Cold War: Europe's Division, Berlin Crisis & Blocs

Cold War Phase: Key Developments

Economic Division of Europe

Each major power introduced an economic collaboration system within its sphere of influence:

• Marshall Plan: A strategy proposed by George C. Marshall to revive the economies of favorable European countries. This generous aid, adopted in 1948 and valued at $13 billion, included almost every country in Western Europe. It had two main goals:
  • Improve living standards in Europe and avert the danger of communist expansion.
  • Maintain European demand and avoid an American overproduction crisis.
• COMECON (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance): Created by the Soviet Union as a response to the US plan. Its aim was to coordinate the economic policies of Eastern European countries and establish mechanisms for mutual assistance.

The Berlin Crisis

Post-war Germany and its capital, Berlin, were divided into four occupation zones. In 1948, at a conference, the US, UK, and France agreed to unify their zones into a single state: the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany).

Stalin's response was the Berlin Blockade, cutting off land access to West Berlin. This triggered the first major crisis of the Cold War. The US resolved the situation by creating the Berlin Airlift to supply the city. Subsequently, the USSR established its occupation zone as an independent state: the German Democratic Republic (East Germany).

Creation of Military Blocs

Increased tensions led the opposing sides to form military alliances:

• NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization): Formed in 1949 by the Western bloc.
• Warsaw Pact (Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance): Formed in 1955 by the Eastern bloc.

Cold War Conflicts and Expansion

Communist Triumph in China

Following a civil war, the Chinese Communist Party defeated the nationalist Kuomintang. In 1949, Mao Zedong proclaimed the People's Republic of China.

The Korean War (1950-1953)

After World War II, Korea was divided into North Korea (communist) and South Korea (aligned with the West). North Korean troops invaded the South in 1950. The US reacted immediately, securing a United Nations resolution condemning the invasion and authorizing military intervention.

Neither side could achieve a decisive victory without risking the use of nuclear weapons, leading to the signing of an armistice in 1953.

Consequences of the Korean War:

• Estimated 2-4 million deaths.
• Demonstrated the potential for Cold War conflicts to escalate into nuclear disaster.
• Led to the creation of UN international peacekeeping forces.
• Solidified Japan's importance as a key Western ally in Asia.

Bloc Expansion and US Reaction

The perceived expansion of the communist bloc led the US to drive the creation of regional defense treaties, such as SEATO (Southeast Asia Treaty Organization), and sign bilateral treaties.

Within the US, this period unleashed a wave of anti-communist hysteria (often associated with McCarthyism), during which thousands of people were accused of sympathizing with communism, leading to imprisonments and arrests in so-called "witch hunts."