The Cold War (1945 - 1989)

1.

THE COLD WAR (19451989)
DR GULI ISMATULLAEVNA YULDASHEVA,
WEBSTER UN-TY

2.

PLAN
1.
Definition of the “Cold War”
2.
Causes of the Cold War
3.
Beginning of the Cold War
4.
Political Thaw (1953–1962)
5.
"Detente" (1962-1979)
6.
Strengthening the confrontation (1979-1987)
7.
End of the Cold War (1987-1991)
8.
The outcomes of the Cold War

3.

DEFINITION OF “COLD WAR”
• "Cold War" is a term used to refer to the period in world history from 1946 to 1989, characterized by
confrontation of two political and economic superpowers - the USSR and the USA, which are guarantors
of the new system of international relations created after World War II.
• There was no direct military clash between the participants in the confrontation, which did not prevent
them from supporting the warring parties in a series of conflicts around the globe. The rivalry between
the two superpowers was accompanied by an arms race - both conventional and nuclear - that
periodically put the world on the threshold of World War III. In the confrontation, great importance was
attached to ideology - communism and capitalism clashed in the struggle for hegemony in the world.
• It is believed that for the first time the expression "Cold War" was used by the famous British writer science fiction writer George Orwell on October 19, 1945 in his article "You and the Atomic Bomb." In
his opinion, the nuclear-weapon countries will lead the world, while they will be in a constant state of
cold war, that is, in confrontation without direct military clashes.

4.

CAUSES OF THE COLD WAR
• After the end of World War II, relations between the USSR and the Western allies began to deteriorate
rapidly. Already in September 1945, the Joint Chiefs of Staff approved the idea of the first US strike on
a potential enemy (use of nuclear weapons was meant ).
• In February 1946, the US Ambassador to Moscow, George Kennan, sent to Washington the subsequently
famous "long telegram," in which he outlined the impossibility of cooperation with the Soviet Union.
• On March 5, 1946, former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, formulated in his speech at the US
Westminster College in Fulton the goals of a "fraternal association of English-speaking peoples," urging
them to rally to defend the "great principles of freedom and human rights." "From Stettin in the Baltic to
Trieste on the Adriatic, the Iron Curtain fell over the European continent," and "Soviet Russia wants...
unlimited spread of its power and its doctrines." Churchill's Fulton speech largely echoed Kennan’s ideas
and is considered to be a turn to the beginning of the Cold War between East and West.

5.

CAUSES OF THE WAR
• In his speech, Churchill accused the USSR of illegally occupying the countries of Central and Eastern Europe,
depriving them of democratic freedoms and elected governments. He also said that the Soviet Union aspired to
unlimited territorial expansion, that could be opposed only by military force, primarily by nuclear weapon.
Churchill feared of the presence of communist parties in Western countries, which could become the "fifth
column" for the "Soviets."
• The leadership of the USSR did not also trust its Western allies. As soviet intelligence reported, in the spring
and summer of 1945, operation “Inconceivable” was developed in the UK. Its supposed purpose was to expel
the Red Army by British and Americans from Eastern Europe.
• During the Potsdam Conference, President Harry Truman hinted to Stalin that the United States had an atomic
bomb, and its use in the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was perceived in the USSR as "rattling with
weapons." In the fall of 1945, the United States, according to the Russian historians, started developing the
“Totality” plan, which aimed to launch a nuclear strike on the largest cities of the Soviet Union. A set of all
these events caused the Cold War between the USSR and the West.

6.

BEGINNING OF THE COLD WAR
- STRENGTHENING OF SOCIALISM
• Two countries emerged after the end of World War II politically and economically
strongest: the United States and the Soviet Union. Each of them influenced greatly on the
rest of the world, and sought to strengthen their leadership positions by various means.
• Many European countries, ravaged by the war, were impressed by the Soviet experience
of rapid industrialization. Socialism started to attract millions of people as the way to
overcome devastation. Additionally, the influence of the USSR significantly expanded into
the countries of Asia and Eastern Europe, where communist parties came to power.
• These processes worried the West, which paid attention at the reverse side of the
socialist system.

7.

BEGINNING OF THE COLD WAR
- THE TRUMAN DOCTRINE
• In the spring of 1947, the US president Harry Truman in his speech before the
Congress voiced the so-called "Truman Doctrine" or the doctrine of "deterrence
of communism”. In his speech, he contrasted the "American value system" with
the "totalitarian regimes" established in many countries after the end of the war,
and called for "deterrence of the communist threat.". The conflict of two
lifestyles was a decisive factor in this struggle. One of these lifestyles was based,
according to Truman, on individual rights, free elections, legitimate institutions
and guarantees against aggression. The other was based on control of the press
and media, imposition of the minority will on the majority, on terror and
oppression.

8.

BEGINNING OF THE COLD WAR
MARSHALL PLAN
• One of the "deterrence" (containment) tools was the American Economic Assistance Plan,
announced on June 5, 1947 by the US Secretary of State J. Marshall, who announced providing
free assistance to Europe, which would be directed "not against any country or doctrine, but
against hunger, poverty, despair and chaos.“
• Initially, the USSR and the Central European countries revealed interest in the plan, but after
the Paris negotiations a delegation of 83 Soviet economists led by V.M. Molotov left them at
the direction of V.I. Stalin. The 16 countries, which joined the plan, received significant US
assistance from 1948 to 1952. Implementation of the Marshall plan actually completed the
division of spheres of influence in Europe. The Communists lost their position in Western
Europe.

9.

BEGINNING OF THE COLD WAR
- COMINFORMBURO
• The countries of Western Europe received about 13 billion US dollars, and the communists’ position in
these countries was reduced greatly.
• In response to the Marshall Plan, the USSR created the Cominform, an international organization
designed to coordinate the actions of communist parties from different European countries to better
counter the United States and Western countries.
• In September 1947, at the first meeting of the Cominformburo (Information Bureau of Communist and
Workers' Parties), A.A. Zhdanova, a Soviet Communist Party leader, made a report on the formation of
two camps in the world - "an imperialist and anti-democratic camp, with its main goal of establishing
world domination and defeating democracy, and an anti-imperialist and democratic camp, with its main
goal of undermining imperialism, strengthening democracy and eliminating the remnants of fascism." The
creation of the Cominformburo meant the emergence of a single center of leadership for the world
communist movement. In Eastern Europe, communists took power into their own hands, many
opposition politicians migrated abroad. The Soviet model of socioeconomic changes was spread all over
the East Western countries.

10.

BEGINNING OF THE COLD WAR
BERLIN CRISIS
• One of the stages in deepening the Cold war was the Berlin crisis. Back in 1947, Western
allies headed creation of the West German state on the territories of American, English and
French occupation zones. In turn, the USSR tried to oust the allies from Berlin. As a result, the
"Berlin crisis“ occurred, that is, the USSR transport blockade of the western part of the city.
However, in May 1949, the USSR lifted restrictions on transportations to the West Berlin. In
the fall of the same year, Germany was divided: in September the Federal Republic of
Germany (Germany) and in October the German Democratic Republic (GDR) were created.
Most important outcome of the crisis was that the US founded the largest military-political
bloc: 11 states of Western Europe and the United States signed the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO), according to which, each of the party were to provide immediate
military assistance in the event of an attack on any country within the bloc. In 1952, Greece
and Turkey joined the pact, in 1955 - Germany.

11.

BEGINNING OF THE COLD WAR
- GROWING CONFRONTATION
• In the late 1940s, mass persecution of dissenters started both in the USSR and in the US.
In the United States, this movement was called "McCarthyism" by the name of Senator D.
McCarthy: many unions, American citizens suspected of sympathizing with communism
were defeated, dismissed from work, etc. In the Soviet Union, the fight against
"antipatriotic" citizens was called "The fight against cosmopolitanism.“
• By the end of World War II, the United States had a monopoly on atomic weapons. The
US demonstrated its military superiority by bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in
August 1945. In response, the USSR did its best to create nuclear parity. On August 29,
1949, the Soviet atomic bomb was successfully tested at the Semipalatinsk testing ground.

12.

POLITICAL THAW (1953–1962)
- PROCLAIMED DÉTENTE AND REALITIES
• After the death in March 1953 of I.V. Stalin, there was some warming in relations between the warring
parties. The new head of the CPSU Central Committee, N.S. Khrushchev, speaking at the XX Congress
of the CPSU, said that "there is no fatal inevitability of war" and that peaceful coexistence of the capitalist
and socialist systems was possible.
• Despite the desire for "detente" in international relations, the "arms race" continued. In April 1950, the
directive of the National Security Council "US Goals and Programs in the Field of National Security"
(NSC-68) was adopted, which was based on the following provision: "The USSR seeks world domination,
Soviet military superiority is increasing, and therefore negotiations with the Soviet leadership are
impossible." It was concluded that it was necessary to increase the American military potential. The
directive focused on crisis confrontation with the USSR "until there is a change in the nature of the
Soviet system." In opposition to the NATO bloc, and Germany’s entry into it1955, the Warsaw Pact
Organization was created, which included the Soviet Union and countries of the socialist bloc. Thus, the
bipolar system was finally established in the world.

13.

POLITICAL THAW (1953–1962)
- ARMS RACE
• Despite some thaw in the mutual relations after the death of Stalin, the United States and the USSR
continued to increase their military power.
• In 1950-1953, the first armed local conflict involving two superpowers in Korea took place.
• In 1957, the USSR tested an intercontinental ballistic missile, which had the opportunity to strike the
territory of the United States. In the same year, the first nuclear submarine was launched in the Soviet
Union.
• A strong blow to the image of the USSR in the world and the communist movement as a whole was
suppression of the Hungarian uprising of 1956 by Soviet troops.
• Relations between the two warring blocs also deteriorated as a result of the 1960 espionage scandal.
• In the 60s the main scene for the struggle of the two systems became the countries of the "third world,"
which often led to local military conflicts around the world.

14.

POLITICAL THAW (1953–1962)
- ARMS RACE
• In 1962, the Caribbean crisis erupted - an event that brought the world to the brink of World War III. In
response to the deployment of American missiles with nuclear warheads in Turkey in 1960, the Soviet
leadership decided to install their missiles in Cuba, where Fidel Castro came to power as a result of the
revolution in 1959. The United States responded by imposing an embargo on Cuba and put its troops on
alert to invade the island. After a series of tense negotiations between the US and the USSR, the parties
managed to agree on the withdrawal of Soviet missiles from Cuba, and American ones from Turkey.
• Simultaneously, the so-called "space race" started - confrontation between the US and the USSR in space
exploration. On October 4, 1957, the USSR was the first to launch the Sputnik-1 artificial Earth satellite
into orbit. On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first person in space; in March 1965, Alexei Leonov
was the first to make a spacewalk. The Americans responded by landing their astronauts on the moon in
July 1969 during the Apollo 11 mission.

15.

"DETENTE" (1962-1979)
• In 1963, realizing the danger of the manipulation of nuclear weapons, the US and Great Britain signed a treaty
banning the testing of nuclear weapons in three areas (in the atmosphere, in space and under water).
Subsequently, a new Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons was also signed.
• The US started an active involvement in the Vietnam war in 1954, though ongoing conflict in the region had
stretched back several decades. Vietnam was divided into two camps: North Vietnam supporting socialism, and
Southern - capitalism. The USSR secretly participated in the military conflict, supporting the northerners.
However, after numerous antiwar protests and demonstrations the US stopped the war. In January 1973, a final
peace agreement was concluded between the US and North Vietnam.
• In August 1963, the US, the USSR and Great Britain signed a treaty banning the testing of atomic weapons in
the atmosphere and under water, and five years later a treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.
• In 1964 Secretary General of the Central Committee of the CPSU L.I. Brezhnev established relations with the
heads of the leading Western powers. Brezhnev had a particularly trusting relationship with US President
Richard Nixon, during whose presidency a number of important documents were signed between the
countries: treaties on the limitation of missile defense systems, on the limitation of strategic offensive weapons,
on the non-use of atomic weapons and others.

16.

"DETENTE" (1962-1979)
• By the early 1970s, the Soviet Union had achieved nuclear parity with the United States.
• On July 30 - August 1, 1975, the heads of 35 states signed the so-called Helsinki Agreements. The signatory
countries recognized the territorial integrity of States, the inviolability of post-war borders, declared the
peaceful settlement of disputes, cooperation in the field of economics, human rights, environmental protection,
etc.
• The Soyuz-Apollo program of 1975, which provided the joint flight of the Soviet and American spacecrafts
became one of the main symbols of international cooperation of that period.
• On February 18, 1970, President R. Nixon outlined three components of the US foreign policy: partnership,
military force, and negotiations. The partnership concerned allies, military force and negotiations - "potential
opponents.“ Thus, the formula "from confrontation to negotiations" was proclaimed. In line with this trend, on
May 29, 1972, "Fundamentals of relations between the USSR and the USA” were signed between the countries,
emphasizing the need for peaceful coexistence of the two systems. Both sides committed themselves to do
everything possible to prevent military conflicts and nuclear war.

17.

STRENGTHENING THE CONFRONTATION (1979-1987)
- NEW DETERIORATION OF RELATIONS
• At the end of 1979 Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan to support the Afghan pro-soviet
government in its conflict with anti-communist Muslim guerrillas. This turned into a new
round of confrontation between the two competing blocs. The United States regarded this as
a desire for expansion and a violation of geopolitical balance. Western countries condemned
the USSR actions and boycotted the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympic games. In response, the
eastern bloc countries did not participate in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
• In 1983, US President Ronald Reagan declared the Soviet Union the "Evil Empire" and adopted
the Strategic Defense Initiative program - so-called "Star Wars," according to which the US
created a system of protection against intercontinental ballistic missiles in near-Earth space.
Both the US and USSR deployed the latest missiles in Europe to aim potential enemy. The
world was again on the threshold of World War III.

18.

STRENGTHENING THE CONFRONTATION (1979-1987)
- TREND TOWARDS NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONS
• In 1985, M.S. Gorbachev came to power in the USSR, he took a course towards
normalization of relations with the United States and NATO. In the same year, a meeting
was held between the Soviet leader and President Reagan in Geneva, after which they
declared about the desire to prevent an "arms race," as well as an atomic war that was
unacceptable, since there could be no winners in it.
• At a new meeting in 1986 in Reykjavik, the USSR demonstrated its readiness to make
concessions to improve relations with Western countries.

19.

END OF THE COLD WAR (1987-1991)
• In December 1987, a new Soviet-American meeting was held in Washington, which ended
with signing of the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range
Missiles. These measures included regular mutual control over the implementation of
agreements. For the first time in history, a whole class of newest weapons was destroyed.
• In1988, the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan started, which ended
completely a year later.
• In November 1989, during natural protests, the symbol of the Cold War - the Berlin Wall
was destroyed, and in October 1990 all parts of Germany at last were united.

20.

END OF THE COLD WAR (1987-1991)
• In Eastern Europe, a series of "velvet revolutions" took place, the Communist Parties lose
power.
• On December 2-3, 1989 in Malta, a meeting was held between the new US President J. Bush
and M.S. Gorbachev, where the latter confirmed the "freedom of choice" for the countries of
Eastern Europe, a 50% reduction in strategic offensive weapons was proclaimed.
• On July 1, 1991, the Warsaw Treaty Organization was dissolved, and in December 1991 the
Soviet Union ceased its existence.
• The signing of the declaration by Russia and the United States at Camp David on February 1,
1992 put a formal end to the Cold War.

21.

THE OUTCOMES OF THE COLD WAR
• The collapse of the socialist bloc and the Soviet Union was the main result of the Cold War. The bipolar
system of the world has become unipolar.
• As a result, one superpower remained in the world - the United States of America. American political
scientist Francis Fukuyama declared in his book “The End of History and the Last Man” (1992) about the
victory of the Western values in the world.
• The results of the Cold War also include a series of civil wars that broke out in the territory of the
former Yugoslavia and in the countries of the post-Soviet space.
• The countries of the former social bloc turned into a new market for Western economies, that became a
catalyst for their growth. On the contrary, the countries of the former Soviet Union faced severe
economic and social shocks and a demographic crisis.