Covering the development of the Cold War from the mid-twentieth century to the present day, The Cold War 1949–2016 explores the struggle for world domination that took place between the United States and the Soviet Union following the Second World War. The conflict between these two superpowers shaped global history for decades, and this book examines how this conflict developed into a nuclear arms race, spurred much of the wider world towards war and eventually resulted in the collapse of the Soviet empire.
In this accessible yet comprehensive volume, Martin McCauley examines not only the actions of the United States and the Soviet Union but also the effects upon and involvement of other regions such as Africa, Central America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Key themes include the Sino-Soviet relationship and the global ambitions of the newly formed People’s Republic of China, the rise and fall of communism in countries such as Cuba, Angola and Ethiopia, the US defeat in Vietnam, the gradual unravelling of the Soviet Union and the changing shape of the post–Cold War world.
Providing a wide-ranging overview of the main turning points of the conflict and illustrated throughout with photographs and maps, this is essential reading for all students of the Cold War and its lasting global impact.
List of illustrations
List of maps
Foreword
Glossary
- ORIGINS OF THE COLD WAR
- THE COLD WAR
- TO THE BRINK AND BACK 1953-1962
- THE US AND THE SOVIET UNION IN THE THIRD WORLD
- THE SINO-SOVIET SCHISM
- CUBA, VIETNAM AND INDONESIA
- THE WAR OF CULTURES
- THE PRAGUE SPRING
- DÉTENTE 1969-1979
- THE ISLAMIC CHALLENGE: IRAN AND AFGHANISTAN
- CAMBODIA-KAMPUCHEA
- POST-DÉTENTE 1979-1985
- GORBACHEV AND THE END OF THE COLD WAR
- THE JUDGEMENT
- THE POST-COLD WAR WORLD
The orthodox or traditional
The revisionist
The post- revisionist
The People’s Republic of China
The Korean War
Eastern Europe
Spies
NSC-68
Germany
Culture
Lost Opportunities
Khrushchev Takes Over
Khrushchev and China
Eisenhower’s New Look
The Geneva Spirit
Poland and Hungary in 1956
The Berlin Crises
The Cuban Missile Crisis
Khrushchev Goes
Culture
The Oil Weapon
The Soviets Rediscover the Third World
Bandung and the Non-Aligned Movement
United States’ Interventions in the Third World
Iran
Iran’s Nuclear Programme
Syria
Egypt
Africa
Latin America
The Moscow Conference
Nuclear Weapons
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution
Conflict on the Ussuri
Vietnam
Indonesia
Journalism, Architecture and Sport
Religion
The Middle East
Ostpolitik
Disarmament
The Helsinki Accord
Nixon and China
Africa
Ethiopia and Somalia
The End of Détente
Laos
North Korea
The Challenge of Poland
Afghanistan
Secret Wars
Soviet Youth Culture
The Third World
The Iran-Contra Affair
Andropov and Reagan: Missed Opportunities
Oleg Gordievsky
China
The Iran-Iraq War
Gorbachev and Bush
Gorbachev and Europe: Our Common Home
The Home Front
Chernobyl
The 19th Party Conference
China
Eastern Europe
Poland
Hungary
The German Democratic Republic
Czechoslovakia
Bulgaria
Albania
Yugoslavia
Vietnam
Gorbachev Faces More Challenges
The Gulf War
Syria
Russia Undermines the Union
The Last Summit
The Attempted Coup
Why Did the Cold War Between the Superpowers Emerge in the Years to 1953?
The Huge Increase in Military Budget
Why Did the Cold War Come to an End?
Domestic reasons
External reasons
Other reasons
There were two main centres
The Chinese Explanation
Near Misses
Graphs
Changing Levels of Tension between the USA and the USSR during the Cold War
Changing Levels of Tension between China and the USSR during the Cold War
Changing Levels of Tension between the USA and China during the Cold War
Russia
The Economy
Foreign Policy
Japan
The United States
China
The Crisis in the West
Religion
Women
Overview
BRICS
China in Africa
Chinese Decision Making
The Russian and American Pivot to Asia
The South China Sea
North Korea
Cuba
Addendum
Further Reading
References
Index
Biography
Martin McCauley is a prolific author and broadcaster who has a wealth of experience in Soviet, Russian and international affairs. He was at the University of London for over 30 years, and his recent publications include Origins of the Cold War, 4th edition (2015), Russia, America and the Cold War, 2nd edition (2008), Stalin and Stalinism, 3rd edition (2008) and The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union (2007).
"The Cold War 1949–2016 is the most readable, comprehensive, knowledgeable narrative of the Cold War. No one can read this book without learning something new, unusual and thought-provoking."
Christopher Read, University of Warwick, UK
