Causes: the opposition of two world systems, economic, political, ideological differences between them; the desire to strengthen their influence in the world; the policy of imposing one’s values and order; a policy of threats that led to mutual distrust. The beginning of the Cold War. In April 1945, British Prime Minister Churchill ordered the preparation of a plan for war against the USSR. The task was preceded by the conclusions that Churchill presented in his memoirs: Soviet Russia had become a mortal threat to the free world. The world was divided into two camps. Capitalist (USA, Canada, Great Britain, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Spain, Germany) and socialist (USSR, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Albania, East Germany, China). Main stages. First (1946 – 1955). The beginning of the Cold War and the nuclear arms race, the split of Europe into pro-Soviet and pro-American zones and the formation of opposing blocs. The most acute confrontation between the USA and the USSR was reflected in the Berlin crisis (June 23, 1948) and the Korean War (ended on July 27, 1953). In 1949, the military North Atlantic Alliance (NATO) was created. NATO includes the USA, Great Britain, France, West Germany, Canada, Italy. In 1955 Soviet Union founded the Warsaw Pact organization. In addition to the USSR, eastern countries joined it European countries. Second (1956–1959). The first attempts to stop the nuclear and conventional arms race. Third (1960-1964). A new aggravation of the Cold War, the Berlin and Caribbean crises, the signing of a treaty banning nuclear tests in the atmosphere, under water and in space and the stabilization of Soviet-American relations. H fourth (mid-1960s - mid-1970s). US defeat in the war with North Vietnam, achievement nuclear parity, transition to the policy of “détente”, conclusion of agreements - SALT 1, SALT 2, USSR recognition of the Helsinki Declaration on the protection of human rights . 1962-1979: "Détente". The two superpowers began negotiations on arms reduction. The SALT treaties (1972, 1979) became signs of détente. SALT-I - Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty. This agreement limited the number ballistic missiles And launchers. Negotiations to sign the SALT II Treaty to limit production nuclear weapons lasted from 1972 to 1979. An agreement to limit the number of launchers was reached in Vienna on June 18, 1979. Fifth (late 1970s – early 1980s). The entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan (Afghan War 1979–February 15, 1989), the deployment of medium-range missiles by the USSR and the USA in Europe, mutual threats and accusations. Sixth (1985–1991). The USSR, exhausted by the arms race and the unsuccessful war in Afghanistan, was forced to switch to a policy of “new thinking” in international relations, proclaimed by M. Gorbachev. This was followed by a warming of Soviet-American relations, a real reduction in armaments, the collapse of the Warsaw Department, and then the Soviet Union, which allowed the administration of President George W. Bush to declare victory in the Cold War. Results of the Cold War. The main result of the Cold War was the formation of a world system in which the West and, above all, the United States, lay claim to global dominance in the political, economic and cultural sphere.
Domestic and foreign policy N.S. Khrushchev. XX Congress of the CPSU.
Domestic policy and reforms. Since 1958 agriculture a policy was pursued to eradicate personal subsidiary plots. Harvests fell and there was famine in the country. In 1961, a monetary reform was carried out. Under Khrushchev, reforms in construction began: five-story Khrushchev buildings. During the “Khrushchev Thaw”, many innocent victims were rehabilitated, as well as entire nations subjected to repression. Monuments to the former owner, Stalin, were demolished. But at the same time, a peaceful demonstration in Novocherkassk was shot in 1956. Throughout his reign, Khrushchev fought against the Church, just as unsuccessfully as in many other matters.
Foreign policy N.S. Khrushchev. The most important direction foreign policy The USSR in the first post-war years was the formation of a strong security system for the country, both in Europe and on its Far Eastern borders. The internal evolution of the USSR after the death of Stalin led to a new orientation of the country in the sphere of foreign policy. Updating contacts with foreign countries The Soviet government tried to expand trade relations. This was beneficial not only to the USSR, but also to Western countries, which received the opportunity to access new market of its products. The USSR government established direct contacts and began exchanging delegations with the parliaments of other countries. The event that changed the balance of power in the post-war world was the launch on October 4, 1957 of the first artificial Earth satellite. From this date the countdown of the “space age” began. The culmination was April 12, 1961: the first man, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, made an orbital flight around the Earth. The USSR's successes in space exploration were the result of the work of a brilliant group of scientists led by Academician Korolev. The United States and the whole world now had to take into account Moscow’s opinion in resolving international issues. A positive change in the international situation was the joint discussion by the heads of leading states modern problems. And the first such meeting was a meeting in Geneva on July 18–23, 1955 of the heads of government of the USSR, England, France and the USA. Although it was not possible to come to any agreements. In the nuclear race, the Soviet Union, to the surprise of the United States, achieved significant success.
In the second half of the twentieth century, a confrontation between the two strongest powers of their time unfolded on the world political stage: the USA and the USSR. In 1960-80 it reached its climax and was defined as the “Cold War”. The struggle for influence in all spheres, spy wars, the arms race, the expansion of “their” regimes are the main signs of the relationship between the two superpowers.
Prerequisites for the emergence of the Cold War
After the end of World War II, two countries turned out to be the most powerful politically and economically: the United States and the Soviet Union. Each of them had great influence in the world, and everyone strived possible ways strengthen leadership positions.
In the eyes of the world community, the USSR was losing its usual image of an enemy. Many European countries, devastated after the war, began to show increased interest in the experience of rapid industrialization in the USSR. Socialism began to attract millions of people as a means of overcoming devastation.
In addition, the influence of the USSR significantly expanded to Asian countries and of Eastern Europe, where communist parties came to power.
Concerned about the rapid rise in popularity of the Soviets, western world took decisive action. In 1946, in the American city of Fulton, former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill delivered his famous speech, in which the whole world accused the Soviet Union of aggressive expansion, and called on the entire Anglo-Saxon world to give it a decisive rebuff.
Rice. 1. Churchill's speech in Fulton.
The Truman Doctrine, which he introduced in 1947, further worsened the USSR's relations with its former allies.
This position assumed:
- Providing economic assistance to European powers.
- Formation of a military-political bloc under the leadership of the United States.
- Placement of American military bases along the border with the Soviet Union.
- Support for opposition forces in Eastern European countries..
- Use of nuclear weapons.
Churchill's Fulton speech and the Truman Doctrine were perceived by the USSR government as a threat and a kind of declaration of war.
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Main stages of the Cold War
1946-1991 - the years of the beginning and end of the Cold War. During this period, conflicts between the USA and the USSR either died down or flared up with renewed vigor.
The confrontation between countries was not conducted openly, but with the help of political, ideological and economic levers of influence. Despite the fact that the confrontation between the two powers did not result in a “hot” war, they still took part on opposite sides of the barricades in local military conflicts.
- Cuban Missile Crisis (1962). During the Cuban Revolution in 1959, power in the state was seized by pro-Soviet forces led by Fidel Castro. Fearing aggression from a new neighbor, US President Kennedy placed nuclear missiles in Turkey, on the border with the USSR. In response to these actions, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev ordered the stationing of missiles in Cuba. A nuclear war could start at any moment, but as a result of the agreement, weapons were removed from the border regions of both sides.
Rice. 2. Caribbean crisis.
Realizing how dangerous manipulation of nuclear weapons is, in 1963 the USSR, USA and Great Britain signed the Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Tests in the Atmosphere, in Space and Underwater. Subsequently it was also signed new Treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.
- Berlin crisis (1961). At the end of World War II, Berlin was divided into two parts: the eastern part belonged to the USSR, the western part was controlled by the United States. The confrontation between the two countries grew more and more, and the threat of the Third World War became more and more tangible. On August 13, 1961, the so-called “Berlin Wall” was erected, dividing the city into two parts. This date can be called the apogee and the beginning of the decline of the Cold War between the USSR and the USA.
Rice. 3. Berlin Wall.
- Vietnam War (1965). The United States started the war in Vietnam, divided into two camps: North Vietnam supported socialism, and South Vietnam supported capitalism. The USSR secretly participated in the military conflict, supporting the northerners in every possible way. However, this war caused an unprecedented resonance in society, in particular in America, and after numerous protests and demonstrations it was stopped.
Consequences of the Cold War
Relations between the USSR and the USA continued to be ambiguous, and conflict situations flared up between the countries more than once. However, in the second half of the 1980s, when Gorbachev was in power in the USSR and Reagan ruled the USA, the Cold War gradually came to an end. Its final completion occurred in 1991, along with the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The Cold War period was very acute not only for the USSR and the USA. The threat of a Third World War using nuclear weapons, the split of the world into two opposing camps, the arms race, and rivalry in all spheres of life kept all of humanity in suspense for several decades.
What have we learned?
When studying the topic " Cold War“We got acquainted with the concept of the “Cold War”, found out which countries found themselves in confrontation with each other, what events became the reasons for its development. We also looked at the main features and stages of development, learned briefly about the Cold War, found out when it ended and what impact it had on the world community.
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“The collapse of the USSR 1991” - The population was on the verge of starvation. Assessments of the collapse of the USSR are ambiguous: The decline in world oil prices, which shook the economy of the USSR. Ceasefire... Centrifugal tendencies inherent, according to some, to every multinational country. Many enterprises were stopped, transport was idle, and crops were not exported.
“Cold War between the USSR and the USA” - the USSR sends its troops into Afghanistan. Formation of a bipolar world. In response, in 1953, the USSR exploded a hydrogen bomb. In the West, the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan caused violent protests. In the mid-80s, “real socialism” entered a period of crisis. Divided Europe. The USSR could no longer support fraternal regimes.
"Cold War" - The beginning of the Cold War. The degree of guilt of the superpowers in starting the Cold War. 2nd point of view: the USSR is guilty. The Truman Doctrine included: The concept of the Cold War. Consequences of the Cold War for the USSR. Cold War. Causes of the Cold War. Political ambitions of the leaders of the USSR (Joseph Stalin) and the USA (Harry Truman).
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“History of the Cold War” - On the other side stands the United States. Goals and objectives: Draw a general conclusion on the topic of the lesson. Was it possible to find a compromise in resolving these contradictions? Could the Cold War have been avoided? Questions for discussion: Provides facts and documents proving the correctness of this position. Summing up the lesson.
“Warm and cold color” - Talk about brightness and saturation. Color tone. Brightness and saturation. Objectives: To introduce warm and cool colors. Chromatic warm cold red blue yellow blue orange purple. Russian. Theme: Warm and cool colors. Learn how to enlarge and reduce a drawing.
Cold War
Cold War is a military, political, ideological and economic confrontation between the USSR and the USA and their supporters. It was a consequence of the contradictions between two state systems: capitalist and socialist.
The Cold War was accompanied by an intensification of the arms race and the presence of nuclear weapons, which could lead to a third world war.
The term was first used by the writer George Orwell October 19, 1945, in the article “You and the Atomic Bomb.”
Period:
1946-1989
Causes of the Cold War
Political
An insoluble ideological contradiction between two systems and models of society.
The West and the United States are afraid of the strengthening role of the USSR.
Economic
The struggle for resources and markets for products
Weakening the economic and military power of the enemy
Ideological
Total, irreconcilable struggle of two ideologies
The desire to shield the population of their countries from the way of life in enemy countries
Goals of the parties
Consolidate the spheres of influence achieved during World War II.
Put the enemy in unfavorable political, economic and ideological conditions
USSR goal: complete and final victory of socialism on a global scale
US goal: containment of socialism, opposition to the revolutionary movement, in the future - “throw socialism into the dustbin of history.” The USSR was seen as "evil empire"
Conclusion: Neither side was right, each sought world domination.
The forces of the parties were not equal. The USSR bore all the hardships of the war, and the United States received huge profits from it. Only by the mid-1970s was it achieved parity.
Cold War weapons:
Arms race
Bloc confrontation
Destabilization of the enemy's military and economic situation
Psychological warfare
Ideological confrontation
Interference in domestic politics
Active intelligence activity
Collection of incriminating evidence on political leaders, etc.
Main periods and events
March 5, 1946- W. Churchill's speech in Fulton(USA) - the beginning of the Cold War, in which the idea of creating an alliance to fight communism was proclaimed. Speech by the British Prime Minister in the presence of the new American President Truman G. two goals:
Prepare the Western public for the subsequent gap between the winning countries.
Literally erase from people’s consciousness the feeling of gratitude to the USSR that appeared after the victory over fascism.
The United States has set a goal: to achieve economic and military superiority over the USSR
1947 – "Truman Doctrine"" Its essence: containing the spread of the expansion of the USSR by creating regional military blocs dependent on the United States.
1947 - Marshall Plan - aid program for Europe after World War II
1948-1953 - Soviet-Yugoslav conflict over the question of ways to build socialism in Yugoslavia.
The world is split into two camps: supporters of the USSR and supporters of the USA.
1949 - the split of Germany into the capitalist Federal Republic of Germany, the capital is Bonn, and the Soviet GDR, the capital is Berlin. (Before this, the two zones were called Bisonia)
1949 – creation NATO(North Atlantic Military-Political Alliance)
1949 – creation Comecon(Advice mutual economic assistance)
1949 - successful atomic bomb testing in the USSR.
1950 -1953 – Korean War. The USA participated in it directly, and the USSR participated in a veiled manner, sending military specialists to Korea.
US target: prevent Soviet influence on Far East. Bottom line: division of the country into the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea (capital Pyongyang), established close contacts with the USSR, + into the South Korean state (Seoul) - a zone of American influence.
2nd period: 1955-1962 (cooling in relations between countries , growing contradictions in the world socialist system)
At this time, the world was on the verge of a nuclear disaster.
Anti-communist protests in Hungary, Poland, events in the GDR, Suez crisis
1955 - creation OVD- Warsaw Pact organizations.
1955 - Geneva Conference of Heads of Government of the Victorious Countries.
1957 - development and successful testing of an intercontinental ballistic missile in the USSR, which increased tensions in the world.
October 4, 1957 - opened space age. Launch of the first artificial earth satellite in the USSR.
1959 - victory of the revolution in Cuba (Fidel Castro). Cuba became one of the most reliable partners of the USSR.
1961 - worsening relations with China.
1962 – Caribbean crisis. Settled by N.S. Khrushchev And D. Kennedy
Signing of a number of agreements on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.
An arms race that significantly weakened the economies of countries.
1962 - complication of relations with Albania
1963-USSR, UK and USA signed first nuclear test ban treaty in three spheres: atmosphere, space and underwater.
1968 - complications in relations with Czechoslovakia (“Prague Spring”).
Dissatisfaction with Soviet policy in Hungary, Poland, and the GDR.
1964-1973- US war in Vietnam. The USSR provided military and material assistance to Vietnam.
3rd period: 1970-1984- tension strip
1970s - the USSR made a number of attempts to strengthen “ détente" international tension, arms reduction.
A number of agreements on the limitation of strategic weapons have been signed. So in 1970 there was an agreement between Germany (W. Brand) and the USSR (Brezhnev L.I.), according to which the parties pledged to resolve all their disputes exclusively peacefully.
May 1972 - American President R. Nixon arrived in Moscow. Treaty limiting missile defense systems signed (PRO) And OSV-1- Interim Agreement on Certain Measures in the Field of Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms.
Convention on the prohibition of development, production and accumulation of reserves bacteriological(biological) and toxic weapons and their destruction.
1975- the highest point of détente, signed in August in Helsinki Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe And Declaration of Principles on Relationships Between states. 33 states signed it, including the USSR, USA, and Canada.
Sovereign equality, respect
Non-use of force and threats of force
Inviolability of borders
Territorial integrity
Non-interference in internal affairs
Peaceful settlement of disputes
Respect for human rights and freedoms
Equality, the right of peoples to control their own destinies
Cooperation between states
Conscientious fulfillment of obligations under international law
1975 - joint space program Soyuz-Apollo.
1979- Treaty on the Limitation of Offensive Arms – OSV-2(Brezhnev L.I. and Carter D.)
What are these principles?
4th period: 1979-1987 - complication of the international situation
The USSR became a truly great power that had to be reckoned with. The detente of tension was mutually beneficial.
The aggravation of relations with the United States in connection with the entry of USSR troops into Afghanistan in 1979 (the war lasted from December 1979 to February 1989). USSR goal- protect borders in Central Asia against the penetration of Islamic fundamentalism. Eventually- The United States did not ratify SALT II.
Since 1981 new president Reagan R. deployed programs SOI– Strategic defense initiatives.
1983- US hosts ballistic missiles in Italy, England, Germany, Belgium, Denmark.
Anti-space defense systems are being developed.
The USSR withdraws from the Geneva negotiations.
5 period: 1985-1991 - the final stage, mitigation of tension.
Having come to power in 1985, Gorbachev M.S. pursues a policy "new political thinking".
Negotiations: 1985 - in Geneva, 1986 - in Reykjavik, 1987 - in Washington. Recognition of the existing world order, expansion of economic ties between countries, despite different ideologies.
December 1989- Gorbachev M.S. and Bush at the summit on the island of Malta announced about the end of the Cold War. Its end was caused by the economic weakness of the USSR and its inability to further support the arms race. In addition, pro-Soviet regimes were established in Eastern European countries, and the USSR lost support from them as well.
1990 - German reunification. It became a kind of victory for the West in the Cold War. A fall Berlin Wall(existed from August 13, 1961 to November 9, 1989)
December 25, 1991 - President D. Bush announced the end of the Cold War and congratulated his compatriots on their victory.
Results
The formation of a unipolar world, in which the United States, a superpower, began to occupy a leading position.
The United States and its allies defeated the socialist camp.
The beginning of the Westernization of Russia
The collapse of the Soviet economy, the decline of its authority in the international market
The emigration of Russian citizens to the West, his lifestyle seemed too attractive to them.
The collapse of the USSR and the beginning of the formation of a new Russia.
Terms
Parity- the primacy of a party in something.
Confrontation– confrontation, collision of two social systems (people, groups, etc.).
Ratification– giving the document legal force, its acceptance.
Westernization– borrowing a Western European or American way of life.
Material prepared by: Melnikova Vera Aleksandrovna
The expression “Cold War” was first used by the famous English writer George Orwell on October 19, 1945 in the article “You and the Atomic Bomb” in the British weekly Tribune. In an official setting, this definition was first voiced by US President Harry Truman's adviser Bernard Baruch, speaking before the South Carolina House of Representatives on April 16, 1947. Since that time, the concept of “Cold War” began to be used in journalism and gradually entered the political lexicon.
Strengthening influence
After the end of World War II, the political situation in Europe and Asia changed dramatically. Former allies in the fight against Nazi Germany - the USSR and the USA - had different views on the further structure of the world. The leadership of the Soviet Union provided serious assistance to the liberated countries of Eastern Europe, where communists came to power: Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia. Many Europeans believed that replacing the capitalist system, which was going through difficult times, with a socialist one, would help quickly restore the economy and return to normal life. In the majority Western European countries The share of votes cast for the communists during the elections ranged from 10 to 20 percent. This happened even in countries such as Belgium, Holland, Denmark and Sweden that were alien to socialist slogans. In France and Italy, the communist parties were the largest among other parties, the communists were part of the governments, and they were supported by about a third of the population. In the USSR they saw not the Stalinist regime, but, first of all, the force that defeated the “invincible” Nazism.
The USSR also considered it necessary to support the countries of Asia and Africa that had freed themselves from colonial dependence and taken the path of building socialism. As a result, the Soviet sphere of influence on the world map expanded rapidly.
Disagreement
The United States and its allies viewed further world development completely differently; they were irritated by the growing importance of the USSR on the world stage. The United States believed that only their country - the only power in the world at that time that possessed nuclear weapons - could dictate its terms to other states, and therefore they were not happy that the Soviets sought to strengthen and expand the so-called “socialist camp.”
Thus, at the end of the war, the interests of the two largest world powers came into irreconcilable conflict, each country sought to extend its influence to more states. A struggle began in all directions: in ideology, to attract as many supporters as possible to one’s side; in the arms race, to speak to opponents from a position of strength; in economics - to show the superiority of their social system, and even in such a seemingly peaceful area as sports.
It should be noted that on initial stage the forces that entered into confrontation were not equal. The Soviet Union, which bore the brunt of the war on its shoulders, emerged from it economically weakened. The United States, on the contrary, largely thanks to the war, became a superpower - economically and militarily. During the Second World War, the United States increased industrial capacity by 50% and agricultural production by 36%. Industrial production The USA, excluding the USSR, exceeded the production of all other countries of the world combined. In such conditions, the United States considered pressure on its opponents completely justified.
Thus, the world was actually divided in two according to social systems: one side led by the USSR, the other led by the USA. The “Cold War” began between these military-political blocs: a global confrontation, which, fortunately, did not lead to an open military clash, but constantly provoked local military conflicts in various countries.
Churchill's Fulton speech
The starting point or signal for the beginning of the Cold War is considered to be the famous speech of former British Prime Minister W. Churchill in Fulton (Missouri, USA). On March 5, 1946, speaking in the presence of US President Henry Truman, Churchill announced that “the United States is at the pinnacle of world power and faces only two enemies - “war and tyranny.” Analyzing the situation in Europe and Asia, Churchill stated that the Soviet Union was the cause of "international difficulties" because "no one knows what Soviet Russia and its international communist organization intend to do in the near future, or whether there are any limits to their expansion." . True, the prime minister paid tribute to the merits of the Russian people and personally to his “military comrade Stalin,” and even understood with understanding that “Russia needs to secure its western borders and eliminate all possibilities of German aggression.” Describing the current situation in the world, Churchill used the term “iron curtain”, which fell “from Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, across the entire continent.” The countries to its east, in Churchill's words, became objects not only of Soviet influence, but also of Moscow's growing control... The small Communist parties in all these Eastern European states "have grown to a position and power far superior to their numbers, and they are trying to achieve totalitarian control in everything.” Churchill spoke about the danger of communism and that “in large number countries, communist “fifth columns” have been created, which work in complete unity and absolute obedience in carrying out the directives received from the communist center.”
Churchill understood that the Soviet Union was not interested in another war, but noted that the Russians "lust for the fruits of war and the unlimited expansion of their power and ideology." He called on the “fraternal association of English-speaking peoples,” that is, the USA, Great Britain and their allies to repel the USSR, not only in the political but also in the military sphere. He further noted: “From what I saw during the war in our Russian friends and comrades, I conclude that there is nothing they admire more than strength, and nothing they respect less than weakness, especially military weakness. Therefore, the old doctrine of the balance of power is now unfounded.”
At the same time, speaking about the lessons of the past war, Churchill noted that “there has never been a war in history that was easier to prevent by timely action than the one that has just devastated a huge area on the planet. Such a mistake cannot be repeated. And for this it is necessary, under the auspices of the United Nations and on the basis military force English-speaking community to find mutual understanding with Russia. The maintenance of such relations for many, many years of peace must be ensured not only by the authority of the UN, but also by the entire power of the USA, Great Britain and other English-speaking countries, and their allies.”
This was outright hypocrisy, since Churchill, back in the spring of 1945, ordered the preparation of the military operation “Unthinkable,” which was a war plan in the event of a military conflict between Western states and the USSR. These developments were met with skepticism by the British military; They weren’t even shown to the Americans. In comments on the draft presented to him, Churchill stated that the plan represented “a preliminary sketch of what I hope is still a purely hypothetical possibility.”
In the USSR, the text of Churchill's Fulton speech was not fully translated, but was retold in detail on March 11, 1946 in a TASS message.
I. Stalin learned the content of Churchill’s speech literally the next day, but he, as often happened, chose to pause, waiting to see what kind of reaction to this speech would follow from abroad. Stalin gave his answer in an interview with the Pravda newspaper only on March 14, 1946. He accused his opponent of calling the West to war with the USSR: “In essence, Mr. Churchill and his friends in England and the USA are presenting nations that do not speak on English language, something like an ultimatum: recognize our dominance voluntarily, and then everything will be in order, otherwise war is inevitable.” Stalin put W. Churchill on a par with Hitler, accusing him of racism: “Hitler began the business of starting a war by proclaiming a racial theory, declaring that only people who speak German, represent a full-fledged nation. Mr. Churchill begins the work of starting a war also with a racial theory, arguing that only nations that speak English are full-fledged nations called upon to decide the destinies of the whole world.”
Truman Doctrine
In 1946–1947 The USSR increased pressure on Turkey. From Turkey, the USSR sought to change the status of the Black Sea straits and provide territory for placing its naval base near the Dardanelles Strait to ensure security and unhindered access to the Mediterranean Sea. Also, until the spring of 1946, the USSR was in no hurry to withdraw its troops from Iranian territory. An uncertain situation also developed in Greece, where there was Civil War, and Albanian, Bulgarian and Yugoslav communists tried to help the Greek communists.
All this caused extreme dissatisfaction with the United States. President G. Truman believed that only America is capable of promoting progress, freedom and democracy in the world, and the Russians, in his opinion, “do not know how to behave. They are like a bull in a china shop."
Speaking on March 12, 1947 in the American Congress, Harry Truman announced the need to provide military assistance to Greece and Turkey. In fact, in his speech he announced a new US foreign policy doctrine, which sanctioned US intervention in the internal affairs of other countries. The basis for such intervention was the need to resist “Soviet expansion.”
The Truman Doctrine envisioned the “containment” of the USSR throughout the world and meant the end of cooperation between the former allies who defeated fascism.
Marshall Plan
At the same time, the “Cold War front” lay not only between countries, but also within them. The success of the left in Europe was obvious. To prevent the spread of communist ideas, in June 1947, US Secretary of State George Marshall presented a plan to help European countries restore their destroyed economies. This plan was called the “Marshall Plan” (the official name of the European Recovery Program is “European Recovery Program”) and became integral part new US foreign policy.
In July 1947, representatives of 16 Western European countries met in Paris to discuss the amount of aid for each country separately. Along with representatives of Western Europe, representatives of the USSR and Eastern European states were also invited to these negotiations. And although Marshall declared that “our policy is not directed against any country or doctrine, but against hunger, misery, despair and chaos,” the help, as it turned out, was not selfless. In exchange for American supplies and loans, European countries pledged to provide the United States with information about their economies, supply strategic raw materials, and prevent the sale of “strategic goods” to socialist states.
For the USSR, such conditions were unacceptable, and it refused to participate in the negotiations, prohibiting the leaders of Eastern European countries from doing so, promising them, in turn, preferential loans on their part.
The Marshall Plan began to be implemented in April 1948, when the US Congress passed the Economic Cooperation Act, which provided for a four-year (from April 1948 to December 1951) program of economic assistance to Europe. 17 countries received assistance, including West Germany. The total amount allocated was about $17 billion. The main share went to England (2.8 billion), France (2.5 billion), Italy (1.3 billion), West Germany (1.3 billion) and Holland (1.1 billion). West Germany financial aid according to the Marshall Plan, it was provided simultaneously with the collection of indemnity (reparations) from it for material damage caused to the victorious countries in World War II.
Education CMEA
Eastern European countries that did not participate in the Marshall Plan formed a group of states of the socialist system (except for Yugoslavia, which occupied an independent position). In January 1949, six countries of Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, the USSR and Czechoslovakia) united in economic union– Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA). One of the main reasons for the creation of CMEA was the Western countries' boycott of trade relations with socialist states. In February, Albania joined the CMEA (withdrew in 1961), in 1950 - the GDR, in 1962 - Mongolia and in 1972 - Cuba.
Creation of NATO
A kind of continuation of Truman’s foreign policy course was the creation in April 1949 of a military-political alliance - the North Atlantic bloc (NATO), led by the United States. Initially, NATO included the USA, Canada and the countries of Western Europe: Belgium, Great Britain, Denmark, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and France (withdrew from the military structures of the bloc in 1966, returned in 2009). Later, Greece and Turkey (1952), the Federal Republic of Germany (1955) and Spain (1982) joined the alliance. The main task of NATO was to strengthen stability in the North Atlantic region and counter the “communist threat.” (The Soviet Union and the countries of Eastern Europe created their own military alliance - the Warsaw Pact Organization (WTO) - only six years later, in 1955). Thus, Europe found itself divided into two opposing parts.
German question
The division of Europe had a particularly hard impact on the fate of Germany. At the Yalta Conference in 1945, a plan for the post-war occupation of Germany was agreed upon between the victorious countries, to which, at the insistence of the USSR, France joined. According to this plan, after the end of the war, the east of Germany was occupied by the USSR, the west by the USA, Great Britain and France. The capital of Germany, Berlin, was also divided into four zones.
West Germany was included in the Marshall Plan in 1948. Thus, the unification of the country became impossible, since different parts countries have developed different economic systems. In June 1948, the Western Allies unilaterally carried out monetary reform, abolishing old-style money. The entire mass of old Reichsmarks poured into East Germany, which forced the USSR to close its borders. West Berlin was completely surrounded. The first serious conflict arose between the former allies, called the Berlin Crisis. Stalin wanted to use the blockade of West Berlin to occupy the entire German capital and extract concessions from the United States. But the USA and Great Britain organized an air bridge to connect Berlin with the western sectors and broke the blockade of the city. In May 1949, the territories located in the western zone of occupation were united into the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), whose capital was Bonn. West Berlin became an autonomous self-governing city associated with the Federal Republic of Germany. In October 1949, another German state was created in the Soviet occupation zone - the German Democratic Republic(GDR), whose capital was East Berlin.
The end of the US nuclear monopoly
The Soviet leadership understood that the United States, which had nuclear weapons, could afford to speak to it from a position of strength. Moreover, unlike the United States, the Soviet Union emerged from the war economically weakened and, therefore, vulnerable. Therefore, the USSR carried out accelerated work to create its own nuclear weapons. In 1948 in Chelyabinsk region a nuclear center was created where a plutonium production reactor was built. In August 1949, the Soviet Union successfully tested a nuclear weapon. The United States lost its monopoly on atomic weapons, which sharply tempered the ardor of American strategists. The famous German researcher Otto Hahn, who discovered the fission process atomic nucleus, having learned about the test of the first Soviet atomic bomb, remarked: “This is good news, since the danger of war has now significantly decreased.”
It must be admitted that the USSR was forced to allocate colossal funds to achieve this goal, which caused serious damage to the production of consumer goods, agricultural production and the socio-cultural development of the country.
Dropshot plan
Despite the creation of atomic weapons in the USSR, the West did not abandon plans to launch nuclear strikes on the USSR. Such plans were developed in the USA and Great Britain immediately after the end of the war. But only after the formation of NATO in 1949 did the United States have real opportunity their implementation and they proposed another, more large-scale plan.
On December 19, 1949, NATO approved the Dropshot plan "to counter the proposed Soviet invasion of Western Europe, Middle East and Japan." In 1977, its text was declassified in the USA. According to the document, on January 1, 1957, a large-scale war of the North Atlantic Alliance forces against the USSR was supposed to begin. Naturally, “due to an act of aggression on the part of the USSR and its satellites.” In accordance with this plan, 300 were to be dropped on the USSR atomic bombs and 250 thousand tons of conventional explosives. As a result of the first bombing, 85% of industrial facilities were to be destroyed. The second stage of the war was to be followed by occupation. NATO strategists divided the territory of the USSR into 4 parts: West Side USSR, Ukraine – Caucasus, Ural – Western Siberia– Turkestan, Eastern Siberia – Transbaikalia – Primorye. All these zones were divided into 22 subareas of responsibility, where NATO military contingents were to be deployed.
Expansion of the socialist camp
Immediately after the start of the Cold War, the countries of the Asia-Pacific region turned into an arena of fierce struggle between supporters of the communist and capitalist paths of development. On October 1, 1949, the People's Republic of China was proclaimed in the capital of China, Beijing.
With the creation of the PRC, the military-political situation in the world changed radically, since the communists won in one of the most populous states in the world. The socialist camp advanced significantly to the east, and the West could not help but reckon with the vast territory and powerful military potential of socialism, including Soviet nuclear missile weapons. However, subsequent events showed that there was no clear certainty in the alignment of military-political forces in the Asia-Pacific region. For many years, China has become the “favorite card” in the global game of the two superpowers for dominance in the world.
Growing confrontation
At the end of the 1940s, despite the difficult economic situation of the USSR, the rivalry between the capitalist and communist blocs continued and led to a further build-up of armaments.
The warring parties sought to achieve superiority both in the field of nuclear weapons and in the means of their delivery. These means, in addition to bombers, were missiles. A nuclear missile arms race began, which led to extreme strain on the economies of both blocs. Enormous funds were spent on defense needs, and the best scientific personnel worked. Powerful associations of state, industrial and military structures were created - military-industrial complexes (MIC), where the most modern technology, which worked primarily for the arms race.
In November 1952, the United States tested the world's first thermonuclear charge, the explosion power of which was many times greater than that of an atomic one. In response to this, in August 1953, the world's first hydrogen bomb was exploded in the USSR at the Semipalatinsk test site. Unlike the American model, soviet bomb was ready for practical use. From that moment until the 1960s. The USA was ahead of the USSR only in the number of weapons.
Korean War 1950-1953
The USSR and the USA realized the danger of war between them, which forced them not to go into direct confrontation, but to act “bypassing”, fighting for world resources outside their countries. In 1950, shortly after the Communist victory in China, the Korean War began, which became the first military clash between socialism and capitalism, bringing the world to the brink of nuclear conflict.
Korea was occupied by Japan in 1905. In August 1945, at the final stage of World War II, in connection with the victory over Japan and its surrender, the United States and the USSR agreed to divide Korea along the 38th parallel, assuming that the Japanese north of it the troops will surrender to the Red Army, and American troops to the south will accept the surrender. Thus, the peninsula was divided into northern, Soviet, and southern, American parts. The countries of the anti-Hitler coalition believed that after some time Korea should reunite, but under the conditions of the Cold War, the 38th parallel essentially turned into a border - the “Iron Curtain” between North and South Korea. By 1949, the USSR and the USA withdrew their troops from Korean territory.
Governments were formed in both parts of the Korean Peninsula, northern and southern. In the south of the peninsula, with UN support, the United States held elections that elected a government led by Syngman Rhee. In the north, Soviet troops handed over power to the communist government led by Kim Il Sung.
In 1950, the leadership of North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea - DPRK), citing the fact that South Korean troops had invaded the DPRK, crossed the 38th parallel. The Chinese armed forces (called “Chinese volunteers”) fought on the side of the DPRK. The USSR provided direct assistance to North Korea, supplying the Korean army and “Chinese volunteers” with weapons, ammunition, aircraft, fuel, food and medicine. A small contingent of Soviet troops also took part in the fighting: pilots and anti-aircraft gunners.
In turn, the United States passed a resolution through the UN Security Council calling for the necessary assistance to South Korea and sent its troops there under the UN flag. In addition to the Americans, contingents from Great Britain (more than 60 thousand people), Canada (more than 20 thousand), Turkey (5 thousand) and other states fought under the UN flag.
In 1951, US President Henry Truman threatened to use atomic weapons against China in response to Chinese assistance to North Korea. The Soviet Union also did not want to give in. The conflict was resolved diplomatically only after the death of Stalin in 1953. In 1954, at a meeting in Geneva, the division of Korea into two states was confirmed - North Korea and South Korea. At the same time, Vietnam was divided. These sections became unique symbols of the split of the world into two systems on the Asian continent.
The next stage of the Cold War is 1953-1962. Some warming, both in the country and in international relations, did not affect the military-political confrontation. Moreover, it was at this time that the world repeatedly stood on the verge of nuclear war. The arms race, the Berlin and Caribbean crises, events in Poland and Hungary, ballistic missile tests... This decade was one of the most tense in the twentieth century.
