Evolution of Cold War

Understanding the evolution of the concept

What is Cold War? a term used to describe the confrontation of the two power blocs
organized into defensive pacts. In the 20th century this rivalry took shape during WW II
with the involvement of USSR and US.
Point to be noted: Churchill in 1941, "The Russian danger is our danger". Co-operation
between both against common enemy.
How two major powers emerged on the map of the world? Rethinking Lenin's quote, "Who
has Germany, has Europe".... but in 1945 NO GERMANY...
What were conditions of France, Great Britain?
Americans were superior in all affairs then why a cold war was witnessed?
a. Russia 20-25 million deaths... reconstruction work at home
b. 50 percent world industrial output. 1/3rd of the total world export
c. Troops were present in Asia, Europe. Largest Navy
and Air force and monopoly over Atomic Bomb

American distinctive disadvantage in Europe? Rethinking American Isolationist policy....

Apprehension of Western Europe power? Threat from Russia, Economic conditions of Europe
would lead to totalitarian models of 1920s and 30s.... Americans must play their role...

Evolution of Cold War

The Beginning: German Question
Big Three conference in 1945 Yalta, program to prevent German threat in future.
four elements: denazification, demilitarization, decentralization. Germany be
divided in four parts...
10 billion US dollar reparation issue...Russian bid of merger in 1946 in East
Germany
Western response... Idea of Bizone 1st January 1947
1949: Two Germanies: FRG and GDR....
Eastern Europe
In addition to Germany , the communist take-overs in the Eastern Europe, 194448, is also considered as a major cause behind Cold War.
Churchill's "Iron Curtain Policy".....
Russian Response COMECON 1949... first Socialist regimes then Economic cooperation ...
Examples of Yugoslavia 1946, Albania 1944, Poland 45-50, special example of
Hungary 1945 and 1949, Bulgaria 1946, Romania 1947 and Czechoslovakia 1948
Special case of Finland "Treaty of Friendship 1948"

Cold War: First Phase

The Policy of Containment

American goal was strengthening Capitalism, minimizing left-wing influence and

prevent the Soviet Union from extending its influence beyond those areas that the
Red Army controlled at the end of the war.
from isolationism to Involvement: Historic impact of Kennan's "Long Telegram" first
time used the word CONTAINMENT... 1947
"if you are tough, the Soviets will eventually step back" Two examples which
encouraged the Policy of Containment towards USSAR, Turkey and Iran...
The first Proxy Greece Civil War and American involvement through TRUEMAN
DOCTRINE 1947
Marshall Plan 1947..also known as ERP.. European Recovery Plan (Economic
containment) .... .aid, loans, grants etc for European countries to strengthen their
economies... 48-52 13 billion US dollars to 14 European countries...
Political containment NATO 4th April 1949... An alliance for Peace as American said
it..

Cold War: First phase

Cold War on EVERY FRONT

Factors behind Globalized Cold War:
USSR Atomic bomb test 1949
Chinese Revolution of 1949 and Sino-Soviet Alliance 1949
NSC-68 in 1950 and American bid for heavy militarization
Korean War 1950
Rapid militarization of Western European countries WHY?
wide-ranging alliance system by US; Bilateral Pacts.....Japan 1951,
Philippines 51, Spain 52, South Korea 53, Taiwan 54. Multilateral
Pacts... ANZUS 51, SEATO 54, CENTO 55
All these developments are linked with Policy of Containment...
Rebirth of German Question... 1954 entry of West Germany in NATO
and Russian response WARSAW PACT 1955
Decolonization: 1946-1960, 37 colonies became independent. By
1960, 28 guerrilla wars in these areas. Proxies of East and West...

Cold War: First Phase

Berlin Wall 1961: Peak of Tight Bipolarity?
Factors behind building of Berlin Wall
Contextualizing previous points mentioned above on
German Question and Rebirth of German Question
USSR demanding evacuation of Western allies from Berlin
1958: WHY? two major reasons.... brain drain from east
Germany to West Germany & American U2 spy flights....
Failure of Four Power Paris Summit 1960 and SovietAmerican Summit in Vienna June 1961...
August 1961 building of Berlin Wall started... became a
symbol of cold war....
for the first time a silent STATUS QUO witnessed in the Cold
War

Cold War: 2

nd

Phase

FROM COLD WAR TO DETENTE 1962-79

The Cuban Missile Crisis
Why Cuba for Cold War?
Contextualizing American foreign policy towards Latin america
Bay of Pigs Invasion 1961
13 days of October 1962... Russian pressure and Kennedy's
Quarantine Cuba policy
Heat witnessed in Europe: NATO prepared
End of Crisis 28th October: HOW?
Cold War: New strategies in post Cuban Crisis:
Emergence of the idea of MAD.
Establishment of HOT LINE 1963
LTBT 1963... GB, US, USSR
Emergence of the Idea of "Balance of Terror" minimized Nuclear War

Cold War: 2

nd

Phase

Europeans start thinking of Detente

Impact of Cuban Crisis on European Leadership?
Vietnam War 1965 and NATO's refusal to join it. WHY?
American Economy of 1960s from 50 percent to 33 percent. Impact on
European mind...
Balance of Terror may spark conventional warfare in Europe... Harmel
Report 1967
Those developments were a pressure on US...
Other side: Soviets too interested in detente
Sino-Soviet Schism 1960-69
Problems in eastern Europe: Albania, Romania moving towards China
USSR's advance notion towards Detente 1967... exclude US and have a
detente... West refused...
Prague Spring and Brezhnev Doctrine 1968...
was detente still possible? YES....

Cold War: 2

nd

Phase

Triangular Diplomacy and the Two detentes

Sino-Soviet hostility was used as a diplomatic card
Policy of "Opening to China" by US... Kissinger's secret visits to China and Nixon's visit of Feb 72
impact of Triangular diplomacy: SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Treaties) 72, Prevention of Nuclear
War agreement 73, tentative agreement on SALT II 74...
European detente also started from 1970 till 1975 four major agreement between East
Germany/USSR and Western Europe. Helsinki Accords 1975 peak of European detente... 35
European countries
Detente in Trouble and its death

Factors: Russian influence in Africa: supporting Angola civil war, Ethiopia vs Somalia proxy
Congress ban MFN status to USSR
Congress's Anti-interventionism provided strong reasons for USSRs interventionism....
Iranian Revolution 1979
USSR invasion of Afghanistan 1979
SALT II withdrew by US, 1980 Olympics boycotted...
Confrontation once again replaced Detente...

End of Cold War

The End of Cold War and New World 1980-2001
Introduction: The beginning of an END
Cold War was an International System. it began to fade away in
the decade 1975-85
Rise of New broader developments: Increase in International
trade, Rise of Asian Tigers, evolution of Communication and
Computers i.e. Rise of Information Age.
How Americans reacted ? Election campaign of Reagan.....
How Soviets reacted? Perestroika of Gorbachev...
Collapse of Socialist economies in Eastern Europe 1989
1991 Soviet Union collapsed
Post Cold War era witnessed an imbalance of Power...
Democracy and Capitalism thrived but genocides and terrorism
also thrived...

End of Cold War

Debating the End of Cold War: Collapse of USSR

Afghanistan War and its impact on USSR economy.
Policy of helping third world revolutionaries
Solidarity Movement: A voice from Poland became voice of Eastern
Europe, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Fall of Berlin Wall 1989...
The Frank Sinatra Doctrine
Reunification of Germany 1990 and its impact on all soviet republics...
Resignation of Gorbachev 25th Dec 1991
Three major reasons:
The Bankruptcy of Soviet State (US build up and USSR internal reform
response)
The Advent of Information Age and USSR response
Internal Decline: lack of political legitimacies in Soviet republics and
Satellites in Eastern Europe..