The Cold War
What were the opposing ideologies of the Cold War?
Liberal capitalism vs. Authoritarian communism
What factors motivated decolonization movements in Asia and Africa?
- Spread of anti-imperialist sentiment after WWII
- Rising nationalist sentiment in colonized regions
- Cold War tensions provided new potential allies
- Financial hardships faced by Britain and France after WWII
- Participation of colonized peoples in various theaters of WWII
Describe the origins of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
When the state of Israel was created in 1948, it caused a major partition of Palestine that led to open conflict between the two national groups over territorial control. The conflict has since expanded, with many Western nations supporting Israel and many Islamic nations supporting Palestine.
Describe the policies of glasnost and perestroika
Glasnost was the policy of opening up the Soviet Union to the rest of the world and allowing political dissent. Perestroika was the policy of decentralizing and restructuring the failing Soviet economy.
What was the Green Revolution?
The Green Revolution refers to the diffusion of new technology that increased agricultural production worldwide, particularly in the developing world
What was the Iron Curtain?
The Iron Curtain was the barrier between the Free West and the Soviet Bloc in Europe, representing the different spheres of influence created by the Cold War
What led to the 1947 Partition of India?
Territorial and ethnic conflict between Hindus and Muslims in India led to the nation's partitioning into two (later three) separate states
What factors led to the rise of Islamic extremism?
The establishment of the state of Israel, surviving anti-imperialist sentiment, and repeated Western interference in Middle Eastern affairs all contributed to the rise of Islamic extremism
How were Third World countries impacted by the Cold War?
What are the positive and negative effects of fossil fuels?
POSITIVE:
- Cheap and easy to work with
- Release incredible amounts of energy
- Fueled modern industrialization
NEGATIVE:
- Non-renewable (finite)
- Pollution through release of carbon dioxide
- Scarcity leads to conflict
Identify THREE major events of the Cold War prior to 1980
- Berlin blockade and airlift
- Construction of the Berlin Wall
- Creation of NATO and Warsaw Pact
- Birth of the People's Republic of China
- Korean War
- Vietnam War
- Cuban Missile Crisis
What policies did Gamal Abdel Nasser support?
Nasser supported such policies as pan-Arab nationalism, anti-imperialism/decolonization, secular law, and the Nonaligned Movement
Compare and contrast Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping
Both Mao and Deng utilized one-party rule and authoritarian forms of governance, but Mao stressed communist policies that isolated China while Deng favored free-market reform
What was the purpose of the Nonalignment Movement?
Newly independent states and other Third World countries vouched to remain neutral throughout the Cold War and instead aid one another in state-building efforts
What factors led to worldwide population growth?
- Vaccines and other medical initiatives
- Worldwide distribution of agriculture
- General political and economic stability
- Abundance of energy due to fossil fuels
- Worldwide migration and movement
Describe the significance of both 1917 and 1945 as dates in the Cold War
1917 was the year the Bolshevik Party took control of Russia and transformed it into the world's first communist state. 1945 is the year WWII ended and the USA and USSR officially saw each other as rival superpowers competing for global influence.
Compare and contrast Kwame Nkrumah and Jomo Kenyatta
Both Nkrumah and Kenyatta were African nationalists who fought for the independence and decolonization of their countries, but Nkrumah favored pan-African nationalism and nonviolent protest while Kenyatta favored tribalism and armed resistance
What issues regularly plague new nation-states in Africa?
- Lack of modern infrastructure or governance
- Poverty due to underdeveloped economy
- Territorial conflicts based on colonial borders
- Tribalism and ethnic rivalries
- Postcolonial connections
Identify THREE factors leading up to the end of the Cold War
- Revolutions in Eastern Europe
- Fall of the Berlin Wall
- (Failed) coup against Gorbachev
- Dissolution of the Soviet Union
What are the positive and negative effects of modern globalization?
POSITIVE
- Access to new goods and services
- Widespread cultural diffusion
- Ease of travel and communication
- Economic expansion and intensification
NEGATIVE:
- Potential for worldwide pandemic
- International security issues (terrorism)
- Reactionary neo-nationalism
- Hinders development in Third World countries
What was the policy of containment, and how did it begin?
First espoused in the Truman Doctrine, the United States vowed to "contain" the spread of communism by both aiding and interfering in political developments around the world
Identify THREE methods of decolonization
- Pan-ethnic nationalism
- Marches, speeches, and nonviolent protest
- Boycotts and economic protest
- Armed rebellion
- International pressure
How has nationalism both helped and hindered decolonization movements?
Nationalism can unite people together against the imperial powers and promote national cohesion, but it can also lead to conflict based on ethnic rivalries and territorial disputes
What made the Cold War fundamentally different from previous conflicts?
- First major "clash of civilizations" in modern times
- First to implement nuclear arms race and resulting policy of Mutually Assured Destruction
- USA and USSR never engaged in direct conflict, but fought through "proxy wars" around the world
What factors have led to newfound globalization?