The Cold War was a state of political and military tension between the United States and Soviet Union from 1945 to 1991. This tension was characterized by an ideological battle between capitalism and communism without direct armed conflict. The world was divided into two competing blocs aligned with either the US or Soviet Union. Some key events that defined the Cold War included the Berlin Blockade, formation of NATO, Korean War, Cuban Missile Crisis, and collapse of the Soviet Union in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

2. Cold War : State of political & military tension –
without any armed struggle – characterized by
violent propaganda
Term Coined by Walter Lippman
1st used by Bernard Baruch
Formally declared by Winston Churchill – 5th
March 1946

3. World War II ended in 1945 – Wartime allies turned bitter-
cold enemies
After the World War II – USA & Soviet Union became
super powers
Divided the world into two competing blocs
Main concern of international political atmosphere
Also known as “Propaganda War”

5. CAUSES:
Sovietisation of Eastern Europe
Russia’s policy towards Iran
Soviet pressure in Greece & Turkey
German problem
Delay of Second Front
Failure of Peace Treaties
Ideological Differences
Atomic Factor

6. RIVAL PROPOGANDA

7. PHASES
I. 1945-1950
II. 1950-1953
III. 1953-1959
IV. 1959-1970

8. 1945-1950
Eastern Europe, Greece & Turkey
Truman Doctrine
Council for Mutual Economic Assistance
Partition of Germany
Berlin Blockade
Airlift of 1948-49
Brussels Treaty
NATO

9. BRUSSELS PACT
Great Britain, France, Belgium, Netherlands &
Luxemburg
They promised aid to each other against any
aggression
Berlin Airlift
1948 – Russia violated her oral assurances
Sealed off Berlin from West : Blocked all food & fuel
supplies
USA & Western powers engaged in Airlift on Berlin : to
supply necessities
Russia withdrew in 1949

10. Berlin
Airlift

12. NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
Between USA, Canada, Britain, France, Belgium, Italy,
Netherlands, Luxemburg, Norway, Denmark, Iceland
& Portugal
1952 – Greece & Turkey
1955 – Germany
“An armed attack against or more of them in Europe or
North America shall be considered an attack against
them all”

13. 1950-1953
East-Asia : Korea – North & South conflict
North Korea + Russian weapons + China’s troops
South Korea + USA + United Nations

14. 1953-1959
Stalin’s death – Khrushchev's peace policy
Indo-china & West Asia : Geneva conference / Partition of
Vietnam
Formation of SEATO
Extension of Truman Doctrine by Eisenhower
Camp David

15. SEATO: South-East Asian Treaty
Organisation

16. 1959-1970
Summit conference to be held
U – 2 Incident – 1960
Erection of the Berlin Wall – 13th August 1961
Cuban Missile Crisis – 1962
“Détente” Era – decline of Cold War

17. Berlin Wall

18. Soviet Union planted missiles in Cuba to target USA
USA had kept secret missiles in Southern Italy &
Turkey
Ended on 28th October 1962

19. End of Cold War
Greatest event of 1990
Unification of Germany
Mikhail Gorbachev’s Perestroika (Restructuring) &
Glasnost (Openness)
Military domination to Hi-tech supremacy

20. IMPACT
Rise of two super-powers : USA & USSR
Affected international decision-making (UN)
Balance of power replaced balance of terror
International peace & security gained importance
Arms control & disarmament became complicated
Emergence of NAM
Emergence of Neo-imperialism & Neo-Colonialism
Showed war can be avoided
Change in the outlook of Foreign Policy
Foreign aid in Foreign Policies