Unit 8: Cold War and Decolonization (c. 1945–1990) Flashcards
Cold War
A geopolitical and ideological struggle between the United States (capitalism) and the Soviet Union (communism) that shaped global politics through proxy wars, arms races, and alliances.
Event: Berlin Blockade and Airlift (1948–49) marked early Cold War tensions.
📝 Use to frame all related conflict in this unit — the Cold War is the backdrop for revolutions, decolonization, and proxy wars.
Truman Doctrine (1947)
U.S. policy to contain communism by providing economic and military aid to countries resisting Soviet influence.
Event: Aid to Greece and Turkey prevented them from falling to communism
Marshall Plan (1948)
Massive U.S. financial aid package to rebuild Western Europe post-WWII. Aimed to strengthen capitalist allies and avoid the spread of communism.
Event: Over $12 billion in aid given to Western European countries
NATO (1949)
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was a military alliance between Western powers to counter Soviet aggression.
Event: Triggered the formation of the Warsaw Pact (1955) as a communist counter-alliance.
Warsaw Pact (1955)
Soviet-led military alliance of Eastern bloc nations designed to counterbalance NATO.
Event: Used to justify Soviet invasions, such as the crushing of the Hungarian Uprising (1956).
Non-Aligned Movement (1961)
A coalition of countries that refused to align with the U.S. or USSR during the Cold War. Often led by newly decolonized nations.
Event: Bandung Conference (1955) laid the groundwork for the movement.
📝 Use to show how Global South leaders carved space for independence amid superpower rivalry
Cuban Revolution (1959)
Fidel Castro overthrew U.S.-backed dictator Batista and established a communist government. Aligned with the USSR, sparking U.S. fears of communism in the Western Hemisphere.
Event: Led directly to the Bay of Pigs invasion (1961) and Cuban Missile Crisis (1962).
Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
Soviet attempt to place nuclear missiles in Cuba. After tense negotiations, both sides pulled back, narrowly avoiding nuclear war.
Event: 13-day standoff between JFK and Khrushchev
Vietnam War (1955–1975)
A Cold War-era proxy war where communist North Vietnam (supported by USSR/China) fought against U.S.-backed South Vietnam. Resulted in a communist victory.
Event: Fall of Saigon (1975) — the U.S. withdrew, and Vietnam was unified under communism.
Korean War (1950–1953)
First military conflict of the Cold War. The U.S. and UN supported South Korea; China and the USSR supported the North.
Event: Armistice signed in 1953, with the border remaining at the 38th parallel.
Afghan-Soviet War (1979–1989)
The USSR invaded Afghanistan to support a communist regime. The U.S. armed the Mujahideen, who later evolved into extremist groups.
Event: U.S. aid to Mujahideen contributed to eventual Soviet withdrawal.
📝 Use as an example of the Cold War shifting into the Middle East and unintended long-term effects.
Mikhail Gorbachev
Final leader of the Soviet Union. Introduced reforms like glasnost (openness) and perestroika (economic restructuring) that inadvertently accelerated the USSR’s collapse.
Event: Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989) and Soviet dissolution (1991).
Decolonization
The process by which colonies gained independence from imperial powers, often influenced by WWII and Cold War ideologies.
Event: India gained independence in 1947, setting off waves of decolonization across Africa and Asia.
Indian Independence Movement
Led by Mohandas Gandhi, it used nonviolent civil disobedience to gain independence from Britain.
Event: Salt March (1930) and Quit India Movement (1942) pressured Britain to decolonize.
Partition of India (1947)
Britain split India into Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan, leading to mass migration and violence.
Event: Over 1 million deaths and 15 million displaced during the partition.
Algerian War for Independence (1954–1962)
Violent conflict where Algerians fought French colonial rule. One of the most brutal decolonization struggles.
Event: FLN guerrilla warfare and French military repression marked by atrocities on both sides.
Kwame Nkrumah
Leader of Ghana, the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence (1957). Advocated Pan-Africanism and the Non-Aligned Movement.
Event: Founded the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in 1963.
Ho Chi Minh
Vietnamese nationalist and communist revolutionary. Led the fight against French and then American imperialism.
Event: Declared Vietnamese independence in 1945, modeled after the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
Mau Mau Uprising (1952–1960)
A violent rebellion by Kikuyu people against British rule in Kenya. The British responded with brutal repression before eventually granting independence.
Zionism & Creation of Israel (1948)
Zionism was a nationalist movement advocating for a Jewish homeland. After the Holocaust, global sympathy led to the UN partitioning Palestine, and Israel was created.
Event: Arab-Israeli War (1948) broke out immediately; the conflict remains unresolved.
