The consequences of the Cold War in brief. Causes of the Cold War

There are historical phenomena that are really important not only for passing the Unified State Exam, but also for understanding the entire period. For example, if you are just studying foreign policy Soviet Union, but didn’t pay attention to the fact that the lion’s share of events relate to this historical phenomenon, then it will be extremely difficult for you to remember all this.

In this article we will briefly reveal the causes of the Cold War, which lasted from 1946/49 to 1989. A publication on this topic will help you answer the most difficult exam question: why? anti-Hitler coalition fell apart so quickly, and the allied countries turned out to be enemies after 1946?

Causes

Cold War is a period of political, economic and military confrontation (confrontation) between states and systems of states. It was mainly between the USSR and the USA, between two systems of economic and political systems. Actually, these are the key reasons.

• The confrontation was due to mutual distrust between the countries, between the Soviet Union and the United States. Adding fuel to the fire was the fact that Soviet army was right in the center of Europe, and nothing prevented it from moving further - to the West.
• There is a big difference in ideologies: capitalism dominated in the USA with its inherent liberalism and neoliberalism; in the Soviet Union, the Marxist-Leninist ideology dominated, which, by the way, envisaged a course towards world revolution. That is, it was about the overthrow of bourgeois governments by the forces of the local working class and the establishment of Soviet power.
• Different system management: in the USA there was a market and predominantly natural market mechanisms, which were improved after the Great Depression of the 30s. In the USSR there was a planned command-administrative economic system.
• The popularity of the post-war USSR was extremely high all over the world: this also added fuel to the fire.

You should also remember the accompanying prerequisites: during the liberation of European states from the Nazis and fascists, pro-Soviet and pro-communist regimes were established in them, in which, immediately after the war, Soviet-style industrialization and collectivization took place. Of course, it was incomparably softer than in the Soviet Union itself, but it was there.

Such unprecedented intervention by the USSR in the internal affairs of the liberated states created a real threat to the existence of other independent states. As a result, no one could guarantee that the Soviet army would move further: towards England, or France, or the USA. It was precisely these concerns that W. Churchill expressed in his speech in Fulton on March 5, 1946. By the way, I strongly recommend reading this speech, because the text from it may well be included in the Unified State Exam.

Course of events

As part of a regular post, I do not have the opportunity to talk in detail about these events. In addition, I have already done this in my video tutorials, available on our training courses and in. But I still wanted to name the events to give you at least some guidelines.

• 1949 - NATO is formed, the Soviet atomic bomb is tested.
• 1950 - 1953 - The Korean War is the first serious military confrontation in which both sides participated indirectly and directly.
• 1955 - formation of the Department of Internal Affairs.
• 1956 - Suez crisis.
• 1961 - Caribbean crisis. This is the peak of the confrontation between the USSR and the USA, when these countries, and the whole world, were on the brink of nuclear war. It was this event that marked the beginning of the process of détente under L.I. Brezhnev. It was after this event that subcultures appeared en masse in the West, within which young people tried to find their path in life.
• 1965 - 1975 - Vietnam War.
• 1973 - 75 - negotiations in Helsinki and adoption of the Final Act on Security and Cooperation in Europe.
• 1979 - 1989 - war in Afghanistan.

Once again, these are just guidelines. I explained everything in detail in my video tutorials, and

Becoming the largest and most brutal conflict in the entire history of mankind, a confrontation arose between the countries of the communist camp on the one hand and Western capitalist countries on the other, between the two superpowers of that time - the USSR and the USA. The Cold War can be briefly described as a competition for dominance in the new post-war world.

The main reason The Cold War began with insoluble ideological contradictions between two models of society - socialist and capitalist. The West feared the strengthening of the USSR. The absence of a common enemy among the victorious countries, as well as the ambitions of political leaders, also played a role.

Historians identify the following stages of the Cold War:

• March 5, 1946 - 1953: The Cold War began with Churchill's speech in Fulton in the spring of 1946, which proposed the idea of ​​creating an alliance of Anglo-Saxon countries to fight communism. The US goal was an economic victory over the USSR, as well as achieving military superiority. In fact, the Cold War began earlier, but it was by the spring of 1946 that, due to the USSR’s refusal to withdraw troops from Iran, the situation seriously worsened.

1953-1962: During this period of the Cold War, the world was on the brink of nuclear conflict. Despite some improvement in relations between the Soviet Union and the United States during Khrushchev's Thaw, it was at this stage that events took place in the GDR and Poland, the anti-communist uprising in Hungary, as well as the Suez Crisis. International tensions increased following the Soviet development and successful testing of an intercontinental ballistic missile in 1957.

However, the threat of nuclear war receded as the Soviet Union was now able to retaliate against US cities. This period of relations between the superpowers ended with the Berlin and Caribbean crises of 1961 and 1962. respectively. The Cuban missile crisis was resolved only through personal negotiations between the heads of state - Khrushchev and Kennedy. As a result of the negotiations, non-proliferation agreements were signed nuclear weapons.

• 1962-1979: The period was marked by an arms race that undermined the economies of rival countries. The development and production of new types of weapons required incredible resources. Despite the tensions between the USSR and the USA, strategic arms limitation agreements were signed. The development of the joint Soyuz-Apollo space program began. However, by the beginning of the 80s, the USSR began to lose in the arms race.
• 1979-1987: relations between the USSR and the USA deteriorated again after the introduction Soviet troops to Afghanistan. The US deployed in 1983. ballistic missiles at bases in Italy, Denmark, England, Germany, Belgium. The development of an anti-space defense system was underway. The USSR responded to the actions of the West by withdrawing from the Geneva negotiations. During this period, the missile attack warning system was in constant combat readiness.
• 1987-1991: the coming to power in the USSR in 1985 entailed not only global changes within the country, but also radical changes in foreign policy, called “new political thinking”. Ill-conceived reforms completely undermined the economy of the Soviet Union, which led to the country's virtual defeat in the Cold War.

The end of the Cold War was caused by weakness Soviet economy, its inability to no longer support the arms race, as well as pro-Soviet communist regimes. A defined role Anti-war protests also took place in different parts of the world. The results of the Cold War were dismal for the USSR. The symbol of the victory of the West was the reunification of Germany in 1990.

After the USSR was defeated in the Cold War, a unipolar world model emerged with the United States as the dominant superpower. However, these are not the only consequences of the Cold War. Began fast development science and technology, primarily military. Thus, the Internet was originally created as a communications system for the American army.

Many documentaries and feature films have been made about the Cold War period. One of them, telling in detail about the events of those years, is “Heroes and Victims of the Cold War.”

The Cold War, which lasted from 1946 to 1989, was not an ordinary military confrontation. It was a struggle of ideologies, different social systems. The term “Cold War” itself appeared among journalists, but quickly became popular.

Causes

It seems that the end of the terrible and bloody Second World War should have led to world peace, friendship and unity of all peoples. But the contradictions among the allies and victors only intensified.

The struggle for spheres of influence began. Both the USSR and Western countries (led by the USA) sought to expand “their territories.”

• Westerners were frightened by communist ideology. They could not imagine that private property would suddenly become state property.
• The United States and the USSR tried their best to increase their influence by supporting various regimes (which sometimes led to local wars around the world).

A direct collision never occurred. Everyone was afraid to press the “red button” and launch nuclear warheads.

Main events

Fulton Speech as the First Sign of War

In March 1946, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill blamed the Soviet Union. Churchill stated that he was engaged in active global expansion and was violating rights and freedoms. At the same time, the British Prime Minister called on Western countries to repel the USSR. It is from this moment that historians count the beginning of the Cold War.

The Truman Doctrine and attempts at "containment"

The United States decided to begin “containing” the Soviet Union after the events in Greece and Turkey. The USSR demanded territory from the Turkish authorities for the subsequent deployment of a military base in the Mediterranean Sea. This immediately alerted the West. The Doctrine of American President Truman marked a complete cessation of cooperation between the former allies in the anti-Hitler coalition.

The creation of military blocs and the division of Germany

In 1949, a military alliance was created Western countries– NATO. 6 years later (in 1955) the Soviet Union and countries of Eastern Europe merged into the Warsaw Pact Organization.

Also in 1949, the Federal Republic of Germany appeared on the site of the western zone of occupation of Germany, and the German Democratic Republic appeared on the site of the eastern one.

Chinese Civil War

The Chinese Civil War of 1946–1949 was also a consequence of the ideological struggle between the two systems. China after the end of World War II was also divided into 2 parts. The northeast was under the rule of the People's Liberation Army of China. The rest was subordinate to Chiang Kai-shek (the leader of the Kuomintang party). When peaceful elections failed, war broke out. The winner was Communist Party China.

Korean War

Korea was also split into two occupation zones at this time under the control of the USSR and the USA. Their proteges are Kim Il Sung in the north and Syngman Rhee in the south of Korea. Each of them wanted to take over the entire country. A war broke out (1950-1953), which led to nothing except huge human casualties. Borders of Northern and South Korea practically unchanged.

Berlin crisis

The most difficult years of the Cold War were the early 60s. It was then that the whole world found itself on the brink of nuclear war. In 1961, USSR Secretary General Khrushchev demanded that American President Kennedy radically change the status of West Berlin. The Soviet Union was alarmed by the activity of Western intelligence services there, as well as the “brain drain” to the West. There was no military clash, but West Berlin was surrounded by a wall - the main symbol of the Cold War. Many German families found themselves on opposite sides of the barricades.

Cuban crisis

The most intense conflict of the Cold War was the crisis in Cuba in 1962. The USSR, in response to a request from the leaders of the Cuban revolution, agreed to be stationed on Liberty Island nuclear missiles medium range.

As a result, any town in the United States could be wiped off the face of the earth in 2-3 seconds. The United States did not like this “neighborhood”. It almost came to the “red nuclear button”. But even here the parties managed to reach an agreement peacefully. The Soviet Union did not deploy missiles, and the United States guaranteed Cuba non-interference in their affairs. American missiles were also withdrawn from Turkey.

The policy of "détente"

The Cold War did not always proceed in its acute phase. At times, tension gave way to “detente.” During such periods, the United States and the USSR concluded important agreements on limiting strategic nuclear weapons and missile defense. In 1975, the Helsinki meeting of the two countries was held, and the Soyuz-Apollo program was launched in space.

A new round of tension

The entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan in 1979 led to a new round of tension. The United States carried out a set of economic sanctions against the Soviet Union in 1980-1982. The installation of more American missiles in European countries has begun. Under Andropov, all negotiations with the United States ceased.

The crisis of socialist countries. Perestroika

By the mid-80s, many socialist countries were on the verge of crisis. There was less and less help from the USSR. The needs of the population grew, people sought to go to the West, where they discovered many new things for themselves. People's consciousness was changing. They wanted change, life in a more open and free society. The technical lag of the USSR from Western countries was increasing.

• Realizing this, the USSR General Secretary Gorbachev tried to revive the economy through “perestroika,” give the people more “glasnost” and move to “new thinking.”
• The communist parties of the socialist camp tried to modernize their ideology and move to a new economic policy.
• The Berlin Wall, which was a symbol of the Cold War, has fallen. The unification of Germany took place.
• The USSR began to withdraw its troops from European countries.
• In 1991, the Warsaw Pact Organization was dissolved.
• The USSR, which did not survive a deep economic crisis, also collapsed.

Results

Historians debate whether to link the end of the Cold War to the collapse of the USSR. However, the end of this confrontation occurred back in 1989, when many authoritarian regimes in Eastern Europe ceased to exist. Contradictions on the ideological front were completely removed. Many countries of the former socialist camp joined the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance

Cold War

Cold War is a military, political, ideological and economic confrontation between the USSR and the USA and their supporters. It was the result of contradictions between two government 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(Council for 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 in the 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 tension 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 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 economic ties 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

After the end of the Second World War, which became the largest and most brutal conflict in the entire history of mankind, a confrontation arose between the countries of the communist camp on the one hand and Western capitalist countries on the other, between the two superpowers of that time, the USSR and the USA. The Cold War can be briefly described as a competition for dominance in the new post-war world.

The main reason for the Cold War was the insoluble ideological contradictions between the two models of society, socialist and capitalist. The West feared the strengthening of the USSR. The lack of a common enemy among the winning countries, as well as the ambitions of political leaders, also played a role.

Historians identify the following stages of the Cold War:

March 5, 1946 - 1953 The Cold War began with Churchill's speech in Fulton in the spring of 1946, which proposed the idea of ​​​​creating an alliance of Anglo-Saxon countries to fight communism. The goal of the United States was an economic victory over the USSR, as well as achieving military superiority. In fact, the Cold War began earlier, but it was by the spring of 1946, due to the USSR’s refusal to withdraw troops from Iran, that the situation seriously worsened.

1953 - 1962 During this period of the Cold War, the world was on the brink of nuclear conflict. Despite some improvement in relations between the Soviet Union and the United States during Khrushchev's "thaw", it was at this stage that the anti-communist uprising in Hungary, events in the GDR and, earlier, in Poland, as well as the Suez crisis took place. International tensions increased following the Soviet development and successful testing of an intercontinental ballistic missile in 1957. But, the threat of nuclear war receded, since the Soviet Union was now able to retaliate against US cities. This period of relations between the superpowers ended with the Berlin and Caribbean crises of 1961 and 1962, respectively. The Cuban missile crisis was resolved only through personal negotiations between the heads of state Khrushchev and Kennedy. Also, as a result of the negotiations, a number of agreements on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons were signed.

1962 - 1979 The period was marked by an arms race that undermined the economies of rival countries. The development and production of new types of weapons required incredible resources. Despite the presence of tension in relations between the USSR and the USA, agreements on the limitation of strategic arms are signed. The joint Soyuz-Apollo space program is being developed. However, by the beginning of the 80s, the USSR began to lose in the arms race.

1979 - 1987 Relations between the USSR and the USA deteriorate again after the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan. In 1983, the United States deployed ballistic missiles at bases in Italy, Denmark, England, Germany, and Belgium. An anti-space defense system is being developed. The USSR reacts to the actions of the West by withdrawing from the Geneva negotiations. During this period, the missile attack warning system is in constant combat readiness.

1987 - 1991 The coming to power in the USSR in 1985 by M. Gorbachev entailed not only global changes within the country, but also radical changes in foreign policy, called “new political thinking.” Ill-conceived reforms completely undermined the economy of the Soviet Union, which led to the country's virtual defeat in the Cold War.

The end of the Cold War was caused by the weakness of the Soviet economy, its inability to no longer support the arms race, as well as pro-Soviet communist regimes. Anti-war protests in various parts of the world also played a certain role. The results of the Cold War were dismal for the USSR. The symbol of the victory of the West was the reunification of Germany in 1990.