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The Cold War and Decolonization

The Cold War and Decolonization. 1945-1975. The West perceived the USSR as a center of revolution capable of spreading their communist disease As a result, formed NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization

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The Cold War and Decolonization

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  1. The Cold War and Decolonization 1945-1975

  2. The West perceived the USSR as a center of revolution capable of spreading their communist disease • As a result, formed NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization • The USSR was suffering from severe WWII losses and felt threatened by NATO—surrounded by enemies • Distrust and suspicion played itself out on a worldwide stage • The United Nations was the diplomatic stage Two Superpowers

  3. General Assembly: representatives of all member nations • Security Council: five permanent members: China, France, Great Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union plus 7 rotating members • Security Council members have veto power on any vote • UN Charter: renounced war and territorial conquest • Decolonization of Africa increase Gen. Assembly size-over time more concerned with the problems of the majority (poverty, racism, etc.) but the Security Council dominated other issues • Resolutions used to mean something (Israel, the moon.) United Nations

  4. West: supply and demand determined prices • USSR: government set all prices • Newly independent countries preferred USSR method of planned economy • West: economies damaged by war (except US by comparison) • Marshall Plan provided $12.5 billion in aid to friendly European countries, revamped Western economies • Europe moved a little left—formed the European Community (EC) • USSR prospered quickly then declined severely Capitalism vs. Communism

  5. Western leaders saw the rapid spread of Communism in the east as a threat; Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, etc. • Truman Doctrine: offered military aid to Greece and Turkey to resist USSR • Warsaw Pact: USSR response to NATO • It looked like alliances all over again • Several wars were fought during the “Cold War” that did not directly involve USSR and United States—they fought each other in proxy wars: Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan Proxy Wars

  6. Communist North Korea invaded South Korea; UN condemned it; United States allied with South Korea, China with North • The US did not attack China for fear of involving the USSR • A truce along the 38th parallel was reached; it is a Cold War hotspot still today • Ended in 1953 Korea

  7. After France’s colonial enterprise ended in 1954, Ho Chi Min’s Viet Minh government took over in the north, and a noncommunist government ruled the south • JFK decided the US should support the south, even though that government was corrupt • They were concerned there would be a domino effect if South Korea fell to the communists • The Vietnam War ended in 1973 with a treaty saying the US would leave with promises of elections • The North Vietnamese broke treaty and invaded the south; the US was experiencing strong anti-war sentiments and civil rights movements Vietnam

  8. Based on fear that someone would use nuclear weapons • Cuban Missile Crisis: USSR placed missiles in Cuba that could reach the US; the US freaked out and prepared to invade; Khruschev pulled the missiles out • This gave reason for hope: superpower leaders were willing to give up rather than fight • The US and USSR continued to build up nuclear weapon capabilities—the rest of the world slowed down and watched in horror • Space satellites were launched—space race to see who could dominate elsewhere The Arms Race

  9. Newly independent states had to function in a bipolar world of superpowers • Their goals were quite different • Third World referred to non-aligned nations—not Communist, but not industrialized • Some were skillful and played the USSR and US for weapons or for money • Now we call them “developing” countries because they are not industrialized The Third World

  10. Benefited from the Cold War • Remained on the sidelines, sometimes providing (selling) arms • New constitution (under US supervision) had small army • Turned attention to building industry and engaging in world commerce • Peace treaties with SW Asian countries expanded economy there • Three industries that put Japan on the economic map: Electricity, steel, and shipbuilding projects Japan

  11. Under Mao Zedong, The People’s Republic • Focused on the peasantry • Mao’s Great Leap Forward of 1958 was supposed to make China a world power by industrializing on the local level • It failed, but demonstrated the independent nature of Mao Zedong in the face of the big USSR neighbor • Reforms led to 30 million deaths • 1966 Cultural Revolution: to kindle revolutionary attitude in the youth—again a lot of death and divisiveness • Nixon visited in 1972—a stab at USSR but opened the relationship with China China

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