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The Post-Cold War World

The Post-Cold War World. 1990s. The end of the Cold War leads to…. the expansion of democracy across the globe. Why? an outbreak of ethnic conflict in the former USSR. Why? the U.S. as the only superpower ( hegemon ). Expansion of Democracy. New democracies: Spain Portugal Greece

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The Post-Cold War World

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  1. The Post-Cold War World 1990s

  2. The end of the Cold War leads to… • the expansion of democracy across the globe. • Why? • an outbreak of ethnic conflict in the former USSR. • Why? • the U.S. as the only superpower (hegemon).

  3. Expansion of Democracy • New democracies: • Spain • Portugal • Greece • Latin America (except Cuba) • Nigeria • Etc. • Expanded democracies • South Korea • Taiwan • South Africa • Etc.

  4. Example: South Africa • Apartheid: system of racial segregation enforced by the National Party government in South Africa from 1948-1994 • Black South Africans were not allowed to vote, obtain certain jobs, travel freely, or even marry without the permission of the government • Does this sound familiar?

  5. South Africa United States

  6. Opposition to Apartheid • Internal: Nelson Mandela and the ANC (African National Congress) fought for racial equality for decades • External: After decades of condemnation from the UN, many countries passed sanctions against South Africa in the late 1980s. • Why now?

  7. Exceptions to the Growth of Democracy • Parts of the Middle East (movements for democracy suppressed) • North Korea • Cuba • China

  8. Example: China • Spring 1989 – thousands of pro-democracy protestors killed in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square

  9. Breakup of the Soviet Union

  10. Violent Conflict in the Former USSR • Chechen War for Independence • Chechnya: oil-rich, Muslim province fighting for independence from Russia (failed – still a part of Russia, with sporadic fighting)

  11. Violent Conflict in the Former USSR • Nagorno-Karabakh War (1988-1994) • Ethnic Armenians living in Azerbaijan wanted to unify with the country of Armenia – ethnic cleansing on both sides – ended in ceasefire in 1994 (still no resolution)

  12. Violent Conflict in the Former USSR • Yugoslavia – country made up of 8 regions/provinces divided on ethnic lines • After end of Cold War, most of the provinces peacefully separated into different republics • Problem: Serbs, Croats and Muslim Bosnians were scattered across three different republics – Serbs dominated the former Yugoslav army and sought to create a “Greater Serbia” from land from Croatia and Bosnia – ethnic violence on all sides in the “greatest European conflict since WWII”

  13. Exception: Czechoslovakia • Peacefully dissolved itself into two separate countries along ethnic lines in 1991 • Czech Republic • Slovak Republic

  14. U.S. as Hegemon – What are we fighting for now? “What is at stake is more than one small country, it is a big idea — a new world order, where diverse nations are drawn together in common cause to achieve the universal aspirations of mankind: peace and security, freedom, and the rule of law.” - President George H.W. Bush, 1991

  15. The Gulf War (1990-1991) • a.k.a. Operation Desert Storm • How did it start? • Saddam Hussein/Iraq invades oil-rich Kuwait • What happened? • UN Security Council – economic sanctions • Coalition (group) of nations send military into Iraq • Majority: US • Also: Saudi Arabia (paid for 50% of total cost), UK, Egypt • How did it end? • Clear military victory for Coalition but, Saddam Hussein was allowed to stay in power

  16. U.S. Hegemony • Hegemony: leadership or dominance by one country or social group • Political hegemony • Military hegemony • Economic hegemony • Cultural hegemony • Does the U.S. still have hegemony today?

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