THE COLD WAR 1945-1991

Definition:

• The Cold War was an international situation or environment that was characterized by persistent tension and conflicts between the democratic/Capitalist World and the Communist Camp in general or between the USA and the USSR in Particular.
• The Cold War was not a state of armed conflict but a struggle for superiority in National defense, economic growth, diplomacy, science and technology, and ideology through the use of hostile words and actions.

 

ORIGINS OF THE COLD WAR

• Some historians state that the Cold War can be traced to the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution in Russia when the Communists clearly declared their intentions to control and dominate the World.
• However, the origins of the Cold War can be clearly traced to the period of the 2^nd World War when the USA and the USSR formed a Grand Alliance against Germany and Japan.
• There were a lot of differences and mistrusts between the two.
• By 1947, the Cold War was clearly in existence when the USA and the USSR formalized their differences during the Potsdam and Yalta Conferences.
• The Potsdam Conference was held on 15^th July 1945 to discuss the future of Germany after the 2^nd World War.

Fig. 06 (Views of the Big three at Potsdam conference of 1945) 

REASONS FOR THE COLD WAR

• Many reasons have been given for the Emergency of the Cold War.
• Among them were;
• Ideological Differences;
• Though the USA and the USSR cooperated during the 2^nd World War, they mistrusted each other due to ideological differences.
• Since 1917, the USSR had developed a Communist system that was a natural enemy of the Capitalist economy of the USA.
• The democratic states hated communism and its leaders.
• Suspicion ;
• Suspicions and mistrust over each other’s military strength also contributed to the emergency of the Cold War. At the end of the 2^nd World War, the USA and the USSR emerged as super powers.
• The secrecy over the atomic bomb created suspicions between the two.
• Therefore, a new kind of arms race in nuclear weapons emerged between the two.
• The Spread of Communism ;
• This also contributed to the emergence of the Cold War. Even before the end of the 2^nd World War, the USSR imposed communist governments in Eastern Europe i.e. in Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Yugoslavia.
• Communist Eastern Europe was divided from Capitalist Western Europe by an Invisible demarcation called the “Iron Curtain”.
• This was the term used by the then British Prime Minister Winston Churchill used to describe the invisible separation that now existed between eastern and Western Europe.
• The USSR wanted to spread communism to Western Europe.
• The USA took it upon itself to stop the spread of Communism.
• This created tension between the USA and the USSR.

ASPECTS OF THE COLD WAR

• The Truman Doctrine;
• This was a belief that was started by the US President Harry Truman. According to him, it was the duty of the USA to use her technological and financial superiority to help stop the spread of communism inEurope.
• In March 1947, Truman obtained $400 million to assist in fighting communism in Europe.
• The Policy of Containment;
• The Truman Doctrine was translated into a government policy of Containment.
• This was a policy that was formulated to stop the spread of communism by using America’s Technological and financial superiority.
• The Marshal Plan;
• This was formulated in June 1947 to implement the Policy of Containment and The Truman Doctrine.
• The Marshal Plan was created to implement the injection of American Money into European Economic recovery.
• This was meant to improve the Social, economic and political situation in Europe by fighting hunger, poverty, desperation and chaos. On 5^th June, 1947, the American Secretary of State General George Marshal announced the European Recovery Program which became known as the Marshal Plan.
• By this plan, supplies of food, fuel, machinery and raw materials valued at $13 Billion were sent to Europe to combat the spread of communism.
• The Comintern:
• This was set up by Stalin, the USSR president in 1947. All communist Countries were supposed to be members.
• The aim of this organization was to draw all communist countries together.
• It was also an economic organization to encourage industrial development and trade among communist countries.

 

REGIONAL DEFENSE ORGANISATIONS