Summary of the Cold War

This was a battle for dominance and influence between the United States and the Soviet Union that lasted nearly fifty years. Due to its extensive duration, it's impossible to cover every detail—as opposed to World War II, which lasted only six years but filled volumes. So, we'll stick to the most significant events and actions, avoiding who said what to whom, as that tends to cause headaches. Let's focus solely on the actions.

Before and after World War II, the U.S. and the Soviet Union were vying for control over other major nations to pave the way for their own agendas. After the war, the U.S. and the Soviet Union emerged as the two superpowers dominating the planet in terms of power and influence.

The U.S. adopted capitalism, favoring those with money and interests in both government and individual spheres.

The Soviet Union embraced socialism and communism, favoring the proletariat and emphasizing collective ownership.

How did they achieve their goals? Through various events:

Cominform (1947):

Stalin established this bureau in Yugoslavia, aiming to coordinate communist parties worldwide. Any revolution or uprising with communist or socialist roots received support, both financially and strategically, from the Soviet intelligence, often leading to the ascent of former agents to positions of power. This operation ceased in 1956 after Stalin's death.

Truman Doctrine (1947):

President Truman introduced this policy, stating that the U.S. would support any nation facing direct or indirect threats, thus containing communism. The U.S. spent vast sums, engaging in multiple conflicts globally, pitting pro-American and pro-Soviet factions against each other.

Marshall Plan (1947):

This initiative, led by Secretary of State George Marshall, aimed to rebuild Europe, including Soviet-occupied territories, and prevent the spread of communism. While publicly humanitarian, its hidden goal was to contain communism, costing the U.S. billions.

Molotov Plan (1947):

Named after the Soviet Foreign Minister, this plan mirrored the Marshall Plan but catered to communist-leaning nations under Soviet influence, forming the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance.

Outcomes:

U.S. victories included the Greek Civil War, installing pro-American Italian governments, and economically revitalizing Europe, solidifying the U.S. dollar as the global standard.

Soviet victories included strengthening ties with newly annexed states and establishing communist regimes, notably in Czechoslovakia.

Berlin Blockade (1948):

When Germany divided among the victors (Soviet, American, British, and French zones), Stalin blockaded West Berlin to thwart Western influence. In response, the U.S. and allies conducted a massive airlift to sustain West Berlin, prompting massive anti-Soviet protests. Stalin lifted the blockade in 1949.

NATO and Warsaw Pact (1949):

The U.S., UK, France, and Canada formed NATO to counter communist expansion, while the Soviet response was the Warsaw Pact, a military alliance comprising Eastern Bloc countries.

These events and policies marked the battlegrounds of the Cold War, where ideologies clashed and global power dynamics shifted.

Free Europe Radio and Communist Media:

Communists excelled in nothing as much as they did in writing, journalism, and convincing people of socialism and Marxism. Their intellectual war was stronger and more impactful because it addressed the poor, who were the majority, and they were also very skilled in planting spies and uncovering secrets, often obtaining information seemingly out of thin air. As for Western influence, led by America, it was limited to ordinary individuals. However, its impact on governments was significant due to money and power. Thus, the West created a radio station called "Free Europe Radio" targeting the minds of people whose governments and media were dominated by the Soviet Union. The CIA worked on this radio station as if it had never worked before, and indeed, it succeeded in limiting the spread of communism in many countries.

1949 Chinese Civil War:

America supported the ruling Nationalist Party government in China, while the Soviets strongly supported the Chinese Communist Party. Both sides engaged in a prolonged struggle until the Chinese president, exhausted by the war with Japan and internal conflicts, eventually fell. The alternative was the Communists, who seized power, sidelining the Nationalist Party, with America supporting them. Despite America's later efforts to contain China with money, troops, and weapons, China remained communist and maintained its alliance with the Soviet Union and Russia. America formed alliances with surrounding countries like Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, and the Philippines, establishing military bases to prevent Chinese communist expansion.

1950 Korean War:

Kim Il-sung, the grandfather of the North Korean troublemaker, invaded South Korea with full support from Stalin. America and NATO intervened, pushing him back to his country. They installed a leader, Syngman Rhee, with full support from them until his regime fell in 1960. He was a dictator and not a good one, but the level of cult personality he built ensured that no one in North Korea could surpass him, with his policy of worshipping the divine leader, passing it down through generations.

1953 Khrushchev and Eisenhower:

After Stalin and Truman, Khrushchev led the Soviet Union, while Eisenhower led America. Both were nuclear-armed, and during a conference in Moscow, Khrushchev told America and its allies, "We will bury you," referring to nuclear capabilities. Years later, the Soviet Union detonated the Tsar Bomba in northern Russia in 1961, the largest hydrogen bomb test terrifying the world with its power (3000 times that of Hiroshima). Eisenhower didn't take this threat lightly, quadrupling nuclear military spending and surpassing the Soviet Union in nuclear warheads. The world expected a nuclear war between the two, but America maintained its dominance, even during the Suez Crisis in 1956, when Russia couldn't intervene despite its containment of Nasser at the time.

1956 Hungarian Revolution:

The people rebelled against the Soviet-backed government and the new regime declared independence from communism. Khrushchev sent his army, arresting 200,000 Hungarian revolutionaries and executing their leader, Imre Nagy, in full view of America and its allies.

1957 Space Race:

The process began after developing intercontinental ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads capable of reaching anywhere in the world. The Soviets developed these missiles to exit the atmosphere, successfully launching Laika, the space dog, into outer space, followed by America's chimpanzee. There was a continuous media war between the two nations to dominate space, launching satellites, space probes, and making space discoveries unknown to humanity until then. Eventually, America landed Neil Armstrong on the moon in 1967, followed by the joint Apollo-Soyuz mission in 1975, signaling the end of the space race between them, with America continuing through NASA afterwards.

1959 Cuban Revolution and Cuban Missile Crisis:

Fidel Castro and his friend Che Guevara were communists opposed to the American-backed rule of Batista in Cuba. They led a revolution to overthrow Batista's regime and install Castro instead. America tried various methods, including the Bay of Pigs invasion and economic sanctions, but when all failed, the Soviet Union made an agreement with Cuba to build medium-range missile bases capable of striking anywhere in America, similar to what America had done in Turkey, Italy, and Britain, where it could hit Russia with over 100 nuclear missiles. When America learned of this agreement, a confrontation between the two superpowers became inevitable, terrifying the world with the prospect of nuclear war. However, after imposing complete economic and military sanctions on Cuba and President Kennedy's involvement, the Soviets agreed to remove their missile bases, marking a major diplomatic victory for America.

1961 Berlin Wall and Germany Crisis:

The Soviet Union found people migrating from East Germany to West Germany, supported by Europe and America, so they built a fortified wall dividing Germany. Neither side could cross freely, creating one of the most prolonged and intense crises between America and the Soviet Union, which didn't end until 1989 with the collapse of the wall.

Third World Wars:

These were massive wars where many people died foolishly, mostly proxy wars between America and the Soviet Union. Some notable ones include:

Vietnam War: Between North Vietnam (supported by the Soviet Union and China) and South Vietnam (supported by America), lasting from 1957 to 1973, resulting in nearly a million deaths, including around 50,000 American soldiers, 20,000 Chinese soldiers, and 16 Russians.

Indonesian-Malaysian War 1962-1966: Between Indonesia (supported by the Soviet Union) and Malaysia (supported by America), resulting in around half a million deaths, ending with Indonesia's withdrawal.

October War 1973: Though most Egyptian historians deny Russian support and Israel denies American support, the armament and military preparation were from both countries before the war. It resulted in 8,000 Egyptian martyrs and 10,000 Israeli deaths, ending with Egypt's victory.

Ogaden War 1977: Between Somalia (supported by America) and Ethiopia (supported by the Soviet Union and Cuba), resulting in 12,000 deaths on both sides and ending with Ethiopia's victory.

Angolan Civil War 1974-2002: Between the Angolan army (supported by the Soviet Union, Cuba, and China) and the Democratic Party (supported by America), resulting in 15,000 deaths and ending with the Angolan army's victory.

Soviet-Afghan War 1979-1989: The Soviet Union entered Afghanistan to support the pro-Soviet Afghan government against the Islamic Afghan Jihad forces supported by America. The ten-year war resulted in around 30,000 Russian and pro-Soviet Afghan deaths and 90,000 Afghan mujahideen deaths, ending with the Afghan mujahideen taking power and subsequently leading to the collapse of the Soviet Union.

There were also billion-dollar projects between the two powers, like the Star Wars program, aimed at protecting America in space with ballistic missiles, allocated $26 billion in 1983. Additionally, initiatives like Truman's and the Marshall Plan continued to support Europe, making it an extension of American dominance. America intervened in most wars, and most European countries were in its pocket since then. Finally, in the late 1980s, "money talks" became the global rule, and many countries struggled to survive, relying on aid from wealthy countries, especially America. The appealing rhetoric of communism lost its charm as countries awaited aid from rich nations. Consequently, America and Europe imposed economic sanctions on the Soviet Union and its allies, leading to Gorbachev's initiative with America, called the "Perestroika," which ultimately led to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, leaving America as the sole superpower until now, even if it's being led by a rabbit.