AP European History Unit 9 Cheatsheet: Cold War and Contemporary Europe

Core Setup (1945–1991)

• Emerged as WWII ended; lasted ~45 years
• Liberal democratic West vs. communist East
• Deep tensions despite UN creation

Iron Curtain Division

• Physical/ideological split of Europe
• Western sphere: NATO, US influence, market economies
• Eastern sphere: Warsaw Pact, Soviet domination, central planning

Global Proxy Conflicts

• Korean War, Vietnam War, Yom Kippur War, Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
• Propaganda, covert ops, arms race, nuclear threat
• Avoided direct superpower military clash

Post-WWII Disruptions

• Nationalist & separatist movements periodically destabilized peace
• Ethnic conflict & cleansing: Bosnian Muslims, Kosovo Albanians
• Separatist movements: Basque (ETA), Flemish; nationalist violence: Ireland, Chechnya

Balkan Wars & Genocide

• New nationalisms in Central/Eastern Europe → war & genocide
• Yugoslavia dissolution led to regional instability

Decolonization Process

• Woodrow Wilson's post-WWI self-determination principle raised expectations
• Imperial powers reluctant to relinquish control; Cold War strategic alignments delayed independence into mid–late 20th century
• Indigenous movements: Indian National Congress, Algeria's FLN, Ho Chi Minh's Viet Minh, Sukarno

Economic Growth & Labor Migration (1950s–1960s)

• Migrant workers from southern Europe, Asia, Africa
• Filled labor shortages in Western/Central Europe
• Families settled; became permanent communities

1970s Downturn & Backlash

• Economic stagnation reversed growth
• Migrants & families became targets of anti-immigrant agitation
• Rise of extreme nationalist parties: French National Front, Austrian Freedom Party

Religious & Cultural Impact

• Immigration altered Europe's religious makeup
• Sparked debate over religion's role in social & political life