Proxy Wars/Conflicts of the Cold War

Origins WWII Ideologies Bi-polar (alliances) Arms Race Space Race Espionage up to 1990’s

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  1946 – 1949 * Eastern European countries strive for democracy – succeed – civil disobedience
  
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  first proxy war; communism take-over of democratic government
  
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  victory – democracy
  

- concern w/ India - overpopulation

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  1948 - 1960
  
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  protection of democratic investments and profits in Indonesia
  
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  victory - democracy
  

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  1948 - 1983/now * conflict between Palestinian Muslims/Israeli Jews over “homeland”
  

* goal of Muslims: creation of a single Arab state in Middle East

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  conflict over territorial, political and religious control
  
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  Muslim vs. Christian vs. Jewish
  

- Mao gained support of people w/ giving land and lies

- mentality of brainwashing: “people/democracy/republic”

* Southeast Asia caught in middle of cold War

* North/South Korea – same history, language, culture/different political and economic

4. Korean War

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  1959 - 1953
  
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  first proxy war that had American and Communist forces involved
  
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  victory - none/stalemate
  
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  "police action" of containment
  

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  1956 * Abdel Nasser – nationalize control of the Suez Canal/end European imperialism
  
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  ended European imperialism in the Middle East
  
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  severely affected world trade routes
  
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  victory – non-democratic imperialism
  

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  1959 * Latin American conflicts – inequality over $$$
  
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  Communist take-over of Cuban "democratic" government under Bautista
  
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  Change from democracy and capitalism to communism and command economy
  
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  victory - communist
  

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  1959 - 1962
  
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  Buddhist resistance to Chinese communism
  
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  flight of the Dalai Llama
  
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  victory - communism
  

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  1953 - 1973
  
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  struggle between communism and democracy for control of Laos
  
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  influential on the Vietnam War (Ho Chi Minh Trail)
  
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  victory - communism
  

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  1955 – 1975 * Ho Chi Minh – free Vietnam from foreign control
  

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  all Southeast Asia involved
  
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  difficult war to comprehend
  
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  victory - communism
  

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  1960 – 1996 * Latin America – continuous civil wars, “dirty wars”
  
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  largest Latin American Civil War
  
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  showed the brutality of guerilla warfare
  

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  1960 – 1966 * African nationalism –
  

* All African nations fought for independence

* African political instability – result of lack of common goals/cultural ties

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  African crisis to determine fate of African politics
  
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  covert (black) operations
  
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  uncertain future for Africa (politically, economically culturally)
  

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  1961
  
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  American CIA-led invasion of Cuba to assassinate Castro
  
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  American support dropped at last minute; failed
  
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  victory - communist
  

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  1962
  
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  placement of ballistic missiles in Cuba by the Soviets
  
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  world on edge of nuclear holocaust
  
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  victory - democracy
  

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  1975 – 2002 * United Nations – Africa voice of developing nations
  

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  longest, largest, most destructive proxy war
  
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  considered critical to outcome of Cold War
  
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  political, ethnic and regional destruction
  

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  Late 1970's/Early 1980's...expanded early 1990's
  
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  political, ethnic, religious and economic destruction
  
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  humanitarian disaster
  
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  clan competition through warlords
  
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  competition over...resources = power
  

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  1979 - 1989
  
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  Soviet Red Army vs. Islamic (freedom fighters) Mujahedeen resistance
  
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  Soviet "Vietnam"
  
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  victory - Mujahedeen leading to downfall of Soviet Union
  
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  Mujahedeen transforms into Al Qaida and birth of modern-day terrorism
  

* USA – protect oil reserves world-wide

INSERT HERE < * Iranian Revolution – Iran becomes leader of Arab world

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  1979 – 1981 * 1^st showing of extremist Islamic terrorism toward USA
  
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  USA vs. Iran
  
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  Iranian Revolution (led by Ayatollah)
  
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  escalating tensions between USA and Islamic World (focused in Iran)
  

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  1980 – 1988 * Persian Gulf Wars – border issues, oil resources, water resources
  

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  Political/cultural/religious/social
  

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  Iraq replaces Iran as leader of Islamic World
  
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  contributed to chaos of Middle East situations
  

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  1983
  
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  Communist revolutionary government overthrown by US military; replaced with democratic government
  
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  Victory - democracy
  

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  1980-1992
  
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  Savage fighting between democratic US-backed government and communist guerilla-backed militias
  
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  Victory – democratic (?)
  

End of Cold War –

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  1989 – 1991 collapse of Soviet Union because of failures of communism/command economy
  
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  Berlin Wall falls, reunification of Germany
  
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  Eastern Europe – civil disobedience, “ethnic cleansing”
  
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  European Union – compete economically with superpowers
  
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  Japan becomes interdependent – large trade deficit, Pacific Rim – large world population
  
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  South and Latin America – conflicts resulting from economic and environmental issues (ex. rainforest destruction)
  
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  Control of global world markets arises from multi-national corporation interests