4.12  Cold War—Escalation and Reducing Tensions

Why, after a quarter of a century, would a period of détente begin in the 1970s?

The arms race was very costly to the Soviet Union. The money that should have been used for improvements to Soviet society was instead used to pay for weapons bought during the arms race. The United States was involved in a costly and unpopular war in Vietnam (pages 204-205 in your textbook, Understandings of Ideologies). If détente began, maybe the relationship between the Soviet Union and the United States would improve.

By the last half of the 1960s, there were five countries that possessed nuclear weapons: the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, France, and China. As well, many other small countries wanted to participate in the nuclear arms race, too. It was believed that countries that had nuclear capability were a threat to other nations and were a sign of power. The superpowers realized that nuclear bombs were destructive and dangerous and not an effective way to settle disputes. The best way to ease tension was by signing treaties to limit the number of nuclear weapons.

The world hoped that these treaties would ease tensions and help all people to feel more secure. As long as each superpower possessed the same type of weaponry as the other, world war could be avoided.

Although arms treaties were signed, neither superpower was going to let the other one become strong enough to upset the balance of power. Both superpowers continued to develop new weapons. In 1981, the Americans developed the neutron bomb that could kill more people while causing less damage to buildings. In 1983, the Americans began to develop the Star Wars defense system. Because both sides could destroy each other many times over with missiles; intercepting these missiles was of primary importance. A massive shield was to be built in outer space. In the 1980s, U.S. President Ronald Reagan increased military spending to support this program.



American and Soviet international relations in the years following World War II were based on the belief that each country's respective ideology was superior to the other's ideology. But both superpowers feared a nuclear war and agreed that there needed to be another way to settle their conflicts. They feared that a nuclear war would destroy the world in a Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD). The period of relaxed tension that came about is known as détente. To avoid conflict, both superpowers agreed to sign weapons treaties.

Reducing Cold War Tensions

World War II was about the spread of a political system that rejected liberal values—fascism. It was also about the spread of fascist ideas and the vision of a German-dominated society controlled by one dictator—Hitler. The Cold War was about an ideological conflict involving the United States and the Soviet Union and their ideologies of liberal democracy and communism. The United States and the Soviet Union, the two superpowers, were trying to avoid direct confrontation because they both possessed nuclear weapons. As you saw on pages 200-203 in your textbook, Understandings of Ideologies, the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962 brought the world close to a nuclear confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Please watch the following video explaining the end of the Cold War:

 


The End of the Cold War

In 1989, Polish shipyard workers started a strike, demanding better working conditions and an increase in salary. However, Poland was communist and communists were not allowed to strike. The strikers joined together to establish the Solidarity movement. The Polish government was not able to stop the movement, which proved to be anti-communist. Eventually, Poland declared itself independent from communism and the Soviet empire. The success of this movement away from Soviet domination and communism encouraged other countries to declare independence. Soon, other countries in the communist eastern European bloc held democratic elections and declared themselves free from the Soviet Union.


The collapse of communism in the satellite countries in eastern Europe led eventually to the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union.

In 1989, Polish shipyard workers started a strike demanding better working conditions and an increase in salary. However, Poland was communist and communists were not allowed to strike. The strikers joined together to establish the Solidarity movement. The Polish government was not able to stop the movement, which proved to be anti-communist. Eventually, Poland declared itself independent from communism and the Soviet empire. The success of this movement away from Soviet domination and communism encouraged other countries to declare independence. Soon, other countries in the communist eastern European bloc held democratic elections and declared themselves free from the Soviet Union.



In this picture, a crane is removing a concrete section of The Berlin Wall.

S/SGT Lee Corkran, U.S. Dept. of Defense

In 1990, East Germany and West Germany were united. After separating the two countries for over 50 years, the Berlin Wall that had divided Germany into two independent countries, communist and democratic, was torn down.

The wall had represented the clash of two opposing empires. It was built by the communist regime to keep East German people in and keep enemies of East Germany out. It became a symbol of the oppressive totalitarian dictatorship (lack of political or economic freedom) in East Germany, the Soviet bloc, and the ideology of a communist world. The tearing down of the wall was a dramatic sign that the Cold War was really over. German families that had not seen each other in over 30 years were able to reunite. Communist East Germany saw how industrialized and free West Germany was. The two Germanys reunited and again formed the single nation of Germany. A German leader was elected democratically, and the country worked diligently to reunite ideology and the economy.

For those who had suffered at the hands of communist dictatorships, the end of the Soviet era was a period of excitement and insecurity. For the communist countries that were ruled by dictators, the right to elect their leader democratically was a new challenge. Political parties were embraced for their opposing opinions, and a new sense of political ownership was evident. This political ownership also brought about fear. Under a communist regime, all citizens were guaranteed jobs. The new regime meant the disintegration of communism. Jobs were no longer guaranteed, and many people were laid off. Unemployment became an issue for the people.


"Reducing International Tensions" on pages 207-213 of your textbook, Understandings of Ideologies. These pages will further your understanding of the concept of ideological conflict with liberalism.

You should make notes, either on paper or on your computer, about what you have read. You may want to read the tutorial How to Make Notes. When you are finished the tutorial, return here to continue this unit.