GLO: Lesson - Post World War II Trends: Global Divisions

Post World War II Trends: Global Divisions

The Cold War

As we learned in Module 7, The United States and The Soviet Union emerged as military and economic superpowers following World War II. They had opposing views on government and the economy. The United States was a Capitalistic Democracy while the USSR had a Communist Totalitarian one-party government. While Communism encouraged worldwide worker uprisings, the United States was committed to a policy of Containment or limiting the spread of Communism.

While the two countries did not engage in a direct war against each other, they supported opposing sides in dozens of local conflicts over the next 40 years, which were carried out as proxy wars. Some of these conflicts included the Greek Civil War, the Korean War, the Arab-Israeli conflicts, the Cuban Revolution, the Iranian Revolution, the Vietnam War, as well as dozens more across Latin America, Africa, Europe, and Asia.

Image note: The World in 1959 was divided between NATO member states and American allies (Blue and Light Blue) versus Warsaw Pact states and Soviet allies (Red and Pink). Green countries in Africa were colonized, and Grey countries were neutral. North and South America and Western Europe were blue; Eastern Europe, East Asia, and parts of Western Asia were red/pink.

As fighting escalated, so did military technology. This led to a simultaneous Arms Race and Space Race between the USA and the USSR. The Arms Race included the development of atomic bombs, hydrogen/thermonuclear bombs, and intercontinental ballistic missiles. The Space Race began with the development of satellites, then manned space exploration, and finally ended with the first moon landing. In fact, US President Ronald Reagan foresaw the possibility of using a space-based missile system. Luckily, the Cold War ended before the arms race and space race collided. In 1991, the USSR collapsed into several countries.

Decolonization and Resistance

Just like World War I inspired anti-imperialist movements, World War II inspired even more. In the twenty years following WWII, over 20 new countries worked for their independence from imperial powers. Gandhi’s satyagraha movement inspired nonviolent protests across the world, but not all decolonization was nonviolent. Even India’s independence (and Gandhi’s assassination) led to the creation of Pakistan and Bangladesh as well as the deaths of millions.

These independence movements were complicated by the Cold War. Eastern Europe’s democratic movements helped take down the USSR, but the Tiananmen Square protests against the Chinese Communist government led to a student massacre. But even since the end of the Cold War, there have been 30 additional countries – as well as 7 genocides, according to the United Nations.

Image note: During the Bosnian Genocide, bombs damaged the concrete of Sarajevo. Afterward, the damaged spots were filled in with red resin. This made the damage look like a bloodstain and serves as a memorial to those who died in the genocide. It is called a Sarajevo Rose.

The Rise of Terrorism

Some groups desperate for change in their countries also turned to terrorism. Terrorism refers to the use of violence against civilians to try to change the government. Since the 1960s, terrorism has increased and touched nearly every continent. Many were linked to Communism, (like the Shining Path), separatist movements (like the IRA or PLO), or extreme Islam (like ISIS/ISIL, Al-Queda, or Boko Haram). In 2001, the United States declared a global War on Terror. In 2017, the United Nations created the Office of Counter-Terrorism.

Image note: Photo of New York City, USA, during the terrorist attacks of 9/11. The Statue of Liberty is in the foreground, while the smoke covering Manhattan is in the background. The attacks that day led to the US declaration of a War on Terror.

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