Cold War
The Cold War was a conflict between imperialist capitalism and socialist internationalism which took shape during World War II and concluded with the collapse of the socialist Eastern Bloc. The conflict dominated global politics for decades and triggered dozens of proxy wars on several continents. The Cold War and its aftermath are largely responsible for the geopolitical situation in the modern world.
History
Prelude
Before World War II had even ended, advisors on both sides knew an Allied victory would trigger a power grab between the Soviets and the West, including the possible rebuilding of the former Axis states to be weaponized against the enemy. By the time of the fascist defeat in May 1945, the Western Allies had already begun suppressing communist partisans in Greece and the Philippines, re-armed Japanese forces against the Chinese communists, and had even cut a secret deal with the Nazis ("Operation Sunrise") to turn northern Italy over to the US rather than let it fall into communist hands. Modern authors tend to imply that hostilities were a result of Soviet duplicity, particularly with regard to East Germany, Poland, and Czechoslovakia, but in fact by 1945 the conflict was already set in motion, and by its formal beginning in 1947, the West had already begun planning for war ("Operation Unthinkable").
Buildup
Events in the escalation of the Cold War include:
- Winston Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech in 1946
- Harry Truman's "Cold War" speech in 1947
- Marshall Plan 1947
- US intervention in the Greek Civil War in 1947
- "Prague Coup" in 1948
- Berlin Airlift in 1948
- Founding of NATO and West Germany, and subsequently East Germany, in 1949
Conclusion
Role in the fall of the USSR
In retrospect, the role of aggressive leaders like Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher has been exaggerated, and they are portrayed as instrumental in the fall of the Soviet Union. However, the CIA and most other Western experts believed that the USSR was in excellent shape and would continue for decades to come [citation needed], and ex-Soviet officials confirmed that the outside influence, if anything, retarded the collapse [citation needed]. Other factors of the Cold War, especially sanctions and increased military buildup, likely had a larger effect.