What was the Cold War?

World War II destroyed much of Europe. During the war, the United States and the Soviet Union had worked together. However, that partnership turned into a
50-year-long conflict. This conflict is called the “Cold War.” The two powers never directly engaged in combat (“hot war”). Instead, they increased their military capabilities, tried to expand their global influence, and undermined the other’s way of life in the eyes of the world. The United States believed in a capitalist system of free markets and multiple political parties. Meanwhile, the Soviet Union was founded on a communist system. It was controlled by a centralized state and a single political party.

The Cold War came down to some basic differences in world views. Communist societies believed in taking from the rich and giving to the poor. They promoted workers and state-run economies. These resulted in low unemployment rates but sometimes led to the unequal distribution of consumer goods. They also viewed organized religion as dangerous.

The US capitalist system let free markets determine the production and distribution of goods. This led to more productivity. But it often created massive economic inequalities. The US also promoted freedom of religion. Both sides used propaganda to paint a negative picture of their enemies.

Three key features defined the Cold War:

1. The threat of nuclear war

2. Competition over the loyalty of newly independent nations

3. The military and economic support of each other’s enemies around the world.

After the US dropped two atomic bombs on Japan to end World War II, the USSR was determined to build its own nuclear weapons.

A divided Europe

After a long history of enemy invasions, Soviet leader Josef Stalin wanted to expand Soviet territory. He sought to build a buffer between the Soviet Union and Europe. He also wanted control in Central and Eastern European countries. Stalin quickly established strong communist parties in Central and Eastern Europe (the Eastern Bloc). They took orders from the USSR. Meanwhile, the United States provided more than $12 billion in aid to rebuild Western European nations.

This divided Europe into East and West. It was divided along an imaginary line called the Iron Curtain. Travel and cultural exchange across the Iron Curtain became increasingly difficult.

Germany became a Cold War battleground. East Germany and West Germany had separate governments and capital cities. Families were separated based solely on where the borderlines were drawn. The city of Berlin became a small-scale representation of the Cold War. The British, French, and Americans controlled West Berlin. The Soviets controlled East Berlin. To prevent people from leaving one side for another, the communists built the Berlin Wall in 1961. It physically divided the city. The wall became the most important symbol of the Cold War.

The Cold War heats up around the world

From 1945 to 1953, the USSR expanded its influence by creating the Eastern Bloc. The United States likewise began to meddle in the affairs of foreign nations. It did so where it feared communist regimes would gain control. This became known as a policy of containment.

In the 1950s, the competition had spread to the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. By the 1960s, the Cold War reached Africa. Many former colonies achieved had independence from European empires. These new nations sided with the Americans or Soviets to receive economic and military aid. Both superpowers supported violent dictatorships—all to gain an edge in the Cold War.

Some of the major Cold War conflicts took place in Asia. Communists took power in China in 1949. The Americans feared other countries would soon follow. In 1953, Korea had been divided into two zones, with a communist government in the north and an American-leaning government in the south. To contain the spread of communism, the United States sent troops. The Chinese responded by sending their own troops to the border. The war killed nearly 5 million people. It ended in a stalemate, leaving a divided North Korea and South Korea that remains today.

Perhaps no conflict illustrates the policy of containment better than Vietnam. Like Korea, Vietnam was divided into a communist north and pro-West south. To contain the communist north, the United States invaded in the 1960s. The Soviet Union sent money and weapons to the communist forces. By 1975, with the help of the Soviets and China, Vietnam defeated the strongest military superpower in the world. More than 58,000 Americans died in the conflict.

After the Vietnam War, Cold War tensions briefly decreased. Then, the USSR intervened in Afghanistan in the 1980s. It wanted to ensure the victory of a communist-leaning group. It sent troops to assist them. Just as North Vietnam received aid and military assistance from the USSR, the United States backed Soviet enemies in Afghanistan. Ultimately, the USSR was unsuccessful. US-backed forces emerged victorious. After much infighting, an extremist group called the Taliban claimed power in the region.

The end of the Cold War

The Cold War finally ended in the 1990s. The USSR could no longer keep up with US military spending. Meanwhile, the Eastern Bloc faced economic problems. To keep citizens from revolting, the new Soviet leader, Mikhael Gorbachev, proposed changes. These economic reforms were known as perestroika, or “restructuring.” He also relaxed restrictions on freedom of expression, a policy called glasnost, or “openness.” These reforms were too little too late.

In 1989, the Berlin Wall was torn down by Germans on both sides seeking to unify their country. The USSR then broke up into more than a dozen independent nations.

Fear of a nuclear war likely prevented direct combat. However, the two superpowers supported many of each other’s enemies in combat. They created a bi-polar system of global power. This forced other nations to choose sides. The economic troubles created by the Soviet war in Afghanistan left the USSR unable to maintain control of the Eastern Bloc nations. Many Eastern European countries chose a different path. They elected non- communist parties and joined the European Union.

Outside of Europe, communists in places such as Cuba and China have remained in power. Whichever path nations have chosen since the collapse of the USSR, the Cold War has left behind a major imprint on the world.