The Cold War and Its Aftermath (1947-1991)

International Relations (1947-1991)

Extreme Tension (1947-1956)

The Blockade of Berlin

Berlin was in the area occupied by the Soviets after the war. It was divided into four sectors: British, French, American, and Soviet. In 1948, the allies unified their areas of occupation. Stalin responded by blocking access to West Berlin. The allies provided the population with food and essential goods by means of airlifts. The blockade was ended in 1949.

The Korean War

After the war, the Korean peninsula was divided in half by the 38th parallel. The north had a communist government controlled by the USSR. The south had an anti-communist dictatorship under American control. The North started a war by invading the South. China and Russia supported the North, and the USA helped the South. It ended in 1953 with the reestablishment of the previous border.

Period of Coexistence: The Détente (1956-1976)

The USSR emerged as a nuclear power, meaning that not only the USA could start a nuclear war. This led to the possibility of mutually assured destruction, and a period of dialogue and relaxed international political tensions (the détente) began. During this period, several conflicts threatened this dialogue. In 1961, the communists built the Berlin Wall, which physically separated West Berlin from the eastern part. In 1962, the USSR attempted to install military bases in Cuba and provoked the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Vietnam War also took place during this period. The communist government of North Vietnam tried to unify the country, and the USA intervened to help the pro-Western government of the South. The Soviets Khrushchev and Brezhnev and the Americans Kennedy and Nixon tried to end the political tensions.

Reasons for Détente

1. Internal protests against the Vietnam War in the USA.
2. The failed rebellion in Czechoslovakia.
3. The formation of a new group of non-aligned countries.

Consequences of Détente

• The weapons race was limited.
• A red telephone line was established between Moscow and Washington.
• Americans abandoned Vietnam, which subsequently unified under a communist government.

A Return to Tension and the End of the Cold War (1977-1991)

Tension Period (1977-1985): The USSR

• Tried to achieve military hegemony by installing nuclear missiles (SS-20) in Asian and European territories under its control, some of them directly pointing towards Western Europe.
• Invaded Afghanistan in 1979 in support of the communist government.
• Intervention in some African conflicts.

Tension Period (1977-1985): The USA

• Supported some Latin American dictatorships and increased its military budget.
• President Ronald Reagan started a Strategic Defense Initiative, known as Star Wars, to develop an anti-missile shield.

The End of the Cold War

The USSR, led by Gorbachev, changed its policy in 1985. It reopened dialogue with the USA, withdrew troops from Afghanistan, and gave more autonomy to the socialist republics. The Cold War ended with the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. The USA then became the sole world superpower.

The Capitalist Bloc (1973-1991)

The Triumph of Democracy

In the 1970s and 1980s, dictatorships in Southern Europe gave way to parliamentary regimes. This included Portugal, where the Carnation Revolution (1974) ended the dictatorship of Oliveira Salazar; Greece, with the end of the Dictatorship of the Colonels (1974); and Spain, when Franco died and a period of transition began (1975).