What is a cold war
The Cold War is a period of time when there was a confrontation between the two superpowers, and as you understand it was between the USSR and the USA. This concept was used because both countries were not engaged in a gun war. And in all other, mostly peaceful ways. It seems that diplomatic relations were maintained between the countries, and sometimes the peaks of confrontation subsided, meanwhile, a quiet struggle was constantly waged, in all spheres and directions.The years of the Cold War are considered from 1946 to 1991. The beginning of the Cold War fell on the end of World War II, and the end - on the collapse of the USSR. The essence of the Cold War was to establish the world domination of one of the countries and defeat the other.
Causes of the Cold War
After the end of the Second World War, when both superpowers considered themselves victorious in this war, they wanted to build the world conjuncture at their own discretion. Each of them wanted to dominate the world, while one and the other countries had diametrically opposed systems of government and ideology. Subsequently, such a confrontation will become part of the ideology of the two countries, in the Soviet Union they wanted to destroy America and establish communism throughout the world, and the United States wanted to "save" the world from the USSR.
If we analyze everything that happened, then we can say with confidence that this is an artificial conflict, since any ideology must have its enemy, and both the USA for the USSR and the USSR for America were ideal options as an enemy. And Soviet people they hated the mythical American enemies, although the inhabitants of America themselves were normally perceived, just like the Americans - they were afraid of the mythical "Russians" who do not sleep, but think how to conquer and attack America, although they had nothing against the inhabitants of the union themselves. Therefore, it is safe to say that the Cold War is a conflict of leaders and ideologies, inflated because of their own ambitions.
Cold War politics
First of all, both countries tried to enlist the support of other countries in their course. The US supported all the countries of Western Europe, while the USSR supported the countries of Asia and Latin America. In fact, during the Cold War, the world was divided into two confrontational camps. Moreover, there were only a few neutral countries.
Most of all, the aggravation of the political situation was caused by the conflicts of the Cold War, in particular, we will single out only two of them: the Berlin and Caribbean crises. It was they who became the catalyst for the deterioration of the situation, and the world was really on the verge of nuclear war, which, fortunately, managed to prevent and defuse the situation.
The constant race, and in everything, was also part of the Cold War. First of all, there was an arms race, both countries developed various types of weapons: a new military equipment, weapons (most of the mass destruction), missiles, spy equipment, etc. There was also a propaganda race on television and in other sources, fierce propaganda against the enemy was constantly carried out. The race was not only in the military sphere, but also in science, culture and sports. Each country sought to overtake the other.
Both countries constantly watched each other, and spies and intelligence agents were present on both sides.
But, probably, to a greater extent, the Cold War took place on foreign territory. When the situation accumulated, both countries installed long-range missiles in countries neighboring the enemy, for the United States it was Turkey and the countries of Western Europe, while for the USSR it was the countries of Latin America.
Results of the Cold War
Many often wonder who won the Cold War? Probably. America won the Cold War, as this war ended with the fall of its enemy, and main reason the end of the Cold War - the collapse of the USSR, not the fact that it was not the work of American intelligence services.
If we talk about the results, then none of the countries (USA and Russia) have learned any useful lessons, except for those that the enemy does not sleep and is always ready.
If there had been no Cold War, then the entire enormous potential of the two countries could have been used for peaceful purposes: space exploration, new technologies, etc. It is possible that mobile phones, the Internet, etc. would have appeared 20 years earlier, scientists, instead of developing weapons, would have been solving various world mysteries, of which there are a huge number.
In history, the term cold war" is used to refer to the period of time 1946 - 1991, which was marked by the confrontation between the "superpowers": the USSR and the USA.
The rivalry of these states eventually developed into confrontations in many areas:
- economic,
- social,
- political,
- ideological.
Causes of the Cold War.
The difference in the ideological program of the States and the Union - capitalism and socialism - led to the fact that after the defeat Nazi Germany, followers of both powers appeared around the world. The territory of the United States, unlike the Union Republics, did not suffer from the Nazis.
After the war, the States became a creditor to the states of Western Europe. Under the program of economic assistance "Marshal's Plan", signed in 1948 by 16 states, the United States transferred 17 billion dollars to Europe.
Beginning of the Cold War.
The beginning of the conflict associated with the spring of 1946, when W. Churchill delivered the famous Fullton speech - anti-communist propaganda began in the West. One of the conditions for granting loans was the withdrawal of representatives of the Communist Party from the governments of European states.
The countries of Eastern Europe did not accept the Marshall Plan. The USSR and its allies threw all their efforts into restoring the economy, undermined by the war. great achievement began the development of nuclear weapons, after which the United States lost its nuclear monopoly.
Cold War events.
In the spring of 1949, the United States created the NATO military bloc, which was caused by the need to resist the Soviet Union.
Alliance includes:
- Holland,
- France,
- Belgium,
- Luxembourg,
- United Kingdom,
- Iceland,
- Portugal,
- Italy,
- Norway,
- Denmark,
- Canada.
In response, in 1955, the Union created the Warsaw Pact Organization, which included:
- Albania,
- Bulgaria,
- Hungary,
- Poland,
- Romania,
- THE USSR,
- Czechoslovakia.
During this period, there is an increase in the military forces of both states. Military-political blocs have entered into a confrontation for spheres of influence across the planet in such a way as not to avoid direct clashes.
Since 1950, the US and the USSR have been indirectly involved in the following military conflicts:
- Korean War 1950-1953
- Vietnam War 1957-1975
- Arab-Israeli Wars
- Afghan war 1979-1989
Cold War conflicts.
Conflicts remained indirect, because the outcome of any open military confrontation was unpredictable due to the presence of nuclear weapons in the superpowers.
The number of weapons created was such that, if used, they could destroy the entire Earth. So there could be no winners in such a conflict.
The nuclear era of the development of the planet also provoked "information wars", which are designed to create coup d'état in the enemy country.
End of the Cold War.
The end of the Cold War came with the collapse Soviet Union in 1991. There is only one superpower left on the planet.
Supported by various allies from all sides. This confrontation continued for almost fifty years (from 1946 to 1991).
The Cold War was not a military battle in the truest sense. The basis for the disputes was the ideology of the two most powerful states on the planet at that time. Scientists characterize this confrontation as a very deep contradiction between the socialist and capitalist systems. It is symbolic that the Cold War began immediately after the end of World War II, as a result of which both countries remained victorious. And since devastation prevailed in the world at that time, ideal conditions were created for planting many territories by their people. But, unfortunately, the United States and the USSR at that time disagreed in their opinions, so each side wanted to get ahead of the rival and make sure that on a vast territory where people did not know what to believe in and how to live, as soon as possible to implant their ideology. As a result, the people of the losing states will trust the victorious country and enrich it at the expense of their human and natural resources.
This confrontation is divided into stages of the Cold War, among which are the following:
Beginning (1946-1953). This stage can be characterized as attempts by the USSR and the USA to hold the first events in Europe that would be aimed at imposing their ideology. As a result, since 1948, the possibility of starting a new war has hung over the world, so both states began to rapidly prepare for new battles.
On the verge (1953-1962). During this period, relations between the opponents improved slightly and they even began to make friendly visits to each other. But at this time, the European states, one by one, start revolutions in order to independently lead their country. The USSR, in order to eliminate the indignation, actively began the bombing of the outbreak of conflicts. The United States could not allow such liberties to the enemy and began to set up their air defense system themselves. As a result, the relationship deteriorated again.
Stage of detente (1962-1979). During this period, more conservative rulers came to power in the warring countries, who were not particularly willing to conduct an active confrontation, which could well lead to war.
A new round of confrontation (1979-1987). The next stage began after the Soviet Union sent troops to Afghanistan and several times shot down foreign civilian aircraft that flew over the state. These aggressive actions provoked the United States to deploy its forces on the territory of several European countries, which naturally pissed off the USSR.
Gorbachev's coming to power and the end of the confrontation (1987-1991). The new one did not want to continue the struggle for ideology in other European countries. Moreover, his policy was aimed at eliminating the communist government, which was the ancestor of political and economic repressions towards the United States.
The end of the Cold War was marked by the fact that the Soviet Union made great concessions and did not particularly claim power in Europe, especially since the defeated countries had already moved away from devastation and began independent development. The USSR, on the other hand, began to experience a deep crisis, which led to the final one in December 1991. Thus, the Cold War did not bring a positive result to our state, but became one of the elements that led to the collapse of a great state.
The 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. At stake is no longer a confrontation for the spheres of influence of two different geopolitical systems. Today, the new cold war is the fruit of the reactionary policy of the ruling elites of a number of countries, 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.
The foreign policy inherited by Russia 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 a 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.
Foreign relations before the start of the Cold War
On a cold September morning in 1945, a capitulation was signed by officials of Imperial Japan aboard the American battleship Missouri, which was on the roadstead of Tokyo Bay. This ceremony marked the end of the bloodiest and most brutal military conflict in history. human civilization. The war, which lasted 6 years, engulfed the entire planet. During the hostilities that took place in Europe, Asia and Africa at different stages, 63 states became participants in the bloody slaughter. 110 million people were drafted into the ranks of the armed forces of the countries participating in the conflict. There is no need to talk about human losses. The world has never known or seen such a large-scale and massacre. The economic losses were also colossal, but the consequences of the Second World War, 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 peace would finally come. However, already 6 months after the end of the Second World War, 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 the 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 in the military headquarters, and ideas of destroying foreign policy opponents were in the air. The state in which the Cold War arose was only a natural reaction to the military preparations of potential adversaries.
This time, the guns did not roar. Tanks, warplanes and ships did not meet in another deadly battle. A long and exhausting struggle of the two worlds for survival 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 earlier large and large-scale military conflicts arose mainly for economic reasons, on the basis of racial and misanthropic theory, then in the new conditions a struggle for spheres of influence unfolded. Masterminds crusade Communism was opposed by 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. The Cold War was given this name for a reason. There was no hot phase during the conflict, the opposing sides did not open fire on each other, however, in terms of its scale and size of losses, this confrontation can easily be called the Third World War. After World War II, instead of detente, the world again entered a period of tension. In the course of the hidden confrontation between the two world systems, humanity has witnessed an unprecedented arms race, the countries participating in the conflict have plunged into the abyss of spy mania and conspiracies. The clashes between the two opposing camps went on with varying success on all continents. The Cold War stretched out for a long 45 years, becoming the longest military-political conflict of our time. There were also decisive battles in this war, 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, drawing 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 after the end of the Second World War, it is easy to notice one important point. The Soviet Union, bearing the brunt of the armed struggle against fascist Germany, was able to significantly expand its sphere of influence. Despite the huge human losses and the devastating consequences of the war for the country's economy, the USSR became the leading world power. This fact could not be ignored. Soviet army stood in the center of Europe, the positions of the USSR on Far East. This in no way suited the countries of the West. 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 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 arena. The main reasons for not accepting this state of affairs are the following aspects:
- huge military power of the USSR;
- the growing foreign policy influence of the Soviet Union;
- expansion of the sphere of influence of the USSR;
- the spread of communist ideology;
- activation in the world of people's liberation movements led by parties of the Marxist and socialist persuasion.
Foreign policy and the Cold War are links in the same chain. Neither the United States nor Great Britain could calmly look at the collapse of the capitalist system before their eyes, at the collapse of imperial ambitions and the loss of spheres of influence. Great Britain, which 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 most powerful economy in the world, owning atomic bomb, sought to become the sole hegemon on the planet. The only obstacle to the realization of these plans was the mighty Soviet Union with its communist ideology and its policy of equality and brotherhood. The reasons that prompted another military-political confrontation also reflect the essence of the Cold War. The main goal of the warring parties was as follows:
- destroy the enemy economically and ideologically;
- limit the enemy's sphere of influence;
- try to destroy its political system from within;
- bringing the socio-political and economic base of the enemy to complete collapse;
- the overthrow of the ruling regimes and the political liquidation of state formations.
In this case, the essence of the conflict did not differ much from the military version, because the goals set and the results for the opponents were very similar. The signs that characterize 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, an increase in military presence, political pressure and the formation of military alliances.
Where did the term "cold war" come from?
For the first time such a phrase was 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 cruel and totalitarian regime of the communist East. Orwell made clear his opposition to 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 awaits Europe after the end of the war. The term coined 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 submission that the Cold War began, the date of which began on March 5, 1946. The former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, during his speech in Fulton, used the phrase "cold war". During the statements of the high British politician, for the first time, the contradictions between the two geopolitical camps that had developed in the post-war world were publicly voiced.
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 that the world experienced after the end of the Second World War did not last long. The alignment of forces that was observed in the world quickly led to the fact that the 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 formed again, in the person of which the Cold War clearly identified the participants in the global confrontation.
The NATO bloc, the Warsaw Pact, 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 hostilities, 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 keynote of the follow-up political career British ex-premier became the topic of confrontation, the Cold War, the state in which it was necessary to restrain the foreign policy expansion of the Soviet Union.
The British ex-premier considered the United States to be the main force capable of successfully resisting the Soviet bloc. The American economy, the American armed forces and the navy were to become the main instrument of pressure on the Soviet Union. Britain, caught in the wake of the American foreign policy, was assigned the role of an unsinkable aircraft carrier.
With the filing of Winston Churchill, the conditions for the start of the Cold War were clearly outlined already 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.
Key milestones and events of the Cold War
Central Europe, lying in ruins, was divided into two parts by the Iron Curtain. East Germany ended up in the Soviet zone of occupation. Almost all of Eastern Europe found itself in the zone of 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 wrong to assume that the Cold War is a direct conflict between the USSR and the USA. Canada, all of Western Europe, which was in the zone of responsibility of the United States and Great Britain, joined the orbit of confrontation. The situation was similar on the opposite edge of the planet. In the Far East in Korea, the military-political interests of the United States, the USSR and China clashed. In every corner of the globe, pockets of confrontation arose, which later became the most powerful crises of Cold War politics.
Korean War 1950-53 was the first result of the confrontation of 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 of the entire period of the Cold War. In the future, the USSR, the USA and their allies did not take part in hostilities 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 rollercoaster ride. The end of the Cold War was not included in 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 of the planet are replaced by peaceful agreements. The world is divided into military-political blocs and alliances. The subsequent conflicts of the Cold War brought the world to the brink global catastrophe. The scale of the confrontation grew, new subjects appeared on the political arena, which became the cause of 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 in different ways, given economic factor and geopolitical situation in the world. The mid-1950s and early 1960s were marked by growing international tension. The opposing sides took an active part in regional military conflicts, supporting one side or another. The arms race was gaining momentum. Potential adversaries entered a steep dive, where the time count was no longer for decades, but for years. The economies of the countries were under enormous pressure from military spending. The end of the Cold War was the collapse of the Soviet bloc. Disappeared since political map world Soviet Union. The Warsaw Pact, the military Soviet bloc, which became the main opponent of the military-political alliances of the West, has sunk into oblivion.
Final salvos and the results of the Cold War
The Soviet socialist system turned out to be unviable in a sharp competitive struggle with the Western economy. There was a lack of a clear understanding of the way forward economic development socialist countries, an insufficiently flexible mechanism for managing state structures and for 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 in economic terms. The consequences of the Cold War were catastrophic. Within just some 5 years, the socialist camp ceased to exist. First, Eastern Europe withdrew from the zone of Soviet influence. Then came 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.
The Cold War is a confrontation between the world systems of socialism (a socialist bloc of states led by the USSR) and capitalism (Western democracies - the USA), expressed in an arms race, tough ideological struggle, peripheral armed conflicts mainly in Africa, Asia, Latin America, instigated and supported by the opposing sides.The term "Cold War" was first coined by US Representative on the UN Atomic Energy Committee Bernard Baruch in a speech to the South Carolina House of Representatives on April 16, 1947.
Cold War years 1946 - 1991
The formal beginning of the Cold War
The beginning of the Cold War is considered to be Winston Churchill's speech in Fulton (Missouri, USA), in which he described the situation in the world after the end of World War II:
“From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended on the continent. On the other side of the curtain are all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe - Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest, Sofia. All these famous cities and the populations in their districts fell within what I call the Soviet sphere, all of them in one form or another are subject not only to Soviet influence, but also to the significant and increasing control of Moscow .... Communist parties, which were quite small in all these states Eastern Europe, have reached an exceptional strength, far superior to their numbers, and everywhere they seek to establish totalitarian control. Almost all of these countries are ruled by police governments... With the exception of the British Commonwealth and the United States, where communism is in its infancy, communist parties, or fifth columns, represent an ever-increasing challenge and danger to Christian civilization.
The end of the Cold War was the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the subsequent disappearance of the Socialist camp
Cold War conflicts
- Korean War 1950-1953
- Uprising in the GDR 1953
- First Arab-Israeli War 1956
- Uprising in Hungary 1956
- Vietnam War 1965-1974
- Second Arab-Israeli War 1967
- Uprising in Czechoslovakia 1968
- Third Arab-Israeli War 1973
- Military coup in Chile 1973
- Angola Civil War 1975-2002
- Afghan war 1979-1989
- Civil war in Nicaragua 1981-1990
Only once, in 1962, during the so-called Caribbean crisis, the USSR and the USA almost came together in a personal confrontation.
Stages of the Cold War
- Churchill's speech
- Creation of the NATO bloc 1949
- The McCarthy period in the USA 1950-1953
- "Fight against cosmopolitanism" in the USSR 1948-1953
- "Thaw" in the USSR 1953-1964
- Creation of the Warsaw Pact organization 1955
- Festival of Youth and Students in Moscow 1957
- Construction of the Berlin Wall 1961
- Caribbean Crisis 1962
- Brezhnev Doctrine 1968
- Détente of international tension 1972-1975
- Boycott Olympic Games 1980 and 1984
- The destruction of the South Korean passenger airliner Boeing 1983 by Soviet air defense
- Beginning of Perestroika in the USSR 1986
- German unification 1990
- Charter of Paris 21 November 1990.
