Transcript The Cold War - eyapolitics

th
20
Century
Movements
Making Change
World War II: Catalyst for
Change
The Second World War had an impact on all
parts of the world and was the starting point for
a number of important changes in global
politics, including:
 The Cold War
 The end of European Colonies
The Cold War
 The Cold War was between the United
States (and its allies, including Canada,
Britain, and Western European countries.
and the U.S.S.R. (Union of the Soviet Socialist
Republics)
 “the West” sought to “contain” communism
within the borders of the U.S.S.R., resulting in
a whole series of indirect confrontations
involving the two sides in unstable parts of
the globe (e.g. Greece, Korea, Vietnam,
Egypt, Cuba, Afghanistan, Guatemala, El
Salvador, Chile, South Africa) as they fought
for influence
The Cold War
 Both sides formed military alliances: “The
West” NATO (North Atlantic Treaty
Organization) vs. “The East” (the Warsaw
Pact)
 It created a clear divide between the
superpowers, with each side representing a
clear economic system ( a capitalist free
market/mixed economy vs. a communist
command system) and usually a different
political system (democracy vs.
authoritarian regime)
The Cold War in Europe
The Cold War World
The End of European Colonies
 The British Empire had spread across the entire
globe at the beginning of the 19th century
 From the end of the First World War, the Empire
had begun to shrink as colonies evolved into
sovereign countries, often by armed struggle
and popular movement (such as in India, led by
Gandhi)
 By the end of the Second World War, more and
more colonies sought independence by any
means necessary from either their British or
French colonizers
European Colonies in 1945
 The end of the British Empire and the
liberation of many former British colonies in
Africa and Asia
European Colonies in 1945
 There were liberation movements
throughout Africa and Asia
 There were also popular movements
throughout Central and South America
seeking more democratic regimes
 These struggles involved the superpowers as
they wrestled for influence over these newlyformed or re-formed governments
The Next Era of Social
Movements
 There are different kinds of movements:
 Social movements (involving people
pushing for change in society)
 Political movements (involving a push for
change in government)
 Economic movements (involving a push for
change in the structure of the economy and
the relationship of people, governments,
and corporations to the economy)
Tunisia
 Achieved independence: 1956
 Rejected the monarchy that was there
before
 First leader: Habib Bourguiba
 Supported Western Powers during the Cold
War
 Replaced by Ben Ali through a bloodless
coup d’etat in 1987
Egypt
 Achieved independence: 1953
 Rejected the monarchy that was there before
 First leader: General Naguib, quickly replaced
by Gamal Nasser
 Supported both the U.S.S.R and Western Powers
during the Cold War
 Replaced by Sadat in 1970, until his assassination
in 1981 – then replaced by Hoani Mubarak
Libya
 Achieved independence: 1951 (United
Kingdom of Libya)
 First leader: King Idris
 Supported Western Powers (Britain) during
the Cold War (after Gaddafi, still maintained
links to Italy)
 Replaced by Muammar Gaddafi through a
coup d’etat in 1969
Syria
 Achieved independence: 1949
 First leader: Colonel Husni al-Za’im
 Supported Soviet Union during the Cold War
 Replaced (eventually) by Hafez Al-Assad
(Assad’s father) in 1970
Iran
 Achieved independence:
 First post-war leader: the Shah
 Supported Western Powers during the Cold
War
 Replaced by Islamic Republic in 1979
following the revolution