bpsc-107 unit 12 . pptx important notes

bpsc-107 unit 12. pptx important notes

1. BPSC-107 UNIT 12 COLD WAR: DIFFERENT PHASES

2. TOPICS : 12.1 Introduction 12.2 The Beginning of Cold War 12.2.1 The Korean War 12.3 Second Phase of the Cold War 12.3.1 The Berlin Crisis 12.3.2 Cuban Missile Crisis 12.3.3 Suez Crisis 12.4 Third Phase- Detente 12.4.1 The Cold War and Arms Race 12.5 Collapse of Detente and Re-Emergence of Cold War Hostilities 12.6 The End of the Cold War

3. INTRO After World War II, instead of peace, a new kind of conflict emerged called the Cold War. This wasn't a hot, direct war but a tense rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union. Even before World War II ended, these two countries were already showing signs of not getting along. The main reasons for their tension were their different beliefs and ways of running their countries. They didn't fight each other directly, but they competed in a race to build up powerful weapons, like nuclear bombs. The term "Cold War" was first used by a British writer named George Orwell in 1945. It means that even though there wasn't a declared war, there was a kind of ongoing struggle and hostility between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. This rivalry affected not only these two countries but also the rest of the world. They tried to influence other countries to be on their side and not the other's. So, even though it was called a "Cold War," it had a big impact globally with a lot of complicated situations.

4. THE BEGINNING OF THE COLD WAR The Cold War didn't have a clear starting point, but it began after World War II when the United States and the Soviet Union started not getting along. Before that, the world had many powerful countries, but after the war, it became mainly about the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Instead of creating colonies like before, these two superpowers tried to influence and control different areas to check each other's power. This can be seen in how they divided Europe into spheres of influence after the war . One big event during this time was the Berlin Blockade in 1948, where the Soviet Union blocked supplies to West Berlin. To help rebuild Europe, the U.S. gave a lot of money and resources through the Marshall Plan. In 1949, the U.S. and some Western European nations formed NATO, a big alliance for mutual security. The Soviet Union made a similar pact called the Warsaw Pact in 1955 . Both alliances made people worry about the possibility of another world war, this time with nuclear weapons. Between 1945 and 1953, there were tensions and conflicts like the Berlin Blockade and the Korean War. The Soviet Union created a buffer zone in Eastern Europe, making the West suspicious of its intentions. The Korean War showed how these different strategies clashed.

5. The Korean War The Korean War started because of tensions between the Communist Party and non-communist forces in Korea. In 1949, China's Communist Party, led by Mao Zedong, took control of China. Around the same time, there were conflicts in Korea, and both sides wanted control of the whole Korean peninsula. The USA and the USSR, influenced by the Cold War dynamics, supported different sides. Negotiations didn't work out , and in 1950, with the USSR's approval, North Korean forces crossed the 38th parallel and attacked South Korea. The USSR told China to send its forces to help North Korea, but Mao Zedong, eager to please Stalin, sent Chinese troops instead of the Soviet Red Army. The Chinese troops pushed back UN troops led by the USA, turning what was expected to be a short war into a three-year conflict that claimed millions of lives. Stalin's death in 1953 created an opportunity for hostilities to end. Eventually, both sides withdrew to either side of the 38th parallel, which became the official border between North and South Korea. The Korean War showed how conflicts in this new global era would involve the superpowers, directly or indirectly. It also strengthened the military alliances of the two blocs (NATO led by the USA and the Warsaw Pact led by the USSR) and led to an arms race that the world is still dealing with today.

6. SECOND PHASE OF THE COLD WAR The second phase of the Cold War started after Stalin, the leader of Soviet Russia, died in 1953. Nikita Khrushchev took over, and this phase was marked by serious crises, like the Berlin Crisis in 1961 and the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Berlin Crisis: In 1961, West Berlin and East Berlin were divided due to economic differences. To stop people from moving to the wealthier West, Khrushchev built a wall overnight. Families were separated, and the wall stood for almost 30 years until it was finally torn down in 1989.

7. Cuban Missile Crisis: In 1962, the United States and the Soviet Union almost went to war over missiles in Cuba. The Soviets, supporting Cuba, placed missiles there. The situation was extremely dangerous, and it could have led to a nuclear war. Through careful diplomacy, the crisis was resolved, with the Soviets removing their missiles from Cuba, and the U.S. promising not to invade Cuba. This phase had other conflicts too, like the Suez Crisis. Egypt, under President Nasser, took control of the Suez Canal, which was a big problem for Britain and France. They planned a military solution without telling the United States, causing tension in their alliance. Under pressure, Britain, Israel, and France had to stop the fighting. This phase also saw a significant change in world politics with the decolonization of Asia and Africa.

8. Suez Crisis: In 1956, there was a big problem in the Middle East, specifically around the Suez Canal in Egypt. The Suez Canal was a crucial waterway owned mostly by Britain and France, and it allowed ships to have a short and safe route. President Nasser of Egypt decided to take control of the Suez Canal, which made Britain and France very upset. Without telling the United States, Britain and France came up with a plan: Israel would attack Egypt, and then British and French forces would step in. But here's the issue: the United States didn't like that plan at all. When they found out, they were really mad. With pressure from both the United States and the Soviet Union, Britain, Israel, and France had to stop the fighting. This crisis showed that countries couldn't just do whatever they wanted in the world anymore. It was a tough lesson for Britain and France, and it happened during a time when the Cold War was making global politics more complicated.

9. THIRD PHASE: DETENTE In the late 1960s, there was a change in the Cold War called "detente," which means a lessening of tensions. Leaders from different countries were trying to make things less stressful. In Europe, leaders like Charles de Gaulle and Willy Brandt wanted to improve relations between countries. They created organizations like the European Economic Community to make countries work together better. The big countries, the United States, the Soviet Union, and China, were also changing how they talked to each other. At first, China and the Soviet Union were close friends, but later they started fighting. This gave the United States a chance to become friends with China. There was also an agreement called the Non-Proliferation Treaty to stop more countries from getting nuclear weapons. The Cold War was also about countries building a lot of weapons, especially nuclear ones. This made everyone scared of what might happen. Sometimes, when countries started getting along better, they promised not to make more weapons for a while.

10. COLLPASE OF DETENTE AND RE EMERGENCE OF COLD WAR HOSTILITIES In the late 1960s to mid-1970s, there was a time of relative calm in the Cold War called "detente." Some people thought this might lead to better relations and maybe even end the Cold War. But not everyone was happy with this. In the United States, some felt the government wasn't doing enough about reported human rights issues in the Eastern bloc. Then, things in Vietnam got complicated. The North Vietnamese government, with support from Moscow, attacked South Vietnam in 1974. The U.S. had already cut aid to South Vietnam, and American forces left in a hurry. Vietnam was now united under North Vietnam's leadership . This, along with brutal actions in Cambodia by a Communist group under Pol Pot, showed the spread of communism in Southeast Asia. More problems came up in other places, like Angola and Iran, during Jimmy Carter's presidency. But the biggest blow to detente was the situation in Afghanistan. The Soviet Union sent its military to Afghanistan to support the communist government there. The U.S. saw this as a challenge to its power and oil interests in Asia. The U.S. then stopped cultural, economic, and trade relations with the Soviet Union, even boycotting the Moscow Olympics. The military budget in the U.S. increased a lot.

11. With all this, detente was officially over. The sense of unfriendliness and mistrust between the United States and the Soviet Union grew. Jimmy Carter lost the next U.S. presidential election to Ronald Reagan, who promised to make America more powerful in the world again. Whether Reagan had real solutions or not, his talk of restoring American greatness made the Soviet Union worried, thinking it might be the start of another world war.

12. THE END OF THE COLD WAR Troubles for the USSR: The Soviet Union (USSR) had money problems. The war in Afghanistan was not going well, and the prices of oil, a big source of their money, were dropping. People in Eastern Europe were not happy because they didn't have enough basic things, and the younger generation didn't see Germany as a threat anymore. Financial Crisis in Poland: Poland borrowed money thinking it could pay it back, but it turned out they couldn't because their stuff wasn't selling well. This caused a money crisis, and prices went up . Disillusionment in Eastern Europe: Countries like Hungary and Czechoslovakia were getting disappointed with the system in the East compared to the West. They started thinking of themselves as more central European under Soviet influence.

13. Gorbachev's Reforms: To fix these issues, the USSR P resident Mikhail Gorbachev. He wanted to change things and thought working with the West was important. The U.S. President, Reagan, suggested a meeting to talk about nuclear weapons. Perestroika and Glasnost: Gorbachev started changes called perestroika (restructuring) and glasnost (openness). He wanted to make the economy better and let factories do more on their own . But, the changes faced problems, and the USSR's money situation got worse. Growing Unrest and Political Changes: People could now criticize the system, and they got really mad about things. There wasn't enough food, and people started protesting. In 1989, the USSR had elections, and it seemed like the Cold War was ending. Gorbachev wanted to focus on fixing the USSR, but by 1991, many places decided to break away from it.

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