Cold War: Causes, Conflicts, and Key Events

Main Causes of the Cold War

• The Soviet Union aimed to spread its communist ideology globally, which alarmed the United States, who opposed the political system.
• The acquisition of nuclear weapons by the Soviet Union dramatically alerted the United States.
• Both countries feared an attack from the other.
• The American president had a personal aversion to Russian President Josef Stalin.
• The Soviets feared that the United States would use Western Europe as a base to attack the Soviet Union.

Major Conflicts During the Cold War

Korean War

• Dates: June 25, 1950 - July 17, 1953
• Causes: North Korea invaded South Korea, and both governments claimed the entire territory. North Korea wanted to integrate South Korea into the Communist Bloc.
• Winner: None. A truce and a ceasefire order were signed.

Vietnam War

• Dates: November 1, 1955 - April 30, 1975
• Causes: The main cause leading to the Vietnam War was the attempt to overthrow the South Vietnamese government by communist guerrillas (Viet Cong, National Liberation Front, etc.). South Vietnam, supported by North Vietnam, resulted in a war between both countries.
• Winner: North Vietnamese victory. South Vietnam disappeared, and a socialist-communist system was established.

Arab-Israeli Conflict

• Dates: Early twentieth century and after WWII - Present
• Causes: The Arabs did not want the formation of a Jewish independent state in southwestern Asia and refused to recognize Israel's right to be an independent state.
• Winner: None. The conflict is ongoing, and the war is not over.

Gulf War

• Dates: August 2, 1990 - February 28, 1991
• Causes: Iraq invaded Kuwait due to ideas of territorial expansion and domination.
• Winner: Coalition victory (a group made up of several UN countries, led by the U.S.) and the liberation of Kuwait.

Arms Race

An arms race occurs when many states vie with each other to develop the most powerful military and most effective weapons. From 1947 to 1991, the arms race marked a period of tense relations between the two Cold War superpowers. The rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union began with the USSR's fear that the U.S. would launch an atomic attack like the one released in Japan during the Second World War. Consequently, the Soviet Union created its own hydrogen bomb (which was more powerful than plutonium) and began a series of disputes between these two powers. Both blocks were afraid of an attack from the other, so both nations began to create ever more deadly weapons such as missiles, aircraft, and tanks.

Space Race

The space race can be defined as a subdivision of the undeclared conflict between the U.S. and the Soviet Union in space. In 1957, the Russians launched Sputnik, the first human artifact capable of reaching space and orbiting the planet. In November of that year, the Russians launched Sputnik II, carrying the first living being into space: a dog named Laika, who died seven hours after leaving the atmosphere.

After the Sputnik missions, the United States entered the race by launching Explorer I in 1958. However, the Soviet Union managed to take a giant step forward by launching Vostok 1 in 1961, manned by Yuri Gagarin, the first human to go into space and return safely.

The next step was to land on the surface of the moon. The Apollo 11 mission successfully accomplished this task, and Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin became the first humans to walk on another celestial body. Later, the Apollo 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17 missions repeated the feat, leading a total of 12 people to the lunar surface until 1972. Apollo 17 was the last mission, as the project was terminated due to a lack of budget. The initially planned Apollo 18, 19, and 20 missions were canceled.