All About the Cold War Period (1947-1991) UPSC CSE

1) What were the major events of the Cold War?

IMPORTANT EVENTS OF THE COLD WAR ERA
Sr. No.	Event	Description
1.	Marshall Plan of 1947	American secretary of State “George Marshall” unveiled a European Recovery Programme (ERP) which offered financial help to european nations. This programme was termed as the “Marshall Plan” This was considered to be an economic extension of the “Truman Doctrine”
2.	Berlin Blockade of 1948	With escalating tensions between the Soviet Union and the Allied nations, the Soviet Union initiated the Berlin Blockade in 1948. This blockade was a strategic move by the Soviet Union to restrict the Allied nations’ access to their respective sectors in Berlin. Subsequently, on August 13, 1961, the Communist government of the German Democratic Republic commenced the construction of a wall, known as the Berlin Wall, separating East and West Berlin. The primary purpose of this wall was to curb the mass migration from East Berlin to West Berlin. Travel between East and West Berlin was not permitted, except under specific circumstances. The Berlin Wall stood as a potent symbol of the Cold War, representing the ideological divide between the United States and the Soviet Union, until its eventual demolition in 1989.
3.	Formation of NATO in 1949	The Berlin blockade showed the West's military unreadiness and frightened them into making definite preparations. Therefore, in 1948, mainly the countries of western Europe signed the Brussels Defence Treaty, promising military collaboration in case of war. Later on the Brussels Defence Treaty was joined by the USA, Canada, Portugal, Denmark, Iceland, Italy and Norway. This led to the formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in April 1949. NATO countries agreed to regard an attack on any one of them as an attack on all of them, and placed their defence forces under a joint command.
4.	Warsaw Pact of 1955	The Warsaw Pact ( 1955) was signed between Russia and her satellite states shortly after West Germany was admitted to NATO. The Pact was a mutual defence agreement, which the Western countries perceived as a reaction against West Germany's membership of NATO.
5.	The Space Race	Space exploration served as another dramatic arena for Cold War competition. In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik I, the world’s first artificial satellite and the first man-made object to be placed into the Earth’s orbit. In 1958, the U.S. launched its own satellite called Explorer I. The space race was won by the US, when it successfully landed the first man (Neil Armstrong) on the surface of the moon in 1969.
6.	Cuban Missile Crisis	The USSR deployed nuclear missiles in Cuba, targeting US cities. The USA imposed a naval blockade on Cuba, escalating tensions between the superpowers. The situation brought both nations to the brink of war. However, after 13 days of intense standoff, the USSR agreed to withdraw the missiles. The Cuban Missile Crisis, a critical event during the Cold War, triggered global alarm and showcased the dangers of nuclear brinkmanship. Leaders navigated a precarious path away from direct conflict and potential nuclear catastrophe, averting a disastrous outcome.
7.	Vietnam War	In 1965, US sent troops to aid south Vietnam in its war against communist north Vietnam, which was supported by Soviets & Chinese. By the time US troops left in 1973, 58k Americans had died. War ended in 1975 with communist forces overrunning the south.
8.	Afghan War	Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan in support of marxist government, which was battling insurgents known as mujaheddin (aided by US & Pakistan). After 10 years of wars soviet troops retreated in 1989.

2) What is the Truman Doctrine?

Announced on 12.03.1947, US President Harry S. Truman. It was a US Policy to stop the Soviet Union’s Communist and imperialist endeavours, under guise of providing aid to other countries E.g.: USA appropriated funds to support the economies and military might of third world countries like: Greece and Turkey. Historians believe that the announcement of this doctrine in a way marked the declaration of the Cold War.

3) What was the Iron Curtain?

Iron Curtain is the political, military and ideological barrier erected by the Soviet Union in the aftermath of the Second World War. The central idea behind it was to seal off itself and its dependent eastern and central European allies from open contact with the western and non-communist areas.

4) What were the causes of the end of the Cold War?

Economic strains from the arms race: The costly arms race between the USA and USSR strained the Soviet economy, weakening its sustainability.
Internal discontent and nationalism: Dissatisfaction among various Soviet republics and rising nationalist sentiments contributed to the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
Influence of external events: Events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and reforms in Eastern European countries contributed to the shifting geopolitical landscape, weakening the Soviet sphere of influence.
Diplomatic efforts and negotiations: Intensive diplomatic efforts, negotiations, and summits between the US and USSR, such as the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaties (START), played a role in reducing tensions and fostering a pathway to the end of the Cold War.

Characteristic of Cold War Conflict

Absence of direct large-scale combat between opposing sides. Despite the dramatic escalations, direct military confrontation between the USSR and USA miraculously never occurred throughout the entire Cold War.
Marked by proxy war is a war fought between groups or smaller countries that each represent the interests of other larger powers, and may have help and support from the larger powers E.g. Vietnam War.

Cause of Cold War, have been discussed stage-wise, which are as follows:

Bipolar World: The emergence of the US and USSR as dominant powers after WWII created a bipolar world with competing spheres of influence, leading to a constant power struggle.
Soviet Expansion: The installation of communist regimes in Eastern Europe by the USSR was seen by the West as a threat to democracy and a potential domino effect.
Fear of Communism: Western anxieties about the spread of communism, fueled by Soviet influence in Eastern Europe and socialist movements within their own countries, drove a wedge between the superpowers.
Containment Policy: The Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan, aimed at containing communism, were interpreted by the USSR as aggressive interference which escalated tensions
Nuclear Arms Race: The US detonation of atomic bombs and the subsequent arms race heightened anxieties and fueled an atmosphere of mutual distrust.
Formation of Military Alliances: NATO and the Warsaw Pact solidified the divide, creating military blocs and reinforcing the concept of mutually assured destruction.
Economic Competition: The Marshall Plan's focus on rebuilding Western Europe was viewed by the Soviets as a challenge to their sphere of influence.
Propaganda and Espionage: Both sides engaged in extensive propaganda campaigns and covert operations to undermine the other.
Unresolved WWII Issues: Disagreements over reparations, territorial claims, and the future of Germany added to the existing tensions.

End of the Cold War

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan drained the USSR's economic and military resources. By 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed due to a combination of reasons signalling the conclusion of the Cold War and the weakening of one of the superpowers. This era's end marked the triumph of the USA, shifting the bipolar world order to a unipolar one. Additionally, other factors that contributed to the end of the Cold War include:

Economic strains from the arms race: The costly arms race between the USA and USSR strained the Soviet economy, weakening its sustainability.
Internal discontent and nationalism: Dissatisfaction among various Soviet republics and rising nationalist sentiments contributed to the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
Influence of external events: Events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and reforms in Eastern European countries contributed to the shifting geopolitical landscape, weakening the Soviet sphere of influence.
Diplomatic efforts and negotiations: Intensive diplomatic efforts, negotiations, and summits between the US and USSR, such as the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaties (START), played a role in reducing tensions and fostering a pathway to the end of the Cold War.

India During the Cold war

Non-Aligned Movement (“NAM”)

NAM was coined by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru. It began with a meeting of leaders from countries like India, Yugoslavia and Egypt meeting in 1956. These three countries are considered as the architects of NAM. However, it is Pt. Nehru whose contribution is especially remembered.

Concept: it means the refusal of the States to take sides with one or the other of the two superpowers which existed at the time of the Cold War. Non-alingment is defined by the act of not entering into military alliances with any country from either of the two blocs namely Western/Capitalist bloc lead by U.S.A. or the Communist bloc lead by the U.S.S.R. NAM was significant as it asserted the independence of foreign policy which is free from the influence of the two blocs.

Role of India: India, as a leader of NAM during the Cold War, aimed to stay neutral in alliances and opposed newly decolonized countries joining them. India actively participated in world affairs, trying to ease Cold War tensions, mediating conflicts, and preventing full-scale wars.

Look East Policy: It was introduced in 1991 under Narasimha Rao, the policy was made with the goal of increasing economic and security collaboration with countries in South-east Asia. It was enacted in the aftermath of the Cold-war as India aimed to counter China’s influence in the region with the implementation of this policy. With the end of the Cold-War, India strengthened ties with the South Asian Countries. India’s efforts to increase its presence in the region resulted in the advancements in the political relationship and heightened cooperation on regional security in the region. The look east policy had played a major role in establishing India as a significant participant in the Southeast Asian affairs.

Conclusion of Cold War

The aftermath of the Cold War resulted in complete transformation of the global geo-political dynamics. NATO expanded, incorporating in its fold the former Warsaw Pact Countries and former Soviet republic, which was a severe blow to Russia. The major effect of the end of the Cold War was the emergence of the USA as a global superpower and the beginning of the era of the Unipolar world. Since the Cold War was considered a war of ideologies (Communist v/s Capitalist), the end of the Cold War marking the win for the USA, marked a victory for Capitalism. The result of this was that economic globalisation spread rapidly and interconnectedness increased in the entire world. On the other hand, Russia also underwent a lot of economic reforms, which changed its image from being a planned economy to a market-oriented one. However, even after multiple transformations on the economic front, Russia continues to face economic hardship. While the USA has become a technological world leader, Russia has struggled to raise its economic development because of its ruggedness and mostly due to the peculiar challenges posed by its geographical location.

Cold War