The Cold War was a decades-long conflict between the East Bloc, led by the Soviet Union, and the West Bloc, led by the USA. While the exact date the conflicts began is unclear, most historians agree that mid to late 1945 marked the start of the deterioration between the USA and the Soviet Union. In a sense, it was a power struggle between two of the main superpowers of the world at the time—a conflict between two opposing ways of life. It wasn’t a war of direct conflict; instead, the USA and the Soviet Union played an intricate game of chess using their allies as pawns until the formal end of the war was declared in 1990. This conflict split Europe (and the world) into two opposing political, economic, and ideological blocs that lasted for decades.
The Cold War was a state of political hostility characterized by threats, propaganda, and other measures short of open warfare that existed between the Soviet bloc countries and the Western powers from 1945 to 1990.
The Superpower Positions in 1945
In 1945, immediately after World War II, Russia was in a state of disrepair. Their economy was shattered, and 40 million of their people were dead (with only 9 million being members of the military). It retreated as a nation to tend to its wounds, led by the infamous Bolshevik Joseph Stalin. Germany was in an even worse state, if possible. The country was forced to sign a treaty accepting all blame for the cause and effects of the war, and they were expected to pay for all repairs. Their money (the Reichsmark) was completely worthless—people were burning their notes for warmth, and an informal barter system was brought into play, known as “cigarette currency.” The four major powers (France, Britain, the United States of America, and the Soviet Union) split the country into four occupation zones. The country was forced to lower industrial production rates, reduce military size, and relinquish almost all control of their government to those who had won the war.
The United States emerged from the war as a dominant global power, both economically and militarily. America came to fear the spread of communism led by the Soviet Union and China. To retaliate, they promoted the Western Bloc as being a positive, democratic group that would provide freedom to those who joined their side. The Eastern Bloc began to create a ‘buffer zone’ between the two blocs to prevent the Western Bloc from being able to directly attack them in the case of war. They also began to create a literal divide between the two blocs—a highly militarized border running from Germany to near Greece called the Iron Curtain. This only heightened the tension between the two blocs.
The Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was the most highly militarized and physically separated section of the Iron Curtain. Construction of the wall began in 1961 to separate the section of Berlin run by the Western Bloc from that run by the Eastern Bloc. It was a wall made of concrete as well as a “death strip”—a bare, open area of land that was designed so that anyone attempting to escape could be easily seen and shot. It was supposedly constructed by the Eastern Bloc to prevent the spread of fascism by the West, but in actuality, it prevented the mass emigration of citizens of the East Bloc to the West, particularly those of high education that were wanted in East Germany. The two sides were not reopened until 1989, and the wall was not fully demolished until 1992.
The Korean War
The Korean War was a significant conflict that had implications far beyond the Korean Peninsula. North Korea invaded the South in an attempt to unify the country under the North’s government. The attempt failed, and Korea is still divided into two. The war cost more than two million lives and ruined the economy of Korea for twenty years. It also had implications for the wider Cold War.
The Soviet Union and the United States of America intervened in the Korean War. The Soviet Union and its ally China backed North Korea, while the United States gathered an alliance under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) to support the South. The most famous leaders of the time were closely involved with the war—two American presidents, Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower, China’s Mao Zedong, and the Soviet Union’s Joseph Stalin. Korea was the only occasion in the Cold War when there was prolonged fighting between Chinese, Russian, and American land and air forces.
Korea was a new kind of war. With both superpowers possessing nuclear weapons, neither side could aim for total victory as the threat of escalation to nuclear war hung over the conflict. The outcome of the Korean War determined the United States to maintain large military forces to constrain communism. The war saw the rise of China as a significant military power, and it was the first time jet aircraft fought jet aircraft.
McCarthy Trials
Senator Joseph McCarthy marked the first apex and finale of the Red Scare. In February 1950, McCarthy delivered a speech that charged 205 known communists had infiltrated the U.S. State Department. Selected as a Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, he investigated and questioned several suspected officials. Although McCarthy failed to identify communists in government or provide any proof, he was able to gain major attention and become one of the most feared communist hunters.
In early 1954, McCarthy launched an investigation against the U.S. Army that was nationally televised. Support for him plummeted after people realized he was overstepping his boundaries and abusing his authority. The McCarthy trials, or McCarthyism, represented the height of Cold War paranoia and the fear of communist infiltration within the United States. These trials not only damaged the lives and careers of many innocent people but also contributed to a culture of fear and suspicion that permeated American society during the Cold War.
The Cold War’s Impact on Australia
The Cold War had significant implications globally, including in Australia. The Petrov Affair in 1954, a Cold War spy incident, highlighted the pervasive fear of communism and the extent of Soviet espionage. Vladimir Petrov, a Soviet diplomat, defected to Australia and provided detailed information about Soviet espionage activities. This incident intensified the anti-communist sentiment in Australia and solidified the country’s alignment with the United States and other Western powers.
Australia’s involvement in the Cold War was also marked by its participation in conflicts such as the Korean and Vietnam Wars, where Australian forces fought alongside American and other allied troops. These engagements reinforced Australia’s strategic alliances and demonstrated its commitment to containing the spread of communism.
Conclusion
The Cold War was a multifaceted conflict that shaped international relations for nearly half a century. The ideological battle between the United States and the Soviet Union manifested in various forms, from proxy wars in Korea and Vietnam to political witch hunts like the McCarthy trials. The construction of the Berlin Wall symbolized the physical and ideological divide that characterized the era. The Cold War’s impact extended beyond the immediate superpowers, influencing global politics, military strategies, and societal attitudes in countries like Australia. Understanding the complexities of the Cold War and its enduring legacy is essential for comprehending the contemporary geopolitical landscape.