- 1962 - 1979- The period was marked by an arms race that undermined the economies of rival countries. The development and production of new types of weapons required incredible resources. Despite the presence of tension in relations between the USSR and the USA, agreements on the limitation of strategic weapons are signed. A joint space program "Soyuz-Apollo" is being developed. However, by the beginning of the 80s, the USSR began to lose in the arms race.

- 1979 - 1987. - Relations between the USSR and the USA are again aggravated after the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan. In 1983 the United States deploys ballistic missiles at bases in Italy, Denmark, England, the FRG, and Belgium. An anti-space defense system is being developed. The USSR reacts to the actions of the West by withdrawing from the Geneva talks. During this period, the missile attack warning system is in constant combat readiness.

- 1987 - 1991- The coming to power in the USSR of Gorbachev in 1985, entailed not only global changes within the country, but also radical changes in foreign policy, called "new political thinking". Ill-conceived reforms finally undermined the economy of the Soviet Union, which led to the country's virtual defeat in the Cold War.

The end of the Cold War was caused by the weakness of the Soviet economy, its inability to support the arms race any longer, and also by the pro-Soviet communist regimes. Anti-war speeches in various parts of the world also played a certain role. The results of the Cold War were depressing for the USSR. A symbol of the victory of the West. was the reunification in 1990 of Germany.

As a result, after the USSR was defeated in the Cold War, a unipolar model of the world was formed with the US as the dominant superpower. However, there are other consequences of the Cold War. This is the rapid development of science and technology, primarily military. So, the Internet was originally created as a communication system for the American army.

Today, many documentaries and feature films about the Cold War period have been shot. One of them, which tells in detail about the events of those years, "Heroes and Victims of the Cold War."

War in Korea (participation of the USSR).

Participation of the USSR, USA and China in the Korean War. The role of the UN. Tens of thousands of American soldiers died in the Korean War

It cannot be said that the participation of the above countries in the Korean War was of great importance. In fact, the war was not fought between North and South Korea, but between two powers that sought to prove their priority by any means available. In this case, the United States became the attacking party, and the “Truman Doctrine” proclaimed at that time is a vivid example of this. In line with its "new line of policy" towards the USSR, the Truman administration did not consider it necessary to "make further compromises." She actually refused to comply with the Moscow Agreement, disrupted the work of the Joint Commission on Korea, and then transferred the Korean question to the UN General Assembly.

This US step cut off the last thread of cooperation with the USSR: Washington openly violated its allied obligations, according to which the Korean issue, as a problem of post-war settlement, was to be resolved by the allied powers. The transfer of the Korean question to the UN was required by the United States in order to establish the South Korean regime that they are creating as the only legitimate government in Korea on the international political plane. Thus, as a result of the US imperialist policy and contrary to the desire of the Korean people to create a united, independent, democratic Korea, the country was divided into two territories: the Republic of Korea dependent on the USA and the same dependence, only on the USSR, the DPRK, in fact, the border between which became the 38th parallel.

It is no coincidence that this happened precisely with the transition of the United States to the policy of the Cold War. The split of the world into two class-opposed camps - capitalism and socialism, the resulting polarization of all political forces on the world stage and the struggle between them led to the appearance in the system of international relations of knots of contradictions in which the political interests of states of opposing systems collide and are resolved. Korea, due to historical circumstances, has become such a knot. It turned out to be the arena of the struggle of capitalism represented by the United States against the positions of communism. The outcome of the struggle was determined by the balance of power between them.

Both during the Second World War and after it, the USSR consistently strove for a compromise solution of the Korean question, for the creation of a single democratic Korean state through the trusteeship system. Another thing is the United States, there was practically no room for compromise solutions on Korea. The United States deliberately contributed to the growth of tension in Korea, and if they did not take a direct part, then by their policy they actually pushed Seoul to organize an armed conflict on the 38th parallel. But in my opinion, the miscalculation on the part of the United States was that they extended their aggression to China without realizing its capabilities. This is also said by the senior researcher of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Candidate of Historical Sciences A.V. Vorontsov: “One of the decisive events during the war in Korea was the entry of the PRC into it on October 19, 1950, which practically saved the DPRK, which was in a critical situation at that time, from military defeat (this action cost more than two million lives of “Chinese volunteers”)” .

The intervention of American troops in Korea saved Syngman Rhee from military defeat, but the main goal - the elimination of socialism in North Korea - was never achieved. As for the direct participation of the United States in the war, it should be noted that the American air force and navy were active from the first day of the war, but were used to evacuate American and South Korean citizens from the frontline areas. However, after the fall of Seoul, US ground forces landed on the Korean Peninsula. The US Air Force and Navy also launched active military operations against the troops of the DPRK. In the Korean War, US aviation was the main striking force of the "UN armed forces" that helped South Korea. She acted both at the front and on objects of the deep rear. Therefore, the reflection of air strikes by the US Air Force and its allies has become one of the most important tasks of the North Korean troops and the "Chinese volunteers" throughout the war years.

The help of the Soviet Union to the DPRK during the war years had its own peculiarity - it was intended primarily to repel US aggression and therefore went mainly along the military line. The military assistance of the USSR to the fighting Korean people was carried out through gratuitous deliveries of weapons, military equipment, ammunition and other means; the organization of rebuffing American aviation by formations of Soviet fighter aviation stationed in the border regions of China adjacent to the DPRK and reliably covering various economic and other objects from the air. Also, the USSR was engaged in the training of command, staff and engineering personnel for the troops and institutions of the Korean People's Army on the spot. Throughout the war, combat aircraft, tanks and self-propelled guns, artillery and small arms and ammunition for it, as well as many other types of special equipment and military equipment were supplied from the Soviet Union in the required number. The Soviet side strove to deliver everything in a timely manner and without delay, so that the KPA troops were sufficiently provided with everything necessary to fight the enemy. The KPA army was equipped with the most modern weapons and military equipment for that time.

After the discovery of key documents from the government archives of the countries involved in the Korean conflict, more and more historical documents emerge. We know that the Soviet side assumed at that time the enormous burden of direct air and military-technical support to the DPRK. About 70 thousand personnel of the Soviet Air Force participated in the Korean War. At the same time, the losses of our air connections amounted to 335 aircraft and 120 pilots. As for ground operations to support the North Koreans, Stalin sought to completely shift them to China. Also in the history of this war there is one interesting fact - the 64th Fighter Aviation Corps (JAC). The basis of this corps was three fighter aviation divisions: the 28th Iac, the 50th Iac, the 151st Iac.

The divisions consisted of 844 officers, 1153 sergeants and 1274 soldiers. They were armed with Soviet-made aircraft: IL-10, Yak-7, Yak-11, La-9, La-11, as well as jet MiG-15. The office was located in the city of Mukden. This fact is interesting because Soviet pilots piloted these planes. Considerable difficulties arose because of this. It was necessary to maintain secrecy, since the Soviet command took all measures to hide the participation of the Soviet Air Force in the Korean War, and not to give the United States evidence that Soviet-made MiG-15 fighters, which was not a secret, were piloted by Soviet pilots. To this end, the MiG-15 aircraft had the identification marks of the Chinese Air Force. It was forbidden to operate over the Yellow Sea and pursue enemy aircraft south of the Pyongyang-Wonsan line, that is, up to 39 degrees north latitude.

In this armed clash, a separate role was assigned to the United Nations, which intervened in this conflict after the US government handed over to it the solution of the Korean problem. Despite the protest of the Soviet Union, which insisted that the Korean question was an integral part of the problem of the post-war settlement as a whole and the procedure for its discussion had already been determined by the Moscow Conference, the United States put it in the fall of 1947 for discussion by the 2nd session of the UN General Assembly. These actions were another step towards consolidating the split, towards moving away from the Moscow decisions on Korea and towards the implementation of American plans.

At the November session of the UN General Assembly in 1947, the American delegation and representatives of other pro-American states managed to reject Soviet proposals for the withdrawal of all foreign troops and push through their resolution, create a temporary UN commission on Korea, which was entrusted with supervising the elections. This Commission was elected from representatives of Australia, India, Canada, El Salvador, Syria, Ukraine (its representatives did not participate in the work of the commission), the Philippines, France and Chiang Kai-shek China. It was to carry out the transformation of the UN into a "center for harmonizing actions on the Korean question", to provide the Soviet and American administrations and Korean organizations with "consultations and advice on every step related to the establishment of an independent Korean government and the withdrawal of troops", and to ensure, under its supervision, the conduct of Korea elections based on secret ballot of the entire adult population.

However, the UN Commission in Korea failed to create an all-Korean government, as it continued its course towards the formation of a reactionary authority pleasing to the United States. The protests of the masses and public democratic organizations in the South and North of the country against its activities led to the fact that it could not fulfill its functions and turned to the so-called Intersessional Committee of the UN General Assembly for assistance. The Committee recommended to the Interim Commission, thereby canceling the decision of the UN General Assembly of November 14, 1947, to hold elections to the highest legislative body - the National Assembly in South Korea alone, and submitted the corresponding draft resolution to the session of the UN General Assembly. Many states, including Australia and Canada - members of the Interim Commission on Korea - did not support the United States and argued that such an action would result in the permanent division of the country and the presence of two hostile governments in Korea. Nevertheless, with the help of an obedient majority, the United States passed the decision they needed on February 26, 1948, in the absence of a Soviet representative.

The adoption of the American resolution had disastrous consequences for Korea. By encouraging the establishment of a "national government" in South Korea, which inevitably entailed the creation of a national government in the North, it also pushed for the dismemberment of Korea, instead of contributing to the formation of a single independent democratic state. Those who favored separate elections in the South, such as Syngman Rhee and his supporters, actively supported the decisions of the UN General Assembly, arguing that a strong government was necessary to protect against a North Korean "offensive." The leftists were against separate elections and the activities of the UN Commission, they proposed a meeting of the political leaders of North and South Korea in order to resolve internal affairs themselves after the withdrawal of foreign troops.

It is not difficult to conclude that the UN Commission stood on the side of the United States and worked in its favor. A clear example is the resolution that turned US troops in Korea into "UN armed forces." Formations, units and subunits of 16 countries operated in Korea under the UN flag: England and Turkey sent several divisions, Great Britain equipped 1 aircraft carrier, 2 cruisers, 8 destroyers, marines and auxiliary units, Canada sent one infantry brigade, Australia, France, Greece, Belgium and Ethiopia one infantry battalion each. Additionally, field hospitals and their personnel arrived from Denmark, India, Norway, Italy and Sweden. About two-thirds of the UN troops were American. The Korean War cost the UN 118,155 killed and 264,591 wounded, 92,987 were taken prisoner (most died of starvation and torture).

The death of Stalin, internal party struggle, exposure of the cult of personality

March 5, 1953. died I.V. Stalin, who for many years stood at the head of the party and state. With his death, an entire era ended. Stalin's comrades-in-arms had to not only resolve the issue of the continuity of the socio-economic course, but also divide party and state posts among themselves. Considering that society as a whole was not yet ready for radical changes, it could be more about softening the political regime than about abandoning the Stalinist course. But the possibility of its continuation was quite real. Already March, 6 Stalin's associates proceeded to the first section of leadership positions. The first place in the new hierarchy was taken by G.M. Malenkov, who received the post Chairman of the Council of Ministers and First Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU.

In the Council of Ministers, he had four deputies: L.P. Beria, a close associate of Malenkov, who headed the Ministry of Internal Affairs; V.M. Molotov, Minister of Foreign Affairs. Two other posts of deputy chairmen of the Council of Ministers were held by N.A. Bulganin and L.M. Kaganovich. K.E. Voroshilov was appointed chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet. N.S. Khrushchev was appointed to the secretariat of the Central Committee of the party. From the very first days, the new leadership took steps against the abuses of the past. Stalin's personal secretariat was dissolved. On March 27, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR announced an amnesty for all prisoners whose term did not exceed five years. In mid-July 1953, at one of the meetings in the Kremlin, which was chaired by G.M. Malenkov, who in those years was the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR N.S. Khrushchev made accusations against L.P. Beria. N.S. Khrushchev was supported by N.A. Bulgarin, V.M. Molotov and others. As soon as they started voting, Malenkov pressed the hidden bell button.

Several high-ranking officers arrested Beria. The military side of this action was led by G.K. Zhukov. On his orders, the Kantemirovskaya and Tamanskaya tank divisions were brought into Moscow, occupying key positions in the city center. This action was carried out by force. However, there was no alternative then. AT September 1953. N.S. Khrushchev was elected First Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU. By this time, having been in party work since 1924, he had passed all the steps of the apparatus ladder (in the 1930s he was the first secretary of the Moscow organization of the CPSU (b), in 1938 he headed the party leadership of Ukraine, in 1949 he was appointed Secretary of the Moscow City Party Committee). After the elimination of L.P. Beria between G.M. Malenkov and N.S. Khrushchev began conflicts that concerned two main aspects: economy and the role of society in the ongoing changes. As for the economy, the strategy for the development of light industry, advocated by Malenkov, and the "union" of agriculture and heavy industry, proposed by Khrushchev, were opposed here.

Khrushchev spoke of the need to raise purchase prices for the products of collective farms that were on the verge of ruin; on the expansion of sown areas and the development of virgin lands. Khrushchev achieved significant results for the collective farms. increase in public procurement prices(5.5 times for meat, twice for milk and butter, 50% for cereals). The increase in purchase prices was accompanied by the write-off of debts of collective farms, the reduction of taxes on household plots and on sales on the free market. Expansion of cultivated areas, development of virgin lands Northern Kazakhstan, Siberia, Altai and the Southern Urals constituted the second point of Khrushchev's program, the adoption of which he sought at February (1954) plenum of the Central Committee. Over the next three years, 37 million hectares, which was three times more than planned in February 1954 and accounted for approximately 30% of all cultivated land in the USSR at that time, were developed. In 1954, the share of virgin bread in the grain harvest was 50%.

On the Plenum of the Central Committee 1955 (January) N.S. Khrushchev came up with a project corn cultivation to solve the food problem (in practice, this manifested itself in an unprecedented action to introduce this crop, often in regions that are not at all adapted for this). At the same Plenum of the Central Committee, G.M. Malenkov for the so-called “right-wing deviationism” (G.M. Malenkov, unlike N.S. Khrushchev, considered the development of light industry rather than agriculture as a priority). The leadership of the government passed to N.A. Bulganin. Position N.S. Khrushchev in the political leadership of the country has become even stronger. 1953-1956. - this period entered the consciousness of people as " thaw” (based on the title of the novel by I.G. Ehrenburg, published in 1954).

A distinctive feature of this time was not only the holding of economic events that largely ensured the lives of Soviet people, but also softening of the political regime. The “thaw” is characterized by the collegial nature of management. In June 1953, the Pravda newspaper spoke of such management as an obligation to the people. New expressions appear - "the cult of personality", laudatory speeches disappear. In the press during this period, there was not so much a reassessment of Stalin's rule as a decrease in exaltation in relation to the personality of Stalin, frequent quoting of Lenin. The 4,000 political prisoners released in 1953 are the first breach in the repressive system. These are changes, but still unstable, like a “thaw” in early spring. N.S. Khrushchev is gradually gathering allies around him to expose Stalin's personality cult.

The main events of international politics in the second half of the 20th century were determined by the cold war between the two superpowers - the USSR and the USA.

Its consequences are felt to this day, and moments of crisis in relations between Russia and the West are often called the echoes of the Cold War.

What started the cold war

The term "cold war" belongs to the pen of the prose writer and publicist George Orwell, who used this phrase in 1945. However, the beginning of the conflict is associated with the speech of the former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, delivered by him in 1946 in the presence of American President Harry Truman.

Churchill declared that an "Iron Curtain" would be erected in the middle of Europe, to the east of which there was no democracy.

Churchill's speech had the following premises:

• the establishment of communist governments in the states liberated by the Red Army from fascism;
• the activation of the left underground in Greece (which led to civil war);
• the strengthening of the communists in such Western European countries as Italy and France.

Soviet diplomacy also took advantage of this, laying claims to the Turkish straits and Libya.

The main signs of the beginning of the cold war

In the first months after the victorious May 1945, in the wake of sympathy for the eastern ally in the anti-Hitler coalition, Soviet films were freely shown in Europe, and the attitude of the press towards the USSR was neutral or benevolent. In the Soviet Union, for a while, they forgot about the stamps that represented the West as the kingdom of the bourgeoisie.

With the onset of the Cold War, cultural contacts were curtailed, and the rhetoric of confrontation prevailed in diplomacy and the media. Briefly and clearly, the peoples were told who their enemy was.

All over the world there were bloody skirmishes of the allies of one side or another, and the Cold War participants themselves unleashed an arms race. This is the name given to the build-up in the arsenals of Soviet and American military weapons of mass destruction, primarily nuclear weapons.

Military spending drained state budgets and slowed down post-war economic recovery.

Causes of the Cold War - briefly and point by point

There were several reasons for this conflict:

1. Ideological - the insolubility of contradictions between societies built on different political foundations.
2. Geopolitical - the parties feared each other's dominance.
3. Economic - the desire of the West and the Communists to use the economic resources of the opposite side.

Stages of the Cold War

The chronology of events is divided into 5 main periods

The first stage - 1946-1955

During the first 9 years, a compromise was still possible between the victors of fascism, which both sides were looking for.

The United States strengthened its position in Europe thanks to the Marshall Plan economic assistance program. Western countries united in NATO in 1949, and the Soviet Union successfully tested nuclear weapons.

In 1950, the war broke out in Korea, where both the USSR and the USA participated to varying degrees. Stalin dies, but the Kremlin's diplomatic position does not change significantly.

The second stage - 1955-1962

Communists face opposition from the populations of Hungary, Poland and the GDR. In 1955, an alternative to the Western Alliance appeared - the Warsaw Pact Organization.

The arms race is moving to the stage of creating intercontinental missiles. A side effect of military developments was space exploration, the launch of the first satellite and the first cosmonaut of the USSR. The Soviet bloc is strengthened at the expense of Cuba, where Fidel Castro comes to power.

Third stage - 1962-1979

After the Caribbean crisis, the parties are trying to curb the military race. In 1963, an agreement was signed to ban atomic tests in air, space and under water. In 1964, the conflict in Vietnam begins, provoked by the desire of the West to defend this country from leftist rebels.

In the early 1970s, the world entered the era of "détente". Its main characteristic is the desire for peaceful coexistence. The parties limit strategic offensive weapons and prohibit biological and chemical weapons.

The peace diplomacy of Leonid Brezhnev in 1975 was crowned with the signing by 33 countries in Helsinki of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. At the same time, the Soyuz-Apollo joint program was launched with the participation of Soviet cosmonauts and American astronauts.

Fourth stage - 1979-1987

In 1979, the Soviet Union sent an army to Afghanistan to install a puppet government. In the wake of aggravated contradictions, the United States refused to ratify the SALT-2 treaty, signed earlier by Brezhnev and Carter. The West is boycotting the Olympics in Moscow.

President Ronald Reagan showed himself as a tough anti-Soviet politician by launching the SDI program - strategic defense initiatives. American missiles are deployed in close proximity to the territory of the Soviet Union.

Fifth period - 1987-1991

This stage was given the definition of "new political thinking".

The transfer of power to Mikhail Gorbachev and the beginning of perestroika in the USSR meant the renewal of contacts with the West and the gradual abandonment of ideological intransigence.

Crises of the Cold War

The crises of the Cold War in history are called several periods of the greatest aggravation of relations between rival parties. Two of them - the Berlin crises of 1948-1949 and 1961 - associated with the formation of three political formations on the site of the former Reich - the GDR, the FRG and West Berlin.

In 1962, the USSR deployed nuclear missiles in Cuba, threatening the security of the United States - these events were called the Caribbean Crisis. Subsequently, Khrushchev dismantled the missiles in exchange for the Americans withdrawing the missiles from Turkey.

When and how did the Cold War end?

In 1989, the Americans and Russians announced the end of the Cold War. In fact, this meant the dismantling of the socialist regimes of Eastern Europe, right up to Moscow itself. Germany united, the Department of Internal Affairs collapsed, and then the USSR itself.

Who won the cold war

In January 1992, George W. Bush declared: "With the help of the Lord God, America won the Cold War!" His jubilation at the end of the confrontation was not shared by many residents of the countries of the former USSR, where a time of economic upheaval and criminal chaos began.

In 2007, a bill was submitted to the US Congress establishing a medal for participation in the Cold War. For the American establishment, the theme of the victory over communism remains an important element of political propaganda.

Results

Why the socialist camp turned out to be weaker than the capitalist one and what was its significance for humanity are the main final questions of the Cold War. The consequences of these events are being felt even in the 21st century. The collapse of the left forces led to economic growth, democratic reforms, a surge of nationalism and religious intolerance in the world.

Along with this, the armaments accumulated during these years are preserved, and the governments of Russia and Western countries act largely on the basis of the concepts and stereotypes learned during the armed confrontation.

The Cold War, which lasted 45 years, is for historians the most important process of the second half of the twentieth century, which determined the outlines of the modern world.

And the United States of America lasted more than 40 years and was called the "cold war". The years of its duration are estimated differently by different historians. However, we can say with full confidence that the confrontation ended in 1991, 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 be viewed through the prism of the Cold War. It was not just a conflict between two countries.

It was a confrontation between two opposing worldviews, a struggle for dominance over the whole world.

Main reasons

The beginning of the Cold War is 1946. It was after the victory over Nazi Germany that a new map of the world and new rivals for world domination loomed. The victory over the Third Reich and its allies went to the whole of Europe, and especially the USSR, with great bloodshed. The future conflict was outlined at the Yalta Conference in 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 make the so-called division of spheres of influence. Soviet troops, hardened in battles on their territory, brought liberation to other peoples of Europe. In the countries occupied by 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. supported him, but the Communist Party elected by the Polish people de facto ruled the country. At the Yalta Conference, this issue was especially sharply considered by the parties. Similar problems were also observed in other regions. The peoples liberated from 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 blocks of the former allies in the anti-Hitler coalition began after the division of Germany. The eastern part was occupied by Soviet troops, the Western territories were proclaimed, which were occupied by the allies, became part of the Federal Republic of Germany. Disputes immediately broke out between the two governments. The confrontation eventually led to the closure of the borders between the FRG and the GDR. Spy and even sabotage actions began.

American imperialism

Throughout 1945, the allies in 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, the Cold War began the following year. The years of the first exacerbation occurred precisely in the post-war period. The symbolic beginning was Churchill's speech in the American city of Fulton. Then the former British minister said that the main enemy for the West is communism and the USSR, which personifies it. Winston also called for all English-speaking nations to unite to fight the "red plague". Such provocative statements could not but provoke a response from Moscow. After some time, Joseph Stalin gave an interview to the Pravda newspaper, in which he compared the English politician with Hitler.

Countries during the Cold War: two blocs

However, although Churchill was a private individual, he only marked the course of Western governments. The United States has dramatically increased its influence on the world stage. This happened largely due to the war. The fighting was not conducted on American territory (with the exception of raids by Japanese bombers). Therefore, against the backdrop of a devastated Europe, the States had a fairly powerful economy and armed forces. Fearing the start 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 that the idea of ​​creating a military was first voiced. In response to this, the Soviets created their own unit - the Department of Internal Affairs. Things even went so far that the parties were developing a strategy for armed struggle with each other. At the direction of Churchill, a plan was developed for a possible war with the USSR. The Soviet Union had similar plans. Preparations began for a trade and ideological war.

Arms race

The arms race between the two countries was one of the most revealing phenomena that the Cold War brought. Years of confrontation led to the creation of unique means of warfare that are still in use today. In the second half of the 40s, the United States had a huge advantage - nuclear weapons. The first nuclear bombs were used during World War II. The Enola Gay bomber dropped shells on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, which almost razed 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 stocks of such weapons.

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

Union nuclear weapons

In 1949, the USSR successfully conducted the first tests of a nuclear bomb at the Semipalatinsk test site, which was immediately announced by all Western media. The creation of the RDS-1 (nuclear bomb) became possible largely due to the actions of Soviet intelligence, which also penetrated the secret test site at Los Alamos.

Such a rapid development of nuclear weapons came as a real surprise to the United States. Since then, nuclear weapons have become the main deterrent to direct military conflict between the two camps. The precedent in Hiroshima and Nagasaki showed the whole world the terrifying power of the atomic bomb. But in what year was the cold war the most bitter?

Caribbean crisis

For all the years of the Cold War, the most tense situation was in 1961. The conflict between the USSR and the USA went down in history as its prerequisites were long before that. It all started with the deployment of American nuclear missiles in Turkey. The Jupiter charges were placed in such a way 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, a popular revolution had begun in Cuba, led by Fidel Castro. At first, the USSR did not see any prospects in the uprising. However, the Cuban people managed to overthrow the Batista regime. After that, the American leadership declared that it would not tolerate a new government in Cuba. Immediately after that, close diplomatic relations were established between Moscow and the Island of Freedom. Soviet troops were sent to Cuba.

The beginning of the conflict

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

Therefore, the secret operation "Anadyr" was hastily developed. The warships were tasked with delivering long-range missiles to Cuba. In October, the first ships reached Havana. The installation of launch pads has begun. At this time, American reconnaissance aircraft flew over the coast. The Americans managed to get some pictures of the tactical divisions, whose weapons were directed to Florida.

Aggravation of the situation

Immediately after this, the US military was put on high alert. Kennedy held an emergency meeting. A number of dignitaries urged the president to immediately launch an invasion of Cuba. In the event of such a development of events, the Red Army would immediately launch a nuclear missile attack on the landing force. This could well lead to a world wide. 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 clearly 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 began the naval blockade of the island.

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

"Black Saturday"

The world was hit the hardest during the Cold War on October 27, Saturday. On this day, an American U-2 reconnaissance aircraft flew over Cuba and was shot down by Soviet anti-aircraft gunners. A few hours later, this incident became known in Washington.

The US Congress advised the President to launch an invasion immediately. The President decided to write a letter to Khrushchev, where he repeated his demands. Nikita Sergeevich responded to this letter immediately, agreeing to them in exchange for a US promise not to attack Cuba and take the missiles out of Turkey. In order for the message to reach as quickly as possible, the appeal was made through the radio. This was the end of the Cuban crisis. Since then, the intensity of the situation began to gradually decrease.

Ideological confrontation

Foreign policy during the Cold War for both blocs was characterized not only by rivalry for control over territories, but by a tough information struggle. Two different systems tried in every possible way to show their superiority to the whole world. The famous "Radio Liberty" was created in the USA, which was broadcast to the territory of the Soviet Union and other socialist countries. The stated purpose of this news agency was to fight Bolshevism and Communism. It is noteworthy that Radio Liberty still exists and operates in many countries. During the Cold War, the USSR also created a similar station that broadcast to the territory of the capitalist countries.

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

Spy games

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

Even during the war, the Soviet scientist Lev Terminus 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 named "Zlatoust". The KGB, on Beria's personal order, decided to install "Zlatoust" in the building of the US Embassy. For this, a wooden shield was created with the image of the coat of arms of the United States. During the visit of the American ambassador to the children's wellness center, a solemn line was arranged. At the end, the pioneers sang the US anthem, after which the touched ambassador was presented with a wooden coat of arms. He, unaware of the trick, installed it in his personal account. Thanks to this, the KGB received information about all the conversations of the ambassador for 7 years. There were a huge number of similar cases, open to the public and secret.

Cold War: years, essence

The end of the confrontation between the two blocs came after the collapse of the USSR, lasting 45 years.

Tensions between West and East have persisted to this day. However, the world has ceased to be bipolar when Moscow or Washington was behind any significant event in the world. In what year was the cold war the most bitter, and closest to the "hot"? Historians and analysts are still arguing on this topic. Most agree that this is the period of the "Caribbean Crisis", when the world was on the verge of nuclear war.

The Cold War, which lasted from 1946 to 1989, was not an ordinary military confrontation. It was a struggle of ideologies, different social systems. The very term "cold war" appeared among journalists, but quickly became popular.

Causes

It seems that the end of the terrible and bloody World War II should have led to world peace, friendship and unity of all peoples. But the contradictions among the allies and the victors only intensified.

The struggle for spheres of influence began. Both the USSR and the Western countries (led by the USA) sought to expand "their territories".

• Westerners were frightened by communist ideology. They could not even imagine that private property would suddenly become state property.
• The United States and the USSR did their best to increase their influence by supporting various regimes (which sometimes led to local wars around the world).

There was no direct confrontation. Everyone was afraid to press the "red button" and launch nuclear warheads.

Main events

Speech in Fulton as the first "swallow" of the war

In March 1946, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill blamed the Soviet Union. Churchill said that he was engaged in active world expansion, violating rights and freedoms. At the same time, the British Prime Minister called on Western countries to repulse the USSR. It is from this moment that historians count the beginning of the Cold War.

The Truman Doctrine and "Containment" Attempts

The United States decided to start "containment" of the Soviet Union after the events in Greece and Turkey. The USSR demanded territories from the Turkish authorities for the subsequent deployment of a military base in the Mediterranean. This immediately alerted the West. The doctrine of the American President Truman marked the complete cessation of cooperation between the former allies in the anti-Hitler coalition.

Creation of military blocs and division of Germany

In 1949, a military alliance of a number of Western countries, NATO, was created. After 6 years (in 1955) the Soviet Union and the countries of Eastern Europe united in the Warsaw Treaty Organization.

Also in 1949, the Federal Republic of Germany appeared on the site of the western zone of occupation of Germany, and the German Democratic Republic appeared on the site of the eastern one.

Chinese Civil War

The civil war in China in 1946–1949 was also a consequence of the ideological struggle between the 2 systems. China after the end of World War II was also divided into 2 parts. The northeast was under the control of the People's Liberation Army of China. The rest were subordinate to Chiang Kai-shek (leader of the Kuomintang Party). When peaceful elections failed, war broke out. The Chinese Communist Party won.

Korean War

Korea also at that time was split into 2 zones of occupation under the control of the USSR and the USA. Their henchmen are Kim Il Sung in the north and Lee Syngman in the south of Korea. Each of them wanted to take over the whole country. A war broke out (1950-1953), which, apart from huge human losses, did not lead to anything. The borders of North and South Korea have not changed much.

Berlin Crisis

The most difficult years of the Cold War - the beginning of the 60s. It was then that the whole world was on the brink of nuclear war. In 1961, Soviet Secretary General Khrushchev demanded that US President Kennedy radically change the status of West Berlin. The Soviet Union was alarmed by the activity of Western intelligence there, as well as the "brain drain" to the West. There was no military clash, but West Berlin was surrounded by a wall - the main symbol of the Cold War. Many German families found themselves on opposite sides of the barricades.

Cuban Crisis

The most intense conflict of the Cold War was the crisis in Cuba in 1962. The USSR, in response to the request of the leaders of the Cuban revolution, agreed to deploy medium-range nuclear missiles on Liberty Island.

As a result, any town in the US could be wiped off the face of the earth in 2-3 seconds. The United States did not like this "neighborhood". I almost got to the “red nuclear button”. But even here the parties managed to agree peacefully. The Soviet Union did not deploy missiles, and the United States guaranteed Cuba not to interfere in their affairs. American missiles were also withdrawn from Turkey.

The policy of "détente"

The Cold War did not always proceed in an acute phase. Sometimes tension was replaced by "detente". During such periods, the US and the USSR entered into important agreements to limit strategic nuclear weapons and missile defense. In 1975, the Helsinki Conference of 2 countries was held, and the Soyuz-Apollo program was launched in space.

A new round of tension

The entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan in 1979 led to a new round of tension. The United States in 1980-1982 waged a set of economic sanctions against the Soviet Union. The installation of regular American missiles in European countries has begun. Under Andropov, all negotiations with the United States ceased.

Crisis of the socialist countries. perestroika

By the mid-1980s, many socialist countries were on the verge of a crisis. Less and less aid came from the USSR. The needs of the population grew, people sought to travel to the West, where they discovered a lot of new things for themselves. The consciousness of people has changed. They wanted change, a life in a more open and free society. The technical lag of the USSR from the countries of the West was intensifying.

• Understanding this, the General Secretary of the USSR Gorbachev tried to revive the economy through "perestroika", give the people more "glasnost" and move on to "new thinking".
• The communist parties of the socialist camp tried to modernize their ideology and move on to a new economic policy.
• The Berlin Wall, which was the symbol of the Cold War, has fallen. The unification of Germany took place.
• The USSR began to withdraw its troops from European countries.
• In 1991, the Warsaw Pact was dissolved.
• The USSR, which did not survive the deep economic crisis, also collapsed.

Results

Historians argue about whether to link the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the USSR. Nevertheless, the end of this confrontation occurred as early as 1989, when many authoritarian regimes in Eastern Europe ceased to exist. Contradictions on the ideological front were completely removed. Many countries of the former socialist bloc became part of the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance

The conference organized on the initiative was the first world-class forum on the history of the social and human sciences of the Iron Curtain era, held in Russia. During the plenary session, eight sections and the final discussion, 42 researchers from leading universities and research organizations from twelve countries made presentations. The conference was attended by scientists representing such humanities as history, economics, sociology, philosophy, philology, history and philosophy of science, history and philosophy of art, anthropology.

At the plenary session, David Engerman (Brandeis University, USA), a specialist in intellectual history and Soviet-American relations during the Cold War period, made a presentation on the influence of Soviet and American expertise on the socio-economic development of India under Jawaharnal Nehru. Paul Erickson (Wesleyan University, USA) described how, with the assistance of the Ford Foundation, the topic of values ​​became the main subject of research in the post-war social sciences. Tomasz Glanz (Humboldt University of Berlin) gave a presentation on the situation in which the Prague Linguistic Circle found itself at the beginning of the Cold War, and how structuralism and semiotics fell victim to the current political situation.

Modern researchers, no longer as confident as they were twenty years ago, speak of the impenetrability of the Iron Curtain. And part of the conference reports was devoted to examples of the parallel development of ideas, cooperation and knowledge transfer on both sides of it.

For example, the section "Technocratic Positivism and Counter Movements" discussed humanistic currents in American and Russian psychology in the 50s and 60s of the XX century, similar trends in the development of American and Soviet secondary education in the late 1940s. The section "Scientific exchange and interaction" was devoted to the role of Polish scientists in the development of Third World research, the importance of Finland in the scientific communication of the Soviet Union and the United States, various aspects of the interaction between East and West in the study of the Arctic and global changes in the post-war period.

Modern researchers, no longer as confident as they were twenty years ago, speak of the impenetrability of the Iron Curtain.

Questions of the influence of game theory on economic science, alternative Western and Soviet views on the relationship between rational agents and markets, various aspects of the study of the culture of mathematical economics in the USSR became the subjects of discussion of the participants in the parallel section "Economic Modeling in the West and in the USSR".

A separate section was devoted to the analysis of everyday life in the Soviet Union through the eyes of American observers, scientific transfer and institutionalization of regional studies in Russia and Western Europe. It discussed the state of Slavic studies in the USA, Europe and the Soviet Union in the middle of the 20th century, the problems of studying Latin America in the USA against the backdrop of the struggle between science and politics during the Cold War.

The “geography” of research subjects turned out to be impressive, from the production of ethnographic facts by anthropologists in Peru at the beginning of the Cold War to the historiography of the peoples of the Volga and the Urals. Participants presented different contexts of science research in their countries: science studies in Poland and Czechoslovakia, futurological and predictive research in Western and Eastern Europe, and a general view of the development of the history of science during the Cold War. Phillip Mirowski, a well-known historian of economic thought (University of Notre Dame, USA), who was in America, delivered a report on the development of decision-making theory during the years of the Cold War during a skype conference.

According to the majority of participants, the conference successfully brought together specialists from different fields on one discussion platform. It is quite possible that on the basis of the contacts that have been made, representatives of previously dissimilar research areas will be able to create joint interdisciplinary reports and innovative works.

Anastasia Shalaeva, especially for the news service of the HSE portal