The COLD WAR, Explained [AP Euro Review—Unit 9 Topic 3]

Summary

The video explores the Cold War's origins and key events that shaped it. Following World War II, tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union escalated, despite agreements made at post-war conferences. The ideological divide between democracy and communism led to the creation of the Truman Doctrine, which aimed to contain communism worldwide. The Cold War was fought through propaganda, espionage, nuclear arms races, and proxy wars in Korea, Vietnam, and Afghanistan. Ultimately, despite never directly engaging in battle, the U.S. and Soviet Union’s rivalry deeply impacted global politics for decades.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Cold War began shortly after World War II, as tensions escalated between the United States and the Soviet Union.
• 😀 Despite the agreements made at the end of WWII, including democratic elections in Eastern Europe, Stalin's actions led to the creation of the Soviet Bloc, increasing distrust.
• 😀 Germany was divided into four occupation zones, creating further division between the Soviet-controlled East and the Western-controlled West, which led to tensions.
• 😀 Winston Churchill famously referred to the division between Eastern and Western Europe as the 'Iron Curtain'.
• 😀 The Truman Doctrine was established to prevent the spread of communism, with the United States offering military and financial aid to countries threatened by communism.
• 😀 The Cold War was characterized by propaganda, espionage, nuclear arms races, and proxy wars rather than direct military combat between the superpowers.
• 😀 The U.S. and Soviet Union used propaganda to shape perceptions, with each side emphasizing the other's faults, like capitalism's greed or racial issues in America.
• 😀 The CIA (U.S.) and KGB (Soviet Union) were key intelligence agencies involved in covert operations during the Cold War, engaging in espionage and gathering information on the enemy.
• 😀 The nuclear arms race intensified the Cold War, with both sides developing increasingly powerful bombs, including the hydrogen bomb, resulting in a situation of Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD).
• 😀 Proxy wars, such as the Korean War, Vietnam War, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, were indirect conflicts where the U.S. and the Soviet Union supported opposing sides.
• 😀 The Cold War resulted in a decades-long geopolitical standoff, shaping global relations and influencing conflicts in many parts of the world.

Q & A

What was the primary cause of the Cold War after World War II?

The primary cause of the Cold War was the growing ideological and political tension between the United States and the Soviet Union, which developed over issues like the control of Eastern Europe, the division of Germany, and conflicting views on communism and democracy.

What was agreed upon by the Big Three at the end of World War II regarding Eastern Europe?

The Big Three (the United States, the Soviet Union, and Great Britain) agreed that Eastern European nations should be allowed to choose their leaders and governments through democratic elections.

How did the Soviet Union violate the agreement made by the Big Three regarding Eastern Europe?

Instead of allowing Eastern European nations to choose their governments democratically, the Soviet Union absorbed them into the Soviet Bloc, turning them into communist states controlled by Moscow.

What was the significance of the division of Germany after World War II?

Germany was divided into four occupation zones (Soviet, French, British, and American). The division, particularly the Soviet control over East Germany, fueled tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, which led to the Cold War.

What was the Truman Doctrine, and how did it shape U.S. foreign policy?

The Truman Doctrine was a policy articulated by U.S. President Harry Truman that stated any country under the threat of communism could expect financial and military aid from the United States. It was intended to contain the spread of communism worldwide.

How did the United States first test the Truman Doctrine?

The first test of the Truman Doctrine occurred in Greece, where the U.S. provided financial aid to anti-communist forces fighting against communist insurgents in the Greek Civil War, ensuring that Greece did not fall to communism.

What were the major ways in which the Cold War was waged?

The Cold War was waged through propaganda, covert actions (spying), the arms race (especially nuclear weapons), and proxy wars where the U.S. and Soviet Union supported opposing sides of smaller conflicts around the world.

How did propaganda play a role in the Cold War?

Propaganda was used by both sides to promote their political ideologies. The U.S. used Radio Free Europe to broadcast democratic ideals into Soviet-controlled territories, while the Soviet Union emphasized the evils of capitalist greed and racial tensions in the U.S.

What was the significance of the arms race during the Cold War?

The arms race was significant because it involved both the U.S. and Soviet Union developing increasingly powerful nuclear weapons, including the hydrogen bomb, in an attempt to surpass each other. The threat of mutual assured destruction kept the two superpowers from engaging in direct war.

What were some of the notable proxy wars during the Cold War?

Notable proxy wars during the Cold War included the Korean War (1950-1953), the Vietnam War (1955-1975), and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (1979-1989), where the U.S. and the Soviet Union supported opposing sides in smaller conflicts without directly engaging in battle.