Cold War: Key Phases, Conflicts, and End

Phases of the Cold War

The Cold War went through four main stages: a period of maximum tension between 1947 and 1953, a phase called "peaceful coexistence" between 1953 and 1977, a resurgence of tension until 1985, and a final period until the disintegration of the USSR.

The Period of Maximum Tension (1947-1953)

During this period, the two blocs and superpowers tried to expand their respective areas of influence. There was a lot of friction, and relations were so strained that a direct confrontation seemed imminent. Key events included:

• The Berlin Crisis: In 1948, the United States, Britain, and France joined their governments and created the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG). The Soviet Union did not accept this and blockaded West Berlin, which was surrounded by the Soviet zone. The blockade failed because the Allies supplied the city by air. In response, the USSR created the German Democratic Republic (GDR) in its area.
• The Korean War: After the defeat of Japan, Korea was divided into a communist north and a capitalist south. In 1950, the communist government invaded South Korea. The UN condemned the invasion and adopted a US-led intervention. However, China supported North Korea militarily. In 1953, a peace treaty was signed, and the borders of 1950 were maintained.

The Period of Peaceful Coexistence (1953-1977)

From 1953, the two powers began a stage of dialogue and détente, but conflicts still arose:

• In 1961, the East Berlin government built the Berlin Wall to prevent the massive flight of its population to the west.
• In 1962, the U.S. discovered that Soviet missiles were being installed in Cuba and ordered a naval blockade of the island to prevent the arrival of the missiles. To avoid war, the USSR agreed to dismantle the bases. Talks began, and in 1968, the first nuclear non-proliferation agreements were signed.
• The U.S. intervened in the Vietnam War. The pressure of public opinion forced the government to withdraw in 1973.

Resurgence of Tension and End of the Cold War (1977-1991)

From 1977, the USSR deployed nuclear missiles in their areas of influence in Europe and Asia and increased its presence in the Third World, including Ethiopia, Angola, Mozambique, and Afghanistan. The United States deployed missiles in Western Europe and designed the Strategic Defense Project, or "Star Wars." The collapse of the Soviet bloc in 1989 and the disintegration of the USSR in 1991 marked the end of the Cold War.

The Cold War's ideological divisions and the struggle for hegemony between the superpowers led to a general climate of confrontation from 1947 to 1991. It was a global conflict between two antagonistic blocs led by the U.S. and the USSR. It was a permanent state of international tension, but it was not a direct confrontation. The political reconstruction of the world resulted from treaties signed by the Allies at Yalta and Potsdam in 1945.

The Cold War began with distrust and mutual fear between the former allies, who had differing interests. The first points of friction were Iran, Greece, and Turkey. A bipolar world consolidated, with the Western bloc controlled by the U.S. and the Eastern bloc by the USSR. The U.S. created the Marshall Plan to provide economic aid to Europe, and the USSR responded by creating its own economic bloc. The Western bloc created the military alliance NATO, and the Eastern bloc answered with the Warsaw Pact. Major conflicts included the Korean War, the Berlin Crisis, and the Vietnam War.

Between 1962 and 1970, there was a stage called peaceful coexistence, during which the two big powers reached an agreement of mutual respect. This was promoted within the blocs by Kennedy and Khrushchev. However, tensions remained. Yugoslavia opted for its own socialist and economic path. Relations between China and the USSR began to deteriorate, and socio-political movements opposed to U.S. dominance emerged.