‘Hot’ war during the Cold War

• Korea (1950-53)• Vietnam (1955-1975)• “The Domino Theory”.• After Korea’s and China’s fall to communism, the threat

to Japan seemed very real. A country the US had helped remake into a capitalist ally.• So USA involved in its longest war • While the Soviets supported the North Vietnamese in

the Vietcong.

More ‘hot’ war in the Cold War

• …but the USA paid them back with support of the Arab mujahidin fighters in Afghanistan after the Soviet invasion of 1979.• After 10 disastrous years, the Soviets abandoned

Afghanistan.• Many of the mujahidin went onto become members of

the Taliban…• So not sure who won that war?

American ‘support’ around the world

• Wasn’t just in Asia…• In Nicaragua US supported rebels to overthrow leftist

government• In El Salvador US supported authoritarian rebels threatened by

left wing guerrillas.• US ended up supporting many terrible governments.• In Guatamala US supported govt used death squads to hold

power.• ALL attempts to stabilize Latin America led to some very

UNstable Latin American govts. • And a lot of violence.

American ‘support’ around the world

• The Suez Crisis of 1956:• British and French paratroopers sent in to stop Nasser

from nationalizing the Suez canal• A CIA – engineered coup overthrew Iran’s

democratically elected PM Mohamed Mossadeq after he tried to nationalize Iran’s oil.• CIA helped Chile’s Pinochet to overthrow democratically

elected president Allende in 1973.

… not just the USA…

• USSR used severe force to crush popular uprisings in…

1) Hungary (1956) – Killing 3,000 Hungarians and forcing 200,000 Hungarians to leave their homes.

2) Czechoslovakia (1968) – the leader of the Communist party, Alexander Dubcek began a process of de-censorship which gained popular support but was soon crushed by the Soviet invasion of August 1968; forcing Dubcek from power in April 1969.

The Three Worlds

• 1st World was the USA and W. Europe and other capitalist nations (and those that had more or less a democratic government)• 2nd World was the USSR and its satellites; the Warsaw Pact

countries, Cuba and China.• 3rd World was everyone else (a huge range of

economically/culturally diverse nations). • Neither the US of the USSR wanted these states to remain

neutral, they had to ‘pick sides’ – Capitalist or Communist.• Not such a clear choice in the ‘50s and ‘60s.

Capitalist or Communist? Not such an easy choice…• for some time, seemed that the Soviets would come out

on top, at least in the 3rd World.• Capitalism and the USA lost some global respect. It

supported dictatorships + it had a poor civil rights record…• Soviets had been the 1st to put a satellite, a man and a

dog into space.• But Soviet socialism did not finally prove to be a viable

alternative to industrial capitalism.

Economy: state-run vs private enterprise

• Over time state-run economies aren’t as productive as private enterprise.• Above all some Soviet policies JUST BAD!1) Collective agriculture decreased production and led to

famine.2) Suppression of dissent and traditional cultures made

people angry.

How and why did the Cold War end?

• (probably) wasn’t Ronald Reagan bankrupting the Soviets, despite what some politicians believe.

• The USSR’s satellite states more reliant on USSR economically than USA’s allies were on the USA.

• The Soviet system could never keep up with the West.

So, WHO ended the Cold War?

• This guy…?

• No, this guy…

• Mikhail Gorbachev…

• And his policies of ‘Glasnost’ and ‘Perestorika’

Glasnost & Perestroika (openness)

1) Opened up Soviet political and economic systems with contested local elections.

2) Less restricted civil society groups.3) Less censorship.4) More autonomy for the Soviet Republics.5) More non-state run businesses.6) More autonomy for state-run farms.

Effects of Glasnost & Perestroika

1) More information from the West

2) Less censorship meant more criticism

3) People in the 2nd world saw how much richer the people were in the 1st world • wide-ranging social change was unstoppable.• 1 by 1, often suddenly former communist states

collapsed…

The Soviet Union collapses

1989

• The Berlin Wall is torn down.

• In Poland, the Gdansk dock workers’ union ‘Solidarity’ movement turned into mass political movement.

• Free elections held in 1989; the ‘Soldarnosc’ movement won 99 out of 100 seats.

The Soviet Union collapses

1990

• East & West Germany reunited

• Hungary held multi-party elections

• Mass demonstrations led to elections in Czechoslovakia.

… Violent transitions away from communism.

• Not always peaceful…1) Romania – communist dictator Ceausescu held onto power until

he was tried and sentenced to death. • Not until 1996 did a non-communist government take power.

2) Yugoslavia… A brutal civil war tore the region apart from 1992-1995?

3) Russia… Throughout 1991 Russians demanded democracy, particularly following a failed Coup d’état by hardline communists.• But since then…

Conclusion

• 20 years on, hard to believe that the world was dominated by 2 superpowers held in check by M.A.D. (mutually Assured Destruction).

• Until end of 1980s felt like Cold War would never end.

• In the post Cold War nuclear age we should remember that the past seems distant even when it’s near and that the future seems assured even though it isn’t.