Ufa State Aviation Technical University
Department of History of the Fatherland and Cultural Studies
in history
"Cold War": causes, essence, consequences
Completed:
Gaisin A.N.
FIRT student
Group PIE-210z
Introduction
1.The beginning of the Cold War
Causes of the Cold War
1 Korean War
2 Construction of the Berlin Wall
3 Cuban Missile Crisis
4 Vietnam War
4. Consequences
Conclusion
Bibliography
INTRODUCTION
The unity of the victorious countries could not be strong. The USSR, on the one hand, and the USA, Great Britain and France, on the other, represented different social systems. Stalin sought to expand the territory led by the communist parties. Soviet Union sought to gain access to resources that were previously controlled by capitalist countries. The United States and its allies sought to maintain their dominance in Asia, Africa and Latin America. All this brought humanity to the brink of the third world war. The confrontation between the USSR and the USA, which unfolded in the mid-40s-80s of the twentieth century and was called the “Cold War,” never resulted in a “hot” war, although it constantly led to conflicts in certain regions. The Cold War caused a split in the world into two camps, gravitating towards the USSR and the USA. The term "Cold War" was coined by Churchill during his speech in Fulton (USA) on March 5, 1946. No longer the leader of his country, Churchill remained one of the most influential politicians in the world. In his speech, he stated that Europe was divided by the “Iron Curtain” and called on Western civilization to declare war on “communism.” In fact, the war between two systems, two ideologies has not stopped since 1917, however, it took shape as a completely conscious confrontation precisely after the Second World War.
Why did it start only after the Second World War? Obviously, this was dictated by the time itself, the era itself. The allies came out of this war so strong, and the means of warfare became so destructive that it became clear: sorting things out using the old methods was too much of a luxury. However, the desire to harass the other side among the coalition partners has not diminished. To a certain extent, the initiative to start the Cold War belonged to Western countries, for which the power of the USSR, which became obvious during the Second World War, turned out to be a very unpleasant surprise.
So, the Cold War arose shortly after the end of World War II, when the Allies began to take stock of its results. What did they see? Firstly, half of Europe found itself in the Soviet zone of influence, and pro-Soviet regimes were feverishly emerging there. Secondly, a powerful wave of liberation movements arose in the colonies against the mother countries. Thirdly, the world quickly polarized and turned into a bipolar one. Fourthly, two superpowers emerged on the world stage, whose military and economic power gave them significant superiority over others. Plus, the interests of Western countries in various parts of the globe are beginning to collide with the interests of the USSR. It was this new state of the world that emerged after the Second World War that Churchill realized faster than others when he proclaimed the “Cold War.”
1.THE BEGINNING OF THE COLD WAR
In 1945, there was a deep disparity in power and strength between the two main victor countries. Even before the war, imbalances were shifting in America's favor, especially in the economy. But hostilities drove the two countries even further in opposite directions. The war did not touch American soil: the fighting took place far from the shores of America. The US economy, which was the main supplier and financier of the entire victorious coalition, experienced an unprecedented leap between 1939 and 1945. The potential of US industrial capacity increased by 50%, production increased by 2.5 times. They produced 4 times more equipment and 7 times more vehicles. Agricultural production increased by 36%. Wages grew, as did all incomes of the population.
Inequality also manifested itself in relation to the possession of nuclear weapons. As you know, until 1949, the only power with an atomic bomb was the United States. The Americans did not hide the fact that they perceived nuclear weapons as an attribute of the power of a great power, as a means of intimidating a potential enemy - the USSR and its allies, as a means of pressure.
I.V. Stalin considered it necessary to create a military counterweight to the United States. Since 1949, he became convinced of the possibility of destabilizing the capitalist system and the approach of the proletarian revolution in the West.
For its part, the US leadership sought to implement a policy “from a position of strength” and tried to use all its economic and military-political power to put pressure on the USSR. In 1946, US President Henry Truman's doctrine of "limiting communist expansion" was proclaimed, supported in 1947 by the doctrine of economic assistance to "free peoples" (the "Marshall Plan", which was abandoned by the USSR). This meant a turn to the Cold War, which predetermined the deterioration of the international climate and created the threat of military-political crises. Stalin faced a difficult dilemma: whether to resist the pressure that his former allies, now armed with the atomic bomb, were putting on the USSR in conditions when the country was exhausted. Stalin was convinced that the United States and England would not dare to start a war. The Soviet government decided to speed up work on producing its own atomic bomb. The work, carried out in strict secrecy, began in full from August-September 1945. After Potsdam and Hiroshima, Stalin formed, under the supreme control of Beria, a special committee headed by People's Commissar Vannikov, designed to supervise all activities to create new weapons.
The deterioration of relations with the Western world, as well as the revival of imperial ambitions, pushed the Soviet leadership to consolidate control over Central and South-Eastern Europe. In response to the US attempt to link the Western occupation zones with Western European states through economic and political agreements, the USSR and under its pressure, the Eastern European countries refused to participate in the American assistance program, and subsequently in the activities of international economic organizations. This is what the world was like after the war. The role of the communists has grown greatly, the authority of the USSR in the world has risen high. This was clearly not beneficial for the USA, Great Britain and other major capitalist powers. The confrontation between the West and the Soviet Union began to become acute. Moreover, Stalin was irritated by the economic power of the United States after the war, in which the states suffered almost no losses. They began to talk more and more often about the bipolar structure of the world; the USSR, which was in ruins, was gradually rising to its feet. Two superpowers rose above all others - the USSR and the USA. Gradually, unnoticed by both opposing camps, an arms race began between them - the Cold War.
Its beginning was associated with atomic weapons. The American military, thinking in the usual categories of naked force, began to look for the appropriate means to strike the “enemy,” that is, the Soviet Union. The philosophical stone in solving a problem that seemed insoluble in the recommendations dating back to 1943-1944 was atomic weapons. Support for the position of the United States by the majority of countries in the world was combined with their exceptional position as holders of a monopoly on the atomic bomb: the Americans again demonstrated their power by conducting test explosions on Bikini Atoll in the summer of 1946. Stalin made a number of statements during this period in order to downplay the importance of the new weapon. These statements set the tone for all Soviet propaganda. But the behavior of the representatives of the Soviet Union in private showed their great concern in reality.
But the American monopoly on nuclear weapons lasted only four years. In 1949, the USSR tested its first atomic bomb. This event was a real shock for the Western world and an important milestone in the Cold War. In the course of further accelerated development in the USSR, nuclear and then thermonuclear weapons were soon created. Fighting has become very dangerous for everyone, and is fraught with very bad consequences. The nuclear potential accumulated over the years of the Cold War was enormous, but the gigantic stockpiles of destructive weapons were of no use, and the costs of their production and storage were growing. If earlier they said “we can destroy you, but you cannot destroy us,” now the wording has changed. They began to say “you can destroy us 38 times, and we can destroy you 64 times!” The debate is fruitless, especially considering that if a war broke out and one of the opponents used nuclear weapons, very soon there would be nothing left not only of him, but of the entire planet.
The arms race was growing at a rapid pace. As soon as one of the sides created some fundamentally new weapon, its opponent threw all its forces and resources into achieving the same thing. Crazy competition affected all areas of the military industry. They competed everywhere: in the creation of the latest small arms systems (the US responded to the Soviet AKM with the M-16), in new designs of tanks, aircraft, ships and submarines, but perhaps the most dramatic competition was in the creation of rocketry. The entire so-called peaceful space in those days was not even the visible part of the iceberg, but a snow cap on the visible part. The USA has overtaken the USSR in the number of nuclear weapons. The USSR overtook the USA in rocket science. The USSR was the first in the world to launch a satellite, and in 1961 it was the first to send a man into space. The Americans could not bear such obvious superiority. The result is their landing on the moon. At this point, the parties reached strategic parity. However, this did not stop the arms race. On the contrary, it has spread to all sectors that have at least some connection with weapons. This could, for example, include the race to create supercomputers. Here the West took unconditional revenge for lagging behind in the field of rocket science, since for purely ideological reasons the USSR missed a breakthrough in this area.
The arms race has even affected education. After Gagarin's flight, the United States was forced to reconsider the foundations of the education system and introduce fundamentally new teaching methods.
The arms race was subsequently voluntarily suspended by both sides. A number of treaties were concluded limiting the accumulation of weapons.
3.CAUSES OF THE COLD WAR
The Cold War was characterized by frequent occurrence"hot" spots. Each local conflict was brought to the world stage, thanks to the fact that Cold War opponents supported the opposing sides. Let's take a look at some of the "hot spots".
3.1 Korean War
In 1945, Soviet and American troops liberated Korea from the Japanese army. US troops are located south of the 38th parallel, and the Red Army to the north. Thus, the Korean Peninsula was divided into two parts. In the North, the communists came to power, in the South - the military, relying on the help of the United States. Two states were formed on the peninsula - the northern Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the southern Republic of Korea. The North Korean leadership dreamed of uniting the country, even if only by force of arms.
In 1950, North Korean leader Kim Il Sung visited Moscow and enlisted the support of the Soviet Union. Plans for the "military liberation" of South Korea were also approved by Chinese leader Mao Zedong. At dawn on June 25, 1950, the North Korean army moved to the south of the country. Her offensive was so powerful that within three days she occupied the capital of the South, Seoul. Then the advance of the northerners slowed down, but by mid-September almost the entire peninsula was in their hands. It seemed that only one decisive effort separated the army of the north from final victory. However, on July 7, the UN Security Council voted to send international troops to help South Korea.
And in September, UN troops (mostly American) came to the aid of the southerners. They launched a powerful attack on the North from the area that was still held by the South Korean army. At the same time, troops were landed on the west coast, cutting the peninsula in half. Events began to develop with the same speed in reverse side. The Americans occupied Seoul, crossed the 38th parallel and continued their offensive against the DPRK. North Korea was on the brink of complete disaster when China suddenly intervened. The Chinese leadership proposed, without declaring war on the United States, to send help North Korea troops. In China they were officially called "people's volunteers." In October, about a million Chinese soldiers crossed the border Yalu River and engaged the Americans in battle. Soon the front lined up along the 38th parallel.
The war continued for another three years. During the American offensive in 1950, the Soviet Union sent several air divisions to help North Korea. The Americans were significantly superior to the Chinese in technology. China suffered heavy losses. On July 27, 1953, the war ended with a truce. In North Korea, the government of Kim Il Sung, friendly to the USSR and China, remained in power, accepting the honorary title of “great leader.”
3.2 Construction of the Berlin Wall
In 1955, the division of Europe between East and West finally took shape. However, a clear line of confrontation has not yet completely divided Europe. There was only one open “window” left in it - Berlin. The city was divided in half, with East Berlin being the capital of the GDR, and West Berlin being considered part of the Federal Republic of Germany. Two opposing social systems coexisted within the same city, while every Berliner could easily get “from socialism to capitalism” and back, moving from one street to another. Every day up to 500 thousand people crossed this invisible border in both directions. Many East Germans, taking advantage of the open border, left for the West permanently. Thousands of people were resettled in this way every year, which greatly worried the East German authorities. And in general, the wide-open window in the “Iron Curtain” did not at all correspond to the general spirit of the era.
In August 1961, Soviet and East German authorities decided to close the border between the two parts of Berlin. Tension in the city grew. Western countries protested the division of the city. Finally, in October, the confrontation reached its climax. American tanks lined up at the Brandenburg Gate and on Friedrichstrasse, near the main checkpoints. The Soviets came out to meet them combat vehicles. For more than a day, the tanks of the USSR and the USA stood with their guns aimed at each other. Periodically, the tankers turned on their engines, as if preparing for an attack. The tension was somewhat relieved only after the Soviet, and after them, American tanks retreated to other streets. However, Western countries finally recognized the division of the city only ten years later. It was formalized by an agreement between four powers (USSR, USA, England and France), signed in 1971. Throughout the world, the construction of the Berlin Wall was perceived as a symbolic completion of the post-war division of Europe.
cold war revolution crisis
3.3 Cuban Missile Crisis
On January 1959, a revolution led by 32-year-old guerrilla leader Fidel Castro won in Cuba. The new government began a decisive struggle against American influence on the island. Needless to say, the Soviet Union fully supported the Cuban Revolution. However, the Havana authorities seriously feared a US military invasion. In May 1962, Nikita Khrushchev put forward an unexpected idea - to place Soviet nuclear missiles on the island. He jokingly explained this step by saying that the imperialists “need to put a hedgehog in their pants.” After some deliberation, Cuba agreed to the Soviet proposal, and in the summer of 1962, 42 nuclear-tipped missiles and bombers capable of carrying nuclear bombs were sent to the island. The transfer of missiles was carried out in the strictest secrecy, but already in September the US leadership suspected something was wrong. On September 4, President John Kennedy said that the United States would under no circumstances tolerate Soviet nuclear missiles 150 km from its coast. In response, Khrushchev assured Kennedy that there were and would not be any Soviet missiles or nuclear weapons in Cuba.
October, an American reconnaissance plane photographed missile launch sites from the air. In an atmosphere of strict secrecy, the US leadership began to discuss retaliatory measures. On October 22, President Kennedy addressed the American people on radio and television. He reported that Soviet missiles had been discovered in Cuba and demanded that the USSR immediately remove them. Kennedy announced that the United States was beginning a naval blockade of Cuba. On October 24, at the request of the USSR, the UN Security Council urgently met. The Soviet Union continued to stubbornly deny the presence of nuclear missiles in Cuba. The situation in the Caribbean Sea became increasingly tense. Two dozen Soviet ships were heading towards Cuba. The American ships were ordered to stop them, if necessary by fire. True, it didn’t come to sea battles. Khrushchev ordered several Soviet ships to stop at the blockade line.
On October 23, an exchange began between Moscow and Washington official letters. In his first messages, N. Khrushchev indignantly called the actions of the United States “pure banditry” and “the madness of degenerate imperialism.”
Within days, it became clear that the United States was determined to remove the missiles at any cost. On October 26, Khrushchev sent a more conciliatory message to Kennedy. He recognized that Cuba had powerful Soviet weapons. At the same time, Nikita Sergeevich convinced the president that the USSR was not going to attack America. As he put it, “Only crazy people can do this or suicides who want to die themselves and destroy the whole world before that.” Khrushchev offered John Kennedy a commitment not to attack Cuba; then the Soviet Union will be able to remove its weapons from the island. The President of the United States responded that the United States was willing to make a gentleman's commitment not to invade Cuba if the USSR withdrew its offensive weapons. Thus the first steps towards peace were taken.
But on October 27 came the “Black Saturday” of the Cuban crisis, when only a miracle did not break out a new world war. In those days, squadrons of American aircraft flew over Cuba twice a day for the purpose of intimidation. And on October 27, Soviet troops in Cuba shot down one of the US reconnaissance aircraft with an anti-aircraft missile. Its pilot, Anderson, was killed. The situation escalated to the limit, the US President decided two days later to begin bombing Soviet missile bases and a military attack on the island.
However, on Sunday, October 28, the Soviet leadership decided to accept the American conditions. The decision to remove the missiles from Cuba was made without the consent of the Cuban leadership. Perhaps this was done deliberately, since Fidel Castro categorically objected to the removal of the missiles. International tensions began to subside quickly after October 28. The Soviet Union removed its missiles and bombers from Cuba. On November 20, the United States lifted the naval blockade of the island. The Cuban (or Caribbean) crisis ended peacefully.
3.4 Vietnam War
The Vietnam War began with an incident in the Gulf of Tonkin, during which DRV coast guard ships fired on American destroyers providing fire support to South Vietnamese government forces in their fight against guerrillas. After this, everything secret became clear and the conflict developed according to the already familiar pattern. One of the superpowers entered the war openly, and the second did everything in its power to make the war “not boring.” The war that the United States thought would be a cakewalk turned out to be America's nightmare. Anti-war demonstrations rocked the country. Young people rebelled against the senseless slaughter. In 1975, the United States thought it best to announce that it had “completed its mission” and begin evacuating its military contingent. This war greatly shook everything American society and led to major reforms. The post-war crisis lasted more than 10 years. It’s hard to say how it would have ended if the Afghan crisis had not come along.
3.5 Afghan War
In April 1978, a coup took place in Afghanistan, later called the April Revolution. Afghan communists came to power - the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA). The government was headed by writer Noor Mohammed Taraki. However, within a few months, a sharp struggle broke out within the ruling party. In August 1979, a confrontation broke out between the two leaders of the party - Taraki and Amin. On September 16, Taraki was removed from his post, expelled from the party and taken into custody. He died soon after. These events caused discontent in Moscow, although outwardly everything remained as before. The mass “cleansings” and executions that began in Afghanistan among the party were condemned. And since they reminded the Soviet leaders of the Chinese “cultural revolution,” fears arose that Amin might break with the USSR and move closer to China. Amin repeatedly asked for the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan to strengthen revolutionary power. Finally, on December 12, 1979, the Soviet leadership decided to fulfill his request, but at the same time remove Amin himself. Soviet troops were sent into Afghanistan, Amin was killed by a grenade explosion during the storming of the presidential palace. Now Soviet newspapers called him a “CIA agent” and wrote about the “bloody clique of Amin and his minions.”
In the West, the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan caused violent protests. The Cold War flared up with renewed vigor. On January 14, 1980, the UN General Assembly demanded the withdrawal of “foreign troops” from Afghanistan. 104 states voted for this decision.
Meanwhile, in Afghanistan itself, armed resistance to Soviet troops began to intensify. It was, of course, not Amin’s supporters who fought against them, but opponents of the revolutionary government in general. At first, the Soviet press claimed that there were no battles in Afghanistan, that peace and tranquility reigned there. However, the war did not subside, and when this became clear, the USSR admitted that “bandits were rampaging” in the republic. They were called "dushmans", that is, enemies. Secretly, through Pakistan, they were supported by the United States, helping with weapons and money. The United States knew well what war against an armed people was. Experience Vietnam War was used 100%, with only one small difference, the roles were reversed. Now the USSR was at war with an underdeveloped country, and the United States helped it feel what a difficult thing it was. The rebels controlled large parts of Afghanistan. All of them were united by the slogan of jihad - the holy Islamic war. They called themselves "Mujahideen" - fighters for the faith. Otherwise, the rebel groups' programs varied widely.
The war in Afghanistan has not stopped for more than nine years... More than a million Afghans died during the fighting. Soviet troops, according to official data, lost 14,453 people killed.
In June 1987, the first, so far symbolic, steps towards establishing peace were taken. The new Kabul government offered "national reconciliation" to the rebels. In April 1988, the Soviet Union signed an agreement in Geneva on the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. On May 15, the troops began to leave. Nine months later, on February 15, 1989, the last Soviet soldier left Afghanistan. For the Soviet Union, the Afghan war ended on this day.
4. CONSEQUENCES
The dismantling of the Berlin Wall is considered the last milestone of the Cold War. That is, we can talk about its results. But this is perhaps the most difficult thing. Because for everyone the consequences are twofold.
What are they like for the USSR and present-day Russia? After the Second World War, the USSR restructured its economy in such a way that the overwhelming majority of funds went to the military-industrial complex, since the USSR could not afford to be weaker than the United States. This turned the USSR into a country of general shortages and a weak economy, and destroyed the once mighty power. However, on the other hand, thanks to this, another state appeared on the political map - the Russian Federation, the state in which we now live, which is developing and building exclusively friendly and partnership relations with other countries.
What about the USA? First of all, they lost a dangerous rival in the person of the USSR, and lost a partner in the person of the Russian Federation. And secondly, by helping the “dushmans” in Afghanistan, they gave birth to a worldwide evil - international terrorism.
And finally, the Cold War emphasized that the main component that determined the victory of one of the sides was universal human values, which neither the fantastic development of technology nor sophisticated ideological influence could outweigh.
CONCLUSION
A slight detente in the confrontation occurred in the 70s. Its crowning achievement was the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. The participating countries deliberated for two years, and in 1975 in Helsinki, these countries signed the Final Act of the meeting. On the USSR side, it was sealed by Leonid Brezhnev. This document legitimized the post-war division of Europe, which is what the USSR sought. In exchange for this Western concession, the Soviet Union pledged to respect human rights.
Shortly before this, in July 1975, the famous Soviet-American joint flight on the Soyuz and Apollo spacecraft took place. The USSR stopped jamming Western radio broadcasts. It seemed that the Cold War era was forever a thing of the past. However, in December 1979, Soviet troops entered Afghanistan - another period of the Cold War began. Relations between the West and the East reached a freezing point when, by decision of the Soviet leadership, a South Korean plane with civilian passengers on board was shot down, which ended up in Soviet airspace. After this event, US President Ronald Reagan called the USSR “an evil empire and the center of evil.” It was only by 1987 that relations between East and West began to gradually improve again. In 1988-89, with the beginning of perestroika, dramatic changes occurred in Soviet politics. In November 1989, the Berlin Wall came down. On July 1, 1991, the Warsaw Pact was dissolved. The socialist camp collapsed. In a number of countries - it former members- democratic revolutions took place, which were not only not condemned, but were supported by the USSR. The Soviet Union also refused to expand its influence in third world countries. Such a sharp turn in the Soviet foreign policy in the West it is associated with the name of USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Encyclopedia for children. T.5, part 3. Moscow "Avanta+". 1998.
History of Russia: Educational minimum for applicants. "Graduate School". Moscow. 2001.
N.N.Yakovlev. "CIA against the USSR." "Young guard". Moscow.1983.
Stephen Ambrose. "Eisenhower - soldier and president." "LTD Book." 1993.
Winston Churchill. "The Second World War".T3. "Military Publishing House". 1991.
Tutoring
Need help studying a topic?
Our specialists will advise or provide tutoring services on topics that interest you.
Submit your application indicating the topic right now to find out about the possibility of obtaining a consultation.
Current international relations between East and West can hardly be called constructive. In international politics today it is becoming fashionable to talk about a new round of tension. What is at stake is no longer a struggle for the spheres of influence of two different geopolitical systems. Today, the new Cold War is the fruit of the reactionary policies of the ruling elites of a number of countries and the expansion of international global corporations in foreign markets. On the one hand, the United States, the European Union, the NATO bloc, on the other, the Russian Federation, China and other countries.
Russia's foreign policy inherited from the Soviet Union continues to be influenced by the Cold War, which kept the whole world in suspense for 72 long years. Only the ideological aspect has changed. There is no longer any confrontation between communist ideas and the dogmas of the capitalist path of development in the world. The emphasis is shifting to resources, where the main geopolitical players are actively using all available opportunities and means.
International relations before the start of the Cold War
On a cold September morning in 1945, a capitulation was signed by official representatives of Imperial Japan aboard the American battleship Missouri, anchored in Tokyo Bay. This ceremony marked the end of the bloodiest and most brutal military conflict in the history of human civilization. The war, which lasted 6 years, engulfed the entire planet. During the hostilities that took place in Europe, Asia and Africa at various stages, 63 states became participants in the bloody massacre. 110 million people were drafted into the armed forces of the countries involved in the conflict. There is no need to talk about human losses. The world has never known or seen such a large-scale and mass murder. The economic losses were also colossal, but the consequences of the Second World War and its results created ideal conditions for the start of the Cold War, another form of confrontation, with other participants and with other goals.
It seemed that on September 2, 1945, the long-awaited and long-lasting peace would finally come. However, just 6 months after the end of World War II, the world again plunged into the abyss of another confrontation - the Cold War began. The conflict took other forms and resulted in a military-political, ideological and economic confrontation between two world systems, the capitalist West and the communist East. It cannot be argued that Western countries and communist regimes were going to continue to coexist peacefully. Plans for a new global military conflict were being developed at military headquarters, and ideas for the destruction of foreign policy opponents were in the air. The condition in which the Cold War arose was only a natural reaction to the military preparations of potential opponents.
This time the guns did not roar. Tanks, warplanes and ships did not come together in another deadly battle. A long and grueling struggle for survival between the two worlds began, in which all methods and means were used, often more insidious than a direct military clash. The main weapon of the Cold War was ideology, which was based on economic and political aspects. If previously large and large-scale military conflicts arose mainly for economic reasons, on the basis of racial and misanthropic theories, then in the new conditions a struggle for spheres of influence unfolded. The inspirers of the Crusade against Communism were US President Harry Truman and former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
The tactics and strategy of confrontation have changed, new forms and methods of struggle have appeared. It is not for nothing that the global Cold War received such a name. During the conflict there was no hot phase, the warring parties did not open fire on each other, however, in terms of its scale and the amount of losses, this confrontation can easily be called the Third World War. After the Second World War, the world, instead of detente, again entered a period of tension. During the hidden confrontation between two world systems, humanity witnessed an unprecedented arms race; the countries participating in the conflict plunged into the abyss of spy mania and conspiracies. Clashes between the two opposing camps took place on all continents with varying degrees of success. The Cold War lasted for 45 years, becoming the longest military-political conflict of our time. This war also had its decisive battles, and there were periods of calm and confrontation. There are winners and losers in this confrontation. History gives us the right to assess the scale of the conflict and its results, making the right conclusions for the future.
Causes of the Cold War that broke out in the 20th century
If we consider the situation in the world that has developed since the end of the Second World War, it is not difficult to notice one important point. The Soviet Union, which bore the main burden of the armed struggle against Nazi Germany, managed to significantly expand its sphere of influence. Despite the enormous loss of life and devastating consequences war for the country's economy, the USSR became a leading world power. It was impossible not to take this fact into account. The Soviet Army stood in the center of Europe, and the positions of the USSR in the Far East were no less strong. This in no way suited the Western countries. Even taking into account the fact that the Soviet Union, the USA and Great Britain nominally remained allies, the contradictions between them were too strong.
These same states soon found themselves different sides barricades, becoming active participants in the Cold War. Western democracies could not come to terms with the emergence of a new superpower and its growing influence on the world political scene. The main reasons for rejection of this state of affairs include the following aspects:
- the enormous military power of the USSR;
- the growing foreign policy influence of the Soviet Union;
- expansion of the sphere of influence of the USSR;
- spread of communist ideology;
- activation in the world of people's liberation movements led by parties of Marxist and socialist persuasions.
Foreign policy and the Cold War are links in the same chain. Neither the United States nor Great Britain could calmly look at the capitalist system collapsing before their eyes, at the collapse of imperial ambitions and the loss of spheres of influence. Great Britain, having lost its status as a world leader after the end of the war, clung to the remnants of its possessions. The United States, emerging from the war with the world's most powerful economy and in possession of the atomic bomb, sought to become the sole hegemon on the planet. The only obstacle to the implementation of these plans was the mighty Soviet Union with its communist ideology and policy of equality and brotherhood. The reasons that prompted the latest military-political confrontation also reflect the essence of the Cold War. The main goal of the warring parties was the following:
- destroy the enemy economically and ideologically;
- limit the enemy's sphere of influence;
- try to destroy his political system from within;
- bringing the enemy's socio-political and economic base to complete collapse;
- overthrow of ruling regimes and political liquidation of state entities.
IN in this case the essence of the conflict was not very different from the military version, because the goals set and the results for the opponents were very similar. The signs characterizing the state of the Cold War also very much resemble the state in world politics that preceded the armed confrontation. This historical period is characterized by expansion, aggressive military-political plans, increased military presence, political pressure and the formation of military alliances.
Where does the term "Cold War" come from?
This phrase was first used by the English writer and publicist George Orwell. In this stylistic way, he outlined the state of the post-war world, where the free and democratic West was forced to face the brutal and totalitarian regime of the communist East. Orwell clearly outlined his rejection of Stalinism in many of his works. Even when the Soviet Union was an ally of Great Britain, the writer spoke negatively about the world that awaited Europe after the end of the war. The term invented by Orwell turned out to be so successful that it was quickly picked up by Western politicians, using it in their foreign policy and anti-Soviet rhetoric.
It was with their initiative that the Cold War began, the start date of which was March 5, 1946. The former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom used the phrase “cold war” during his speech in Fulton. During the statements of a high-ranking British politician, the contradictions between the two geopolitical camps that emerged in the post-war world were publicly voiced for the first time.
Winston Churchill became a follower of the British publicist. This man, thanks to whose iron will and strength of character Britain emerged from the bloody war, the winner, is rightfully considered the “godfather” of the new military-political confrontation. The euphoria in which the world found itself after the end of World War II did not last long. The balance of power that was observed in the world quickly led to the fact that two geopolitical systems collided in a fierce battle. During the Cold War, the number of participants on both sides was constantly changing. On one side of the barricade stood the USSR and its new allies. On the other side stood the United States, Great Britain and other allied countries. As in any other military-political conflict, this era was marked by its acute phases and periods of detente, military-political and economic alliances were again formed, in the person of which the Cold War clearly identified the participants in the global confrontation.
The NATO bloc, the Warsaw Pact, and bilateral military-political pacts have become a military instrument of international tension. The arms race contributed to the strengthening of the military component of the confrontation. Foreign policy took the form of open confrontation between the parties to the conflict.
Winston Churchill, despite his active participation in the creation of the anti-Hitler coalition, pathologically hated the communist regime. During the Second World War, Britain, due to geopolitical factors, was forced to become an ally of the USSR. However, already during the military operations, at a time when it became clear that the defeat of Germany was inevitable, Churchill understood that the victory of the Soviet Union would lead to the expansion of communism in Europe. And Churchill was not mistaken. The leitmotif of the subsequent political career of the British ex-prime minister was the theme of confrontation, the Cold War, a state in which it was necessary to contain the foreign policy expansion of the Soviet Union.
The British ex-prime minister considered the United States to be the main force capable of successfully resisting the Soviet bloc. The American economy, American armed forces and navy were to become the main instrument of pressure on the Soviet Union. Britain, finding itself in the wake of American foreign policy, was assigned the role of an unsinkable aircraft carrier.
At the instigation of Winston Churchill, the conditions for the outbreak of the Cold War were clearly outlined overseas. At first, American politicians began to use this term during their election campaign. A little later they started talking about the Cold War in the context of the foreign policy of the United States.
Major milestones and events of the Cold War
Central Europe, in ruins, was divided into two parts by the Iron Curtain. East Germany found itself in the Soviet zone of occupation. Almost all of Eastern Europe came under the influence of the Soviet Union. Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Romania, with their people's democratic regimes, unwittingly became allies of the Soviets. It is incorrect to believe that the Cold War is a direct conflict between the USSR and the USA. Canada has entered the orbit of confrontation, all Western Europe, which was in the area of responsibility of the USA and Great Britain. The situation was similar on the opposite side of the planet. In the Far East in Korea, the military-political interests of the United States, the USSR and China collided. In every corner of the globe, pockets of confrontation arose, which subsequently became the most powerful crises of Cold War politics.
Korean War 1950-53 became the first result of the confrontation between geopolitical systems. Communist China and the USSR tried to expand their sphere of influence on the Korean Peninsula. Even then it became clear that armed confrontation would become an inevitable companion to the entire period of the Cold War. Subsequently, the USSR, the USA and their allies did not take part in military operations against each other, limiting themselves to using the human resources of other participants in the conflict. The stages of the Cold War are a whole series of events that, to one degree or another, influenced global foreign policy development. Equally, this time can be called a roller coaster ride. The end of the Cold War was not part of the plans of either side. The fight was to the death. The political death of the enemy was the main condition for the beginning of detente.
The active phase is replaced by periods of detente, military conflicts in different parts planets are replaced by peace agreements. The world is divided into military-political blocs and alliances. Subsequent Cold War conflicts brought the world to the brink of a global catastrophe. The scale of the confrontation grew, new subjects appeared in the political arena, causing tension. First Korea, then Indochina and Cuba. The most acute crises in international relations were the Berlin and Caribbean crises, a series of events that threatened to bring the world to the brink of a nuclear apocalypse.
Each period of the Cold War can be described differently, given economic factor and the geopolitical situation in the world. The mid-50s and early 60s were marked by increased international tension. The warring parties took an active part in regional military conflicts, supporting one side or another. The arms race picked up pace. Potential opponents entered a steep dive, where the count of time was no longer decades, but years. The economies of the countries were under enormous pressure from military expenditures. The end of the Cold War was the collapse of the Soviet bloc. The Soviet Union disappeared from the political map of the world. The Warsaw Pact, the military Soviet bloc that became the main opponent of the military-political alliances of the West, has sunk into oblivion.
Final salvos and results of the Cold War
The Soviet socialist system turned out to be unviable in the intense competition with the Western economy. This was due to the lack of a clear understanding of the path for further economic development of socialist countries, the insufficiently flexible mechanism for managing state structures and the interaction of the socialist economy with the main world trends in the development of civil society. In other words, the Soviet Union could not withstand the confrontation economically. The consequences of the Cold War were catastrophic. Within just 5 years, the socialist camp ceased to exist. First, Eastern Europe left the zone of Soviet influence. Then it was the turn of the world's first socialist state.
Today the USA, Great Britain, Germany and France are already competing with communist China. Together with Russia, Western countries are waging a stubborn struggle against extremism and the process of Islamization of the Muslim world. The end of the Cold War can be called conditional. The vector and direction of action has changed. The composition of the participants has changed, the goals and objectives of the parties have changed.
1. Which event is considered the beginning of the Cold War:
a) Churchill’s speech in March 1946 +
b) “Truman Doctrine”, February 1947
c) Molotov’s statement that not a single issue of international life should be resolved without the participation of the USSR
2. The speech of which political figure is considered an accurate reference point of the Cold War:
a) Roosevelt
b) Churchill +
c) Khrushchev
3. In what year was Europe divided into US allies and USSR allies:
a) Spring 1946
b) Autumn 1948
c) Summer 1947 +
4. Which city was divided into 2 parts during the Cold War:
a) Berlin +
b) Prague
c) Warsaw
5. The Iron Curtain is:
a) border system of socialist countries
b) the wall that separated East Berlin from West Berlin
c) split the world into two hostile camps +
6. Which event was the most acute clash between the USA and the USSR from 1946 to 1953:
a) Introduction of the USSR protectorate over Libya
b) Korean War +
c) Berlin crisis
7. The first “unofficial” military clash between the USSR and the USA during the Cold War era occurred in:
a) Vietnam
b) Berlin
c) Korea +
8. In what years was the Berlin Wall “built” and the Cuban missile crisis broke out:
a) 1961, 1962 +
b) 1955, 1960
c) 1957, 1964
9. What is the date of creation of the Warsaw Pact Organization:
a) August 1955
b) April 1955
c) May 1955 +
10. Which state was originally part of the NATO bloc:
a) Poland
b) France +
c) Germany
11. Who would Winston Churchill:
a) Prime Minister of Great Britain +
b) British Minister
c) US President
12. What unites the dates 1949 and 1953:
a) carrying out economic reforms in industry
b) the first tests in the USSR of an atomic bomb and a hydrogen bomb +
c) conducting flights into space on manned spacecraft
13. Which event happened earlier than the others:
a) Potsdam Conference +
b) the creation of ministries instead of people's commissariats
c) the USSR tested the first nuclear bomb
14. In 1945, only:
a) Germany
b) USSR
c) USA +
15. The theory of peaceful coexistence belongs to:
a) Khrushchev +
b) Stalin
c) Brezhnev
16. As a result of the Cuban Missile Crisis, ballistic missiles were disarmed from the following countries:
a) Africa and Asia
b) Cuba and Europe +
c) Australia and Indonesia
17. What series of dates are associated with the creation of international organizations of socialist countries led by the USSR:
a) 1946, 1960
b) 1961, 1967
c) 1949, 1955 +
18. In which city did Winston Churchill deliver his famous speech that heralded the beginning of the Cold War:
a) London, UK
b) Fulton, USA +
c) Washington, USA
20. In what year did the Cuban Missile Crisis break out?
a) 1960
b) 1962 +
c) 1959
21. Period of US participation in the Vietnam War:
a) 1965 - 1973 +
b) 1957 - 1965
c) 1973 - 1975
22. In what year did the period of detente in the Cold War between the USSR and the USA end:
a) 1978
b) 1979 +
c) 1977
23. Afghan war, years:
a) 1979 - 1987
b) 1980 - 1985
c) 1979 - 1989 +
24. How many years did the Berlin Wall stand:
a) 18
b) 28 +
in 20
25. What caused the end of the Cold War:
a) Decline in world oil prices in the mid-80s
b) Anti-communist revolutions of 1989
c) Both options are correct
26. The intergovernmental economic organization of socialist countries was named:
a) ATS
b) CMEA +
c) UN
27. Developing countries that freed themselves from colonial dependence after the Second World War are usually called countries:
a) “Third World” +
b) Early capitalism
c) Modernized
28. The emergence after World War II of two superpowers, the USSR and the USA, led to:
a) Détente of international tension
b) Creation of a collective security system
c) The beginning of the Cold War +
29. The increase in the number of communist parties in the West after World War II indicated:
a) The growth of the authority of the USSR +
b) The growth of living standards of workers in Western countries
c) Détente of international tensions
30. Cause of the Cold War:
a) The need to denazify Germany
b) The desire of the USSR and the USA to expand spheres of influence +
c) The weakening of the USSR’s position as a result of World War II
After Second World War the world was actually divided into spheres of influence between two blocs with different social systems. The USSR sought to expand the “socialist camp,” led from a single center modeled on the Soviet command-administrative system. In its sphere of influence, the USSR sought the introduction of state ownership of the main means of production and the political dominance of the communists. This system was supposed to control resources that had previously been in the hands of private capital and capitalist states. The United States, in turn, sought to restructure the world in a way that would create favorable conditions for the activities of private corporations and increased influence in the world. Despite this difference between the two systems, their conflict was based on common features. Both systems were based on the principles of an industrial society, which required industrial growth, and therefore increased consumption of resources. Planetary struggle for resources of two systems with different
principles of regulation of industrial relations could not but lead to clashes. But the approximate equality of forces between the blocs, and then the threat of nuclear missile destruction of the world in the event of a war between the USSR and the USA, kept the rulers of the superpowers from a direct clash. Thus, the phenomenon of the “Cold War” arose, which never resulted in world war, although it constantly led to wars in individual countries and regions (local wars).The immediate beginning of the Cold War was associated with conflicts in Europe and Asia. War-ravaged Europeans were very interested in the experience of accelerated industrial development in the USSR. Information about the Soviet Union was idealized, and millions of people hoped that replacing the capitalist system, which had fallen on hard times, with a socialist one could quickly restore the economy and normal life. The peoples of Asia and Africa had an even greater interest in the communist experience and assistance of the USSR. who fought for independence and hoped to catch up with the West just as the USSR did. As a result, the Soviet sphere of influence began to rapidly expand, which aroused fears among the leaders of Western countries - the former allies of the USSR in the Anti-Hitler coalition.
On March 5, 1946, speaking in the presence of US President Truman in Fulton, W. Churchill accused the USSR of unleashing global expansion and of attacking the territory of the “free world.” Churchill called on the “Anglo-Saxon world,” that is, the USA, Great Britain and their allies to repel the USSR. The Fulton speech became a kind of declaration of the Cold War.
In 1946–1947, the USSR increased pressure on Greece and Turkey. There was a civil war in Greece, and the USSR demanded that Turkey provide territory for a military base in the Mediterranean, which could be a prelude to the seizure of the country. Under these conditions, Truman declared his readiness to “contain” the USSR throughout the world. This position was called the “Truman Doctrine” and meant the end of cooperation between the victors of fascism. The Cold War has begun.
But the front of the Cold War lay not between countries, but within them. About a third of the population of France and Italy supported the Communist parties. The poverty of war-ravaged Europeans was the breeding ground for communist success. In 1947, US Secretary of State George Marshall announced that the United States was ready to provide European countries with material assistance to restore their economies. Initially, even the USSR joined in the negotiations for assistance, but it soon became clear that American assistance would not be provided to countries ruled by communists. The United States demanded political concessions: the Europeans had to maintain capitalist relations and remove the communists from their governments. Under US pressure, communists were expelled from the governments of France and Italy, and in April 1948, 16 countries signed the Marshall Plan
on providing them with assistance of 17 billion dollars in 1948-1952. Pro-communist governments in Eastern European countries did not participate in the plan. As the struggle for Europe intensified, the multi-party governments of “people's democracy” in these countries were replaced totalitarian regimes, clearly subordinate to Moscow (only the Yugoslav communist regime of I. Tito broke from obedience to Stalin in 1948 and took an independent position). In January 1949, most countries of Eastern Europe united into an economic union Council for Mutual Economic Assistance.These events cemented the division of Europe. In April 1949, the USA, Canada and most Western European countries created a military alliance North Atlantic bloc (NATO). The USSR and the countries of Eastern Europe responded to this only in 1955 by creating their own military alliance - the Warsaw Pact Organization.
The division of Europe had a particularly hard impact on the fate of Germany; the split line ran through the territory of the country. The east of Germany was occupied by the USSR, the west by the USA, Great Britain and France. The western part of Berlin was also in their hands. In 1948, western Germany was included in the Marshall Plan, but eastern Germany was not. Different parts of the country developed different economic systems, making it difficult to unite the country. In June
In 1948, the Western allies carried out unilateral monetary reform, abolishing the old-style money. The entire money supply of the old Reichsmarks poured into East Germany, which was partly the reason why the Soviet occupation authorities were forced to close the borders. West Berlin was completely surrounded. Stalin decided to use the situation to blockade it, hoping to capture the entire German capital and extract concessions from the United States. But the Americans organized an “air bridge” to Berlin and broke the blockade of the city, which was lifted in 1949. In May 1949, the lands located in the western zone of occupation united into the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG). West Berlin became an autonomous self-governing city associated with the Federal Republic of Germany. In October 1949 in the SovietThe German Democratic Republic (GDR) was created in the occupation zone.The rivalry between the USSR and the USA inevitably led to a build-up of armaments by both blocs. Opponents sought to achieve superiority in the field of atomic and then nuclear weapons, as well as in the means of their delivery. Soon, in addition to bombers, missiles became such means. A “race” of nuclear missile weapons began, which led to extreme tension in the economies of both blocs. To meet the needs of defense, powerful associations of state, industrial and military structures were created - military-industrial complexes (MIC). Enormous material resources and the best scientific forces were spent on their needs. The military-industrial complex created the most modern equipment, which was used primarily for the needs of the arms race. Initially, the leader in the “race” was the United States, which had atomic weapons. The USSR made every effort to create its own atomic bomb. Soviet scientists and intelligence officers worked on this task. Some engineering solutions were obtained through intelligence channels from secret American institutions, but this data could not have been used if Soviet scientists had not come close to creating atomic weapons on one's own. The creation of atomic weapons in the USSR was a matter of time, but this time did not exist, so intelligence data was of great importance. In 1949, the USSR tested its own atomic bomb. The presence of the bomb in the USSR kept the United States from using atomic weapons in Korea, although this possibility was discussed by high-ranking American military officials.
In 1952, the United States tested a thermonuclear device in which an atomic bomb played the role of a fuse, and the power of the explosion was many times greater than that of an atomic one. In 1953, the USSR tested a thermonuclear bomb. From that time on, the United States until the 60s overtook the USSR only in the number of bombs and bombers, that is, in quantity, but not in quality; the USSR had any weapon that the United States had.
The danger of war between the USSR and the USA forced them to act “bypass”, fighting for the resources of the world far from Europe. Immediately after the start of the Cold War, the countries of the Far East turned into an arena of fierce struggle between supporters of communist ideas and the pro-Western path of development. The significance of this struggle was very great, since the Pacific region contained enormous human and raw material resources. The stability of the capitalist system largely depended on control of this region.
The first collision of the two systems occurred in China, the largest country in the world by population. After World War II, northeast China, occupied Soviet army, was transferred to the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), subordinate to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The PLA received Japanese weapons captured by Soviet troops. The rest of the country was subject to the internationally recognized Kuomintang government led by Chiang Kai-shek. Initially, national elections were planned to be held in China, which would decide who would rule the country. But both sides were not confident of victory, and instead of elections, a civil war broke out in China in 1946-1949. It was won by the CCP led by Mao Zedong.
The second major collision of two systems in Asia occurred in Korea. After World War II, this country was split into two zones of occupation: Soviet and American. In 1948, they withdrew their troops from the country, leaving the regimes of their proteges, the pro-Soviet Kim Il Sung in the north and the pro-American Syngman Rhee in the south, to rule. Each of them sought to take over the entire country. In June 1950, the Korean War began, in which the United States, China and small units of other countries were involved. Soviet pilots “crossed swords” with American ones in the skies over China. Despite heavy casualties on both sides, the war ended in almost the same positions where it began ( see also KOREAN WAR).
But Western countries suffered important defeats in colonial wars: France lost the war in Vietnam in 1946-1954, and the Netherlands in Indonesia in 1947-1949.
The Cold War led to repression in both “camps” against dissidents and people who advocated cooperation and rapprochement between the two systems. In the USSR and Eastern European countries, people were arrested and often shot on charges of “cosmopolitanism” (lack of patriotism, cooperation with the West), “adulation of the West” and “Titoism” (ties with Tito). A “witch hunt” began in the United States, during which secret communists and “agents” of the USSR were “exposed.” The American “witch hunt,” unlike Stalin’s repressions, did not lead to mass terror. But she also had her victims caused by spy mania. Soviet intelligence actually worked in the United States, and American intelligence agencies decided to show that they were able to expose Soviet spies. Employee Julius Rosenberg was chosen to play the role of “chief spy”. He really provided minor services to Soviet intelligence. It was announced that Rosenberg and his wife Ethel had "stolen America's atomic secrets." It subsequently turned out that Ethel did not know about her husband’s collaboration with intelligence. Despite this, both spouses were sentenced to death and, despite a solidarity campaign
with them in America and Europe, executed in June 1953.The execution of the Rosenbergs was the last serious act of the first stage of the Cold War. In March 1953, Stalin died, and the new Soviet leadership, led by Nikita Khrushchev began to look for ways to improve relations with the West.
The wars in Korea and Vietnam were ended in 1953-1954. In 1955, the USSR established equal relations with Yugoslavia and Germany. The Great Powers also agreed to grant neutral status to Austria, which they occupied, and to withdraw their troops from the country.
In 1956, the world situation deteriorated again due to unrest in socialist countries and attempts by Great Britain, France and Israel to seize the Suez Canal in Egypt. But this time, both “superpowers” - the USSR and the USA - made efforts to ensure that conflicts did not escalate. Khrushchev during this period was not interested in intensifying confrontation. In 1959 he came to the USA. This was the first-ever visit by a leader of our country to America. American society made a great impression on Khrushchev. He was especially struck
agricultural successes much more efficient than in the USSR.However, by this time, the USSR could also impress the United States with its successes in the field of high technology, and above all in space exploration. The system of state socialism made it possible to concentrate large resources to solve one problem at the expense of others. On October 4, 1957, the first artificial earth satellite was launched in the Soviet Union. From now on, the Soviet rocket could deliver cargo to anywhere on the planet. Including
and nuclear device. In 1958, the Americans launched their satellite and began mass production of rockets. The USSR did not lag behind, although achieving and maintaining nuclear missile parity in the 60s required the exertion of all the country's forces. In the late 50s and early 60s, a wave of workers' protests swept across the USSR, which were brutally suppressed. see also NUCLEAR WEAPON.The rockets were built in a hurry, often neglecting safety precautions. In 1960, while preparing a rocket for launch, an explosion occurred. Dozens of people died, including the commander-in-chief of the USSR missile forces, Marshal Nedelin. But the race continued at the same pace.
Successes in space exploration also had enormous propaganda significance - they showed what kind of social system was capable of achieving great scientific and technical successes. On April 12, 1961, the USSR launched a ship into space with a person on board. The first cosmonaut was Yuri Gagarin. The Americans were hot on their heels; their first cosmonaut, Alan Shepard, was in space on May 5, 1961.
In 1960, relations between the USSR and the USA deteriorated again. The Americans sent a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft into flight over the territory of the USSR. He was flying at altitudes inaccessible to fighters, but was shot down by a missile. A scandal broke out. Khrushchev expected an apology from Eisenhower at the upcoming summit. Having not received them, Khrushchev abruptly interrupted the meeting with the president. In general, Khrushchev behaved more and more irritably and willfully in the presence of Western leaders. He banged his shoe on the table at a meeting of the UN General Assembly and uttered frightening phrases, for example: “We will bury you.” All this created the impression of unpredictability of Soviet policy.
The new US President John Kennedy attempted to overthrow the pro-communist regime of Fidel Castro in Cuba. This operation was prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the main US intelligence service, under Eisenhower. The Americans hoped to overthrow Castro with the hands of the Cubans themselves, but the landing of counter-revolutionaries in Cuba failed.
Before Kennedy had time to recover from this defeat, a new crisis overtook him. At the first meeting with the new American president in April 1961, Khrushchev demanded a change in the status of West Berlin. Berlin was used for Western intelligence work, and cultural exchanges uncontrolled by the Communists took place through its territory. People could cross the border between the “two worlds” almost freely. This led to a “brain drain”: specialists who received a cheap education in the GDR then fled to West Berlin, where their work was better paid.
Kennedy refused to make concessions to the USSR and the GDR, which led to the Berlin Crisis. Khrushchev did not dare to engage in military conflict. The GDR authorities simply surrounded West Berlin with a wall in August 1961. This wall became a symbol of the division of Europe and Germany into two hostile parts, a symbol of the Cold War.
In the Berlin crisis, neither side gained obvious advantages, but the conflict did not lead to significant losses. Both sides were preparing for a new test of strength.
The Soviet Union was surrounded on all sides by American military bases containing nuclear weapons. While vacationing in Crimea, Khrushchev noticed that even his beach was within direct reach of American missiles in Turkey. The Soviet leader decided to put America in the same position. Taking advantage of what Cuban leaders have repeatedly asked
USSR to protect them from a possible US attack, the Soviet leadership decided to install medium-range nuclear missiles in Cuba. Now any US city could be wiped off the face of the earth in a matter of minutes. In October 1962 this led to the Caribbeancrisis ( see also CUBAN CRISIS).As a result of the crisis that brought the world closest to the brink of nuclear missile disaster, a compromise was reached: the USSR removes missiles from Cuba, and the United States guarantees Cuba from military intervention and withdraws its missiles from Turkey.
The Cuban missile crisis taught both the Soviet and American leadership a lot. The leaders of the superpowers realized that they could lead humanity to destruction. Having reached a dangerous point, the Cold War began to decline. The USSR and the USA agreed for the first time to limit the arms race.
1 On August 5, 1963, a treaty was concluded banning nuclear weapons tests in three environments: the atmosphere, space and water.The conclusion of the 1963 treaty did not mean the end of the Cold War. The very next year, after the death of President Kennedy, the rivalry between the two blocs intensified. But now it has been pushed away from the borders of the USSR and the USA to Southeast Asia, where in the 60s and first half of the 70s. The war broke out in Indochina.
In the 1960s, the international situation changed radically. Both superpowers faced great difficulties: the United States was bogged down in Indochina, and the USSR was drawn into conflict with China. As a result, both superpowers chose to move from the Cold War to a policy of gradual détente (détente).
During the period of “détente,” important agreements were concluded to limit the arms race, including treaties to limit missile defense (ABM) and strategic nuclear weapons (SALT-1 and SALT-2). However, the SALT treaties had a significant drawback. While limiting the overall volumes of nuclear weapons and missile technology, he barely touched upon the deployment of nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, opponents could concentrate a large number of nuclear missiles in the most dangerous places in the world, without even violating the agreed total volumes of nuclear weapons.
In 1976, the USSR began modernizing its medium-range missiles in Europe. They could quickly reach their target in Western Europe. As a result of this modernization, the balance of nuclear forces in Europe was temporarily disrupted. This worried the leaders of Western Europe, who feared that America would not be able to help them against the growing nuclear power of the USSR. In December 1979, NATO decided to deploy the latest American Pershing-2 and Tomahawk missiles in Western Europe. If war broke out, these missiles could destroy the largest cities of the USSR in a matter of minutes, while US territory would remain invulnerable for a time. The security of the Soviet Union was under threat, and it launched a campaign against the deployment of new American missiles and was even ready to make concessions, dismantling some of its nuclear weapons in Europe. A wave of rallies against the deployment of missiles began in Western European countries, since in the event of a first strike by the Americans, Europe, and not America, would become the target of a retaliatory strike by the USSR. The new US President Ronald Reagan proposed in 1981 the so-called “zero option” the withdrawal of all Soviet and American medium-range nuclear missiles from Europe. But in this case, British and French missiles aimed at the USSR would remain here. Brezhnev abandoned the “zero option”.
The detente was finally buried by the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. The Cold War resumed. In 1980–1982, the United States carried out a series of economic sanctions against the USSR. In 1983, US President Reagan called the USSR an “evil empire.” The installation of new American missiles in Europe has begun. In response to this, the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, Yuri Andropov, stopped all negotiations with the United States.
By the mid-80s, the countries of “real socialism” entered a period of crisis. The bureaucratic economy could no longer meet the growing needs of the population, the wasteful use of resources led to their significant reduction, the level of social consciousness of people grew so much that they began to understand their lack of rights, the need
change. It was becoming increasingly difficult for the country to bear the burden of the Cold War, support allied regimes around the world, and fight the war in Afghanistan. The USSR's technical lag behind the capitalist countries was becoming increasingly noticeable and dangerous.Under these conditions, the US President decided to “push” the USSR to weaken. According to Western financial circles, the USSR’s foreign exchange reserves amounted to 2530 billion dollars. In order to undermine the economy of the USSR, the Americans needed to inflict “unplanned” damage to the Soviet economy on such a scale; otherwise, the “temporary difficulties” associated with the economic war would be smoothed out by a currency “cushion” of considerable thickness. It was necessary to act quickly in the second half of the 80s. The USSR was supposed to receive additional financial injections from the Urengoy Western Europe gas pipeline. In December 1981, in response to the suppression of the labor movement in Poland, Reagan announced a series of sanctions against Poland and its ally the USSR. The events in Poland were used as a pretext, because this time, unlike the situation in Afghanistan, the norms of international law were not violated by the Soviet Union. The United States announced a cessation of supplies of oil and gas equipment, which was supposed to disrupt the construction of the Urengoy Western Europe gas pipeline. However, European allies interested in economic cooperation with the USSR did not immediately support the United States. Then Soviet industry was able to independently produce pipes that the USSR had previously intended to purchase from the West. Reagan's campaign against the pipeline failed.
In 1983, US President Ronald Reagan put forward the idea of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), or “Star Wars” space systems that could protect the United States from a nuclear attack. This program was carried out in circumvention of the ABM Treaty. The USSR did not have the technical capabilities to
creating the same system. Despite the fact that the United States was also far from successful in this area, communist leaders feared a new round of the arms race.Internal factors undermined the foundations of the system of “real socialism” much more significantly than the actions of the United States during the Cold War. At the same time, the crisis in which the USSR found itself put on the agenda the issue of “savings on foreign policy.” Despite the fact that the possibilities of such savings were exaggerated, the reforms that began in the USSR led to the end of the Cold War in 1987–1990.
In March 1985, the new General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, Mikhail Gorbachev, came to power in the USSR. In 1985-1986 he proclaimed a policy of sweeping changes known as Perestroika. It was also envisaged to improve relations with capitalist countries on the basis of equality and openness (“new thinking”).
In November 1985, Gorbachev met with Reagan in Geneva and proposed a significant reduction in nuclear weapons in Europe. It was still impossible to solve the problem, because Gorbachev demanded the abolition of SDI, and Reagan did not yield. The American president promised that when the research was successful, the United States would “open its laboratories to the Soviets,” but Gorbachev did not believe him. “They say, believe us, that if the Americans are the first to implement SDI, they will share it with the Soviet Union. I said then: Mr. President, I urge you, believe us, we have already stated this, that we will not be the first to use nuclear weapons and will not be the first to attack the United States of America. Why are you, while maintaining all offensive potential on Earth and under water, still going to start an arms race in space? Don't you believe us? It turns out you don’t believe it. Why should we trust you more than you trust us?” Despite the fact that significant progress was not achieved at this meeting, the two presidents got to know each other better, which helped them reach agreement in the future.
However, after the meeting in Geneva, relations between the USSR and the USA deteriorated again. The USSR supported Libya in its conflict with the United States. The United States refused to comply with the SALT agreements, which were implemented even during the years of confrontation 1980-1984. This was the last surge of the Cold War. The “cooling” in international relations dealt a blow to the plans of Gorbachev, who put forward a large-scale disarmament program and seriously counted on the economic effect of conversion, the transformation of military production into peaceful ones. Already in the summer, both sides began to probe the possibilities for holding a “second Geneva,” which took place in October 1986 in Reykjavik. Here Gorbachev tried to force Reagan to make reciprocal concessions,
proposing large-scale reductions in nuclear weapons, but “in a package” with the abandonment of SDI. At first, Reagan was pleasantly surprised by Gorbachev's proposals and even showed hesitation on the issue of SDI. But after reflection, the president refused to cancel SDI and even feigned indignation at the linkage of the two problems: “After everything, or almost everything, as it seemed to me, had been decided, Gorbachev pulled a feint. With a smile on his face, he said: “But all this, of course, depends on whether you give up SDI.” As a result, the meeting in Reykjavikactually ended in nothing. But Reagan realized that improving international relations could be achieved not by putting pressure on the USSR, but through mutual concessions. Gorbachev's strategy was crowned with success The United States actually froze SDI until the end of the century. In 1986, the US administration abandoned a frontal attack on the USSR, which ended in failure.Despite the fact that pressure from the United States weakened, the financial situation of the USSR began to deteriorate for reasons not directly related to the Cold War. The Soviet Union's income depended on oil prices, which began to fall in 1986. Chernobyl disaster further undermined the financial balance of the USSR. This made it difficult to reform the country from above and forced more active encouragement of initiative from below. Gradually, authoritarian modernization gave way to civil revolution. Already in 19871988. Perestroika led to a rapid increase in social activity. By this time, the world was well on its way to ending the Cold War.
After an unsuccessful meeting in Reykjavik in 1986, the two presidents finally came to an agreement in Washington in December 1987 American and Soviet medium-range missiles were being withdrawn from Europe. “New thinking” triumphed. The major crisis that led to the renewal of the Cold War in 1979 is a thing of the past. It was followed by other “fronts” of the HV, including the main European one.
The example of Perestroika galvanized reformists in Eastern Europe. In 1989, the transformations carried out by the communists in Eastern Europe developed into revolutions. Together with the communist regime in the GDR it was destroyed and Berlin Wall, which became a symbol of the end of the division of Europe. Faced with difficult problems, the USSR could no longer support “brotherly” communist regimes. The “socialist camp” collapsed.
In December 1988, Gorbachev announced at the UN a unilateral reduction of the army. In February 1989, Soviet troops were withdrawn from Afghanistan, where the war between the Mujahideen and the pro-Soviet government of Najibullah continued.
In December 1989, off the coast of Malta, Gorbachev and the new US President George W. Bush were able to discuss the situation of the actual end of the Cold War. Bush promised to make efforts to extend most favored nation treatment to the USSR in US trade, which would not have been possible if the Cold War continued. Despite the persistence of disagreements over the situation in some countries, including the Baltics, the atmosphere of the Cold War has become a thing of the past. Explaining the principles of the “new thinking” to Bush, Gorbachev said: “The main principle that we have accepted and which we follow within the framework of the new thinking is the right of each country to free choice, including the right to review or change the initially made choice. This is very painful, but it is a fundamental right. The right to choose without outside interference.” By this time, the methods of pressure on the USSR had already changed.
In 1990, supporters of speedy “Westernization,” that is, the restructuring of society according to Western models, came to power in most countries of Eastern Europe. Reforms began based on “neoliberal” ideas close to Western neoconservatism and neo-globalism. The reforms were carried out very quickly, without gradual preparation, which led to a painful breakdown of society. They were called "shock therapy" because it was believed that after a short
"shock" will come relief. Western countries provided financial support for these reforms, and as a result, Eastern Europe managed to create a market economy along Western lines. Entrepreneurs, the middle class, and part of the youth benefited from these transformations; workers, office workers, elderly people lost. Eastern European countries found themselves financially dependent on the West.The new governments of Eastern European countries demanded the speedy withdrawal of Soviet troops from their territory. The USSR had neither the ability nor the desire to maintain its military presence. In 1990, the withdrawal of troops began, and in July 1991 the Warsaw Pact and CMEA were dissolved. The only powerful military force NATO remained in Europe. The USSR did not survive its military bloc for long. In August 1991, as a result
After the unsuccessful attempt of the leaders of the USSR to establish an authoritarian regime (the so-called State Emergency Committee), real power passed from Gorbachev to the leaders of the republics of the USSR. The Baltic states left the Union. In December 1991, in order to consolidate their success in the struggle for power, the leaders of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus signed an agreement in Belovezhskaya Pushcha on the dissolution of the USSR and the creation of the Commonwealth of Independent States.The almost exact coincidence of the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the USSR has sparked debate about the relationship between these phenomena. Maybe the end of the Cold War is a result of the collapse of the USSR and therefore the US won this “war”. But by the time the USSR collapsed, the Cold War had already ended. If we take into account that in 1987 the missile crisis was resolved, in 1988 an agreement was concluded on Afghanistan, and in February 1989 Soviet troops were withdrawn from this country, in 1989 authoritarian regimes disappeared in almost all countries of Eastern Europe, then we can talk about the continuation of the “Cold War” after 1990 it is not necessary. The problems that caused an aggravation of international tension not only in 1979-1980, but also in 1946-1947 were resolved. Already in 1990, the level of relations between the USSR and Western countries returned to the pre-Cold War state, and it was remembered only to proclaim its end, as President George W. Bush did when he declared victory in the Cold War after the collapse of the USSR and Presidents B. Yeltsin and D. Bush, declaring its end in 1992. These propaganda statements do not remove the fact that in 1990–1991 the signs of the “Cold War” had already disappeared. The end of the Cold War and the collapse of the USSR have a common cause - the crisis of state socialism in the USSR.
Alexander Shubin
Holodnaya voyna (1946—1989...present)
In short, the Cold War is an ideological, military and economic confrontation between the two strongest powers of the 20th century, the USSR and the USA, which lasted 45 years - from 1946 to 1991. The word “war” here is conditional; the conflict continued without the use of military force, but this did not make it any less severe. If we talk briefly about the Cold War, then the main weapon in it was ideology.
The main countries of this confrontation are the Soviet Union and the United States. The USSR has caused concern in Western countries since its inception. The communist system was the extreme opposite of the capitalist one, and the spread of socialism to other countries caused an extremely negative reaction from the West and the United States.
Only the threat of Nazi Germany's seizure of Europe forced the former fierce opponents to become temporary allies in World War II. France, Great Britain, the USSR and the USA created an anti-Hitler coalition and jointly fought against by German troops. But the conflicts were forgotten only for the duration of the war.
After the end of the bloodiest war of the 20th century, a new division of the world into spheres of influence between the major victorious countries began. The USSR extended its influence to Eastern Europe. The strengthening of the Soviet Union caused serious concerns in England and the United States. The governments of these countries already in 1945 were developing plans to attack their main ideological enemy. British Prime Minister William Churchill, who hated the communist regime, made an open statement in which he emphasized that military superiority in the world should be on the side of Western countries, not the USSR. Statements of this kind caused increased tension between Western countries and the Soviet Union.
In short, the Cold War began in 1946, immediately after the end of World War II. Churchill’s speech in the American city of Fulton can be considered its beginning. It showed the true attitude of the Western allies towards the USSR.
In 1949, the West created the NATO military bloc in order to protect against possible aggression from the USSR. In 1955, the Soviet Union and its allied countries also formed their own military alliance, the Warsaw Pact Organization, as a counterbalance to Western countries.
The main participants in the conflict, the USSR and the USA, did not engage in hostilities, but the policies they pursued led to the emergence of many local conflicts in many regions of the world.
The Cold War was accompanied by increased militarization, an arms race and ideological warfare. The Cuban Missile Crisis that occurred in 1962 showed how fragile the world is under such conditions. A real war was barely averted. After him, the USSR came to understand the need for disarmament. Mikhail Gorbachev, starting in 1985, pursued a policy of establishing more trusting relations with Western countries.
