Foreign policy of the USSR during the Cold War (1945–1953). History lesson plan (grade 11) on the topic: "foreign policy of the USSR and the beginning of the Cold War"

The term “Cold War” itself was coined by US Secretary of State D.F. Dulles. Its essence is political, economic, ideological confrontation between two systems, brinkmanship .

It makes no sense to argue about who started the Cold War - convincing arguments are presented by both sides. In Western historiography, the Cold War is the response of Western democracies to the Soviet Union's attempt to export socialist revolution. In Soviet historiography, the causes of the Cold War were the attempts of American imperialism to establish US world domination, eliminate the socialist system, restore the capitalist system in people's democracies, and suppress national liberation movements.

It is illogical and unwise to completely whitewash one side and place all the blame on the other. Today the Cold War can be seen as the inevitable cost of creating bipolar structure the post-war world, in which each of the poles (USSR and USA) sought to strengthen its influence in the world based on its geopolitical and ideological interests, while being aware of the limits of possible expansion. Already during the war with Germany, plans to start a war with Russia were seriously considered in some circles in the United States and England. The fact of negotiations that Germany conducted at the end of the war with the Western powers on a separate peace (Wolf mission) is widely known. The upcoming entry of Russia into the war with Japan, which would save the lives of millions of American boys, tipped the scales and prevented these plans from being realized.

The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was not so much a military operation as a political act aimed at putting pressure on the USSR.

The main axis of confrontation was the relationship between the two superpowers - USSR and USA. The turn from cooperation with the Soviet Union to confrontation with it began after the death of President F. Roosevelt. The beginning of the Cold War is usually dated to the speech of W. Churchill in an American city Fulton V March1946 g., in which he called on the people of the United States to jointly fight against Soviet Russia and its agents - the communist parties.

The ideological justification for the Cold War was Truman Doctrine , nominated by the US President in 1947. According to this doctrine, the conflict between Western democracy and communism is irreconcilable. The task of the United States is to fight communism throughout the world, “contain communism,” “throw back communism within the borders of the USSR.” American responsibility for the events taking place throughout the world was proclaimed; all these events were viewed through the prism of the confrontation between communism and Western democracy, the USSR and the USA.

Monopoly possession of the atomic bomb allowed the United States, as they believed, to dictate its will to the world. In 1945 The development of plans for an atomic strike on the USSR began. The plans “Pincher” (1946), “Dropshot” (1949), “Broiler” (1950) and others were consistently developed. American historians, without denying the existence of such plans, say that they were talking only about operational military plans, which drawn up in any country in case of war. But

After the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the presence of such plans could not but cause sharp concern to the Soviet Union.

In 1946 A strategic military command was created in the United States,

carried by aircraft carrying atomic weapons. In 1948 bombers with atomic weapons were stationed in Great Britain and West Germany. The Soviet Union was surrounded by a network of American military bases. In 1949 there were more than 300 of them.

The US pursued a policy of creating military -political blocs against the USSR. IN 1949 was created North Atlantic block (NATO ). It included: USA, England, France, Italy, Canada, Belgium, Holland, Norway, Greece and Turkey. Were created: in 1954 g. - military organization Yugo -East Asia (SEATO ), V 1955 G. - Baghdad Pact . A course was taken to restore Germany's military potential. IN 1949 g., in violation of the Yalta and Potsdam agreements, from three zones of occupation - British, American and French - was created Federal Republic of Germany , which joined NATO that same year.

The Soviet Union did not develop plans for aggression against other countries, in particular the United States. He did not have the necessary fleet for this (aircraft carriers of all classes, landing craft); until 1948 it had practically no strategic aviation until August 1949. atomic weapons. Developed at the end of 1946 - beginning of 1947. The “Plan for the Active Defense of the Territory of the Soviet Union” had exclusively defensive objectives. Since July 1945 to 1948 the size of the Soviet army decreased from 11.4 to 2.9 million people. But, despite the inequality of forces, the Soviet Union sought to pursue a tough foreign policy line, which led to strengthening confrontation . For some time, Stalin hoped for cooperation with the Americans in the technical and economic fields. However, after the death of Roosevelt, it became clear that such assistance was not part of the plans of US politicians. Back in 1945 Stalin demanded the creation of a system of joint defense of the Black Sea straits of the USSR and Turkey, the establishment of joint guardianship by the allies of Italy's colonial possessions in Africa (at the same time, the USSR planned to provide a naval base in Libya).

In 1946 a conflict situation arose around Iran. In 1941 Soviet and British troops were brought there. After the war, British troops were withdrawn, but Soviet troops continued to remain. On the territory they occupied in Iranian Azerbaijan, a government was formed that proclaimed autonomy and began transferring part of the landowners' and state lands to the peasants. At the same time, Iranian Kurdistan proclaimed national autonomy. Western countries regarded the position of the Soviet Union as preparation for the dismemberment of Iran. The Iranian crisis provided the occasion for Churchill's Fulton speech. The USSR was forced to withdraw its troops.

Confrontation has also emerged in Asia. Since 1946 The civil war began in China. Troops of Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang government attempted to occupy communist-controlled territories. Western countries supported Chiang Kai-shek, and the Soviet Union supported the communists, transferring them a significant amount of trophies. Mao Zedong nogo Japanese weapons. In 1948 The People's Liberation Army of China (PLA), as the CPC army became known, went on the offensive and defeated the last large formations of the Kuomintang army in the north of the country. The capital peacefully capitulated on October 1, 1949. The People's Republic of China was proclaimed. Communist leader Mao Zedong headed the government. The formation of the PRC dramatically changed the balance of power in the world. Previously, the United States, having a monopoly on the atomic bomb, could dictate its will to the world. Now the communists were in power in the two largest countries in the world, in which over a third of the world's population lived.

The Soviet Union agreed to the creation of a coalition government in Poland, which included representatives of the London emigration, but did not agree to hold general elections in Poland, which led to a conflict situation in the country.

The final collapse of the world is associated with the advancement of the United States " Marshall plan "(US Secretary of State) and the sharply negative attitude of the USSR towards him.

The United States became immeasurably rich during the war. With the end of the war they were threatened with a crisis of overproduction. At the same time, the economies of European countries were destroyed, their markets were open to American goods, but there was nothing to pay for these goods. The United States was afraid to invest capital in the economies of these countries, since there was a strong influence of leftist forces there and the situation for investment was unstable: nationalization could follow at any moment.

The Marshall Plan offered help to European countries to rebuild their devastated economies. Loans were provided for the purchase of American goods. The proceeds were not exported, but were invested in the construction of enterprises in these countries. The Marshall Plan was adopted by 16 Western European countries. Political conditions assistance was the removal of communists from governments. In 1947 Communists were removed from the governments of Western European countries. Help was also offered to Eastern European countries. Poland and Czechoslovakia began negotiations, but under pressure from the USSR they refused assistance. At the same time, the United States broke the Soviet-American loan agreement and adopted a law banning exports to the USSR. Thus, European countries were divided into two groups with different economic systems.

In 1949 was tested in the USSR atomic bomb , and in 1953 a thermonuclear bomb was created (earlier than in the USA). The creation of atomic weapons in the USSR marked the beginning arms race between the USSR and the USA.

In contrast to the bloc of Western states, a economic And military -political union of socialist countries . IN 1949 was created Council for Mutual Economic Assistance - body for economic cooperation of Eastern European states. The conditions for joining it were the rejection of the Marshall Plan. In May 1955 g. is created Warsawmilitary -political union . The world split into two opposing camps.

This affected economic relations . After the adoption of the Marshall Plan and the formation of the CMEA, two parallel world markets emerged, with little connection with each other. The USSR and Eastern Europe found themselves isolated from developed countries, which had a detrimental effect on their economies.

Inside himself socialist camp Stalin pursued a tough policy and consistently implemented the principle “Whoever is not with us is against us.” He wrote: “Two camps - two positions; the position of unconditional defense of the USSR and the position of struggle against the USSR. Here you have to choose, because there is not and cannot be a third position. Neutrality in this matter, hesitation, reservations, and the search for a third position are an attempt to evade responsibility... What does it mean to evade responsibility? This means slipping unnoticed into the camp of opponents of the USSR.” Reprisals against dissidents were carried out within socialist countries. If the leadership of a country took a special position, then that country was excommunicated from the socialist camp and all relations with it were severed, as happened in 1948. With Yugoslavia , whose leadership tried to pursue an independent policy.

With the death of Stalin, the first stage of the Cold War ended. During this phase, the Cold War was perceived by both sides as a temporary, intermediate phase between two world wars. Both sides feverishly made military preparations, expanded their alliance systems, and fought wars with each other along their periphery. The most acute moments of this period were: Berlin crisis (summer1948 G.) and war V Korea (1950 - 1953).

The reason for Berlin crisis There was a monetary reform in the western zones of occupation, when the entire mass of old-style money was not withdrawn from circulation and poured into the eastern zone. In response, the Soviet administration introduced a blockade of West Berlin, which served as the reason for the unification of the western zones of occupation and the creation of the Federal Republic of Germany

War V Korea (1950 - 1953 ) is a conflict between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), supported by China and the USSR, and the Republic of Korea (South Korea), supported by the United States. These states were formed from the Soviet and American occupation zones. Each of them sought to reunite the country under their own rule. The war began with the invasion of North Korean troops. The United States took advantage of the fact that the USSR withdrew from participation in the work of the UN Security Council in protest against the refusal to admit the People's Republic of China to the UN, and achieved a decision to send UN troops to Korea, and in fact troops of the Western bloc, who fought there with the troops of China and THE USSR. Military operations proceeded with varying degrees of success. The United States did not dare to use atomic weapons. The war ended on the same lines where it began.

Cardinal changes in the geopolitical situation in the post-war world, different balances of power in the international arena, fundamental differences in the socio-political system, value system, ideology of the USSR and the West, and primarily the USA, became powerful factors that led to the split of the alliance of the former victorious powers, led to the formation of a bipolar picture of the world. In the post-war period, the Cold War was inevitable; it was a kind of payment for the creation of a bipolar structure of the post-war world, in which each of the poles (USSR and the USA) sought to strengthen its influence based on its geopolitical and ideological interests, while realizing the limits of what was possible. expansion.

3. Political system THE USSR.

In the USSR, after the war, a restructuring of the country's governance began. The State Defense Committee, an emergency body created during the war, was dissolved. However, there was no return to even those limited forms of democracy that existed before the war. The Supreme Council met once a year to approve the budget. Party congresses had not been convened for 13 years, and the plenum of the Central Committee was held only once during this time.

At the same time, certain changes took place in the political system after the war. Firstly, the internationalist component of “Marxism-Leninism” was replaced as the main political line by state patriotism, designed to unite all forces within the country in the context of the unfolding confrontation with the West. Secondly, the center of political power shifted after the war from the party elite to executive power - to the government. For 1947 - 1952 Protocol meetings of the Politburo took place only twice (decisions were made by oral questioning), the Secretariat of the Central Committee became in fact a personnel department. All practical work on governing the country was concentrated in the USSR Council of Ministers. Eight bureaus were created in it, between which most ministries and departments were distributed. Their chairmen are G.M. Malenkov, N.A. Voznesensky, M.Z. Saburov, L.P. Beria, A.I. Mikoyan, L.M. Kaganovich, A.N. Kosygin, K.E. Voroshilov were members of Bureau of the Council of Ministers , which was headed by I.V. Stalin. All state issues were resolved in a narrow circle " comrades-in-arms of Stalin ", which included V.M. Molotov, L.P. Beria, G.M. Malenkov, L.M. Kaganovich, N.S. Khrushchev, K.E. Voroshilov, N.A. Voznesensky, A.A. Zhdanov, A. Andreev. The regime of personal power of I.V. Stalin, established since the late 1930s, has reached its highest development .

The period after the end of the Great Patriotic War and up to the death of Stalin is considered to be apogee of totalitarianism in the USSR, its highest point. In the literature, various approaches have been outlined in assessing the effect of the repressive component of the Stalinist post-war regime. There was a certain general idea that repression was the most important tool for achieving stabilization of the situation in the country, mobilizing the forces of nations to solve economic problems, uniting society in the context of the outbreak of the Cold War, and solving situational problems in the struggle for power within the ruling elites.

Summer 1946G. ideological campaigns began, which went down in history under the name “ Zhdanovshchina ", named after A.A. Zhdanov, who led them. A number of resolutions of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks were issued on issues of literature, music, and cinematography, to which many Soviet poets, writers, film directors, and composers were sharply and biasedly criticized for “lack of ideas” and preaching “ideologies alien to the spirit of the party.” The resolutions emphasized that literature and art should be placed at the service of the communist education of the masses.

The following summer, this ideological campaign spread to the social sciences. A.A Zhdanov held a meeting of philosophers, at which he condemned Soviet philosophy for “excessive tolerance” towards idealistic bourgeois philosophy and proposed to consistently proceed from the principle “ partisanship ”, and not from “bourgeois objectivism”. Ideological control was extended to all spheres of spiritual life. The party acted as a legislator in linguistics, biology, and mathematics. Wave mechanics, cybernetics, and genetics were condemned as “bourgeois pseudosciences.”

WITH late 1948 G. ideological campaigns took on a new direction. Their basis was " fight by sycophancy "before the West. This aspect of the ideological offensive was particularly brutal. It was based on the desire to isolate ourselves from Western states, from “bourgeois influence” with an “iron curtain”. Western culture was almost entirely declared bourgeois and hostile. The idea was raised about the priority of Russian scientists in various fields of knowledge, about the superiority of Russia over the West. Any invention from a bicycle to an airplane was declared the brainchild of Russian talent.

needed image of the enemy , and this enemy became a cosmopolitan - “a man without family or tribe,” who worships the West and hates his homeland. Criticism cosmopolitanism became more and more anti-Semitic in nature, persecution of Jews began: Jewish cultural organizations were closed, a number of representatives of the Jewish intelligentsia were arrested. The culmination of the campaign against “cosmopolitanism” was “ business doctors » (January 1953.), when a group of doctors of the Kremlin hospital, Jews by nationality, were accused of killing, through improper treatment, the secretaries of the Central Committee A.A. Zhdanov and A.S. Shcherbakov and preparing the murder of Stalin.

In the second half of the 40s, mass repression . Prisoners of war liberated from fascist concentration camps by Allied troops were arrested. And although the repressions did not reach the scale of the 30s, there were no high-profile show trials, there was a tendency for the repressive wave to somewhat attenuate, but they were still quite widespread. In 1946 123,294 people were convicted on political charges in 1947. - 78810, in 1952 - 28800. Total in 1946 - 1952. 490,714 people were convicted on political charges, of which 7,697 (1.5%) received death sentences, 461,017 people. sent to prison, the rest - into exile. In general, by January 1953 in the Gulag there were 2,468,542 prisoners, of which over half a million were convicted on political charges, while the share of political prisoners at that time amounted to 0.3% of the population of the USSR. It should be borne in mind that the article “counter-revolutionary crimes” applied to everyone who collaborated with the Germans during the war.

The tightening of the political climate was primarily a consequence of the Cold War. The situation was similar in the countries of the Western bloc. A campaign of anti-Sovietism unfolded there, taking place under the banner of the fight against the “Soviet military threat”, with the USSR’s desire to “export communism” to other countries. Under the pretext of fighting “subversive communist activities,” a campaign was launched against communist parties, which were portrayed as “agents of Moscow.” In 1947 communists were removed from the governments of France, Italy, etc. In England and the United States, a ban was introduced on communists holding positions in the army and state apparatus. In Germany, the Communist Party was banned.

The “witch hunt” took on a special scale in the United States in the early 1950s, during the period of “McCarthyism” (named after Senator D. McCarthy, its inspirer). Congress created commissions to investigate “un-American activities,” to which any citizen could be summoned. On their recommendation, anyone could be fired from their job. In 1954 The law “On control over

communists." Communists were required to register as agents of a foreign power. If they refused, they faced a fine of $10,000 or up to five years in prison.

In the absence of democratic mechanisms, repression was also a manifestation of the struggle for power in the Stalinist environment. Since the late 1940s. Stalin actually stepped down from power due to a serious illness. The personal rivalry that developed between the two blocs of forces surrounded by I.V. Stalin - A.A. Zhdanov and A.A. Kuznetsov, on the one hand, and G.M. Malenkov and L.P. Beria, on the other - determined the main conflict line in relations between representatives of the power elite. In this confrontation, a temporary advantage was first on the side of the Leningraders (A.A. Zhdanov and A.A. Kuznetsov). A.A. Kuznetsov was a member of the secretariat of the Central Committee and oversaw the Ministry of State Security. In April 1946 Former Minister of Aviation Industry A. Shakhurin and Air Force Commander A. Novikov were arrested, which gave grounds to remove G.M. Malenkov, who oversaw the aviation industry during the war and previously headed the personnel department, from the Secretariat of the Central Committee. A. Zhdanov, at the same time a member of the three highest government bodies (Politburo, Organizing Bureau and the Secretariat of the Central Committee), occupied a strong position in the leadership. He dealt primarily with issues of propaganda and ideology. Summer 1948 The influence of A.A. Zhdanov sharply weakened, which ultimately ended in the defeat of the Leningrad group and the strengthening of the positions of G.M. Malenkov and L.P. Beria, who retained their leading role until Stalin’s death. The consequence of this rivalry was " Leningrad case » (1948 G.), when such prominent figures as the Chairman of the State Planning Committee N. Voznesensky, the Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee A.A. Kuznetsov, the Chairman of the Council of the RSFSR M. Rodionov, the head of the Leningrad party organization P. Popkov and others were arrested and secretly shot. They were charged with factionalism, an attempt to oppose the Leningrad party organization to the entire CPSU(b), in Russian chauvinism (for the proposal to create a Bureau of the Central Committee of the CPSU(b) for the RSFSR and the Communist Party of the RSFSR, which could lead to a split of the united CPSU(b) into national communist parties and to the collapse of the USSR). Thus, the winners dealt with the vanquished.

The defeat of Germany in World War II radically changed the dislocation of the most influential political forces in the world. The USSR became one of the most influential world powers; without it, not a single issue related to international relations was resolved.

The place of the USSR in the post-war world

However, at the end of the war, it became obvious that in addition to the Soviet state, the United States had no less influence in the world, which, in addition to receiving the laurels of the winner, was able to significantly increase its wealth during hostilities in Europe.

The economic dawn of the United States against the backdrop of the destroyed old Europe shocked the consciousness of contemporaries: the level of the national gross product rose by 80% in four years, while human and material losses were minimal.

While the government of the Soviet Union began to rebuild the state that was virtually destroyed by the Germans, the United States willingly accepted the role of the leading link in world politics, as President Truman openly stated in 1945.

The dominant position of the United States could not but cause a negative reaction from the USSR, which had just gained a foothold in the world political arena. The situation was significantly complicated by the fact that the United States had powerful nuclear potential, which posed a threat not only to the Soviet state, but to the entire post-war world.

Beginning of the Cold War

Friendly relations between the two countries ended immediately after the last salvo of World War II. Already on September 5, 1945, the United States broke off agreements with the USSR on the supply of military equipment. It should be noted that the beginning of the Cold War was greatly facilitated by the massive spread of communism, which puzzled capitalist America a lot.

In 1946, US President Truman developed a special program to save Europe from the harmful influence of Soviet ideology, which was called the Truman Doctrine. The USSR government was shocked by such a policy and, in turn, began to consolidate the countries of the socialist camp.

The world is divided into two blocks communist and capitalist states, whose representatives were united by socio-economic and political ties and completely excluded cooperation with the opposite camp.

Korean War

One of the most serious clashes between the warring USA and the USSR was the military action in Korea. In 1949, the governments of South and North Korea initiated the unification of the two countries into a single state. However, attempts to create a unified power ended with the outbreak of military aggression between South Korea and the DPRK.

The USSR and the USA intervened in the confrontation between small states. The American government actively supported South Korea, the USSR went over to the side of the DPRK. As a result, the front of the Korean internal confrontation grew into an arena in which the two world superpowers competed in military training and material resources.

More than 10 million civilian citizens of Korea became victims of the games between the two states. As a result, a socialist authoritarian regime was established in the DPRK, which still exists in this state, while South Korea followed the capitalist path of its mentor, the United States.

Foreign policy of the USSR. "Cold War"

Signs of the Cold War:

The existence of a relatively stable bipolar world is the presence in the world of two superpowers that balance each other’s influence, to which other states gravitate to one degree or another.

“Block politics” is the creation of opposing military-political blocs by superpowers. 1949 - creation of NATO, 1955 - Warsaw Pact Organization.

“Arms race” - the increase in the number of weapons by the USSR and the USA in order to achieve qualitative superiority. The “arms race” ended by the beginning of the 1970s. in connection with the achievement of parity (balance, equality) in the number of weapons. From this moment on, the “policy of detente” begins - a policy aimed at eliminating the threat of nuclear war and reducing the level of international tension. “Détente” ended after the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan (1979)

Formation of an “enemy image” among one’s own population in relation to the ideological enemy. In the USSR, this policy was manifested in the creation of the “Iron Curtain” - a system of international self-isolation. In the USA, “McCarthyism” is being carried out - the persecution of supporters of “left” ideas. Soviet economy post-war

Periodically emerging armed conflicts that threaten to escalate the Cold War into a full-scale war.

Causes of the Cold War:

Victory in World War II led to a sharp strengthening of the USSR and the USA.

The imperial ambitions of Stalin sought to expand the zone of influence of the USSR into the territories of Turkey, Tripolitania (Libya) and Iran.

The US nuclear monopoly, attempts at dictatorship in relations with other countries.

Ineradicable ideological contradictions between the two superpowers.

Formation of a socialist camp controlled by the USSR in Eastern Europe.

The date of the beginning of the Cold War is considered to be March 1946, when W. Churchill made a speech in Fulton (USA) in the presence of President G. Truman, in which he accused the USSR of “the limitless spread of its power and its doctrines” in the world. Soon, President Truman announced a program of measures to “save” Europe from Soviet expansion (the “Truman Doctrine”). He proposed providing large-scale economic assistance to European countries (“Marshall Plan”); create a military-political alliance of Western countries under the auspices of the United States (NATO); place a network of US military bases along the borders of the USSR; support internal opposition in Eastern European countries. All this was supposed not only to prevent further expansion of the sphere of influence of the USSR (the doctrine of containing socialism), but also to force the Soviet Union to return to its previous borders (the doctrine of rolling back socialism).

By this time, communist governments existed only in Yugoslavia, Albania and Bulgaria. However, from 1947 to 1949. socialist systems are also developing in Poland, Hungary, Romania, Czechoslovakia, North Korea, and China. The USSR provides them with enormous financial assistance.

In 1949, the economic foundations of the Soviet bloc were formalized. For this purpose, the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance was created. For military-political cooperation, the Warsaw Treaty Organization was formed in 1955. Within the framework of the commonwealth, no “independence” was allowed. Relations between the USSR and Yugoslavia (Joseph Broz Tito), which was seeking its path to socialism, were severed. At the end of the 1940s. Relations with China (Mao Zedong) deteriorated sharply.

The first serious clash between the USSR and the USA was the Korean War (1950-53). The Soviet state supports the communist regime of North Korea (DPRK, Kim Il Sung), the USA supports the bourgeois government of the South. The Soviet Union supplied the DPRK with modern types of military equipment (including MiG-15 jet aircraft) and military specialists. As a result of the conflict, the Korean Peninsula was officially divided into two parts.

Thus, the international position of the USSR in the first post-war years was determined by the status of one of the two world superpowers won during the war. The confrontation between the USSR and the USA and the outbreak of the Cold War marked the beginning of the division of the world into two warring military-political camps.

Transition to Cold War politics. The growing influence of the USSR in the post-war world caused extreme concern among the leadership of Western powers. It was most strongly reflected in the speech of former British Prime Minister W. Churchill, which he delivered in Fulton (USA, March 1946). Recognizing that military victories had propelled the USSR into the ranks of “the leading nations of the world,” the former British prime minister said that the Soviet Union was striving for “the limitless spread of its power and its doctrines.” Since “Russians most admire strength,” the United States and Great Britain, having created “an association of English-speaking peoples,” should talk to them from a position of strength. At the same time, the use of American atomic weapons was allowed as an “effective means of deterrence.”

In February 1947, US President G. Truman, in his message to Congress, specified the position of W. Churchill (“Truman Doctrine”). As a result, two strategic tasks were defined in relation to the USSR: at a minimum, to prevent further expansion of the sphere of influence of the USSR and its communist ideology (the doctrine of containing socialism), and, at maximum, to force socialism to withdraw into its former borders (the doctrine of discarding socialism). Specific steps to achieve these goals were also identified: first, to provide large-scale economic assistance to European countries, making their economies dependent on the United States (“Marshall Plan”); secondly, to create a military-political alliance of these countries led by the United States (NATO, 1949); thirdly, to place a network of US military bases (Greece, Turkey) near the borders of the USSR; fourth, support anti-socialist forces within the Soviet bloc countries; finally, use - as a last resort - its armed forces for direct intervention in the internal affairs of the countries of the Soviet sphere of influence.

The leadership of the USSR regarded the new foreign policy course of the former military allies as a call to war, which immediately affected both the foreign and domestic policies of the Soviet state. Hopes for comprehensive cooperation after the war among the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition collapsed, the world entered the era of the Cold War.

Creation of a socialist System. The measures taken by the USSR after the war in foreign policy were adequate to those of the United States, although less effective. The forces were unequal, first of all, because the USSR emerged from the war economically weakened, while the United States emerged stronger.

The Soviet Union, led by the CPSU (until 1952 - the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks)), contributed to the establishment of socialist governments in Bulgaria, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Yugoslavia, Albania, East Germany, North Vietnam, North Korea, and China. He, in turn, deployed large-scale assistance to the countries of “people's democracy”, creating for this purpose a special organization - the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA, 1949), and a few years later united some of them into a military-political union - the Warsaw Pact Organization (OVD, 1955). The USSR actively promoted communist parties and movements in capitalist countries, contributed to the growth of the national liberation movement, the collapse of the colonial system and the creation of countries with a “socialist orientation.”

A symbol of the split of the world into two opposing systems - the “system of capitalism” and the “system of socialism” - was the split of Germany into two states - the Federal Republic of Germany (1948) and the GDR (1949).

The most formidable event of the Soviet-American confrontation at the end of Stalin's rule was the Korean War (1950-1953). The USSR supported the DPRK's attempt to overthrow the pro-American regime of South Korea. The Korean War was ended in 1953. Korea remained, divided into two opposing states as a symbol of the split into two systems on the Asian continent. Vietnam shared this fate.

Cultural life of the USSR 1945-1953.

Despite the extremely tense economic situation, the Soviet government is seeking funds for the development of science, public education, and cultural institutions. Universal primary education was restored, and since 1952 education up to 7 grades has become compulsory; Evening schools are opened for working youth. Television begins regular broadcasting. At the same time, control over the intelligentsia, weakened during the war, is being restored. In the summer of 1946, a campaign against “petty-bourgeois individualism” and cosmopolitanism began. It was led by A.A. Zhdanov. On August 14, 1946, resolutions of the Party Central Committee were adopted on the magazines “Leningrad” and “Zvezda”, which were persecuted for publishing the works of A. Akhmatova and M. Zoshchenko. A.A. was appointed first secretary of the board of the Writers' Union. Fadeev, who was tasked with bringing order to this organization.

Formation of new military-political alliances

From the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. The USSR emerged with increased international authority, based on the military power of the Soviet state and the gratitude of European peoples for liberation from fascism. The foreign policy of the USSR included the spread of Soviet influence through the creation of communist regimes in Eastern Europe. This policy encountered opposition from former allies in the anti-Hitler coalition, primarily the United States. After the war, the United States controlled up to 80% of the gold reserves of the capitalist world and concentrated up to 60% of world industrial production. Economic power allowed the United States to pursue an active foreign policy and act as the undoubted leader of the Western world.

A bipolar system of international relations has emerged. A bloc of countries oriented toward the USSR (socialist camp) and a bloc of Western countries opposing them (capitalist camp) were formed.

In 1945-1948. in Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, with the active participation of the USSR, first coalition governments (with the participation of communists) and then completely communist governments were formed. Communists came to power in North Vietnam, North Korea and China.

The USSR concluded treaties of friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance with these states. These treaties allowed the USSR to control their political course and at the same time provide economic assistance through the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA), established in 1949.

The Soviet party and state leadership exercised a strict dictatorship in relations with the countries of Eastern Europe, demanding political and socio-economic reforms along the Soviet model. J. Broz Tito's desire to defend the independence of Yugoslavia displeased J. V. Stalin. This led to the severance of diplomatic relations between the USSR and Yugoslavia in 1949 and the economic blockade of Yugoslavia by its Eastern European neighbors.

The USSR's desire to expand its influence in Europe caused alarm in the West. In March 1946, in Fulton (Missouri, USA), W. Churchill, in the presence of US President G. Truman, made a speech about the need to lower the “iron curtain” across Europe, which would prevent the spread of Soviet influence. W. Churchill called for the United States and Great Britain to join forces to fight communism. In March 1947, the Truman Doctrine, a US foreign policy concept that included opposition to communism, was presented to Congress. The economic basis for the formation of a bloc of Western European states opposing the USSR was the Marshall Plan (the head of the State Department in the Truman administration), which outlined the provision of American aid to Europe in the amount of more than $12 billion. The provision of assistance was conditioned by the requirements to prevent communists from coming to power. The communists lost their positions in governments. Western European states have allocated territories for the deployment of American military bases. American investments in Western European economies have strengthened the US economic position in the region.

The military-political result of the confrontation between the USSR and Western Europe was the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in April 1949 by ten European countries, the USA and Canada. Acting within the framework of the UN Charter, these states agreed on joint defense against enemy attack and created the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for these purposes. NATO's united armed forces were created, led by American General D. Eisenhower.

The confrontation between the two blocs of states manifested itself in a number of crisis situations. The confrontation over the German question was especially acute. In 1949, Germany split. The USA, Great Britain and France united their zones of occupation of Germany. In May 1949, the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) was proclaimed in the zone of occupation of the USA, Great Britain and France. In October 1949, the formation of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) was proclaimed on the territory of the Soviet occupation zone.

"Cold War"

Part of the Cold War included local military conflicts, the largest being the Korean War (1950-1953). In August 1945, the Soviet Army liberated North Korea from the Japanese. South Korea was liberated by American troops in September 1945. According to the decision of the Potsdam Conference, a dividing line was drawn between the USSR and the USA on the territory of Korea (along the 38th parallel). In August 1948, with the assistance of the United States, the creation of the Republic of Korea was proclaimed, and in September 1948, with the assistance of the USSR, the creation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

In June 1950, North Korean troops, with the support of the USSR and China, crossed the demarcation line and began to rapidly move south. The war has begun. The UN Security Council recognized the DPRK as an aggressor and sent UN troops there. US troops operated under the flag of the UN troops. The world found itself on the brink of a world war, as a clash between the USSR and the USA took place in Korea. The Soviet and American governments, fearing unpredictable consequences, abandoned military action. The war ended with a truce. A reinforced concrete wall was erected along the 38th parallel.

These events marked the beginning of the Cold War.

The Cold War is a political, economic, ideological confrontation between states and systems.

The Cold War lasted from March 12, 1947 (approval of the Truman Doctrine by the US Congress) until December 21, 1991 (collapse of the USSR) and split the world into two military-political and economic factions.

An important element of the Cold War was the arms race, which began in 1949 after the creation of atomic weapons in the USSR, which eliminated the US monopoly in this field. In 1952, the United States tested the first hydrogen bomb. Nine months later, similar weapons were tested in the USSR. In both countries, work began on the creation of new weapons carriers, which resulted in the creation of intercontinental ballistic missiles.

In the first half of N.S. Khrushchev’s term in power, progressive changes took place in the foreign policy of the USSR. In 1955, relations with Yugoslavia were normalized, relations with India were established, Soviet and American troops were withdrawn from Austria. The new foreign policy concept was formulated by the 20th Congress of the CPSU. It provided for the right of socialist countries to choose their own path to building socialism, without following the Soviet model. The principle of peaceful coexistence came to the fore in relations with capitalist states.

During this period, the idea of building a “European home” was proclaimed; its implementation was the signing in 1957 of an agreement between Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Belgium, and Luxembourg on the formation of the European Economic Community (EEC). Its goal was to create a single internal market that would gradually eliminate restrictions on trade between participating countries and ensure the free movement of people, capital, goods, and services.

Several crises occurred in the relations between the USSR and socialist countries. The most serious of them was caused by the process of de-Stalinization that began in the USSR and covered Poland and Hungary in 1956. In Poland, the Soviet leadership made concessions by agreeing to the reform program. An anti-communist and anti-Soviet uprising broke out in Hungary in 1956. After agreement with the participating countries of the Warsaw Warsaw War, the Hungarian uprising was suppressed by Soviet troops.

De-Stalinization caused a crisis in the world communist movement. The authority of Western European communist parties has been shaken. A large reduction in numbers occurred in the Italian Communist Party. The Communist Parties of Albania and China, on the contrary, did not share the position of criticism and did not support the exposure of the cult of Stalin. The isolation of these countries from the world socialist community began, the cults of Mao Zedong (China) and E. Hoxha (Albania) were formed. In the early 60s. Soviet specialists were recalled from China. The USSR stopped providing him with economic assistance and expelled Chinese diplomats from Moscow.

In relations with capitalist countries, the USSR made a number of proactive proposals:

— declared a moratorium on nuclear testing;

- unilaterally carried out a reduction in the armed forces;

— reduced and eliminated certain types of weapons.

The active foreign policy activities of N. S. Khrushchev, his numerous personal contacts with the leaders of the Western world created the opportunity to seek mutual understanding. Particular hopes were instilled by the visit of N. S. Khrushchev to the USA in 1959 and the return visit of President D. Eisenhower to the USSR, scheduled for the following year.

The aggravation of economic difficulties in the USSR required diverting the people's attention to the “external enemy.” In the spring of 1960, an American reconnaissance aircraft was shot down over the territory of the USSR. A diplomatic game designed to undermine the prestige of the United States and President D. Eisenhower disrupted his return visit to the USSR, as well as the meeting of the leaders of the USSR, USA, Great Britain and France in Paris. A new round of confrontation between East and West has begun.

In the spring and summer of 1961, a political crisis occurred in the GDR. A significant part of the population began to openly advocate for changing the political system of the country. Significant financial assistance was provided to the dissatisfied through West Berlin. In this regard, the GDR government decided to build a wall around West Berlin; its construction only exacerbated international contradictions.

The Cold War reached its climax in the fall of 1962 with the outbreak of the Cuban Missile Crisis. In 1959, the revolution won in Cuba, and anti-American forces led by F. Castro came to power. In 1962, the USSR decided to place missiles with nuclear warheads on the island. The United States demanded that the missiles be removed from Cuba, otherwise they threatened to launch a nuclear strike on the missiles. At the last moment, on October 22-27, 1962, thanks to direct telephone conversations between US President John Kennedy and the head of the USSR Government, N. S. Khrushchev, a nuclear war was prevented. As a result, the USSR removed nuclear missiles from Cuba. The United States promised not to invade the island and removed missiles from Turkey aimed at the USSR. After this culmination of tension, positive developments were also achieved in international relations. The Moscow Treaty of 1963 was concluded banning nuclear weapons tests in space, under water and in the atmosphere.

Consequences of the Cold War

Enormous costs for weapons.
Encouragement of scientific research in the field of nuclear physics, space, electronics.
The depletion of the Soviet economy and the decline in the competitiveness of the American economy.
Restoration of the economic and political positions of West Germany and Japan.

USSR in global and regional crises

The foreign policy of the USSR during the Brezhnev period was contradictory. In 1969-1979 There was some detente in international relations. Détente was characterized by the renunciation of the policy of rivalry and tension, the threat of using force or the accumulation of weapons as a means of influencing other states, as well as the strengthening of mutual trust and understanding, the resolution of disputes and conflicts by peaceful means, non-interference in the internal affairs of states, the development of contacts in the political and economic spheres. , cultural and scientific-technical fields.

An important event in world politics was the Helsinki Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), held from July 30 to August 1, 1975. The leaders of 33 European states, the USA and Canada signed the final act, which set out the principles of the countries participating in the conference: sovereign equality, respect for the rights inherent in sovereignty; non-use of force or threat of force; inviolability of borders; territorial integrity of states; peaceful settlement of disputes; non-interference in internal affairs; respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief; equality and the right of peoples to control their own destinies; cooperation between states; conscientious fulfillment of obligations under international law.

However, in the second half of the 70s. the discharge process has slowed down. In 1979-1985 There was a new aggravation of international relations associated with the introduction of Soviet troops into Afghanistan. Participation in the Afghan War led to significant casualties and a decline in the authority of the USSR in the world.

The Afghan war allowed the West to increase pressure on the USSR. In January 1981, R. Reagan was elected president of the United States and issued theses on the “Soviet military threat.” In March 1983, R. Reagan came up with the “Strategic Defense Initiative” (SDI), a long-term program for creating large-scale missile defense with space-based elements. The military-political situation in the USSR worsened, and tensions in the world increased.

During the period of perestroika, changes occurred in the field of foreign policy. The new foreign policy concept of the USSR was called “new political thinking.”

M. S. Gorbachev was the main initiator of the new political course. He gained personal authority in the international arena and received the Nobel Peace Prize.

The goals of the USSR foreign policy during the perestroika period: to reduce the level of confrontation with capitalist countries; reduce the costs of the arms race, which had become unsustainable for the USSR.

By concluding agreements on medium- and short-range missiles, the USSR made greater concessions than the United States. Regional conflicts were resolved, Soviet troops were withdrawn from Afghanistan. The war in Afghanistan cost the USSR 15 thousand killed and 37 thousand wounded, was extremely unpopular among the people, and undermined confidence in the USSR in the world. In February 1988, M. S. Gorbachev announced the withdrawal of troops, which lasted from May 15, 1988 to February 15, 1989.

After 1985, relations with China improved. In May 1989, the first visit of the head of the USSR to the PRC in 30 years took place.

The number of contacts between the USSR and Western countries also increased, trade ties and humanitarian contacts between individuals expanded. Relations of the USSR with socialist countries in 1985-1988. were built on the same foundations as before, but mass anti-socialist movements began in these countries, leading to the overthrow of socialism. Political, economic and military ties between socialist countries were disrupted, and states began to withdraw from the Warsaw Treaty Organization (WTO). In March 1991, the Department of Internal Affairs was officially liquidated. There is only one military bloc left in Europe - NATO.

In 1985-1991 Cardinal changes took place in the international situation: the East-West confrontation disappeared, the socialist camp ceased to exist, and the Cold War ended.

At the end of 1990 - beginning of 1991. The USSR concluded agreements with all Eastern European countries on the withdrawal of Soviet troops from them. In October 1990, Germany was reunified.

How did the Cold War affect the foreign policy of the USSR?

The Cold War had a negative impact on the foreign policy of the USSR: relations with the USA and the West increasingly took the form of confrontation, the outpost of this confrontation became Germany, on whose territory two states were formed - the Federal Republic of Germany (under the influence of the USA, France and Britain) and the GDR (under the influence of the United States, France and Britain). influence of the USSR).

The USSR's foreign policy towards the countries of Eastern Europe was tough. Repressions and interference of the Soviet Union in the internal affairs of the Allies weakened the bloc of socialist countries and caused discontent among their populations.

Why did China choose the path of socialist development and modernization?

China chose the path of socialist development and modernization because friendship and cooperation with the USSR was economically beneficial for China.

Soviet assistance was a key factor in the restoration and development of the Chinese economy. The supplies of industrial equipment and technologies were enormous. Soviet specialists worked in China, Chinese students studied in the USSR.

1. List the facts confirming the division of Europe after the start of the Cold War.

– The Berlin crisis, which ended with the creation of:

1) Military-political alliance NATO

2) Federal Republic of Germany in the western part of the country

3) the German Democratic Republic in its eastern part

2. What were the features of Soviet-Chinese relations in the post-war period?

At the same time, establishing allied relations with the PRC was not an easy task from the very beginning. Unlike the Eastern European socialist countries, China was a huge power, ranking first in the world in terms of population. China's leaders demonstrated their intention to be guided by their own interests and claimed a special role in the communist movement.

3. Tell us about the Korean War.

At the beginning of 1950, Mao Zedong finally won in China and North Korean units that fought on the side of the Chinese communists returned to their homeland. North Korean leader Kim Il Sung has hopes for reciprocal Chinese assistance. He also stepped up pressure on Moscow. On June 25, 1950, North Korean troops went on the offensive and very quickly captured a significant part of South Korea.

However, the UN Security Council, which urgently met in the absence of a Soviet representative (the USSR then boycotted the work of the UN, demanding recognition of the rights of representation in the UN of the PRC) condemned the DPRK as an aggressor. Soon American troops landed in South Korea. They were joined by small military units of some other states. The Allies not only drove the North Koreans out of South Korea, but also captured almost all of North Korea.

However, after the entry of the Chinese armed forces into the war, there was a turn in the fighting. The DPRK was liberated, and the war was again fought on the territory of South Korea. But the Americans and South Koreans managed to launch counterattacks. As a result, the opposing armies ended up in approximately the same place where the war began.

The Soviet Union did not openly participate in the Korean War, but provided the DPRK and the PRC with weapons. In addition, Soviet pilots protected the DPRK and China from American air raids, having received orders not to cross the border with South Korea. In accordance with the principles of the Cold War, both the USSR and the USA avoided large-scale conflict. At the same time, the Korean War was the result of a geopolitical confrontation between the USSR and the USA and their allies. The Korean people suffered the greatest casualties as a result of this confrontation. The country lay in ruins, millions of people died. Shortly after Stalin's death, in July 1953, the Korean War was ended.

4. How did the USSR seek to establish military parity with the United States?

The USSR sought to establish military parity with the USA with the help of weapons and by increasing the army.

Map

1. Show the socialist countries on the map.

2. Which countries became part of NATO, CMEA?

There are 12 countries in NATO - the USA, Canada, Iceland, Great Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Norway, Denmark, Italy and Portugal.

There are 7 countries in the CMEA - the USSR, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, East Germany since 1950, Mongolia since 1962, Albania from 1949-1961, Cuba since 1972, Vietnam since 1978.

3. Show on the map where military conflicts took place during the period under study - the Korean War

1. Continue filling out the table “Cold War”: stages, events, results in your notebook - see table after §26

3. Some historians believe that international crises were a test of the strength of opposing blocs, others - that they were a way of defusing tensions accumulated in the previous period. What is your position? Give reasons for it.

Our position: international crises were a test of the strength of the opposing blocs. During these crises, opponents sought and found different ways to demonstrate their superiority and strength. As a rule, problems were not resolved after crises; the confrontation persisted until the next crisis worsened.

4. Discuss theses with your classmates: “The origins of the Cold War are associated with ideological confrontation,” the Cold War was caused by geopolitical reasons.”

Both theses are correct. Ideological confrontation is, indeed, one of the primary reasons for the Cold War, but, in addition to ideological confrontation, each of the opposing sides also had their own geopolitical interests.

5. Write an essay-discussion on the topic “The arms race as a factor in escalating the Cold War.”

The main feature of the Cold War was the arms race between the member states of the Warsaw Pact and NATO. Despite its ruinous nature, it led to significant scientific discoveries in many technological and military fields.

This concept itself means the constant build-up of military power by the warring parties, its development not only in an evolutionary way, but also in a revolutionary way, that is, the creation of fundamentally new types of weapons. Some particularly revolutionary breakthroughs were made in the fields of nuclear weapons and rocket technology, leading to the space race.

The products of the arms race during the Cold War are strategic intercontinental bombers and missiles, supersonic aircraft, anti-missile defenses, unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, spy satellites, electronic tracking, surveillance, communications systems, etc. Many of the military developments have also entered civilian life - nuclear power plants , communications satellites and GPS, intercontinental jet passenger aircraft, the Internet, etc.

The arms race was characterized by increased international tension and instability, constant political scandals, constant testing of new types of weapons and the use of military power as the main argument in political matters. However, despite this, largely thanks to the destructive products of the arms race, the Cold War never turned hot during numerous crises and local conflicts involving superpowers.