Clash of Ideologies: The Cold War Timeline

SPHERES OF INFLUENCE

SPHERES OF INFLUENCE

Describes the power one nation holds over another; may include militarism as well as ideological and geographical control.

The Soviet Union maintained and grew its sphere of influence- communist values- in the East,

THE YALTA CONFERENCE (1945)

This was a meeting between the leaders of the U.S., the Soviet Union, and Britain, who had collectively defeated Germany in WWII. The purpose of the Yalta conference was to discuss the post-war future of Germany and the preservation of a soon-to-be peaceful Europe. It was during this meeting that Germany, and Berlin, were each divided into four parts under different ideological control.

The Yalta conference brought new issues to light as the strong ideologies of both the U.S. and the Soviet Union clashed. This event had a negative impact on the U.S. - Soviet relationship, as it revealed the contradictory beliefs between the nations.

THE POTSDAM CONFERENCE (1945)

Following the Yalta Conference, the Big Three leaders met again. This time, they discussed plans for Europe in general, as well as the war against Japan. It was during this conference that the proposals that arose from Yalta were set in motion.

During the Potsdam meeting, the stark differences in thought between the communist Soviet Union and democratic U.S. were even more evident, putting further strain on their relationship.

THE TRUMAN DOCTRINE (1947)

The Truman Doctrine was intended to prevent communism from gaining more support (i.e. containment). This was proposed by Harry S. Truman, who valued democracy and liberalism for all. He wished to protect these values and contain the spread of communism.

Truman wished to deter communist expansionism, which, expectedly, did not go over well with the Soviet Union. This sparked the beginning of conflict between the nations and led to the Marshall Plan, an indirect method which was employed by the U.S. in opposition to the Soviets (rather than war, which would risk MAD).

THE MARSHALL PLAN (1948)

The Marshall Plan was a financial aid initiative (of $15 million) intended to help repair/revitalize war-torn European countries. There were, however, conditions for acceptance. These included economic assessment and agreeance to a unified economy among European nations, which was certainly not endorsed by the Soviet Union.

Again, this policy fuelled the fire between the U.S. and Soviet Union, making it much harder to cooperate and come to diplomatic reason.

NATO (Formed in 1949)

NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, was formed in Washington. According to the official NATO website, “Its purpose was to secure peace in Europe, to promote cooperation among its members and to guard their freedom – all of this in the context of countering the threat posed at the time by the Soviet Union.”

NATO was a threat to Soviet expansionism/spheres of influence. If one nation was to be attacked, all of those associated with NATO were required to help/defend them.

THE WARSAW PACT (1955)

The Warsaw Pact can be considered the Soviet Union’s version of NATO. Like NATO, members of the Warsaw Pact were guaranteed collective security and protection. Members were communist/socialist nations from central and Eastern Europe (i.e. Hungary, Poland, and East Germany, to name a few).

Like NATO was to the Soviets, the Warsaw Pact was a threat to the U.S., putting more pressure on both countries.

BERLIN BLOCKADE (1948-1949)

The Berlin Blockade was a significant event in the Cold War. Stalin was upset with the fact that West Berlin (democratic capitalism) was attracting citizens from the East (communism). He wanted to stop people from migrating from the East, so he created a blockade banning all modes of transport to the West. As a result, the Allies airlifted supplies/aid to West Berliners.

The significance of the Berlin blockade was overwhelming. It was one of the first, and biggest events that jeopardized the well-being of an innocent population. Adding to the tension and resentment between the superpowers.

THE BERLIN WALL (1961-1989)

Having the same motive as the (unsuccessful) Berlin Blockade, the construction of the Berlin Wall helped Stalin achieve his goals, at an immense cost. Stalin’s desire to prevent migration from the East to the West manifested in the construction of a concrete, reinforced wall. Families were separated, and people were killed in an attempt to cross over it.

U.S. President John F. Kennedy was not thrilled about this anti-liberal pursuit, however, he declared that “a wall is a hell of a lot better than a war.” The construction of the Berlin Wall certainly did not solve any issues between the superpowers, and tensions rose again.

THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS (1962)

This event was the closest the superpowers came to a hot war. The U.S. discovered that the Soviet Union were planting missile launch sites in Cuba. Kennedy decided to create a naval blockade around Cuba; a quarantine, as he called it. This was merely meant to stop the Soviet Union from transporting military supplies to Cuba, not bring the countries to the brink of a full-blown nuclear war.

Although during the event, the U.S. and Soviet Union were especially hostile, the Cuban Missile Crisis encouraged diplomacy and better communication. Arguably, this had a positive impact on the countries’ relationship.

THE KOREAN WAR (1950-1953)

The Korean War was one of many proxy wars that occured during the Cold War. Ideologically divided, North Korea (the Korean People’s Army) and South Korea, the communist north wished to unify Korea under a communist regime. Truman, concerned about a potential communist Domino Effect, sent American troops to support the South.

This war demonstrated the determination and willingness of the U.S. to engage in war if necessary. It wasn’t explicitly negative in the way of the relationship between countries but didn’t resolve any tensions among them.

THE VIETNAM WAR (1955-1975)

The proxy war with the most casualties and social impact was definitely the Vietnam War. Like Korea, Vietnam was divided by communist and anti-communist ideas. Worried that communism would spread to the South and then all of Asia, the U.S. got involved, sending money and supplies to South Vietnam. The prolonged battle stimulated peace protests among civilians who were unhappy with the amount of economic and social strain resulting from American involvement.

The U.S. was ultimately defeated. According to BBC, “President Richard Nixon sought to reach a reduction of tension with the USSR in an attempt to divide the two communist superpowers in their support of North Vietnam. Both the USA and the USSR tried to distance themselves from China.” So again, diplomacy was used to ease tensions among the superpowers.

SOVIET-AFGHANISTAN WAR (1979-1989

The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in the interest of establishing and preserving a Marxist/communist government. Like Korea and Vietnam, Afghanistan was ideologically divided. The efforts of the Soviet Union were not taken well by the Islamic people, as communism was perceived as a challenge to religious traditions. The proliferation of Guerilla warfare escalated the situation significantly and the U.S. got involved in airstrikes as well as providing war supplies to support Afghanistan in battle.

The Soviet Union’s unsuccessful attempt at instilling a communist regime emphasized a weakness within the country, contributing to the eventual downfall of the Union.

SALT I/SALT II (1969-1979)

The SALT, Strategic Arms Limitation, talks were intended to reduce nuclear weaponry and lessen the chance of war. SALT I, signed in 1969, was an agreement made between the Soviet Union and the U.S. to limit anti-ballistic missiles, ABMs, and reduce/dismantle existing nuclear weapons. SALT II occurred later and focused on preventing an excessive amount of nuclear weapons from being built.

This was a step in the right direction for the superpowers, as they agreed that nuclear war and the plausibility of MAD were something that neither wanted to risk.

GLASNOST & PERESTROIKA

Glasnost- Openness/transparency

Perestroika- Restructuring of political and economic systems.

Both Glasnost and Perestroika aimed to foster Soviet economic revitalization. Glasnost (late 1980s) emphasized the need for governments to be fully transparent about policies and intentions that concern the public. Perestroika intended to reform and restructure both the political and economic systems. Both were steps towards the economic and political liberalization of the Soviet Union.

These reforms bridged the ideological gap between the U.S. and Soviet Union, as the establishment of more liberal ideals was admired by President Ronald Reagan.