9.3 The Cold War

The Cold War was a nearly 50-year geopolitical rivalry (post–WWII) between the liberal democratic West (led by the U.S.) and the communist East (led by the USSR). It started as wartime alliances broke down over security, ideology, and control of Europe—think Iron Curtain, division of Germany, and competing institutions like NATO vs. the Warsaw Pact. It played out through propaganda, an arms race (including nuclear MAD), covert actions, and proxy “hot” wars in Korea, Vietnam, and Afghanistan rather than direct U.S.–USSR combat. It’s called “cold” because the two superpowers never fought each other directly on European soil; their rivalry stayed mostly political, economic, and indirect, though it included moments of acute crisis (Berlin Blockade/Airlift, Cuban Missile Crisis). For AP review, focus on causes, key events, and effects per Topic 9.3 (see the Fiveable study guide: https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9/cold-war/study-guide/XtWQDaLVAJNKhS2uobTa) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

After WWII, mistrust between the U.S. (and Western democracies) and the USSR set off the Cold War. The alliance from wartime fell apart over political systems, security, and spheres of influence: the Soviet Union wanted buffer zones and control over Eastern Europe while the West pushed for democracy and market economies. That division became the “Iron Curtain.” Key early moves—Truman Doctrine (containment of communism), the Marshall Plan (economic recovery tied to politics), and the 1948–49 Berlin Blockade/Airlift—deepened the split. Both sides formed military blocs (NATO vs. the Warsaw Pact), ran an arms race (including nuclear deterrence/MAD), and fought indirectly in proxy wars (Korea, Vietnam). For AP exam context, you should be able to explain causes, major events, and effects (KC-4.1.IV and related keywords). Review Topic 9.3 on Fiveable for a focused study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9/cold-war/study-guide/XtWQDaLVAJNKhS2uobTa) and practice 1,000+ questions at (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

They were wartime allies against Nazi Germany, but after 1945 deep ideological and security differences turned them into rivals. The USSR pushed a communist, state-controlled model and sought buffer zones in Eastern Europe; the US favored liberal democracy and market economies and feared Soviet expansion. Competition over postwar borders and governments (the “Iron Curtain” dividing Europe) created distrust. Key flashpoints and policies—Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, Berlin Blockade/Airlift, formation of NATO and the Warsaw Pact, and the nuclear arms race (MAD)—turned competition into a global Cold War with proxy wars in Korea, Vietnam, and elsewhere. For the AP exam, you should link causes, events, and effects (CED Topic 9.3 keywords like Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, Berlin, NATO, proxy wars) and practice explaining causation on short-answer or LEQ prompts. Review the Topic 9.3 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9/cold-war/study-guide/XtWQDaLVAJNKhS2uobTa) and try practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

The “Iron Curtain” was a Cold War metaphor (coined by Churchill) describing Europe’s political, military, and ideological division after WWII: Western Europe aligned with liberal democracies and the U.S. (Marshall Plan, NATO) while Eastern Europe was under Soviet control and communist governments (Soviet satellite states, COMECON, Warsaw Pact). Practically, it meant restricted movement, censorship, and contrasting economies/political systems separated by fortified borders (think political boundary more than a single wall). On the AP exam, this fits KC-4.1.IV and keywords like Iron Curtain, Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, NATO, Warsaw Pact, and proxy wars. For essays/DBQs, use the Iron Curtain as context to explain causes (Soviet security aims, Western containment) and effects (division of Europe, Berlin crises, arms race). For a focused review, see the Topic 9.3 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9/cold-war/study-guide/XtWQDaLVAJNKhS2uobTa) and try practice questions at (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

Short answer: both were Cold War "hot wars" where the US and USSR backed opposite sides, but they differed in scale, goals, and outcomes. The Korean War (1950–53) was a relatively short, conventional conflict on the Korean Peninsula that ended in a ceasefire and a permanent division at the 38th parallel—it reinforced containment and led directly to NATO/Warsaw Pact tensions. The Vietnam War (major US involvement c. 1965–73) was longer, guerrilla-heavy, and tied to decolonization and nationalism; it became a costly, unpopular effort for the US to prevent communist takeover and ended with North Vietnam unifying the country. Both are classic Cold War proxy conflicts (CED KC-4.1.IV.B), but Korea stabilized the Cold War balance; Vietnam exposed limits of US containment and reshaped domestic politics. For quick review, see the Topic 9.3 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9/cold-war/study-guide/XtWQDaLVAJNKhS2uobTa) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history) to prep for SAQs/LEQs on Cold War proxy wars.

The Cold War wasn’t a direct military showdown between the US and USSR—it was a global rivalry fought in other ways. Think of five main arenas: 1) political/economic contests (Marshall Plan vs. COMECON, Truman Doctrine) to win allies; 2) military alliances and deterrence (NATO vs. Warsaw Pact) and an arms race that produced MAD—which made a full-scale war too dangerous; 3) proxy “hot” wars where each superpower backed opposite sides (Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Cuba); 4) covert actions, espionage, and coups (CIA/KGB influence) plus propaganda campaigns to shape public opinion; and 5) crises and standoffs (Berlin Blockade/Airlift, Cuban Missile Crisis) that tested wills without all-out war. For AP purposes, you should connect causes, events, and effects (KC-4.1.IV and examples like NATO, Berlin Wall, proxy wars). Review Topic 9.3 on Fiveable for concise examples and exam-style practice (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9/cold-war/study-guide/XtWQDaLVAJNKhS2uobTa) and hit practice questions at (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

Because WWII left two rival systems—liberal democracy + market capitalism (U.S.) vs. Soviet-style communism (USSR)—with global reach, the Cold War became a long struggle over influence, not direct large-scale war. Key reasons it lasted ~50 years: - Ideological conflict and mutual distrust after WWII produced the Iron Curtain and security rivalries (Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan). - Bipolar power structure: NATO vs. Warsaw Pact meant Europe was split, and both sides built blocs. - Nuclear weapons created MAD (mutually assured destruction), which prevented full-scale war but encouraged indirect or proxy wars (Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Cuba). - Competing economic/political systems led to propaganda, covert action, and an arms race rather than negotiation. - Periodic thawing (détente) and crises (Cuban Missile Crisis) delayed resolution until internal Soviet reforms under Gorbachev (glasnost, perestroika) and economic strain allowed a peaceful end. For AP Euro, focus on causes, major crises, proxy wars, MAD, and how Gorbachev’s reforms ended it (use Topic 9.3 study guide for review: https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9/cold-war/study-guide/XtWQDaLVAJNKhS2uobTa). For broader unit review and 1,000+ practice problems, see (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9) and (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

The Cold War affected ordinary people everywhere in big, everyday ways. Fear of nuclear war and MAD (mutually assured destruction) shaped daily life—civil-defense drills, fallout shelters, and anxiety about crises like the Cuban Missile Crisis. Most warfare was “hot” in places outside Europe (Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Latin America), so millions of civilians faced death, displacement, and refugee flows as superpowers backed opposing sides. Propaganda, censorship, and surveillance shaped public opinion and limited freedoms behind the Iron Curtain; in the West, anti-communist hysteria affected careers and culture. Economies shifted: heavy military spending influenced jobs and social programs (welfare-state growth in Western Europe) while colonies pushed for independence amid superpower rivalry. Long-term effects included human-rights abuses, polarized politics, migration, and changed cultural tastes. For AP exam prep, focus on causes/events/effects (CED KC-4.1.IV, proxy wars, arms race, MAD) and practice explaining impacts in short-answer and LEQ formats (see the Topic 9.3 study guide: https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9/cold-war/study-guide/XtWQDaLVAJNKhS2uobTa; unit overview: https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9). For more practice, check the 1000+ questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

Start with a clear thesis that answers how propaganda shaped Cold War politics and society (example: “Cold War propaganda deepened the East–West divide by mobilizing publics, justifying containment/imperial support, and shaping domestic policies”). In your intro also contextualize briefly (post-WWII Iron Curtain, Truman Doctrine, NATO/Warsaw Pact). Use at least four documents to support your line of reasoning (posters, radio transcripts, government memos, speeches, films). Describe content from documents, and for two of them explain POV/purpose/audience (e.g., US State Dept. pamphlet = democratic legitimation; Soviet poster = worker solidarity and anti-imperialism). Bring one piece of outside evidence (Berlin Blockade/Airlift, Berlin Wall, McCarthyism, COMECON). Show complexity by noting both intended effects (mobilizing support, legitimation) and unintended effects (hardening divisions, provoking proxy conflicts). Follow AP DBQ rules: thesis, contextualization, use 4+ docs, source 2 docs, outside evidence, and aim for complex understanding. For topic review, see the Cold War study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9/cold-war/study-guide/XtWQDaLVAJNKhS2uobTa) and try extra practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

The United Nations served as the main postwar forum for diplomacy and limited peacekeeping during the Cold War: it hosted debates, ran relief and reconstruction programs, and authorized peacekeeping missions when both sides agreed. But it couldn’t stop Cold War tensions because the Security Council was frozen by superpower rivalry—U.S. and Soviet vetoes often blocked collective action—so the UN couldn’t enforce solutions to confrontations like Berlin, Korea, or Cuba. Deep ideological conflict pushed competition into proxy wars, propaganda, and an arms race (MAD), areas where the UN’s consensus-based tools and respect for sovereignty were weak. For AP purposes, link this to KC-4.1.IV: the UN was an effort at international cooperation that failed to bridge the Iron Curtain and prevent global Cold War conflict. For a concise Topic 9.3 review, see Fiveable’s study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9/cold-war/study-guide/XtWQDaLVAJNKhS2uobTa) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (1979–1989) differed from many Cold War conflicts because it was a full-scale, direct military intervention by one superpower into another region—not just an indirect proxy fight. Unlike Korea or Vietnam where the USSR mainly backed allies, the USSR sent tens of thousands of its own troops to occupy Afghanistan, face a prolonged guerrilla insurgency (mujahedeen), and endure heavy casualties and economic strain. The U.S. and others still treated it as a proxy war—providing covert aid, weapons, and training to Afghan fighters—but the Soviet role was visibly on-the-ground, which increased international condemnation, ended détente momentum, and accelerated domestic pressures that hurt the USSR. For AP review, link this to KC-4.1.IV and proxy-wars examples in Topic 9.3; see the Topic 9.3 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9/cold-war/study-guide/XtWQDaLVAJNKhS2uobTa). For extra practice, check Fiveable’s practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

The arms race and nuclear threat grew from Cold War rivalry between the U.S. and the USSR: ideological distrust after WWII, competing security blocs (NATO vs. the Warsaw Pact), and fear that the other side would gain a strategic edge. Both superpowers invested in bigger arsenals to deter the other (leading to mutually assured destruction, or MAD), so each new missile or bomb prompted a matching response. Crises like Berlin and the Cuban Missile Crisis made nuclear escalation feel possible, pushing leaders to expand deterrents and delivery systems. Proxy wars and covert competition worldwide reinforced the logic of “outbuild and outmatch” rather than direct war. For AP prep, link this to KC-4.1.IV and keywords (MAD, NATO, Cuban Missile Crisis, proxy wars)—see the Topic 9.3 study guide for a compact review (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9/cold-war/study-guide/XtWQDaLVAJNKhS2uobTa). For practice, use Fiveable’s AP practice problems (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

The Cold War was “global” because it wasn’t just Europe vs. the USSR—it played out across Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean through proxy wars, diplomacy, and economic programs. Examples: the Korean and Vietnam Wars were “hot” conflicts where the U.S. and USSR backed opposite sides; the Cuban Missile Crisis brought superpower nuclear brinkmanship to the Caribbean; the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan intensified Cold War competition in Central Asia. Other tools were propaganda, covert CIA/KGB actions, the arms race and MAD, and alliances like NATO and the Warsaw Pact that projected power worldwide. For the AP exam you should be able to explain causes, events, and effects (CED LO 9.3.C), use keywords like Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, proxy wars, and Cuban Missile Crisis, and connect global examples in DBQs/LEQs. Review Topic 9.3 on Fiveable (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9/cold-war/study-guide/XtWQDaLVAJNKhS2uobTa) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

The Cold War reshaped Asia, Africa, and Latin America through proxy wars, superpower competition, and political realignment. The U.S. and USSR backed local governments or insurgents (Korean War, Vietnam, Soviet–Afghan War; KC-4.1.IV.B), producing prolonged conflicts, civilian loss, and authoritarian regimes supported by military and economic aid (Truman Doctrine-style containment, sometimes tied to Marshall Plan-style assistance). Decolonization often became a Cold War arena: new states faced pressure to align with NATO or the Warsaw Pact, or join the Non-Aligned Movement. Economically, many countries became dependent on bloc aid or COMECON trade ties, limiting development and fostering instability. The global arms race and MAD raised nuclear stakes and regional proliferation fears. For AP exam use: cite proxy wars and postwar nationalism (good DBQ/LEQ evidence) and link causes → effects in short answers. For a focused review, see the Topic 9.3 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9/cold-war/study-guide/XtWQDaLVAJNKhS2uobTa) and practice problems (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

Covert actions were secret efforts (usually by the CIA or KGB) to shape politics abroad without open military involvement: funding friendly parties, backing coups, training paramilitary groups, running propaganda, or sabotaging economies. They aimed for plausible deniability so states could influence outcomes while publicly avoiding escalation. During the Cold War this fit the Truman Doctrine’s goal to contain communism and the logic of MAD—open war risked nuclear retaliation—so superpowers preferred proxy wars, covert ops, and propaganda to advance interests. For AP purposes, explain these as part of Cold War causes, events, and effects: they spread influence globally, provoked local conflicts (Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan), and impacted postwar politics and human rights. For a focused review see the Topic 9.3 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9/cold-war/study-guide/XtWQDaLVAJNKhS2uobTa) and try practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).