« Cold War" is a term that is commonly used to designate a period in world history from 1946 to 1989, characterized by the confrontation between two political and economic superpowers - the USSR and the USA, which are the guarantors new system international relations created after the Second World War.

Origin of the term.

It is believed that the expression “Cold War” was first used by the famous British science fiction writer George Orwell on October 19, 1945 in the article “You and the Atomic Bomb.” In his opinion, countries with nuclear weapons will dominate the world, while there will be a constant “cold war” between them, i.e. confrontation without direct military clashes. His forecast can be called prophetic, since at the end of the war the United States had a monopoly on nuclear weapons. At the official level, this expression was heard in April 1947 from the mouth of US Presidential Advisor Bernard Baruch.

Churchill's Fulton speech

After the end of World War II, relations between the USSR and the Western allies began to deteriorate rapidly. Already in September 1945, the Joint Chiefs of Staff approved the idea of ​​the United States launching a first strike against a potential enemy (meaning the use nuclear weapons). On March 5, 1946, the former Prime Minister of Great Britain, in his speech at Westminster College in Fulton in the USA in the presence of American President Harry Truman, formulated the goals of “a fraternal association of peoples speaking English", calling on them to rally to defend "the great principles of freedom and human rights." “From Stettin on the Baltic to Trieste on the Adriatic, an iron curtain has fallen over the European continent,” and “Soviet Russia wants... the unlimited spread of its power and its doctrines.” Churchill's Fulton speech is considered a turning point to the beginning of the Cold War between East and West.

"Truman Doctrine"

In the spring of 1947, the US President promulgated his “Truman Doctrine” or the doctrine of “containment of communism”, according to which “the world as a whole must accept the American system”, and the United States is obliged to engage in battle with any revolutionary movement, any claims Soviet Union. The defining factor in this case was the conflict between two ways of life. One of them, according to Truman, was based on individual rights, free elections, legitimate institutions and guarantees against aggression. The other is on control of the press and funds mass media, imposing the will of the minority on the majority, on terror and oppression.

One of the instruments of containment was the American economic assistance plan, announced on June 5, 1947 by US Secretary of State J. Marshall, who announced the provision of free assistance to Europe, which would be directed “not against any country or doctrine, but against hunger, poverty, despair and chaos."

Initially, the USSR and Central European countries showed interest in the plan, but after negotiations in Paris, a delegation of 83 Soviet economists led by V.M. Molotov left them on the instructions of V.I. Stalin. The 16 countries that joined the plan received significant assistance from 1948 to 1952; its implementation actually completed the division of spheres of influence in Europe. The communists lost their position in Western Europe.

Cominformburo

In September 1947, at the first meeting of the Cominformburo (Information Bureau of Communist and Workers' Parties), A.A.'s report was made. Zhdanov about the formation of two camps in the world - “the imperialist and anti-democratic camp, with its main goal of establishing world domination and the destruction of democracy, and the anti-imperialist and democratic camp, with its main goal of undermining imperialism, strengthening democracy and eliminating the remnants of fascism.” The creation of the Cominform Bureau meant the emergence of a single leadership center for the world communist movement. IN Eastern Europe the communists completely take power into their own hands, many opposition politicians go into exile. Social and economic transformations following the Soviet model are beginning in countries.

Berlin crisis

The Berlin crisis became a stage in the deepening of the Cold War. Back in 1947 The Western allies set a course for creating occupation zones of the West German state in the territories of the American, British and French. In turn, the USSR tried to oust the allies from Berlin (the western sectors of Berlin were an isolated enclave within the Soviet zone of occupation). As a result, the “Berlin crisis” occurred, i.e. transport blockade of the western part of the city by the USSR. However, in May 1949, the USSR lifted restrictions on transportation to West Berlin. In the autumn of the same year, Germany was divided: in September the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) was created, in October the German Democratic Republic (GDR). An important consequence crisis, the US leadership founded the largest military-political bloc: 11 states of Western Europe and the United States signed the North Atlantic Treaty on Mutual Defense (NATO), according to which each party pledged to provide immediate military assistance, in the event of an attack on any country included in the bloc. In 1952, Greece and Türkiye joined the pact, and in 1955, Germany.

"Arms race"

Another characteristic feature The Cold War became an arms race. In April 1950, a Council Directive was adopted national security“Goals and programs of the United States in the field of national security” (NSC-68), which was based on the following provision: “The USSR strives for world domination, Soviet military superiority is increasingly increasing, and therefore negotiations with the Soviet leadership are impossible.” Hence the conclusion was drawn about the need to build up American military potential. The directive focused on a crisis confrontation with the USSR “until there is a change in the nature of Soviet system" Thus, the USSR was forced to join the arms race imposed on it. In 1950-1953 the first armed incident occurred local conflict involving two superpowers in Korea.

After the death of I.V. Stalin's new Soviet leadership, headed by G.M. Malenkov, and then took a number of major steps to ease international tensions. Stating that “there is no controversial or unresolved issue that could not be resolved peacefully,” the Soviet government agreed with the United States to end the Korean War. In 1956 N.S. Khrushchev proclaimed a course to prevent war and stated that “there is no fatal inevitability of war.” Later, the CPSU Program (1962) emphasized: “The peaceful coexistence of socialist and capitalist states is an objective necessity for the development of human society. War cannot and should not serve as a way to resolve international disputes.”

In 1954, Washington adopted the military doctrine of “massive retaliation,” which provided for the use of the full power of American strategic potential in the event of an armed conflict with the USSR in any region. But at the end of the 50s. the situation changed dramatically: in 1957 the Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite, in 1959 it put into operation the first submarine With nuclear reactor on board. In the new conditions of weapons development nuclear war lost its meaning, since it would not have had a winner in advance. Even taking into account the superiority of the United States in the number of accumulated nuclear weapons, the nuclear missile potential of the USSR was sufficient to inflict “unacceptable damage” on the United States.

In the circumstances of the nuclear confrontation, a series of crises occurred: on May 1, 1960, an American reconnaissance plane was shot down over Yekaterinburg, the pilot Harry Powers was captured; in October 1961, the Berlin crisis broke out, the “Berlin Wall” appeared, and a year later the famous Cuban missile crisis occurred, which brought all of humanity to the brink of nuclear war. A peculiar outcome of the crises was the ensuing detente: on August 5, 1963, the USSR, Great Britain and the USA signed an agreement in Moscow banning nuclear weapons tests in the atmosphere, in outer space and under water, and in 1968 the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

In the 60s when the Cold War was in full swing, in the context of confrontation between two military blocs (NATO and the Warsaw Pact Organization since 1955), Eastern Europe was under the complete control of the USSR, and Western Europe was in a strong military-political and economic union with the USA, the main arena of struggle between the two systems became the countries of the “third world”, which often led to local military conflicts around the world.

"Discharge"

By the 70s, the Soviet Union had achieved approximate military-strategic parity with the United States. Both superpowers, in terms of their combined nuclear and missile power, have acquired the possibility of “guaranteed retaliation,” i.e. causing unacceptable damage to a potential enemy with a retaliatory strike.

In his message to Congress on February 18, 1970, President R. Nixon outlined three components of US foreign policy: partnership, military force and negotiations. The partnership was about allies, military force and negotiations were about “potential adversaries.”

What is new here is the attitude towards the enemy, expressed in the formula “from confrontation to negotiations.” On May 29, 1972, the countries signed the “Fundamentals of Relations between the USSR and the USA, emphasizing the need for peaceful coexistence of the two systems. Both sides committed themselves to doing everything possible to prevent military conflicts and nuclear war.

The structural documents of these intentions were the Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems (ABM) and the Interim Agreement on Certain Measures in the Field of Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (SALT-1), which sets a limit on the buildup of arms. Later, in 1974, the USSR and the USA signed a protocol according to which they agreed to missile defense only one area: the USSR covered Moscow, and the USA - a base for launching inter ballistic missiles in the state of North Dakota. The ABM Treaty was in force until 2002, when the United States withdrew from it. The result of the policy of “détente” in Europe was the holding of the Pan-European Conference on Security and Cooperation in Helsinki in 1975 (CSCE), which proclaimed the renunciation of the use of force, the inviolability of borders in Europe, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.

In 1979 in Geneva at a meeting between US President J. Carter and Secretary General The Central Committee of the CPSU was signed new agreement on the limitation of strategic offensive weapons (SALT-2), which reduced the total number of nuclear delivery vehicles to 2,400 and provided for curbing the process of modernization of strategic weapons. However, after the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan in December 1979, the United States refused to ratify the treaty, although its provisions were partially respected by both sides. At the same time, a rapid reaction force was created to protect American interests anywhere in the world.

Third world

Apparently in the late 70s. in Moscow there was a point of view that in the conditions of achieved parity and the policy of “détente”, it was the USSR that took the foreign policy initiative: the build-up and modernization of conventional weapons in Europe and the deployment of missiles were taking place medium range, large-scale buildup of naval forces, active participation in supporting friendly regimes in third world countries. Under these conditions, the course of confrontation prevailed in the United States: in January 1980, the president proclaimed the “Carter Doctrine,” according to which the Persian Gulf was declared a zone of American interests and the use of armed force to protect it was allowed.

With the coming to power of R. Reagan, a large-scale modernization program was undertaken various types weapons using new technologies, with the goal of achieving strategic superiority over the USSR. It was Reagan who made the famous words that the USSR is an “evil empire”, and America is “the people chosen by God” to implement the “sacred plan” - “to leave Marxism-Leninism on the ashes of history.” In 1981-1982 restrictions were introduced on trade with the USSR, in 1983 the program of the strategic defense initiative or the so-called “ star wars", designed to create a multi-layered defense of the United States against intercontinental missiles. At the end of 1983, the governments of Great Britain, Germany and Italy agreed to the deployment of American missiles on their territory.

The end of the Cold War

The last stage of the Cold War is associated with serious changes that occurred in the USSR after the country's new leadership came to power, led by , who pursued a policy of “new political thinking” in foreign policy. The real breakthrough was top level between the USSR and the USA in November 1985, the parties came to a consensus that “a nuclear war should not be unleashed, there can be no winners in it,” and their goal was “to prevent an arms race in space and stop it on Earth.” In December 1987, a new Soviet-American meeting took place in Washington, which ended with the signing of the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles (from 500 to 5.5 thousand km) in nuclear and non-nuclear equipment. These measures included regular mutual monitoring of the implementation of agreements, thus, for the first time in history, an entire class was destroyed the latest weapons. In 1988, the USSR formulated the concept of “freedom of choice” as a universal principle of international relations, and the Soviet Union began withdrawing its troops from Eastern Europe.

In November 1989, during spontaneous protests, the symbol of the Cold War - the concrete wall dividing West and East Berlin - was destroyed. A series of “velvet revolutions” are taking place in Eastern Europe, and communist parties are losing power. On December 2-3, 1989, a meeting took place in Malta between the new US President George W. Bush and M.S. Gorbachev, at which the latter confirmed the “freedom of choice” for the countries of Eastern Europe, proclaimed a course of a 50% reduction in strategic offensive weapons. The Soviet Union was abandoning its zone of influence in Eastern Europe. Following the meeting, M.S. Gorbachev said that “the world is emerging from the Cold War era and entering new era" For his part, George Bush emphasized that “the West will not try to take any advantage from the unusual changes taking place in the East.” In March 1991, the Department of Internal Affairs was officially dissolved, and in December the Soviet Union collapsed.

1. Which event is considered the beginning of the Cold War:
a) Churchill’s speech in March 1946 +
b) “Truman Doctrine”, February 1947
c) Molotov’s statement that not a single issue of international life should be resolved without the participation of the USSR

2. The speech of which political figure is considered an accurate reference point of the Cold War:
a) Roosevelt
b) Churchill +
c) Khrushchev

3. In what year was Europe divided into US allies and USSR allies:
a) Spring 1946
b) Autumn 1948
c) Summer 1947 +

4. Which city was divided into 2 parts during the Cold War:
a) Berlin +
b) Prague
c) Warsaw

5. The Iron Curtain is:
a) border system of socialist countries
b) the wall that separated East Berlin from West Berlin
c) split the world into two hostile camps +

6. Which event was the most acute clash between the USA and the USSR from 1946 to 1953:
a) Introduction of the USSR protectorate over Libya
b) Korean War +
c) Berlin crisis

7. The first “unofficial” military clash between the USSR and the USA during the Cold War era occurred in:
a) Vietnam
b) Berlin
c) Korea +

8. In what years was the Berlin Wall “built” and the Cuban missile crisis broke out:
a) 1961, 1962 +
b) 1955, 1960
c) 1957, 1964

9. What is the date of creation of the Warsaw Pact Organization:
a) August 1955
b) April 1955
c) May 1955 +

10. Which state was originally part of the NATO bloc:
a) Poland
b) France +
c) Germany

11. Who would Winston Churchill:
a) Prime Minister of Great Britain +
b) British Minister
c) US President

12. What unites the dates 1949 and 1953:
a) carrying out economic reforms in industry
b) first tests in the USSR atomic bomb and hydrogen bomb +
c) conducting flights into space on manned spacecraft

13. Which event happened earlier than the others:
a) Potsdam Conference +
b) the creation of ministries instead of people's commissariats
c) test of the USSR first nuclear bomb

14. In 1945, only:
a) Germany
b) USSR
c) USA +

15. The theory of peaceful coexistence belongs to:
a) Khrushchev +
b) Stalin
c) Brezhnev

16. As a result of the Cuban Missile Crisis, ballistic missiles were disarmed from the following countries:
a) Africa and Asia
b) Cuba and Europe +
c) Australia and Indonesia

17. What series of dates is associated with the creation international organizations socialist countries led by the USSR:
a) 1946, 1960
b) 1961, 1967
c) 1949, 1955 +

18. In what city did Winston Churchill deliver his famous speech that heralded the beginning of the Cold War:
a) London, UK
b) Fulton, USA +
c) Washington, USA

20. In what year did the Cuban missile crisis break out?
a) 1960
b) 1962 +
c) 1959

21. Period of US participation in the Vietnam War:
a) 1965 - 1973 +
b) 1957 - 1965
c) 1973 - 1975

22. In what year did the period of detente in the Cold War between the USSR and the USA end:
a) 1978
b) 1979 +
c) 1977

23. Afghan war, years:
a) 1979 - 1987
b) 1980 - 1985
c) 1979 - 1989 +

24. How many years did the Berlin Wall stand:
a) 18
b) 28 +
c) 20

25. What caused the end of the Cold War:
a) Decline in world oil prices in the mid-80s
b) Anti-communist revolutions of 1989
c) Both options are correct

26. Intergovernmental economic organization socialist countries was named:
a) ATS
b) CMEA +
c) UN

27. Developing countries that freed themselves from colonial dependence after the Second World War are usually called countries:
a) “Third World” +
b) Early capitalism
c) Modernized

28. The emergence after World War II of two superpowers, the USSR and the USA, led to:
a) Détente of international tension
b) Creation of a collective security system
c) The beginning of the Cold War +

29. The increase in the number of communist parties in the West after World War II indicated:
a) The growth of the authority of the USSR +
b) The growth of living standards of workers in Western countries
c) Détente of international tensions

30. Cause of the Cold War:
a) The need to denazify Germany
b) The desire of the USSR and the USA to expand spheres of influence +
c) The weakening of the USSR’s position as a result of World War II

The Cold War, the years of which are conventionally limited to the period that began a year after the victory of the countries of the anti-fascist coalition and lasted until the events of 1991, which resulted in the fall of the Soviet system, was a confrontation between two political blocs that dominated the world stage. While not a war in the international legal meaning of this term, it was expressed in the confrontation between the ideologies of the socialist and capitalist models of government.

The beginning of the confrontation between two world systems

The prologue to the Cold War was the establishment by the Soviet Union of control over the countries of Eastern Europe, liberated from fascist occupation, as well as the creation of a pro-Soviet puppet government in Poland, while its legitimate leaders were in London. This policy of the USSR, aimed at establishing control over the largest possible territories, was perceived by the governments of the USA and Great Britain as a threat to international security.

The confrontation between the main world powers became especially acute in 1945 during the Yalta Conference, which, in essence, resolved the issue of the post-war division of the world into spheres of influence. A striking illustration of the depth of the conflict was the development by the command of the British armed forces of a plan in the event of the outbreak of war with the USSR, which they began in April of the same year by order of Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Another significant reason for exacerbating contradictions between yesterday's allies was the post-war division of Germany. In its eastern part, controlled by Soviet troops, the German Empire was created Democratic Republic(GDR), whose government was completely controlled by Moscow. In the western territories liberated by the Allied forces - the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG). An acute confrontation immediately began between these states, which became the reason for the closure of borders and the establishment of a long period of mutual hostility.

Anti-Soviet position of governments Western countries was largely dictated by the policies pursued by the USSR in the post-war years. The Cold War was the result of exacerbations in international relations caused by a number of actions by Stalin, one of which was his refusal to withdraw Soviet troops from Iran and tough territorial claims against Turkey.

Historical speech of W. Churchill

The beginning of the Cold War (1946), according to most historians, was marked by a speech by the head of the British government in Fulton (USA), where on March 5 he expressed the idea of ​​​​the need to create a military alliance of Anglo-Saxon countries aimed at fighting against world communism.

In his speech, Churchill called on the world community not to repeat the mistakes of the thirties and, united, to put a barrier in the way of totalitarianism, which has become fundamental principle Soviet politics. In turn, Stalin, in an interview with the Pravda newspaper on March 12 of the same year, accused the English Prime Minister of calling for a war between the West and the Soviet Union, and likened him to Hitler.

Truman Doctrine

The new impetus that the Cold War received in the post-war years was the statement of American President Harry Truman, made on March 12, 1947. In his address to the US Congress, he pointed out the need to provide comprehensive assistance to peoples fighting against attempts to enslave them by an armed minority within the country, and resisting external pressure. In addition, he characterized the emerging rivalry between the USA and the USSR as a conflict between totalitarianism and democracy.

Based on his speech, the American government developed a program that later became known as the Truman Doctrine, which guided all subsequent US presidents during the Cold War. It determined the main mechanisms for containing the Soviet Union in its attempts to spread its influence in the world.

Taking as a basis the revision of the system of international relations that had developed during Roosevelt's reign, the creators of the doctrine advocated the establishment of a unipolar political and economic system in the world, in which the leading place would be given to the United States. Among the most active supporters of the transition to new uniform international relations, in which the Soviet Union was seen as a potential adversary, there were such prominent politicians America of those years, like Dean Acheson, Allen Dulles, Loy Henderson, George Kennan and a number of others.

Marshall Plan

At the same time, the American Secretary of State George C. Marshall put forward a program of economic assistance to European countries affected by the Second World War. One of the main conditions for assistance in economic recovery, industrial modernization, and the elimination of trade restrictions was the refusal of states to include communists in their governments.

The government of the Soviet Union, having put pressure on the countries of Eastern Europe it controlled, forced them to refuse participation in this project, called the Marshall Plan. His goal was to maintain his influence and establish a communist regime in the states under his control.

Thus, Stalin and his political entourage deprived many Eastern European countries of the opportunity to quickly overcome the consequences of the war and went on to further escalate the conflict. This principle of action became fundamental for the government of the USSR during the Cold War.

"Long Telegram"

To a large extent, the aggravation of relations between the USSR and the USA was facilitated by an analysis of possible prospects for their cooperation, given in 1946 American Ambassador George F. Kennan in a telegram sent to the President of the country. In his lengthy message, called the Long Telegram, the ambassador indicated that, in his opinion, partnership in resolving international issues should not be expected from the leadership of the USSR, which recognizes only force.

In addition, he emphasized that Stalin and his political circle were full of expansionist aspirations and did not believe in the possibility of peaceful coexistence with America. As necessary measures, he proposed a number of actions aimed at containing the USSR within the framework of its sphere of influence that existed at that time.

Transport blockade of West Berlin

One more important stage The Cold War was sparked by the events of 1948 that unfolded around the capital of Germany. The fact is that the US government, in violation of previously reached agreements, included West Berlin in the scope of the Marshall Plan. In response to this, the Soviet leadership began a transport blockade, blocking automobile and railway tracks Western allies.

The result was a trumped-up charge against the USSR Consul General in New York, Yakov Lomakin, for allegedly exceeding his diplomatic powers and declaring him persona non grata. As an adequate response, the Soviet government closes its consulates in San Francisco and New York.

Cold War arms race

The bipolarity of the world during the Cold War became the reason for the arms race that grew year by year, since both warring sides did not exclude the possibility of a final solution to the conflict by military means. At the initial stage, the United States had an advantage in this regard, since nuclear weapons appeared in their arsenal already in the second half of the 40s.

Its first use in 1945, which resulted in the destruction of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, showed the world the monstrous power of this weapon. Then it became obvious that from now on it could give its owner superiority in resolving any international disputes. In this regard, the United States began to actively increase its reserves.

The USSR did not lag behind them, during the Cold War it also relied on military force and conducted scientific research in this area. After the end of World War II, intelligence officers of both powers were tasked with detecting and removing from the territory of defeated Germany all documentation related to nuclear development.

Soviet nuclear specialists had to be especially in a hurry, since, according to intelligence data, in the post-war years the American command developed a secret plan, code-named “Dropshot,” which included launching a nuclear strike on the USSR. There is evidence that some of its options were submitted to President Truman for consideration.

It came as a complete surprise to the American government successful test nuclear bomb, carried out in 1949 by Soviet specialists at the test site in Semipalatinsk. Overseas they could not believe that their main ideological opponents in such a short time were able to become owners of atomic weapons and thereby establish a balance of power, depriving them of their former advantage.

However, the reality of the accomplished fact was not subject to doubt. Much later it became known that this success was achieved largely thanks to the actions of Soviet intelligence, operating at the American secret training ground in Los Alamos (New Mexico).

Cuban missile crisis

The Cold War, the years of which were a period of not only ideological confrontation, but also a time of armed confrontation in a number of regions of the globe, reached its highest point of aggravation in 1961. The conflict that broke out that year went down in history as the Cuban Missile Crisis, which brought the world to the brink of World War III.

Its prerequisite was the deployment by the Americans of their nuclear missiles on the territory of Turkey. This gave them the opportunity, if necessary, to strike anywhere in the western part of the USSR, including Moscow. Since in those years missiles launched from the territory of the Soviet Union could not yet reach the coast of America, the Soviet government’s response was to place them in Cuba, which had recently overthrown the pro-American puppet regime of Batista. From this position it was possible to hit even Washington with a nuclear strike.

Thus, the balance of power was restored, but the American government, not wanting to put up with this, began to prepare an armed invasion of Cuba, where Soviet military facilities were located. As a result, a critical situation arose in which, if they implemented this plan, a response would inevitably follow. nuclear strike and, as a consequence, the beginning of a global catastrophe, to which the bipolarity of the world steadily led during the Cold War.

Since this scenario did not suit either side, the governments of both powers were interested in a compromise solution. Fortunately, at a certain stage, common sense triumphed, and literally on the eve of the invasion American troops to Cuba, N.S. Khrushchev agreed to fulfill Washington’s demands on the condition of their non-aggression on Liberty Island and the removal of nuclear weapons from Turkey. This ended the conflict, but during the Cold War the world was more than once brought to the brink of a new collision.

Ideological and information war

The years of the Cold War between the USSR and the USA were marked not only by their rivalry in the field of weapons, but also by an acute information and ideological struggle. In this regard, it is appropriate to recall Radio Liberty, which is memorable to people of the older generation, created in America and broadcasting its programs to the countries of the socialist bloc. Its officially declared goal was the fight against communism and Bolshevism. It does not stop its work today, despite the fact that the Cold War ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The years of confrontation between the two world systems are characterized by the fact that any major event that occurred in the world was inevitably given an ideological coloring. For example, Soviet propaganda presented Yuri Gagarin’s first flight into space as evidence of the triumph of Marxist-Leninist ideology and the victory of the society created on its basis.

Foreign policy of the USSR during the Cold War

As mentioned above, in the field of foreign policy, the actions of the Soviet leadership were aimed at creating states in Eastern Europe organized on the principle of Stalinist socialism. In this regard, providing support to the people's democratic movements that arose everywhere, the USSR government made efforts to put pro-Soviet oriented leaders at the head of these states and thereby keep them under its control.

This policy served to create the so-called security sphere on the western borders of the USSR, legally enshrined in a number of bilateral treaties with Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Albania, Romania and Czechoslovakia. The result of these agreements was the creation in 1955 of a military bloc called the Warsaw Treaty Organization (WTO).

Its establishment was a response to America's creation in 1949 of the North Atlantic Military Alliance (NATO), which included the United States, Great Britain, Belgium, France, Canada, Portugal, Italy, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Subsequently, Western countries created several more military blocs, the most famous of which are SEATO, CENTO and ANZUS.

Thus, a military confrontation emerged, the cause of which was foreign policy during the Cold War, carried out by the most powerful and influential world powers - the USA and the USSR.

Afterword

After the fall of the communist regime in the USSR and its final collapse, the Cold War, the years of which are usually defined by the interval from 1946 to 1991, ended. Although tensions between East and West remain to this day, the world is no longer bipolar. Gone is the tendency to view any international event in terms of its ideological context. And although pockets of tension periodically arise in certain areas of the world, they do not bring humanity as close to the outbreak of the Third World War as it was during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1961.

Introduction

In this work I want to consider such a phenomenon of the second half of the last century as the Cold War. The Cold War was a period of military-political confrontation between two blocs of states led by the USSR and the USA. The modern geopolitical structure of the world is a direct consequence of the events of the Cold War. Consideration of the reasons for the emergence of the Cold War is relevant today because the history of this problem, due to political and ideological reasons, is distorted in Soviet historiography. At the same time, this topic is very difficult to study, since for a long time many facts of behind-the-scenes intrigues in the camps of both opponents will not be known.

Thus, the purpose of my work is to “Study the phenomenon of the Cold War.”

To achieve my goal, I set myself the following tasks:

v Review of literature and sources on this topic

v Exploring the chronology of the Cold War

v Description of the military achievements of the USSR during this period

v Summing up.

The main sources for my work were:

1. History of military art. It is a textbook for military academies of the Armed Forces. The author outlines all the new weapons developed during the Cold War.

2. Local wars: History and modernity. Shavrov is considered the main editor; he briefly outlines the chronology of the Cold War.

3. Wikipedia is the free encyclopedia. From there I took the definition and lessons of the Cold War.

cold war weapons combat

Cold War

Definition and manifestations of the Cold War

The Cold War is a global geopolitical, military, economic and informational confrontation between the USSR and its allies, on the one hand, and the United States and its allies, on the other, which lasted from 1946 to 1991.

The expression “Cold War” was first used on April 16, 1947 by Bernard Baruch, an adviser to US President Harry Truman, in a speech to the South Carolina House of Representatives.

The name “cold” is arbitrary here, since this confrontation was not a war in the literal sense. The deep contradiction between the capitalist and socialist models is the main cause of the war. Over time, confrontation became an element of the ideology of the two sides and helped the leaders of military-political blocs consolidate allies around themselves “in the face of an external enemy.” The new confrontation required the unity of all members of the opposing blocs.

The internal logic of the confrontation required the parties to participate in conflicts and interfere in the development of events in any part of the world. The efforts of the USA and the USSR were aimed primarily at dominating the political sphere. From the very beginning of the confrontation, the process of militarization of the two superpowers unfolded.

The USA and the USSR created their spheres of influence, securing them with military-political blocs - NATO and the Warsaw Department. The United States and the USSR regularly entered into direct military confrontation (52 heated episodes around the world).

The Cold War was accompanied by a conventional and nuclear arms race that continually threatened to lead to a third world war. The most famous of such cases when the world found itself on the brink of disaster was the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. In this regard, in the 1970s, both sides made efforts to “détente” international tensions and limit arms.

The policy of perestroika and glasnost, announced by the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Mikhail Gorbachev in 1985, led to the loss of the leading role of the CPSU. In 1991, the USSR collapsed, which put an end to the Cold War.

Manifestations of the Cold War

§ Acute political and ideological confrontation between the communist and Western liberal systems, which has engulfed almost the entire world;

§ creation of a system of military (NATO, Warsaw Pact Organization, SEATO, CENTO, ANZUS, ANZYUK) and economic (EEC, CMEA, ASEAN, etc.) alliances;

§ creation of an extensive network of military bases of the USA and the USSR on the territory of foreign states;

§ speeding up the arms race and military preparations;

§ sharp increase in military spending;

§ periodically emerging international crises (Berlin crises, Caribbean crisis, Korean War, Vietnam War, Afghan War);

§ interventions in the states of the pro-Soviet and pro-capitalist space (“division of the world”), with the aim of overthrowing one or another government under any pretext, and at the same time demonstrating their military superiority;

§ the rise of the national liberation movement in colonial and dependent countries and territories (partly inspired by the USSR), the decolonization of these countries, the formation of the “Third World”, the Non-Aligned Movement, neo-colonialism;

§ waging a massive “psychological war”, the purpose of which was to promote one’s own ideology and way of life, as well as discredit the official ideology and way of life of the opposite bloc in the eyes of the population of “enemy” countries and the “Third World”;

§ support for anti-government forces abroad - the USSR and its allies supported financially communist parties and some other left-wing parties in Western and developing countries, as well as national liberation movements, including terrorist organizations;

§ reduction of economic and humanitarian ties between states with different socio-political systems;

§ boycotts of some Olympic Games. For example, the USA and a number of other countries boycotted summer Olympic Games 1980 in Moscow. In response, the USSR and most socialist countries boycotted the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

cold war

a term denoting a state of military-political confrontation between states and groups of states, in which an arms race is being waged, economic measures of pressure are applied (embargo, economic blockade, etc.), and military-strategic bridgeheads and bases are being organized. The Cold War arose shortly after the 2nd World War. The Cold War ended in the 2nd half. 80s - early 90s mainly in connection with democratic transformations in many countries of the former socialist system.

Cold War

"Cold War" a term that became widespread after World War II 1939–45 to designate the policy of reactionary and aggressive circles of the West towards the Soviet Union and other socialist countries, as well as peoples fighting for national independence, peace, democracy and socialism. Politics "H. century,” aimed at exacerbating and maintaining the state of international tension, at creating and maintaining the danger of a “hot war” (“brinkmanship”), aims to justify an unrestrained arms race, an increase in military spending, increased reaction and persecution of progressive forces in capitalist countries. Politics "H. V." was openly proclaimed in W. Churchill’s program speech on March 5, 1946 (in Fulton, USA), in which he called for the creation of an Anglo-American alliance to fight “world communism led by Soviet Russia.” In the arsenal of methods and forms “H. century": the formation of a system of military-political alliances (NATO, etc.) and the creation wide network military bases; accelerating the arms race, including nuclear and other types of weapons of mass destruction; the use of force, the threat of force, or the accumulation of weapons as a means of influencing the policies of other states (“nuclear diplomacy”, “politics from a position of strength”); the use of economic pressure (discrimination in trade, etc.); intensification and expansion of subversive activities of intelligence services; encouraging putschs and coups d'etat; anti-communist propaganda and ideological sabotage (“psychological warfare”); obstruction of the establishment and implementation of political, economic and cultural ties between states.

The Soviet Union and other countries of the socialist community made efforts to eliminate Kh. V." and normalization of the international situation. Under the influence of a radical change in the balance of forces on the world stage in favor of peace and socialism, which was primarily the result of the growing power of the USSR and the entire socialist community, by the beginning of the 70s. a turn towards easing international tension became possible. In the 1st half of the 70s. The successes of the policy of detente were a number of agreements concluded between the USSR and the USA, the creation of a system of treaties and agreements recognizing the post-war borders in Europe as inviolable, the signing Final Act Conferences on Security and Cooperation in Europe and other documents marking the collapse of “H. V.". The USSR and other countries of the socialist community are fighting to suppress any manifestations of “H. c.”, for deepening the processes of detente, making it irreversible, in order to create conditions for a fundamental solution to the problems of peace and security of peoples.

D. Asanov.

Wikipedia

Cold War (album)

"Cold War"- the debut studio album of the project “Ice 9”, members of the group “25/17”, released in October 2011.

The title, Ice 9, was taken from the Kurt Vonnegut novel Cat's Cradle.

Cold War

Cold War- a political science term used in relation to the period of global geopolitical, military, economic and ideological confrontation in 1946-1989 between the USSR and its allies, on the one hand, and the United States and its allies, on the other. This confrontation was not a war in the international legal sense. One of the main components of the confrontation was the ideological struggle - as a consequence of the contradiction between the capitalist and socialist models of government.

The internal logic of the confrontation required the parties to participate in conflicts and interfere in the development of events in any part of the world. The efforts of the USA and the USSR were aimed primarily at dominance in the political sphere. The USA and the USSR created their spheres of influence, securing them with military-political blocs - NATO and the Warsaw Department. Although the United States and the USSR did not officially enter into direct military conflict, their competition for influence led to outbreaks of local armed conflicts in various parts of the Third World, usually taking place as proxy wars between the two superpowers.

The Cold War was accompanied by a conventional and nuclear arms race that at times threatened to lead to a third world war. The most famous of such cases when the world found itself on the brink of disaster was the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. In this regard, in the 1970s, the USSR made efforts to “détente” international tension and limit arms.

The policy of Perestroika, announced by Mikhail Gorbachev, who came to power in the USSR in 1985, led to the loss of the leading role of the CPSU. In December 1989, at a summit on the island. Malta Gorbachev and Bush officially declared the end of the Cold War. USSR, burdened economic crisis, as well as social and interethnic problems, collapsed in December 1991, ending the Cold War.

In Eastern Europe, communist governments, having lost Soviet support, were removed even earlier, in 1989-1990. The Warsaw Pact officially came to an end on July 1, 1991, and the Allied authorities lost power as a result of the events of August 19-21, 1991, which can be considered the end of the Cold War, although later dates were also mentioned.

Cold War (disambiguation)

Cold War, a phrase meaning:

• The Cold War is a global geopolitical confrontation between the USSR and its allies, on the one hand, and the United States and its allies, on the other, which lasted from the mid-1940s to the early 1990s.
• Cold War is a description of a conflict in which the parties do not resort to open confrontation.
• The Cold War in the Middle East is the conventional name for the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran, caused by the struggle of these states for dominance in the Middle East region.
• Cold War is the eighth episode of the seventh season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who.
• Cold War is the debut studio album of the Ice 9 project, members of the group 25/17, released in October 2011.

Cold War (Doctor Who)

"Cold War" is the eighth episode of the seventh season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, revived in 2005. The third episode of the second half of the season. It premiered on April 13, 2013 on BBC One in the UK. The episode was written by Mark Gatiss and directed by Douglas MacKinnon.

In the series, the alien time traveler Doctor (Matt Smith) and his companion Clara Oswald (Jenna-Louise Coleman) find themselves on a Soviet nuclear submarine in 1983 during the Cold War, where the Ice Warrior from Mars Grand Marshal Skaldak is brought back to life and begins fight against all humanity.

The episode featured the first appearance in the revived series of the Ice Warriors, who last time were present in the Third Doctor episode "The Monster of Peladon" (1974). In the UK, the episode was watched by 7.37 million viewers on its premiere day. She got basically positive reviews critics.