Cold War Lecture Summary

Military Alliances

• Soviet Block: Post-WWII, the Soviet Union occupied Eastern Europe, setting up Communist governments.
• NATO Formation (1949): Western nations, led by the U.S., formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in response to Soviet expansion.
• Warsaw Pact (1955): The Soviet Union and its allies formed a counter-alliance to NATO.
• Both alliances agreed that an attack on one was an attack on all, escalating Cold War tensions.

Nuclear Proliferation

• Arms Race:
  • U.S. used atomic bombs in WWII; Soviets developed their own by 1949.
  • U.S. developed the more powerful hydrogen bomb, followed by the Soviet Union.
• Cuban Missile Crisis (1962):
  • Soviet missiles in Cuba (close to the U.S.) led to a U.S. naval blockade.
  • Nearly led to nuclear war, but was peacefully resolved.
• Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (1968): Aimed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.

Proxy Wars

• Definition: Indirect conflicts where the U.S. and Soviet Union supported opposing sides.

Korean War (1950-1953)

• Division: Korea was split into Soviet-backed North and U.S.-backed South post-WWII.
• Conflict: North Korea invaded South Korea, leading to U.S. and Soviet involvement.
• Outcome: Ended in stalemate; millions dead.

Angolan Civil War (1975)

• Background: Post-independence from Portugal, ethnic groups fought for control.
• International Involvement: Soviets, U.S., and South Africa backed different factions.

Contra War in Nicaragua (1979-1990)

• Context: Sandinistas, a socialist group, took power.
• U.S. backed Contras against Sandinistas, with Soviet support for the latter.
• Conflict involved significant human rights violations by Contras, ending in ceasefire and electoral defeat of Sandinistas.

Resources

• Check available resources and guides to further study and review Cold War topics.