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0:00
We begin in 1943, during World War II. The Allies are gradually gaining the upper hand and begin to look towards victory. The USSR, the United States and the United Kingdom begin a series of meetings to prepare for the post-war period. The three agree to divide and occupy Germany after its defeat. The United States, for its part, announces its intention to establish international institutions to pacify the world, stabilize the global economy, and increase its influence.
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For its part, the United Kingdom seeks to preserve and strengthen its colonial empire, and begins negotiations with the USSR on future zones of influence in the Balkans, where the Axis forces are being defeated. Churchill and Stalin agree that Romania and Bulgaria should come under Soviet influence, that Hungary and Yugoslavia should be shared, and that Greece should come under British influence. But just a few days later, as Greece is liberated,
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the Greek Communist Party, which had played a major role in the resistance, finds itself in a position of strength, which does not sit well with the British. The British then intervene militarily to restore a royalist government, triggering a civil war.
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As the Allied victory becomes clearer, a new meeting is organized at Yalta in Crimea. The United States formalizes the future creation of the UN. The three powers, along with China and France, will play a major role, becoming the 5 permanent members of the Security Council. The USA also obtains a commitment from the USSR to attack Japan within three months of the German defeat. The three also agree to recreate Poland, but the USSR will keep the territories it has conquered,
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and the country will be moved further west, to Germany's detriment. Finally, Germany and Austria will be occupied and partitioned, with Churchill negotiating to include France in the partition. On May 8, 1945, Germany surrenders. The UN is then created in San Francisco, initially bringing together 51 countries. At the Potsdam conference, Germany and Berlin, as well as Austria and Vienna, are officially divided into 4 zones of occupation.
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But there are already the first signs of dissension among the three powers, as they are unable to agree on how the country should be administered, or whether Germany should pay war reparations. At the conference, the new President of the United States, Truman, informs Stalin that his country now possesses an extremely powerful new weapon. Two weeks later, on August 6, 1945, the United States drops its first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. On August 9, a second bomb is dropped on Nagasaki,
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while the USSR keeps its promise, and begins a military invasion of Manchuria, southern Sakhalin, and the Kuril Islands. The United States negotiates and obtains a temporary division of Korea at the 38th parallel so that it can occupy the south of the country. On September 2, Japan signs its surrender, marking the end of World War II.
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The USA and the USSR are now the world's two superpowers, while Europe has been ravaged. Weakened France and the United Kingdom concentrate their efforts on regaining control of their colonies around the world. The Soviet Union, which during the interwar period was isolated and threatened, now wants to secure its borders, notably by imposing coalition governments favorable to it in the countries it has liberated from the German yoke.
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Yugoslavia, which had liberated itself from Axis forces, is now in the hands of the Communist Tito, himself allied with Stalin, and who is supporting the Greek Communists in the civil war by supplying them with arms. On the other side, the United Kingdom finds itself in trouble, and seeks support from the United States. On March 5, 1946, Churchill, who is visiting the United States, makes a speech in which he declares that Europe is now divided by an iron curtain
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separating the Communist camp from the Western camp. The Soviet Union also puts pressure on Turkey to take control of the strategic straits linking the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, and on Iran, where the Red Army remains stationed to defend the creation of a state in the north that would give it privileged access to oil. Finally, the USSR supports the Communists in China, where civil war resumes between the Communists and the Nationalists, the latter being supported by the United States.
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Truman then makes a speech in which he declares that the world is now divided between democracies and authoritarian regimes, and that his country will embark on an interventionist policy around the world to stem the spread of communism. The country now supports Turkey, and takes over the arming of royalists in Greece. In Western Europe, where the rise of Communist parties is a cause for concern, the Marshall Plan is promulgated, designed to provide credit to speed up reconstruction,
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stabilize economies, and strengthen United States influence. In the United States, communists are driven out of government, and a central intelligence agency, the CIA, is created to defend the country's interests around the world. For his part, Stalin reacts by founding the Cominform, an alliance of Communist countries dominated by the USSR. On this occasion, Andrei Zhdanov, a high-ranking Soviet representative, makes a speech in which he confirms that the world is now divided into two camps,
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one imperialist, led by the USA, and the other democratic, led by the Soviet Union.
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As tensions mount, the USSR invests massively to make up for its military and industrial lag with the USA, and to develop atomic weapons. At the same time, Stalin fails to impose his policies on Tito, leading to the first tensions between the two. Finally, in the heart of Europe, Czechoslovakia is still seen as a bridge between the two blocs. The country remains a democracy with a strong Communist party. But in February 1948, after some tension, the Soviets support a coup d'état,
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and the country falls entirely into the Eastern bloc. In response, the UK, France, and the Benelux countries form a military alliance to repel any attack from the East, whether Soviet or German. In Germany, the four fail to reunify the country. The United States and the United Kingdom then persuade France to unite their zones of occupation to create a federal, democratic German state to block the spread of communism. The future country will be included in the Marshall Plan,
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and will have the Deutsche Mark as its new currency. Unhappy with this agreement, Stalin responds with a coup de force, imposing a blockade on West Berlin, which is still under Western occupation and at the heart of his zone. The Westerners then organize an airlift that supplies the two million inhabitants of West Berlin for a year. At the same time, Stalin formalizes the split with Tito, and excludes Yugoslavia from the Cominform.
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As a result, Yugoslavia stops supplying arms to the Communist camp in Greece.
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On April 4, 1949, Western European countries form a military alliance with the USA and Canada to create NATO. If one member of the alliance is attacked, all of the others agree to defend it. The countries of Western Europe thus find themselves under the protection of the United States, which is still the only country to possess atomic weapons. The following month, the Federal Republic of Germany is officially created.
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In Greece, after a major royalist offensive, the last Communist stronghold is defeated, and the country joins the Western camp. On the Soviet side, on August 29th, 1949, the USSR successfully tests its first atomic bomb. In China, Mao Zedong's Red Army overcomes the Kuomintang nationalists, who retreat to Taiwan. Mainland China becomes Communist and allies itself with the Soviet Union, which gains a major ally in Asia, while war rages in Indochina between Communist forces and the French army,
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which is struggling to regain control of the territory. And tension mounts in Korea, where no agreement has been reached on reunification.
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On June 25, 1950, the North Korean army, supported by the USSR, begins its invasion of South Korea across the 38th parallel. The United States turns to the UN to organize the defense of South Korea. But on the Security Council, China is still represented by the Republic of China, which has taken refuge in Taiwan, provoking the displeasure of Stalin, who boycotts the meetings. Without veto or opposition, the UN agrees to form an army under US command to defend South Korea.
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The front line is pushed back to the Chinese border. China in turn intervenes, sending its army to support the North Koreans. The front line is pushed back and stabilizes more or less around the 38th parallel. The United States, which is heavily involved on this front, fears having to intervene militarily elsewhere in the world, and forges new alliances with the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, where it ends the occupation.
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The US also fears a Soviet offensive against West Germany, which is not allowed to rearm. The United States then applies political pressure to give the authorization for the country to rearm, and to join NATO. In 1953, a ceasefire is signed in Korea, and a demilitarized zone becomes the new border between the two Koreas. This zone is constantly guarded by over a million soldiers.
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In the United States, the new President Eisenhower relies on the country's nuclear superiority, and advocates for the installation of atomic weapons in Western Europe to discourage any attack. In the USSR, Stalin dies without having prepared for succession. A period of instability follows, during which Nikita Khrushchev gradually establishes himself as the country's new leader. In Iran, the CIA secretly organizes a coup d'état to overthrow the Prime Minister, who has nationalized oil.
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The Shah of Iran returns to the throne, and embarks on a pro-Western policy. In 1954, in Indochina, France is defeated, and forced to withdraw. Laos and Cambodia are recognized, and Vietnam finds itself divided along the 17th parallel, with the north communist, and the Republic of Vietnam in the south. In Central America, in Guatemala, the left-wing government introduces an agrarian reform that is unfavorable to the powerful US company, the “United Fruit Company”.
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The latter then asks the CIA to organize a coup d'état to overthrow the government. But as the world becomes increasingly divided, 29 so-called “Third World” countries, most of which have recently gained their independence, meet in Bandung to condemn colonization and proclaim their neutrality. In Europe, West Germany is finally integrated into NATO. The USSR responds by creating the Warsaw Pact, a military alliance between the Eastern Bloc countries.
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Agreement is also reached on the reunification of Austria, but the new country must remain neutral in the context of the Cold War.
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In Hungary, an anti-Soviet insurrection rages and gains momentum. The Soviet army intervenes to quell the rebellion. At the same time, in Egypt, the new president Nasser nationalizes the strategic Suez Canal, to the detriment of the French and British, who were controlling it until then. In response, the latter ally themselves with Israel and launch a military offensive to regain control of the canal. The USSR, allied with Egypt, threatens to retaliate with nuclear weapons,
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forcing the United States to call off the operation. This event marks the end of colonial domination by the United Kingdom and France. From then on, only the USSR and the USA impose their policies. But both have now developed large nuclear arsenals, and know that war would have devastating consequences. The challenge is now to gain superiority in other areas. In 1957, the USSR surprises and worries the USA by sending the first satellite into space.
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The following year, China begins bombing islands that are controlled by Taiwan. The United States then deploys a military fleet in the Straits and puts an end to the offensive. But the Soviet Union didn’t intervene on behalf of its Chinese ally, which irritates Mao Zedong. The latter distances himself from the Soviet Union, and launches his own development programs. The following year, Khrushchev is the first Soviet head of state to make a diplomatic visit to the United States.
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He does so in order to ease tensions, and to negotiate an agreement on West Berlin, which is still under Western control. In China, Khrushchev is now perceived as too conciliatory with the West. What's more, since Mao Zedong has launched his own reforms, the USSR is no longer helping China to develop atomic weapons. This time, the split between the two Communist powers is official.
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In Cuba, Fidel Castro's new revolutionary government nationalizes US companies and draws closer diplomatically to the USSR. Eisenhower commissions the CIA to organize his downfall. In Africa, the Congo gains independence and, after elections, Patrice Lumumba is appointed Prime Minister. But in the rich uranium mining region of Katanga, independence movements break out, supported by the Belgian army. On the other side, the USSR and Third World countries defend Lumumba.
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The CIA then intervenes to organize his downfall. Colonel Mobutu seizes power and organizes Lumumba's arrest and execution. In the United States, Kennedy becomes the new president. He advocates for peaceful coexistence with the Soviet Union, while continuing to contain the spread of communism around the world. In Cuba, counter-revolutionaries, armed by the CIA, land on the island, but the offensive is repulsed. At the same time, the USSR sends the first man into space, Yuri Gagarin.
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Now, Kennedy decides to invest heavily to make up for lost time in the space race, and to become the first country to set foot on the Moon. In the same year, although no agreement has been reached on West Berlin, the Soviets begin building a wall to divide the city, and halt migration from East to West. The Soviet Union, which has caught up to the West in industrial and military terms, is now testing an atomic bomb 3,000 times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb.
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At the same time, the Soviet Union takes advantage of the failure of the Cuban invasion to move closer to Cuba, and obtains authorization to deploy nuclear missiles there, which pose a direct threat to United States soil. Realizing this, Kennedy deploys his military fleet and imposes a total quarantine on the island, blocking the arrival of Soviet ships. Tensions reach a climax, and the two powers are on the brink of nuclear war. But an agreement is finally reached.
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Khrushchev undertakes to withdraw his nuclear missiles, in exchange for which Kennedy promises not to invade the island, and also to withdraw US nuclear missiles which are situated in Turkey and Italy.
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After coming close to nuclear war, the two superpowers begin a series of meetings to calm the situation. An agreement is reached to limit nuclear testing, and a direct telephone line is set up between the Kremlin and the White House to avoid future incidents. In Vietnam, tensions remain high between the North and the South, which is defended by the United States. In August of 1964, after a series of controversial incidents,
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the United States steps up its military involvement, massively bombing the north and deploying troops. The US also lands troops in the Dominican Republic, where it fears a revolution similar to that which took place in Cuba. Finally, in Indonesia, the United States supports General Suharto who, after overthrowing the Communist government, begins a bloody crackdown on his opponents. More than 500,000 Communists are massacred, and hundreds of thousands more are imprisoned in camps.
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At the same time, the war in Vietnam intensifies, forcing the United States to deploy up to 500,000 troops. But in early 1968, North Vietnam and the Communists in the south organize a major counter-offensive. In the United States, victory seems to be slipping away, and the war becomes increasingly unpopular. At the same time, in Czechoslovakia, the government begins a democratic transition. The USSR then invades the country, along with three other Warsaw Pact members,
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to re-establish a pro-Soviet government. Brezhnev, now head of the USSR, hardens his foreign policy. Conversely, Nixon, the new President of the United States, wants to reduce the country's military presence around the world, including in Vietnam, while providing financial and material support to countries fighting communism. At the same time, the United States makes up much of its lost ground in the space race,
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and on July 21, 1969, Armstrong and Aldrin become the first men to walk on the moon.
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In the Gulf of Aden, Somalia, after a coup d'état, and South Yemen, which has been independent since 1967, are both turning to the Soviet camp. In 1971, the UN passes a resolution allowing the People's Republic of China to replace Taiwan as a permanent member of the Security Council. Nixon then makes his first trip to China to establish initial contact. Three months later, he goes to Moscow to sign an agreement to limit the arms race.
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Finally, in 1973, the United States formalizes its total disengagement from Vietnam, after failing to find a lasting peace solution. That same year, at the fourth meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement in Algiers, 75 countries are represented, including in Latin America, where the United States is determined to prevent any communist governments at all costs. But in Chile, since 1970, the country is governed by Salvador Allende,
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a democratically-elected socialist who is implementing a program close to communism. The CIA is tasked with secretly organizing his downfall. On September 11, 1973, following a military coup, Augusto Pinochet seizes power, and establishes a violent military dictatorship. The following month, Egypt and Syria launch a surprise attack on Israel. The USSR supports the offensive, while the USA sets up an air corridor to supply Israel.
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In the end, a ceasefire is signed, but tensions have risen between the two superpowers. In 1975, North Vietnamese forces invade the south of the country. In the United States, Congress blocks any military intervention, and within a few months the Communists win and reunify the country, while Laos and Cambodia also fall to Communist powers. In Africa, following Portugal's withdrawal from its colonies, war rages in Angola.
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The Communist camp, supported by the USSR and Cuba, wins, and the new country becomes part of the Soviet camp. Finally, in Europe, the USSR installs new, more powerful nuclear missiles, which threaten Western Europe in particular, thus rekindling tensions.
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In Afghanistan, the Communist Party seizes power. On the other side, Mujahideen rebels, supported by Pakistan and China, organize a revolt that turns into a civil war. At the same time, the United States begins full diplomatic relations with China, establishing an embassy in Beijing. The country also authorizes the CIA to help support the Mujahideen in Afghanistan. But as the situation becomes more complicated, the USSR decides to intervene militarily and invades the country.
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Tensions between the two superpowers rise again. US President Carter relaunches the country's armaments program and announces economic sanctions against the USSR. While NATO responds to the new Soviet missiles by installing its own nuclear missiles in five Western European countries. Regarding the Olympic Games in Moscow, most Western and Arab countries boycott the event. In Poland, strikes undermine the government, and lead to the creation of Solidarity,
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the first independent free trade union in the Eastern bloc. In the United States, Ronald Reagan is elected President, and further tightens the country's foreign policy. He pledges to train and arm all political opponents of Communist governments, without sending in armies. The death of Brezhnev in 1982 is followed by a period of instability in the USSR, as the Union's economy stagnates, and the Soviet army becomes bogged down in Afghanistan.
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In 1985, Gorbachev comes to power and pursues a policy of international appeasement. He renews contact with the United States, with whom he agrees to reduce military arsenals by 50%. But the following year, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster is another blow to the Soviet Union, which struggles to manage the crisis, and whose image is tarnished worldwide. On the domestic front, Gorbachev attempts economic reforms and openness to increase freedom and transparency.
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At a third meeting with Reagan, the two agree to withdraw their nuclear missiles from Europe, putting an end to the Euromissile crisis. In 1988, the USSR undertakes to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, and then announces the withdrawal of a large number of its soldiers stationed in Eastern Europe. While this policy is successful on the international stage, within the USSR and the Eastern bloc this policy of relaxation facilitates the organization of opposition movements.
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In Poland, the first elections are held, with the Solidarity party victorious. In Hungary, the country opens its border with Austria, allowing East Germans to migrate to West Germany unchecked. Finally, Gorbachev announces that he will not intervene to protect the Berlin Wall. The Wall is torn down on November 9, 1989. The following month, Gorbachev and new US President George Herbert Walker Bush meet in Malta and declare an end to the Cold War.
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Following the collapse of communist rule in Eastern Europe and German reunification, instability rages within the USSR itself. The Baltic republics are the first to proclaim their independence. On July 1, 1991, the Warsaw Pact is dissolved. The following month, Gorbachev narrowly avoids a coup d'état. Weakened, he loses control of the Soviet Union, as more and more republics declare their independence.
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Finally, on December 25th, 1991, the USSR becomes an empty box, and Gorbachev is forced to resign. Over some 45 years of tension, the USA and the USSR never faced each other militarily. The name Cold War derives from this period, during which the two superpowers competed diplomatically, industrially, and technologically, without any direct military confrontation.
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