AP World History - Unit 8 Notes

Overview of Unit 8

• Focus: Cold War and decolonization in the 20th century.
• Cold War: Standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union lasting about 40 years.
• Decolonization: Process where empires broke up and former colonies gained independence.
• Notably intertwined despite seeming unrelated.

Context Leading to the Cold War

End of World War II

• Big Three Meetings: United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union to discuss post-war world order.

  • Yalta Conference (1944):

    • FDR pushed for free elections in Eastern Europe.
    • Stalin desired Soviet influence as a buffer zone due to past invasions (Hitler, Napoleon).
    • FDR realized he couldn't stop Stalin; vague assurances given about free elections.

  • Potsdam Conference (July 1945):

    • Truman (replacing FDR) insisted on free elections.
    • Stalin's troops occupied Eastern Europe, refused Truman's demands, deepening rift.

Emergence of Superpowers

• United States:
  • Became a superpower due to minimal damage during WWII; industry and infrastructure intact.
  • Offered $12 billion for European recovery (Marshall Plan).
• Soviet Union:
  • Suffered immense losses (15-20 million people) but had a large population and industrial capacity.
  • Other European nations were exhausted from the war, leaving the USA and USSR as the primary superpowers.
• Atomic Bomb:
  • Dropped by the US at the end of WWII, shocking the Soviets who were unaware of its development.
  • Marked the beginning of a tense 40-year period known as the Cold War.

Cold War Definition

• Cold War: State of hostility without open warfare, characterized by:
  • Threats, propaganda, arms race.

Setting the Stage for Decolonization

• Peak of Colonization: By WWI's start, imperial states had vast colonies.
  • Colonial soldiers fought in WWI expecting independence in return.
• Woodrow Wilson's Self-Determination: Advocated for nations' rights to choose their government, but no significant movement occurred between the World Wars.
• Impact of WWII:
  • Altered colonial relationship; imperial powers weakened and unable to suppress independence movements.
  • Many colonies sought support from US and USSR to gain independence.
• Decolonization Wave: Post-WWII, numerous colonies began to achieve independence as the superpowers intervened in colonial disputes.

Conclusion

• Both the Cold War and decolonization set the stage for significant global changes.
• Upcoming discussions will delve deeper into these topics.