost simulta-
neously, Hungary was part of the Soviet bloc, but
after the death of Stalin the nationalists in Hungary
saw a chance to free the country from the Soviets
and to regain control. The nationalists rose up in
‘October against the ‘puppet’ government, and in-
LANGUAGE. MATICA
sialled their own communist
leader, Imre Nogy. The USA an-
nounced that they would not
support the uprising, so
Khrushchev realised that he
could act without beginning ar-
other major superpower con-
flict, When Nagy announced
that he would allow free elec.”
tions and take Hungary out of
the Warsaw Pact, the Soviets
sent in soldiers to brutally sup-
press the revolution and main
tain Hungary's position in the
Soviet Union,
Docu