The Cold War was a state of political and military tension between the United States and Soviet Union from 1945 to 1991. This tension was characterized by an ideological battle between capitalism and communism without direct armed conflict. The world was divided into two competing blocs aligned with either the US or Soviet Union. Some key events that defined the Cold War included the Berlin Blockade, formation of NATO, Korean War, Cuban Missile Crisis, and collapse of the Soviet Union in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Cold War: The war that changed the table of international relations
1.
2. Cold War : State of political & military tension –
without any armed struggle – characterized by
violent propaganda
Term Coined by Walter Lippman
1st used by Bernard Baruch
Formally declared by Winston Churchill – 5th
March 1946
3. World War II ended in 1945 – Wartime allies turned bitter-
cold enemies
After the World War II – USA & Soviet Union became
super powers
Divided the world into two competing blocs
Main concern of international political atmosphere
Also known as “Propaganda War”
4.
5. CAUSES:
Sovietisation of Eastern Europe
Russia’s policy towards Iran
Soviet pressure in Greece & Turkey
German problem
Delay of Second Front
Failure of Peace Treaties
Ideological Differences
Atomic Factor
8. 1945-1950
Eastern Europe, Greece & Turkey
Truman Doctrine
Council for Mutual Economic Assistance
Partition of Germany
Berlin Blockade
Airlift of 1948-49
Brussels Treaty
NATO
9. BRUSSELS PACT
Great Britain, France, Belgium, Netherlands &
Luxemburg
They promised aid to each other against any
aggression
Berlin Airlift
1948 – Russia violated her oral assurances
Sealed off Berlin from West : Blocked all food & fuel
supplies
USA & Western powers engaged in Airlift on Berlin : to
supply necessities
Russia withdrew in 1949
12. NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
Between USA, Canada, Britain, France, Belgium, Italy,
Netherlands, Luxemburg, Norway, Denmark, Iceland
& Portugal
1952 – Greece & Turkey
1955 – Germany
“An armed attack against or more of them in Europe or
North America shall be considered an attack against
them all”
13. 1950-1953
East-Asia : Korea – North & South conflict
North Korea + Russian weapons + China’s troops
South Korea + USA + United Nations
14. 1953-1959
Stalin’s death – Khrushchev's peace policy
Indo-china & West Asia : Geneva conference / Partition of
Vietnam
Formation of SEATO
Extension of Truman Doctrine by Eisenhower
Camp David
16. 1959-1970
Summit conference to be held
U – 2 Incident – 1960
Erection of the Berlin Wall – 13th August 1961
Cuban Missile Crisis – 1962
“Détente” Era – decline of Cold War
18. Soviet Union planted missiles in Cuba to target USA
USA had kept secret missiles in Southern Italy &
Turkey
Ended on 28th October 1962
19. End of Cold War
Greatest event of 1990
Unification of Germany
Mikhail Gorbachev’s Perestroika (Restructuring) &
Glasnost (Openness)
Military domination to Hi-tech supremacy
20. IMPACT
Rise of two super-powers : USA & USSR
Affected international decision-making (UN)
Balance of power replaced balance of terror
International peace & security gained importance
Arms control & disarmament became complicated
Emergence of NAM
Emergence of Neo-imperialism & Neo-Colonialism
Showed war can be avoided
Change in the outlook of Foreign Policy
Foreign aid in Foreign Policies