THE COLD WAR

After World War II, the United States and its allies, and the Soviet Union and its satellite states began a
decades-long struggle for supremacy known as the Cold War. Soldiers of the Soviet Union and the United
States did not do battle directly during the Cold War. But the two superpowers continually antagonized
each other through political maneuvering, military coalitions, espionage, propaganda, arms buildups,
economic aid, and proxy wars between other nations.

From Allies to Adversaries

The Soviet Union and the United States had fought as allies against Nazi Germany during World War II.
But the alliance began to crumble as soon as the war in Europe ended in May 1945. Tensions were
apparent in July during the Potsdam Conference, where the victorious Allies negotiated the joint
occupation of Germany.

The Soviet Union was determined to have a buffer zone between its borders and Western Europe. It set
up pro-communist regimes in Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Albania, and
eventually in East Germany.

As the Soviets tightened their grip on Eastern Europe, the United States embarked on a policy of
containment to prevent the spread of Soviet and communist influence in Western European nations such
as France, Italy, and Greece.

During the 1940s, the United States reversed its traditional reluctance to become involved in European
affairs. The Truman Doctrine (1947) pledged aid to governments threatened by communist subversion.
The Marshall Plan (1947) provided billions of dollars in economic assistance to eliminate the political
instability that could open the way for communist takeovers of democratically elected governments.

France, England, and the United States administered sectors of the city of Berlin, deep inside communist
East Germany. When the Soviets cut off all road and rail traffic to the city in 1948, the United States and
Great Britain responded with a massive airlift that supplied the besieged city for 231 days until the
blockade was lifted. In 1949, the United States joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the
first mutual security and military alliance in American history. The establishment of NATO also spurred
the Soviet Union to create an alliance with the communist governments of Eastern Europe that was
formalized in 1955 by the Warsaw Pact.
The Worldwide Cold War

As a direct result of World War II, what happened to Germany?

Germany was divided into East and West.

What was the purpose of the Warsaw Pact?

It sought to create a military alliance between the Soviet Union and various Eastern European nations.

What is a satellite state?

A country that is economically and politically dependent on another country is a satellite state.

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What is the policy of containment?

A plan to keep something, such as communism, within its existing geographical boundaries and prevent
further aggressive moves.

Why did the United States and the Soviet Union became rivals after World War II?

They became rivals because Communists and Western capitalists distrusted each other.

Which was the first area of conflict between Soviet and U.S. political ideals after WWII?

Eastern Europe

What was the overall purpose of the Marshall Plan?

To restore the economic stability of European nations after WWII

How was the Marshall Plan supposed to counter communism?

U.S. leaders felt communism succeeded only in countries with economic problems

What did the Truman Doctrine do?

It gave economic aid to countries threatened by communism.

Which policy did the United States adopt to prevent the spread of communism?

Containment

Why was the Berlin Wall erected?

It was erected by the Soviet Union in order to stop the flow of refugees from E. Germany, wanting to
escape.

What is COMECON?

It was a Soviet-based economic assistance program for Eastern European states.

What was the arms race?

The United States and the Soviet Union both sought to build their nuclear arsenals (supplies) in order to
have the upper hand (advantage)

What is a "Cold War"

political hostility between countries characterized by threats, propaganda, and other measures, but no
open warfare (no battles, no bombing)

cold war is a state of conflict between nations that does not involve direct military action but is pursued
primarily through economic and political actions, propaganda, acts of espionage or proxy wars waged by
surrogates. The surrogates are typically states that are "satellites" of the conflicting nations, i.e., nations
allied to them or under their political influence. Opponents in a cold war will often provide economic or
military aid, such as weapons, tactical support or military advisors, to lesser nations involved in conflicts
with the opposing country.

Examples of neo-colonialism have been studied in most corners of the world since the end of the Second
World War. ... Neo-colonialism is used by powerful countries for a variety of reasons, and it is continually
shaping not only individual cultures, but the global culture.

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What were the negative effects of the Cold War between America and the Soviet Union?

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PHOLLAND14 eNotes educator | CERTIFIED EDUCATOR

There were numerous negative effects of the Cold War. First, look at it in terms of war dead. Even
though the war never became a "hot war," it did have several proxy wars and both nations helped launch
revolutions. From the American side alone there were interventions in Korea, Cuba, Guatemala,
Vietnam, Iran, and Afghanistan. The Soviets sent advisers and pilots to fight in the Vietnam War. Not
only did this war cost American and Soviet lives, but it cost far more for the people who lived in the
countries affected by these proxy wars. Millions of Vietnamese died during the Vietnam war and the
period after it was the Communists "reeducated" the South Vietnamese. In Castro's Soviet-backed
Cuban revolution, many people who were not direct combatants died too.

Look at it in terms of financial cost too. Both sides built up huge nuclear arsenals--money that could
have been spent on social programs. Both sides also sent money to their respective governments in
client states, essentially "paying them off" so they would not turn to the other side or giving them the
means to wage war on the other side. This misguided foreign policy on both sides was a return to the
militarization which was a cause of WWI and WWII.

Finally, look at it in terms of foreign policy today. Both America and the Russian Federation do not fully
trust each other, even now. Russian politicians denounce America's stance as a human rights watchdog
even as the public opinion on America's place in the world becomes more negative due to its role in the
Middle East. American politicians complain of Russia's corruption and its expansionist policies in Eastern
Europe. Even today the Cold War still poisons the relationship between these two nations.