The Cold War began after. Brief Cold War. Manifestations of the Cold War

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 replied 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.

In history, the term cold war" is used to refer to the period of time 1946 - 1991, which was marked by the confrontation between the "superpowers": the USSR and the USA.

The rivalry of these states eventually developed into confrontations in many areas:

• economic,
• social,
• political,
• ideological.

Causes of the Cold War.

The difference in the ideological program of the States and the Union - capitalism and socialism - led to the fact that after the defeat of Nazi Germany, followers of both powers appeared around the world. The territory of the United States, unlike the Union Republics, did not suffer from the Nazis.

After the war, the States became a creditor to the states of Western Europe. Under the program of economic assistance "Marshal's Plan", signed in 1948 by 16 states, the United States transferred 17 billion dollars to Europe.

Beginning of the Cold War.

The beginning of the conflict associated with the spring of 1946, when W. Churchill delivered the famous Fullton speech - anti-communist propaganda began in the West. One of the conditions for granting loans was the withdrawal of representatives of the Communist Party from the governments of European states.

The countries of Eastern Europe did not accept the Marshall Plan. The USSR and its allies threw all their efforts into restoring the economy, undermined by the war. The development of nuclear weapons was a great achievement, after which the United States lost its nuclear monopoly.

Cold War events.

In the spring of 1949, the United States created the NATO military bloc, which was caused by the need to resist the Soviet Union.

Alliance includes:

• Holland,
• France,
• Belgium,
• Luxembourg,
• United Kingdom,
• Iceland,
• Portugal,
• Italy,
• Norway,
• Denmark,
• Canada.

In response, in 1955, the Union created the Warsaw Pact Organization, which included:

• Albania,
• Bulgaria,
• Hungary,
• Poland,
• Romania,
• THE USSR,
• Czechoslovakia.

During this period, there is an increase in the military forces of both states. Military-political blocs have entered into a confrontation for spheres of influence across the planet in such a way as not to avoid direct clashes.

Since 1950, the US and the USSR have been indirectly involved in the following military conflicts:

• Korean War 1950-1953
• Vietnam War 1957-1975
• Arab-Israeli Wars
• Afghan war 1979-1989

Cold War conflicts.

Conflicts remained indirect, because the outcome of any open military confrontation was unpredictable due to the possession of nuclear weapons by the superpowers.

The number of weapons created was such that, if used, they could destroy the entire Earth. So there could be no winners in such a conflict.

The nuclear era of the planet's development also provoked "information wars", which are designed to create a coup d'état in the enemy country.

End of the Cold War.

The end of the Cold War came with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. There is only one superpower left on the planet.

Holodnaya voyna (1946-1989 ... present)

In short, the Cold War is an ideological, military and economic confrontation between the two strongest powers of the 20th century, the USSR and the USA, which lasted 45 years - from 1946 to 1991. The word "war" is conditional here, the conflict continued without the use of military forces, but this did not make it less severe. Speaking briefly about the Cold War, the main weapon in it was ideology.

The main countries of this confrontation are the Soviet Union and the United States. The USSR from its very inception caused concern in Western countries. The communist system was the extreme opposite of the capitalist one, and the spread of socialism to other countries caused an extremely negative reaction from the West and the United States.

Only the threat of the capture of Europe by Nazi Germany forced the former fierce opponents to become temporary allies in World War II. France, Great Britain, the USSR and the USA created an anti-Hitler coalition and fought together with the German troops. But the conflicts were forgotten only for the duration of the war.

After the end of the bloodiest war of the 20th century, a new redistribution of the world into spheres of influence between the major victorious countries began. The USSR extended its influence to Eastern Europe. The strengthening of the Soviet Union caused serious concerns in England and the United States. The governments of these countries already in 1945 were developing plans to attack their main ideological enemy. The British Prime Minister, William Churchill, who hates the communist regime, made an open statement in which he stressed that military superiority in the world should be on the side of the Western countries, and not the USSR. Statements of this kind caused increased tension between the Western countries and the Soviet Union.

In short, the Cold War began in 1946, just after the end of World War II. Churchill's speech in the American city of Fulton can be considered its beginning. It showed the true attitude of the Western allies towards the USSR.
In 1949, the West creates a NATO military bloc in order to protect against possible aggression from the USSR. In 1955, the Soviet Union with its allied countries also forms its own military alliance, the Warsaw Pact Organization, in opposition to the Western countries.

The main participants in the conflict - the USSR and the USA did not enter into hostilities, but their policies led to the emergence of many local conflicts in many regions of the world.
The Cold War was accompanied by increased militarization, an arms race and an ideological war. How fragile the world is under such conditions was shown by the Caribbean crisis that occurred in 1962. A real war was barely averted. After him, the USSR came to an understanding of the need for disarmament. Mikhail Gorbachev, starting in 1985, pursued a policy of establishing more trusting relations with Western countries.

- 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" toward 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 emergence of knots of contradictions in the system of international relations, 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 current international relations between East and West can hardly be called constructive. In international politics today it is becoming fashionable to talk about a new round of tension. At stake is no longer a confrontation for the spheres of influence of two different geopolitical systems. Today, the new cold war is the fruit of the reactionary policy of the ruling elites of a number of countries, the expansion of international global corporations in foreign markets. On the one hand, the United States, the European Union, the NATO bloc, on the other, the Russian Federation, China and other countries.

The foreign policy inherited by Russia from the Soviet Union continues to be influenced by the Cold War, which kept the whole world in suspense for 72 long years. Only the ideological aspect has changed. There is no longer a confrontation between communist ideas and the dogmas of the capitalist path of development in the world. The emphasis is shifting to resources, where the main geopolitical players are actively using all available opportunities and means.

Foreign relations before the start of the Cold War

On a cold September morning in 1945, a capitulation was signed by officials of Imperial Japan aboard the American battleship Missouri, which was on the roadstead of Tokyo Bay. This ceremony marked the end of the bloodiest and most brutal military conflict in the history of human civilization. The war, which lasted 6 years, engulfed the entire planet. During the hostilities that took place in Europe, Asia and Africa at different stages, 63 states became participants in the bloody slaughter. 110 million people were drafted into the ranks of the armed forces of the countries participating in the conflict. There is no need to talk about human losses. The world has never known or seen such a large-scale and massacre. The economic losses were also colossal, but the consequences of the Second World War, its results created ideal conditions for the start of the Cold War, another form of confrontation, with other participants and with other goals.

It seemed that on September 2, 1945, the long-awaited and long peace would finally come. However, already 6 months after the end of the Second World War, the world again plunged into the abyss of another confrontation - the Cold War began. The conflict took other forms and resulted in a military-political, ideological and economic confrontation between the two world systems, the capitalist West and the communist East. It cannot be argued that Western countries and communist regimes were going to continue to coexist peacefully. Plans for a new global military conflict were being developed in the military headquarters, and ideas of destroying foreign policy opponents were in the air. The state in which the Cold War arose was only a natural reaction to the military preparations of potential adversaries.

This time, the guns did not roar. Tanks, warplanes and ships did not meet in another deadly battle. A long and exhausting struggle of the two worlds for survival began, in which all methods and means were used, often more insidious than a direct military clash. The main weapon of the Cold War was ideology, which was based on economic and political aspects. If previously large and large-scale military conflicts arose mainly for economic reasons, on the basis of racial and misanthropic theory, then in the new conditions a struggle for spheres of influence unfolded. The crusade against communism was inspired by US President Harry Truman and former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

The tactics and strategy of confrontation have changed, new forms and methods of struggle have appeared. The Cold War was given this name for a reason. There was no hot phase during the conflict, the warring parties did not open fire on each other, however, in terms of its scale and size of losses, this confrontation can easily be called the Third World War. After World War II, instead of detente, the world again entered a period of tension. In the course of the hidden confrontation between the two world systems, humanity has witnessed an unprecedented arms race, the countries participating in the conflict have plunged into the abyss of spy mania and conspiracies. The clashes between the two opposing camps went on with varying success on all continents. The Cold War stretched out for a long 45 years, becoming the longest military-political conflict of our time. There were also decisive battles in this war, there were periods of calm and confrontation. There are winners and losers in this confrontation. History gives us the right to assess the scale of the conflict and its results, drawing the right conclusions for the future.

Causes of the Cold War that broke out in the 20th century

If we consider the situation in the world that has developed after the end of the Second World War, it is easy to notice one important point. The Soviet Union, bearing the brunt of the armed struggle against fascist Germany, managed to significantly expand its sphere of influence. Despite the huge human losses and the devastating consequences of the war for the country's economy, the USSR became the leading world power. This fact could not be ignored. The Soviet Army stood in the center of Europe, the positions of the USSR in the Far East were no less strong. This in no way suited the countries of the West. Even taking into account the fact that the Soviet Union, the USA and Great Britain nominally remained allies, the contradictions between them were too strong.

These same states soon found themselves on opposite sides of the barricades, becoming active participants in the Cold War. Western democracies could not come to terms with the emergence of a new superpower and its growing influence on the world political arena. The main reasons for not accepting this state of affairs are the following aspects:

• huge military power of the USSR;
• the growing foreign policy influence of the Soviet Union;
• expansion of the sphere of influence of the USSR;
• the spread of communist ideology;
• activation in the world of people's liberation movements led by parties of the Marxist and socialist persuasion.

Foreign policy and the Cold War are links in the same chain. Neither the United States nor Great Britain could calmly look at the collapse of the capitalist system before their eyes, at the collapse of imperial ambitions and the loss of spheres of influence. Great Britain, which lost its status as a world leader after the end of the war, clung to the remnants of its possessions. The United States, emerging from the war with the most powerful economy in the world, owning the atomic bomb, sought to become the sole hegemon on the planet. The only obstacle to the realization of these plans was the mighty Soviet Union with its communist ideology and its policy of equality and brotherhood. The reasons that prompted another military-political confrontation also reflect the essence of the Cold War. The main goal of the warring parties was as follows:

• destroy the enemy economically and ideologically;
• limit the enemy's sphere of influence;
• try to destroy its political system from within;
• bringing the socio-political and economic base of the enemy to complete collapse;
• the overthrow of the ruling regimes and the political liquidation of state formations.

In this case, the essence of the conflict did not differ much from the military version, because the goals set and the results for the opponents were very similar. The signs that characterize the state of the Cold War also very much resemble the state in world politics that preceded the armed confrontation. This historical period is characterized by expansion, aggressive military-political plans, military build-up, political pressure and the formation of military alliances.

Where did the term "cold war" come from?

For the first time such a phrase was used by the English writer and publicist George Orwell. In this stylistic way, he outlined the state of the post-war world, where the free and democratic West was forced to face the cruel and totalitarian regime of the communist East. Orwell made clear his opposition to Stalinism in many of his works. Even when the Soviet Union was an ally of Great Britain, the writer spoke negatively about the world that awaits Europe after the end of the war. The term coined by Orwell turned out to be so successful that it was quickly picked up by Western politicians, using it in their foreign policy and anti-Soviet rhetoric.

It was with their submission that the Cold War began, the date of which began on March 5, 1946. The former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, during his speech in Fulton, used the phrase "cold war". During the statements of the high British politician, for the first time, the contradictions between the two geopolitical camps that had developed in the post-war world were publicly voiced.

Winston Churchill became a follower of the British publicist. This man, thanks to whose iron will and strength of character Britain emerged from the bloody war, the winner, is rightfully considered the "godfather" of the new military-political confrontation. The euphoria that the world experienced after the end of the Second World War did not last long. The alignment of forces that was observed in the world quickly led to the fact that the two geopolitical systems collided in a fierce battle. During the Cold War, the number of participants on both sides was constantly changing. On one side of the barricade stood the USSR and its new allies. On the other side stood the United States, Great Britain and other allied countries. As in any other military-political conflict, this era was marked by its acute phases and periods of detente, military-political and economic alliances were formed again, in the person of which the Cold War clearly identified the participants in the global confrontation.

The NATO bloc, the Warsaw Pact, bilateral military-political pacts have become a military instrument of international tension. The arms race contributed to the strengthening of the military component of the confrontation. Foreign policy took the form of open confrontation between the parties to the conflict.

Winston Churchill, despite his active participation in the creation of the anti-Hitler coalition, pathologically hated the communist regime. During the Second World War, Britain, due to geopolitical factors, was forced to become an ally of the USSR. However, already during the hostilities, at a time when it became clear that the defeat of Germany was inevitable, Churchill understood that the victory of the Soviet Union would lead to the expansion of communism in Europe. And Churchill was not mistaken. The leitmotif of the subsequent political career of the British ex-premier was the topic of confrontation, the Cold War, the state in which it was necessary to restrain the foreign policy expansion of the Soviet Union.

The British ex-premier considered the United States to be the main force capable of successfully resisting the Soviet bloc. The American economy, the American armed forces and the navy were to become the main instrument of pressure on the Soviet Union. Britain, which found itself in the wake of American foreign policy, was assigned the role of an unsinkable aircraft carrier.

With the filing of Winston Churchill, the conditions for the start of the Cold War were clearly outlined already overseas. At first, American politicians began to use this term during their election campaign. A little later, they started talking about the Cold War in the context of the foreign policy of the United States.

Key milestones and events of the Cold War

Central Europe, lying in ruins, was divided into two parts by the Iron Curtain. East Germany ended up in the Soviet zone of occupation. Almost all of Eastern Europe found itself in the zone of influence of the Soviet Union. Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Romania, with their people's democratic regimes, unwittingly became allies of the Soviets. It is wrong to assume that the Cold War is a direct conflict between the USSR and the USA. Canada, all of Western Europe, which was in the zone of responsibility of the United States and Great Britain, joined the orbit of confrontation. The situation was similar on the opposite edge of the planet. In the Far East in Korea, the military-political interests of the United States, the USSR and China clashed. In every corner of the globe, pockets of confrontation arose, which later became the most powerful crises of Cold War politics.

Korean War 1950-53 was the first result of the confrontation of geopolitical systems. Communist China and the USSR tried to expand their sphere of influence on the Korean Peninsula. Even then it became clear that armed confrontation would become an inevitable companion of the entire period of the Cold War. In the future, the USSR, the USA and their allies did not take part in hostilities against each other, limiting themselves to using the human resources of other participants in the conflict. The stages of the Cold War are a whole series of events that, to one degree or another, influenced global foreign policy development. Equally, this time can be called a rollercoaster ride. The end of the Cold War was not included in the plans of either side. The fight was to the death. The political death of the enemy was the main condition for the beginning of detente.

The active phase is replaced by periods of detente, military conflicts in different parts of the planet are replaced by peaceful agreements. The world is divided into military-political blocs and alliances. The subsequent conflicts of the Cold War brought the world to the brink of a global catastrophe. The scale of the confrontation grew, new subjects appeared on the political arena, which became the cause of tension. First Korea, then Indochina and Cuba. The most acute crises in international relations were the Berlin and Caribbean crises, a series of events that threatened to bring the world to the brink of a nuclear apocalypse.

Each period of the Cold War can be described in different ways, given the economic factor and the geopolitical situation in the world. The mid-1950s and early 1960s were marked by growing international tension. The opposing sides took an active part in regional military conflicts, supporting one side or another. The arms race was gaining momentum. Potential adversaries entered a steep dive, where the time count was no longer for decades, but for years. The economies of the countries were under enormous pressure from military spending. The end of the Cold War was the collapse of the Soviet bloc. The Soviet Union disappeared from the political map of the world. The Warsaw Pact, the military Soviet bloc, which became the main opponent of the military-political alliances of the West, has sunk into oblivion.

Final salvos and the results of the cold war

The Soviet socialist system turned out to be unviable in a sharp competitive struggle with the Western economy. There was a lack of a clear understanding of the path of further economic development of the socialist countries, an insufficiently flexible mechanism for managing state structures and interaction of the socialist economy with the main world trends in the development of civil society. In other words, the Soviet Union could not withstand the confrontation in economic terms. The consequences of the Cold War were catastrophic. Within just some 5 years, the socialist camp ceased to exist. First, Eastern Europe withdrew from the zone of Soviet influence. Then came the turn of the world's first socialist state.

Today the USA, Great Britain, Germany and France are already competing with communist China. Together with Russia, Western countries are waging a stubborn struggle against extremism and the process of Islamization of the Muslim world. The end of the Cold War can be called conditional. The vector and direction of action has changed. The composition of the participants has changed, the goals and objectives of the parties have changed.