World history 1945-1990

1. World history 1945-1990.

Plan:
1) The end of Empire: the withdrawal of European
countries from their empires in Africa and Asia.
2) The cold war: the political and military confrontation
between the United States and the Soviet Union.
3) The Bomb: the development of the atomic bomb and
the hydrogen bomb, the means of their delivery.

2. Main terms: ● principal developments in international politics; ● the withdrawal of European countries from their empires; ● the development of the atomic bomb and the hydrogen bomb; ● the creation of the United Nations; ● to wish to preserve (k

Main terms:
● principal developments in international politics;
● the withdrawal of European countries from their empires;
● the development of the atomic bomb and the hydrogen bomb;
● the creation of the United Nations;
● to wish to preserve (keep) their Empires;
● British withdrawal (moving sth. back);
● the onset of the cold war;
● conflict, confrontation and compromise;
● the global battlefield;
● proliferation (distribution) of nuclear weapons.

3. Now we examine some of the principal developments in international politics from 1945 to 1990. The principal developments are the creation of nuclear weapons and the end of European imperialism. Since 1945 world politics has been greatly influenced by the

conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union each of
which emerged as ‘superpowers’. These two states had the
ideological, political and military interests.
After 1945 nuclear weapons presented unprecedented challenges
to world politics.

4. ● The end of Empire: the withdrawal of European countries from their empires in Africa and Asia. ● The cold war: the political and military confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union. ● The Bomb: the development of the atomic bomb

● The end of Empire: the withdrawal of European
countries from their empires in Africa and Asia.
● The cold war: the political and military confrontation
between the United States and the Soviet Union.
● The Bomb: the development of the atomic bomb and the
hydrogen bomb, the means of their delivery.
And other key developments: the transformation of the
international political economy and the creation of the
United Nations and etc.

5. The collapse of imperialism in the 20th century was a fundamental change in world politics. Various factors influenced the process of decolonization: - the attitude of the colonial power; - the ideology and strategy of the anti-imperialist forces; - the r

The collapse of imperialism in the 20th century was a
fundamental change in world politics. Various factors influenced
the process of decolonization:
- the attitude of the colonial power;
- the ideology and strategy of the anti-imperialist forces;
- the role of external powers.
Look at the table:
Principal acts of European decolonization 1945-1980:

6.

Country
India
Pakistan
Burma
Indonesia
Ghana
Malaya
French African colonies
Zaire
Algeria
Kenya
Guinea-Bissau
Mozambique
Cape Verde
Sao Tome
Angola
Zimbabwe
Colonial state
Britain
Britain
Britain
Holland
Britain
Britain
France
Belgium
France
Britain
Portugal
Portugal
Portugal
Portugal
Portugal
Britain
Year of Independence
1947
1947
1948
1949
1957
1957
1960
1960
1962
1963
1974
1975
1975
1975
1975
1980

7. Key points: ● Different European powers had different attitudes to decolonization after 1945: some, such as the British, decided to leave while others wished to preserve their Empires, in part – the French or the whole – the Portuguese. ● European

powers adopted different attitudes to different
regions and countries, e.g. British withdrawal from Asia
much more quickly after 1945 than from Africa.

8. ● The process of decolonization was relatively peaceful in many cases; it led to revolutionary wars in others (Algeria, Malaya and Angola), depending on the attitudes of the colonial power and the nationalist movements. ● The struggle for independence

and national liberation
became complicated in cold war conflicts when the
superpowers and their allies became involved, e.g.
Vietnam.

9. The issue of when the cold war began, the most historians focus on various events between 1945 and 1950. 1945-1953: The onset of the cold war in Europe reflected failure to implement the principles agreed at the wartime conferences of Yalta and Potsdam. T

The issue of when the cold war began, the most historians focus
on various events between 1945 and 1950.
1945-1953: The onset of the cold war in Europe reflected
failure to implement the principles agreed at the wartime
conferences of Yalta and Potsdam. The future of Germany, and
of various Central and Eastern European countries, as Poland,
were issues of growing tension between the former wartime
allies.
The first major confrontation of the cold war took place over
Berlin in 1948. It had been left deep in the heart of the Soviet
zone of occupation.

10. The American military deployment (development) was followed by the political commitment (obligation) enshrined (keep) in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) treaty signed in April 1949. The key principle of the treaty – that an attack on one m

The American military deployment (development) was
followed by the political commitment (obligation)
enshrined (keep) in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO) treaty signed in April 1949. The key principle of
the treaty – that an attack on one member would be treated
as an attack on all – accorded with the principle of
collective self-defense enshrined in Article 51 of the
United Nations Charter. In practice, the aim of the alliance
was the commitment of the US to defend Western Europe.

11. While the origins of the cold war were in Europe, events and conflicts in Asia played a key part. In 1949 the 30 year long Chinese civil war ended in victory for the communists under Mao Zedong. In 1950 the North Korean attack on South Korea. The resultin

While the origins of the cold war were in Europe, events
and conflicts in Asia played a key part. In 1949 the 30 year
long Chinese civil war ended in victory for the
communists under Mao Zedong. In 1950 the North Korean
attack on South Korea. The resulting American and UN
commitment, followed in October 1950 by Chinese
involvement, led to a war lasting 3 years and in which
over 3 million people died.

12. 1953-1969: Conflict, confrontation and compromise. Western Europeans depended on the US for military security and this dependence deepened as cold war confrontation in Europe was consolidated. The rearmament of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1954 sped

up (speed) the creation of the Warsaw Pact in 1955.
By the 1960s there were some 7000 nuclear weapons in
Western Europe alone.
Look at the table: Cold war crisis

13.

1948 – 1949
Berlin
USSSR/ US/ UK
1954 -1955
Taiwan straits crisis
US/ PRC
1961
Berlin
USSSR/ US/ NATO
1962
Cuba
USSSR/ US/ Cuba
1973
Arab/ Israeli war
Egypt/Israel/Syria/
USSR/US

14. 1979 - 1986: ‘The second cold war’

The resulting period of tension and confrontation between
the superpowers has been described as the ‘second cold
war’. American statements on nuclear weapons and
military intervention in Grenada in 1983 and against Libya
in 1986 were seen as evidence of a new belligerence (state
of war).
Look at the table:1974 – 1980.

15.

Gulnea-Bissau
Mozambique
Cape Verde
Sao Tome
Angola
Zimbabwe
Independence from
Portugal
Independence from
Portugal
Independence from
Portugal
Independence from
Portugal
Independence from
Portugal
Independence from
Britain
September 1974
June 1975
July 1975
July 1975
November 1975
April 1980

16. Key points: ● There are disagreement about when the cold war started, why and who was responsible. ● The cold war began in Europe with the failure to implement (carry out) the agreement reached at Potsdam and Yalta. ● Some civil and regional wars we

Key points:
● There are disagreement about when the cold war started,
why and who was responsible.
● The cold war began in Europe with the failure to
implement (carry out) the agreement reached at Potsdam
and Yalta.
● Some civil and regional wars were intensified and
prolonged by superpower involvement.
● The end of the cold war has not resulted in the
cancellation of nuclear weapons.

17. Using the bomb towards the global battlefield: The Western allies developed the atomic bomb in the war against Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, and intended to use the weapon in much the same way as they had used strategic bombing against German and Japan

Using the bomb towards the global battlefield:
The Western allies developed the atomic bomb in the war
against Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, and intended to
use the weapon in much the same way as they had used
strategic bombing against German and Japanese cities.
The world was potentially a global battlefield in which
superpowers could strike each other’s territory from their
own, in no more than the 30-40 minutes, it took a rocket
(missile) to travel from one continent to the other.

18. The global dimension was increased by the emergence of other nuclear weapon states – Britain in 1952, France in 1960, and China in 1964. In the 1950s there was growing concern at the spread or proliferation of nuclear weapons and in the 1960s a nuclear

The global dimension was increased by the
emergence of other nuclear weapon states – Britain
in 1952, France in 1960, and China in 1964.
In the 1950s there was growing concern at the spread
or proliferation of nuclear weapons and in the 1960s
a nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) was
negotiated in which those states which had nuclear
weapons committed themselves to halt the arms race,
while those states who did not have nuclear weapons
promised not to develop them.

19. Despite the apparent success of the NPT agreement several states are known to have developed nuclear weapons (Israel, India, Pakistan, South Africa) and others have invested considerable effort in doing so (Iraq and North Korea). India and China came clos

Despite the apparent success of the NPT
agreement several states are known to have
developed nuclear weapons (Israel, India,
Pakistan, South Africa) and others have invested
considerable effort in doing so (Iraq and North
Korea). India and China came close to a nuclear
confrontation in 1990.

20. Conclusion: ● There remains a debate about the use of the bomb in 1945, and the effect that this had on the cold war. ● Nuclear weapons have been an important factor in the cold war. How far the arms race has had a momentum (импульс) of its own

is a matter of debate.
● Agreements on limiting and controlling the growth of
nuclear arsenals (оружие) have played an important role
in Soviet-American (and East - West) relations.

21. ● States with nuclear weapons have agreed on the desirability of preventing the spread of nuclear weapons to other states. ● Various international crisis have occurred in which there has been the risk of nuclear war. Judging how close we came to nucle

● States with nuclear weapons have agreed on the
desirability of preventing the spread of nuclear weapons to
other states.
● Various international crisis have occurred in which there
has been the risk of nuclear war. Judging how close we
came to nuclear war at these times remains a matter of
debate.
● The changes that have taken place in world politics
since 1945 have been enormous. Assessing their
significance raises many complex issues about the nature
of international history and international relations.

22. ● Both the cold war and the age of empire are over, the age of ‘the bomb’, and other weapons of mass destruction (chemical and biological) continues. The accident of Soviet nuclear reactor at Chernobyl in 1986 showed that radioactivity knows no boun

● Both the cold war and the age of empire are over, the
age of ‘the bomb’, and other weapons of mass destruction
(chemical and biological) continues. The accident of
Soviet nuclear reactor at Chernobyl in 1986 showed that
radioactivity knows no boundaries.
● While the threat of strategic nuclear war has receded the
global problem of nuclear weapons remains a common
and urgent concern as humanity addresses the next
millennium.