Education, History

Cold war: the years, the essence. Peace during the Cold War. Foreign policy during the Cold War

The conflict between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of America lasted more than 40 years and was called the Cold War. The years of its duration are estimated by different historians in different ways. However, we can say with full confidence that the confrontation in 1991 ended, with the collapse of the USSR. The Cold War left an indelible mark on world history. Any conflict of the last century (after the end of World War II) must necessarily be seen through the prism of the Cold War. It was not just a conflict between the two countries. It was a confrontation between two opposing worldviews, a struggle for domination of the whole world.

Main reasons

The year of the beginning of the Cold War - 1946. It was after the victory over Nazi Germany that a new world map emerged and new rivals for world domination. The victory over the Third Reich and its allies went to huge blood throughout Europe, and especially the USSR. The future conflict emerged at the Yalta Conference of 1945. At this famous meeting of Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt, the fate of post-war Europe was decided. At this time, the Red Army was already approaching Berlin, so it was necessary to produce the so-called division of spheres of influence. Soviet troops, tempered in battle on their territory, carried liberation to other peoples of Europe. In the countries that occupied the Union, friendly socialist regimes were established.

Spheres of influence

One of these was installed in Poland. At the same time, the previous Polish government was in London and considered itself legitimate. Western countries supported it, but the Communist Party elected by the Polish people de facto rules the country. At the Yalta Conference, this issue was especially sharply considered by the parties. Similar problems have also been observed in other regions. The peoples liberated from the Nazi occupation created their own governments with the support of the USSR. Therefore, after the victory over the Third Reich, the map of the future Europe was finally formed.

The main stumbling block of former allies in the anti-Hitler coalition began after the division of Germany. The eastern part was occupied by Soviet troops, the German Democratic Republic was proclaimed. The western territories, which were occupied by the allies, were part of the Federal Republic of Germany. The two governments immediately began to quarrel. Confrontation eventually led to the closure of the borders between the FRG and the GDR. Spies, and even sabotage actions began.

American imperialism

Throughout 1945, the allies on the anti-Hitler coalition continued close cooperation. These were acts of transferring prisoners of war (who were captured by the Nazis) and material values. However, in the following year the Cold War began. The years of the first aggravation occurred precisely during the post-war period. The symbolic beginning was Churchill's speech in the American city of Fulton. Then already the former Minister of Britain said that the main enemy for the West is communism and the USSR, which personifies it. Also, Winston called on all the English-speaking nations to rally to fight against the "red contagion." Such provocative statements could not but arouse Moscow's response. After a while, Joseph Stalin gave an interview to the newspaper Pravda, in which he compared the English politician to Hitler.

Countries during the Cold War: two blocs

However, even though Churchill was a private person, he only indicated the course of Western governments. The United States sharply increased its influence in the world arena. This happened largely thanks to the war. The fighting was not conducted on American territory (with the exception of attacks by Japanese bombers). Therefore, against a background of the ruined Europe, the States had a fairly powerful economy and armed forces. Fearing the outbreak of popular revolutions (which would be supported by the USSR) on their territory, the capitalist governments began to rally around the United States. It was in 1946 for the first time that the idea of creating a military bloc of NATO was voiced . In response, the Soviets created their own unit - ATS. It even went so far that the parties were developing a strategy of armed struggle with each other. On the instructions of Churchill, a plan for a possible war with the USSR was developed. Similar plans were available in the Soviet Union. Preparations for a trade and ideological war began.

Arms race

The arms race between the two countries was one of the most revealing phenomena brought by the Cold War. The years of confrontation led to the creation of unique means of warfare, which are still used today. In the second half of the 1940s, the United States had a huge advantage - nuclear weapons. The first bombs with a nuclear charge were used in the Second World War. The bomber "Enola Gay" dropped shells on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, which almost equalized it to the ground. It was then that the world saw the destructive power of nuclear weapons. The United States began to actively increase its stockpiles of such weapons.

In the state of New Mexico, a special secret laboratory was created. On the basis of the nuclear advantage, strategic plans were made for further relations with the USSR. The Soviets, in turn, also began to actively develop the nuclear program. Americans considered the presence of charges with enriched uranium as the main advantage. Therefore, intelligence hastily exported all documents on the development of nuclear weapons from the territory of defeated Germany in 1945. In a short time, the secret plan "Dropshot" was developed . This is a strategic document, which presupposed a nuclear strike on the territory of the Soviet Union. According to some historians, various variations of this plan were presented several times to Truman. Thus ended the initial period of the Cold War, the years of which were the least tense.

Nuclear weapons of the Union

In 1949, the USSR successfully conducted the first tests of a nuclear bomb at a training ground in Semipalatinsk, as all Western media immediately announced. The creation of RDS-1 (a nuclear bomb) was made possible largely thanks to the actions of Soviet intelligence, which also penetrated the secret polygon in Los Alamos.

This rapid creation of nuclear weapons was a real surprise for the United States. Since then, nuclear weapons have become the main deterrent force for direct military conflict between the two camps. The precedent in Hiroshima and Nagasaki showed the world a terrifying power of an atomic bomb. But in what year was the cold war fiercest?

Caribbean crisis

During all the years of the Cold War, the most severe situation was in 1961. The conflict between the USSR and the US went down in history as the "Caribbean crisis". His premises were long before that. Everything began with the deployment of American nuclear missiles in Turkey. Charges "Jupiter" were placed so that they could hit any targets in the western part of the USSR (including Moscow). Such a danger could not remain unanswered.

A few years earlier, the People's Revolution, headed by Fidel Castro, had begun in Cuba. At first the USSR did not see the prospect of an uprising. However, the Cuban people managed to overthrow the Batista regime. After that, the American leadership declared that it would not tolerate a new power in Cuba. Immediately after that, close diplomatic relations were established between Moscow and Freedom Island. Soviet armed units were sent to Cuba.

The beginning of conflict

After the deployment of nuclear weapons in Turkey, the Kremlin decided to take urgent countermeasures, since it was impossible for this period to launch nuclear missiles on the US from the territory of the Union.

Therefore, the secret operation "Anadyr" was hurriedly developed. Military ships were assigned the task of delivering long-range missiles to Cuba. In October, the first ships reached Havana. Mounting of pads began. At this time, American reconnaissance planes were flying over the coast. The Americans managed to get several shots of tactical divisions, whose weapons were sent to Florida.

The aggravation of the situation

Immediately after this, the US armed forces were transferred to a state of high alert. Kennedy held an emergency meeting. A number of high-ranking officials urged the president to immediately begin an invasion of Cuba. In the event of such a development of events, the Red Army would immediately strike a nuclear missile strike against the landing party. This could well lead to a worldwide nuclear war. Therefore, both sides began to look for possible compromises. After all, everyone understood what such a cold war could lead to. The years of nuclear winter were definitely not the best prospect.

The situation was extremely tense, everything could change literally at any second. According to historical sources, at this time Kennedy even slept in his office. As a result, the Americans put forward an ultimatum - to remove Soviet missiles from the territory of Cuba. Then the sea blockade of the island began.

Khrushchev also held a similar meeting in Moscow. Some Soviet generals also insisted not to succumb to Washington's demands and in case of which to repel an attack by the Americans. The main blow of the Union could not be at all in Cuba, but in Berlin, which was perfectly understood in the White House.

"The Black Sabbath"

The world in the years of the Cold War suffered the greatest threat of nuclear strikes on October 27, on Saturday. On this day, an American U-2 reconnaissance aircraft flew over Cuba and was shot down by Soviet antiaircraft gunners. In a few hours, this incident became known in Washington.

The US Congress advised the president to immediately begin the invasion. The president decided to write a letter to Khrushchev, where he repeated his demands. Nikita Sergeyevich responded to this letter immediately, having agreed to them, in exchange for the US promise not to attack Cuba and take out missiles from Turkey. That the message reached as soon as possible - the appeal was made through the radio. This concludes the Cuban crisis. Since then, the tension in the situation has gradually decreased.

Ideological confrontation

Foreign policy during the Cold War for both blocs was characterized not only by competition for control over the territories, but by a rigid information struggle. Two different systems in every possible way tried to show the world their superiority. In the United States, the famous Radio Liberty was created, which was broadcast on the territory of the Soviet Union and other socialist countries. The stated goal of this news agency was the struggle against Bolshevism and communism. It is noteworthy that Radio Liberty exists until now and operates in many countries. The Soviet Union during the Cold War also created a similar station, which broadcast to the territory of the capitalist countries.

Each event of importance to humanity in the second half of the last century was considered in the context of the Cold War. For example, the flight into space of Yuri Gagarin was presented to the world as a victory of socialist labor. Countries spent huge resources on propaganda. In addition to sponsoring and supporting cultural figures, there was a wide network of agents.

Spy Games

Spyware intrigues of the Cold War were widely reflected in art. The secret services went to a variety of tricks to be one step ahead of their opponents. One of the most characteristic cases is Operation Confession, which is more like the story of a spy detective.

Even during the war, the Soviet scientist Lev Termin created a unique transmitter that did not require recharging or a power source. It was a kind of perpetual motion machine. The listening device was called Zlatoust. The KGB, on Beria's personal order, decided to install Zlatoust in the building of the US embassy. To do this, a wooden shield with the image of the emblem of the United States was created. During the visit of the American ambassador to the children's health camp "Artek" a solemn line was arranged. In the end, the pioneers sang the US anthem, after which the embroidered ambassador was handed a wooden coat of arms. He, unaware of the trick, installed it in his private office. Thanks to this, the KGB received information for 7 years about all the conversations of the ambassador. Such cases, open to the public and secret, were huge.