​The Cold War Divides the World

​The Cold War Divides the World

By Mr. Carrasco

• The Cold War was a global struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union for influence and power.

• The two superpowers rarely fought each other directly but instead supported opposing sides in conflicts around the world.

• Many of these conflicts occurred in developing nations in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

• The rivalry between these superpowers shaped international politics for decades.​

The Cold War Divides the World

• The idea that if either the United States or the Soviet Union launched nuclear weapons, the other side would respond with its own nuclear strike.

• Both countries possessed enough nuclear weapons to destroy each other many times over.

• Because both sides would suffer destruction, neither side wanted to start a nuclear war.

Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)

• MAD created a balance of terror, where the fear of nuclear retaliation prevented direct war between the superpowers.

• As a result, the Cold War was fought through proxy wars, diplomacy, and political competition instead of nuclear conflict.​

Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)

• The “Third World” referred to developing nations in Latin America, Asia, and Africa.

• Many of these countries had recently gained independence from colonial rule.

• They faced economic poverty, political instability, and social divisions.

• Both superpowers competed to influence these nations and gain allies.

What was the Third World?

Multiple Choice

Which regions were commonly referred to as the “Third World” during the Cold War?

• Western Europe and North America

• Latin America, Asia, and Africa

• Eastern Europe

• Australia and Japan

• The United States and the Soviet Union used many strategies to compete for global influence.

• Intelligence agencies such as the CIA and KGB conducted secret operations.

• Both superpowers provided military aid, economic support, and technical assistance to allies.

• They also supported revolutions or governments that shared their political ideology.

Cold War Strategies

• Some countries chose not to side with either superpower.

• These nations formed the Non-Aligned Movement.

• Leaders from Asia and Africa met at the Bandung Conference in 1955.

• Their goal was to remain independent from Cold War rivalries.

Nonaligned Nations

Multiple Choice

What was the purpose of the Bandung Conference?

• To form a military alliance

• To support colonialism

• To create a group of neutral nations

• To start a war against the Soviet Union

• Both superpowers used foreign aid to build alliances.

• Aid included money, technology, and infrastructure projects.

• Egypt received Soviet assistance to build the Aswan High Dam.

• Economic support helped strengthen political relationships.

Foreign Aid

• Espionage involved spying on enemy governments and military activities.

• The downing of a U.S. U-2 spy plane by the Soviet Union in 1960 caused international tension.

• Propaganda was used to promote political ideology and criticize opponents.

• Radio Free Europe broadcast Western news into Communist countries.

Espionage and Propaganda

• Brinkmanship meant pushing a conflict to the brink of war without actually fighting.

• Both superpowers threatened nuclear war to pressure their opponents.

• Proxy wars were conflicts where superpowers supported opposing sides.

• Korea, Vietnam, and Afghanistan were major proxy conflicts.

Brinkmanship and Proxy Wars

Multiple Choice

True or False:

The Soviet Union and the United States both used Espionage, Propaganda, Foreign Aid, Brinkmanship diplomacy, and Proxy Wars to compete with each other without actually going to war with one another.

• True

• False

• Latin American nations experienced rapid population growth and economic inequality.

• These conditions led to revolutions and political instability.

• The Soviet Union supported revolutionary movements.

• The United States supported anti-communist governments.

Cold War in Latin America

• Cuba was ruled by the dictator Fulgencio Batista during the 1950s.

• Fidel Castro led a revolution that overthrew Batista in 1959.

• Castro later established a communist government.

• The United States responded with a trade embargo.

Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution

• In 1961, the CIA trained Cuban exiles to invade Cuba.

• The invasion occurred at the Bay of Pigs.

• The United States did not provide enough support.

• Castro’s forces defeated the invaders.

Bay of Pigs Invasion

• In 1962, the Soviet Union secretly placed nuclear missiles in Cuba.

• U.S. spy planes discovered the missile sites.

• This scared the American people because these missiles could reach American cities in minutes.

• President John F. Kennedy ordered a naval blockade of Cuba.

• The crisis ended when the Soviet Union agreed to remove the missiles after the U.S. promised it would never invade Cuba.

Cuban Missile Crisis

Multiple Choice

How did the Cuban Missile Crisis get resolved?

• Cuba surrendered to the United States.

• Venezuela promised to allow the missiles to be installed in their country instead.

• Cuba revolted against Castro and destroyed the missles with the help of the U.S.A.

• The United States promised to not invade Cuba if the Soviet Union removed them.

• Iran was ruled by Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, who had strong ties to Western nations.

• Many Iranians opposed his policies and Western influence.

• Ayatollah Khomeini led a revolution in 1979.

• Iran became an Islamic republic.

Revolution in Iran

• In 1979 Iranian revolutionaries seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran.

• More than 60 Americans were taken hostage.

• The hostages were held for 444 days.

• The crisis greatly damaged U.S.–Iran relations.

Iran Hostage Crisis

• In 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan to support a communist government.

• Afghan rebels known as the mujahideen resisted the invasion.

• The United States supplied weapons to the rebels.

• The war became a costly and unsuccessful conflict for the Soviet Union, just like Vietnam was for the U.S.A.

Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan

• The Cold War shaped politics across the globe using espionage, propaganda, foreign aid, and Brinkmanship for nearly half a century.

• Many conflicts in developing nations were influenced by superpower rivalry.

• Proxy wars caused economic damage, political instability, and loss of life.

• The effects of these conflicts are still visible in many regions today.

Global Impact

Open Ended

The Soviet Union and the United States indirectly engaged one another across the world, but never came directly into conflict. Explain why they never came to blows. What prevented them from doing so? How did they engage each other instead during the Cold War? (2-3 sentence response)