Cold War: US-Soviet Tensions and Global Impact

The Iron Curtain: A World Divided

The rupture between the two blocs took place in 1947 when the US president described what is known as the Truman Doctrine. It denounced the creation of communist regimes in countries occupied by the Red Army and proposed American intervention to stop the communist threat in Europe. Consequently, the US:

• Increased the number of troops and US bases in Europe.
• Proposed the Marshall Plan, an economic aid program for the reconstruction of the old continent, aiming to steer Europe away from poverty and the risk of communist expansion. Most countries accepted the US aid, which was rejected by the USSR and Eastern European countries.

In response, the USSR proposed the Zhdanov Doctrine, an act that denounced the United States' domain and stated the USSR's decision to help countries that did not wish to submit to US influence. This led to the foundation of Cominform, an organization that brought together communist countries. The world was divided into two blocs by a deep divide that Winston Churchill called the "Iron Curtain". In 1949, the US and its allies created NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), and in 1955, the USSR and its allies created the Warsaw Pact.

The Partition of Germany

One of the first stages of confrontation between the two blocs took place in Germany. After the war, this country was divided into four occupation zones: British, US, French, and Soviet. In 1948, the three Western allies decided to unite their territories and create a German federal state. The USSR ordered a blockade of Berlin, which was also divided into four zones and located within the Soviet area. The USSR ordered border closures to isolate the western sector of the city. The US responded by creating an airlift to supply the city, which lasted until May 1949. The crisis accelerated the division of Germany into two states: the Federal Republic of Germany, which fell into the Western bloc, and the German Democratic Republic, under Soviet influence. Berlin was divided into two areas, and the Berlin Wall was erected in 1961.

Understanding the Cold War

The model of international relations that developed after World War II was based on the antagonism between the two blocs led by the US and the USSR. It was a very tense confrontation, but it never led to an armed conflict between the two powers. A major arms race developed, and both sides adopted a very belligerent attitude. The tension involved hostile propaganda and espionage.

Cold War Conflicts

The rivalry manifested itself in wars outside their territories.

The Korean War

The northern part of the Korean peninsula was occupied by Russian troops, and the south by US troops. In 1949, after the withdrawal of occupying forces, Korea was divided into two states. In 1950, North Korea invaded the South with Soviet support, and US troops, backed by the UN, intervened in defense of South Korea. The conflict ended in 1953 with the Peace of Panmunjom, which consecrated the division of the two Koreas.

The Vietnam War

In French Indochina, the communist forces of the Viet Minh declared independence in 1945. France did not accept this and started a war between nationalist forces, which had the support of the Soviets, and the colonial army, which had US support. The war ended in 1954, consolidating the division of Vietnam, with South Vietnam under a pro-Western regime. After the French withdrawal, the US sent a military contingent in support of South Vietnam to prevent reunification under a communist regime. In 1975, the war ended with the withdrawal of US troops and the unification of Vietnam.