Chapter 14. The Cold War and Decolonization

Cold War (about 1947–1991). A rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union, and their allies, shaped world politics without direct war between the two. Key episodes include the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan (1947–1948), the division of Germany and the Berlin Blockade, the creation of NATO (1949) and the Warsaw Pact (1955), the Chinese Communist victory in 1949, the Korean War (1950–1953), the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962), the Vietnam War and an arms race that included nuclear weapons. Proxy wars occurred in Asia, Africa and Latin America [24].

Decolonization. After World War II, colonial peoples achieved independence through negotiation, mass movements and, in some cases, armed struggle. India and Pakistan became independent in 1947. Ghana became independent in 1957, and in 1960 alone seventeen African states gained independence. Algeria won independence in 1962 after a long war. The new states faced challenges of nation-building, borders and economic development [24].

Other developments. The People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949. The civil rights movement in the United States, the end of apartheid in South Africa (with Nelson Mandela elected president in 1994), and the founding of Israel in 1948 and the continuing Israeli–Palestinian conflict were among major events of the postwar world.

End of the Cold War. The fall of the Berlin Wall (1989), the peaceful revolutions in Eastern Europe, and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991 ended the Cold War [24].

Review: In what year did India gain independence? (Answer: 1947.)