Development of the Cold War between the late 1940s and the early 1990s

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Why did European countries seek to build empires in Africa and Asia during the nineteenth century (1800-1900)? What factors made that process of imperialist expansion successful and what were its long-term effects on African and Asian societies? In addition, in what ways did African and Asian people seek to resist European imperialism in their societies? Discuss two specific examples of such resistance.

 

 

Discuss the origins and development of the Cold War between the late 1940s and the early 1990s. What were the causes of the conflict? What were some of its most dangerous moments? What role did nuclear weapons play in the conflict? How and why did the Cold War end?

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Development of the Cold War between the late 1940s and the early 1990s

Cold War, the open yet restricted rivalry that developed after World War II between the United States and the Soviet Union and their perspective allies. The Cold War was waged on political, economic, and propaganda fronts and had only limited recourse to weapons. Following the surrender of Nazi Germany in May 1945 near the close of World War II, the uneasy wartime alliance between the United States and Great Britain on the one hand and the Soviet Union on the other began to unravel. By 1948the Soviets had installed left-wing governments in the countries of eastern Europe that had been liberated by the Red Army.

Freedoms

Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms were utilized in the UN Charter where in a perfect world, all citizens would have “freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear” (History Alive!). These four freedoms were a huge part of the allies’ goals after the war.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

In December 10th of 1948, the United Nations ratified the international Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a result of the end of WWII. In this declaration, it is stated that all citizens have their human rights and freedoms. After the death of President Roosevelt, his widowed wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, chaired the committee that made the declaration.

Nuremberg War Crimes Trials

In these 1945 and 1946 trials, 22 defendants were prosecuted for violating international laws of maintaining peace. These war criminals consisted of Nazi leaders, the SS, secret police, and military leaders. The trials took place in Nuremberg, Germany, where 12 were hung, 7 prisoned, and 3 freed.

GI Bill of Rights
In 1944, Congress passed the GI Bill of Rights in order to assist GIs with funds in adapting from soldier life back into civilian life. This way, veterans could go back to their old lives and pursue their education or start over in a new home. After WWII ended, millions of men and women went back to their normal lives and utilized the GI Bill to follow their dreams. Many went to college and soon, the middle class quickly grew in size.

Geneva Conventions

In these international meetings, several laws were passed to protect citizens in case of conflict in the future. Various weapons that were used in WWII became banned in modern warfare. In addition, prisoners of war, the sick, or anything or anyone else detained is to be protected under the international humanitarian law.

International Criminal Court (ICC)

Even after the horrors of WWII, such conflicts like so still occur. The need for the International Criminal Court recognizes crimes against humanity and stops it before it spirals out of control. This organization is located in the Hague in the Netherlands, where crimes and acts of genocide go to come to an end.

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