These proxy wars on the African continent represent just a small sample of the global scale of the Cold War. Between 1930 and 1961, the Dominican Republic was ruled by US-backed strongman Rafael Trujillo. They gave the Soviets and the West an excuse to confront each other without triggering a nuclear war. The Cold War was when proxy wars became the most in vogue they have ever been. In the past, proxy wars have been fought through the use of third parties in order to prevent a full-scale war. The first attempt failed and the country devolved into five years of instability. Washington maintained its backing for Mobutu, despite his violent and undemocratic rule. Funding of Proxy War partly comes from the warring countries and a major part comes from illegal activities. Ubico gave free rein to American companies in Guatemala, leading to low wages and the mistreatment of local workers. It was updated on November 28th 2020. The superpowers were also involved in so-called “proxy wars” – conflicts where they supplied and supported one side, without American or Soviet troops being directly involved. Iran (1953) Scenes from the Iranian coup of 1953 Fearing Grenada would become a pawn of Moscow and Havana, and a possible refuelling stop for Cuban planes carrying mercenaries to central America, Ronald Reagan decided to act. Iran is a Middle Eastern nation, located between Turkey, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Persian Gulf. of influence. This Cold War site contains articles, perspectives and sources on global events and tensions between 1945 and 1991. Examples. During the Cold War, the need to prevent such a full-scale war became extremely important due to the fear of mutually assured destruction. The Congo Crisis began when Belgian Congo became independent. The United States tried to use proxy wars to contain communism, as they did in Guatemala by sponsoring a coup. The Cold War is now known for a number of proxy wars in which both the Soviet Union and the United States would support one side or the other in conflicts around the world. During the Cold War period, many 'hot wars' were fought. In November 1965, a CIA-backed coup d’etat brought General Joseph Mobutu to power in the Congo. US president Richard Nixon ordered his advisors to “make the [Chilean] economy scream”, leading to economic boycotts and embargoes and the suspension of foreign aid. the independent countries that remained neutral in the Cold War competition between the United States and the Soviet Union Proxy Wars During the Cold War, local or regional wars in which the superpowers armed, trained, and financed the combatants - but did not directly attack the other superpower. The Cold War increasingly took place in proxy wars, the Space Race, the Olympics, and propaganda. Formerly a Belgian colony, the Congo became independent in June 1960. One of the most controversial US interventions of the Cold War occurred in Grenada. I’ve had a hard time picking out just 10 examples because there really are so many – it’s just a convenient way of going to war. The Cold War was when proxy wars became the most in vogue they have ever been. A tiny island nation north of Trinidad and Venezuela, Grenada had a population fewer than 100,000 people. Between 1927 and 1979, Nicaragua was ruled by members of the Somoza family, whose loyalty to Washington and American capitalists was matched only by their greed and corruption. On June 25 th, 1950 with the support of the Soviet Union and China, North Korea invaded South Korea with the goal of uniting the country. We are entering a new era of proxy war, and thus the indirect approach, for several reasons. The two nuclear-armed superpowers did not wish to exchange blows … For more information, visit our FAQ page or Terms of Use. Multiple proxy wars stood in for actual conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union. These substitute actors could be smaller states or non-state actors. Proxy Wars during the Cold War. Citation information In the West African country of Angola, Cold War powers supported rival factions in a bloody civil war that erupted in 1975. Brazilian officers seized power at the beginning of April 1964, forcing Goulart to seek exile in Uruguay. Proxy wars were first defined by the way they manifested during the era of the Cold War: indirect confrontation between superpowers via substitute actors. One of the most infamous Cold War coup d’etats occurred in the South American nation of Chile. From 1948, South Africa was governed by the Nationalists, a white minority party committed to a program of racial segregation it called apartheid. Kennedy cut aid to Trujillo and imposed economic sanctions on the Dominican Republic. Despite its human rights breaches, Guatemala’s military junta continued to receiving backing and funds from American leaders, particularly Ronald Reagan. boots on the ground. The Cold War also shaped the political development of African countries south of the Equator. During the Cold War, the United States and its allies supported Cold War coups, attempted coups or insurgencies in a number of locations. The continent’s most powerful and prosperous nation was South Africa, a former British colony that gained independence in 1910. The Contras conducted a guerrilla war against the Sandinista government for almost a decade, committing hundreds of murders and other human rights abuses. They did this by identifying enemies of the government or potential coup leaders then providing them with funds, weapons, intelligence and political backing. A proxy war is defined as one belligerent fighting another belligerent by supplying, training, directing or otherwise aiding a third belligerent, and inciting the third belligerent against the second. He abolished the office of the prime minister, banned all political parties but his own, and used his armed forces to eliminate opposition groups. The United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) did not go to war with each other between 1945 and 1991. Lumumba asked the UN forces to help get the secessionist states under control. These included promises of political recognition and backing, promises of financial aid (such as the Marshall Plan), bilateral and multilateral treaties, economic and trade agreements, and the provision of military training, weapons and equipment. Between 1931 and October 1944, Guatemala was ruled by Jorge Ubico, a dictatorial leader with pro-American leanings. Most concerning to Washington was Allende’s plan to nationalise Chilean industries, including several American-owned copper mines. Take this quiz to test your knowledge of these conflicts. 3. Cold War memory quiz – events 1945 to 1950, Cold War memory quiz – events 1950 to 1959, Cold War memory quiz – events 1980 to 1991, Cold War memory quiz – terms and concepts (I), Cold War memory quiz – terms and concepts (II). This is a list of proxy wars.Major powers have been highlighted in bold. In reality, it was used to crush opposition to apartheid and silence leaders like Nelson Mandela. A proxy war with significant effects occurred between the United States and the USSR during the Vietnam War. Why did the United States and USSR engage in proxy wars during the Cold War? 5. Copyright: The content on this page may not be republished without our express permission. In March 1979, the Grenadian government was seized by a moderate Marxist group, the New Jewel Movement (NJM), led by Maurice Bishop. With nowhere else to turn Lumumba went to the Soviet Union, a move which Joseph Kasa-Vubu believed was an act of treason and ordered Lumumba’s arrest. The goal of the United States was to stop the spread of communism while the Soviet Union wanted to spread communism in order to increase their own sphere of influence. The Iran-Contra affair, as it became known, scandalised the Reagan administration, though much of the blame was shouldered by Reagan’s subordinates. 1. Correct Answer: Proxy wars were used by the United States and Soviet Union as a way to fight one another without resorting to actual war between the two nations. Date published: September 20, 2020 Toward the end of their reign, the Somozas were worth almost $US1 billion while Nicaragua remained one of the poorest nations on earth. There have been many proxy wars in history, especially during the cold war. For almost two centuries it had been a British colony. Between 1982 and 1984 the CIA handed more than $US50 million to these counter-revolutionaries, known as the Contras. US president Lyndon Johnson ordered 20,000 American troops into the Dominican Republic in April 1965, supposedly to quash a communist revolution. His government was replaced by a repressive military dictatorship headed by General Augusto Pinochet. British and Soviet forces invaded Iran during World War II, promising to restore its sovereignty and independence later. A total of 108 United Nations member states condemned the invasion of Grenada, calling it “a flagrant violation of international law”. Arbenz was forced to resign and flee, leaving the government in the hands of military officers led by Castillo Armas. Critics claimed Reagan ordered the invasion for publicity, seeking an easy military victory over a communist regime in Latin America. Britain responded by blocking purchases of Iranian oil, a move that triggered an economic and political crisis in Iran. In 1950, the Nationalist regime passed the Suppression of Communism Act. Instances such as the Greek civil war, Korean War, Cuban Revolution, Vietnam War, Bay of Pigs, Afghan Soviet war, Angolan Civil War, were all examples of such proxy wars between the Soviet and the American sides. of influence. Whether it was in Vietnam or Afghanistan, the United States and Soviet Union mismanagement of proxy wars destabilized the proxy countries for decades after the respective powers disengaged from the conflict. The Cold War The Cold War was a period of heightened tension between the communist world, led by the Soviet Union, and the capitalist The Soviet and Cuban-backed People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) controlled most of Angola by 1980, forcing the withdrawal of American and South African troops. In early 1953, the CIA launched Operation Ajax, a campaign to discredit Mossadegh and force his dismissal by Iran’s reigning monarch, the Shah. Therefore, proxy wars became an extremely efficient method of indirect fighting between the Soviets and the Americans during the Cold War. Some of those are very well-known and documented such as Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Angola, but there were also a few lesser-known conflicts in which Soviet and American troops indirectly slugged it out against one another. Some of these Cold War coups and interventions are briefly outlined below. After the Korean War, tensions only escalated between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. Involvement in Vietnam began the way most proxy wars do, with the President (Eisenhower at the time) sending funding and military equipment to the South Vietnamese, but a young politician ran on a stronger platform of crushing Soviet influence with military force. Grenada remained a member-state of the British Commonwealth after being granted independence in 1974. Funding: Cold War was mainly funded by the government of the respective countries. On this surface, this legislation empowered the government to eliminate the threat posed by communism in South Africa. They did this in many ways – through diplomacy, treaties and alliances, by providing aid or trade deals and by supplying arms, military equipment and training. On September 11th 1973, Chilean military officers backed by the CIA overthrew Allende. In May 1961, Trujillo was assassinated by rebels in receipt of some CIA support. Where political leaders were determined to adopt socialist or nationalist policies, the US adopted punitive measures, such as trade embargoes or the suspension of aid. The Dominican Republic is a small nation in the Caribbean. Date accessed: December 17, 2020 Nicaragua gained its independence from the Spanish in 1821. Arevalo implemented a series of social reforms, dubbed “spiritual socialism”. Because of these conflicts, numerous nations in central, eastern and southern Africa were destabilized economically, politically, and socially. to spread communism _________________ describes the process of a country bringing an industry or sector under government control or ownership. Voting rights were expanded and civil rights guaranteed; education and literacy programs were created; while laws were passed to protect the rights of workers. The Cold War is now known for a number of proxy wars in which both the Soviet Union and the United States would support one side or the other in conflicts around the world. Instead, they waged proxy wars. The Brazilians used this aid to industrialise and jump-start their underdeveloped economy. He also opened diplomatic relations with communist nations, including Cuba, China and North Korea. This site is created by Alpha History and contains 311,904 words in 408 pages. Afghan Civil War (1989-’92), Korean War (1950–’53) & Vietnam War (1955-’75). When the US Congress refused further payments to the Contras, Reagan’s administration raised funds by selling arms to Iran – despite the latter being in the hands of Islamic fundamentalists. In 1965, Mobutu attempted a second coup and this time he successfully took power. They invaded the country in June 1954, backed by US air support. The Shah of Iran remained a staunch Western ally in the Middle East, though he suffered growing unpopularity within his own country. While the Cold War itself never escalated into direct confrontation, there were a number of conflicts related to the Cold War around the globe, spanning the entirety of the period usually prescribed to it (March 12, 1947 to December 26, 1991, a total of 44 years, 9 months, and 2 weeks). In July 1979, Nicaragua was seized by the Sandinista Front, a socialist guerrilla movement inspired by Castro’s revolution in Cuba. Both states thus found any and all means short of direct confrontation to fight this global battle. The proxy wars that I will reference are some of those that occurred after World War II and are considered a part of the Cold War. American CIA agents were particularly active in organising and funding anti-communist coups, such as Augusto Pinochet’s removal of Salvador Allende in Chile in September 1973. as the U.S. did in Guatemala in the 1950s or communist movements as the Soviet Union did in Angola in the 1970s. But just because the United States and the Soviet Union did not directly go to war on their own soil, that does not mean that the two sides never fought. Joseph-Desire Mobutu was made army chief of staff, but still the mutiny only intensified. When Allende was elected president in 1970, CIA agents began bribing Chilean politicians and agitating for a military coup. The Pinochet regime was supported by the US until 1976 when its human rights abuses were exposed to the world. White civilians were attacked and eventually Belgium sent in troops to protect fleeing civilians, an act that Lumumba found to be against his sovereignty. When Ronald Reagan came to office in 1981, he condemned the Sandinistas for their ties with Cuba and the Soviet Union. They were involved in his arrest, torture and execution in January 1961. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the proxy wars that occurred during the Cold War. Soviet political interference in eastern European nations was a contributing factor to the Cold War and the formation of an Iron Curtain separating Eastern and Western Europe. Meanwhile the U.S., seeing the involvement of the Soviet Union believed that the country was in the midst of a communist takeover. Both superpowers were also involved in numerous coups and proxy wars. By the late 1950s, international opposition to Trujillo’s regime was intense. These coups, proxy wars and foreign meddling often had devastating effects for the locals, bringing to power leaders who were undemocratic, dictatorial, brutal and corrupt. Title: “Cold War coups and proxy wars” This rang alarm bells in Washington, leading to a CIA-funded propaganda campaign to undermine and discredit Allende. For more information on usage, please refer to our Terms of Use. When they refused, he approached the U.S. who also refused because they believed that Lumumba had communist leanings. The various divisions and means of waging the Cold War are abundantly represented in this visual guide. Facing opposition from the Belgian-controlled Congolese military, Lumumba sought aid and weapons from the Soviet Union. Goulart and his predecessors also recognised and traded with the People’s Republic of China and the Castro regime in Cuba. Guatemala was governed by military juntas for the remainder of the Cold War. By late 1966, the country was in the hands of Joaquin Balaguer, a former ally of Trujillo’s. The Korean War, Vietnam War, and a number of other armed conflicts, during … Fearing that Mossadegh might align with the Soviet Union, the US and Britain began plotting his removal. During the Cold War, the USSR and the U.S. met on many battlefields by supporting opposing sides in many conflicts. A proxy war is … Cold War: Cold War was fought between USA and the erstwhile USSR and both indulged in a number of proxy wars as parts of the long spell of the Cold War. During the Cold War Washington sent American troops into Vietnam (1965-75), the Dominican Republic (1965), Lebanon (1982), Grenada (1983) and Panama (1989). Reagan gave this order without the approval or knowledge of British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, despite Grenada being a British Commonwealth nation. In early 1964 the CIA began supporting anti-Goulart groups and promoting public unrest against his government. However, the black members of the army mutinied when the white commander Emile Janssens told them that nothing would change. Mozambique was also paralysed by a civil war (1977-92) where opposing forces were backed by Cold War protagonists. During the late 1940s and 1950s, Brazil remained a staunch ally of the US, banning communist parties and signing a military treaty with Washington (1952). Without turning conflicts into a potentially catastrophic “hot war,” the two sides were able to pit their militaries and economies against each other, eventually leading to the fall of the Soviet Union. The Cold War is so named because there was no large scale fighting between the two sides and the two sides never declared war on each other…despite the obvious tension between the United States and the Soviet Union. This alliance was threatened by the rise of Salvador Allende, a moderate socialist who had served as a minister in previous governments. The main battlegrounds of the Cold War were in … In particular, the bombing campaign Operation Rolling Thunder destroyed significant amounts of infrastructure, making life more difficult for North Vietnamese citizens. The United States tried to use proxy wars to contain communism, as they did in Guatemala by sponsoring a coup. Over the decades of war … These American agents were seldom directly involved in coups or assassinations but they certainly contributed to their success. The small Central American nation of Nicaragua lies between Honduras and Costa Rica. In 1953 the CIA began training and supplying Guatemalan exiles. Days after the October 1983 coup Reagan ordered more than 7,000 US troops into Grenada, under the pretext of protecting US citizens and other civilians. Brazil had fought with the Allies during World War II, receiving US military equipment and considerable financial aid. The Shah became Iran’s political ruler as well as its head of state. The US and USSR did not go to war between 1945 and 1991, however, both superpowers used their assets and agencies to influence the political development of smaller countries. However Korean War, creation of NATO and Warsaw Pact, Blockade of Berlin, massive government propaganda and the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty are the five best examples of Cold War fought between USA and the erstwhile USSR. During the Cold War, several democratically elected leaders were replaced with puppet governments, military juntas or dictators. These communications were watched by US agents, however, and Washington became concerned about the Congo’s large deposits of copper and uranium falling into Soviet hands. … The ideological war between communism and capitalism claimed millions of lives and cost untold amounts of money. 2. The proxy wars that I will reference are some of those that occurred after World War II and are considered a part of the Cold War. Patrice Lumumba of the Mouvement National Congolas was elected Prime Minister and then Parliament chose Joseph Kasa-Vubu of the rival party Alliance des Bakongo as President. Belgian military officers and CIA operatives began working together to unseat Lumumba. Consistent US & Soviet involvement in various proxy-wars & conflicts globally — i.e. But American backing for the Hmong, mujahideen, and … During the Cold War the term proxy war was used and misused to such extend that all wars during this period was denominated as a proxy war. The Soviets tried to engineer the break-up of Iran, creating pro-Moscow republics and fomenting a civil war. During the Cold War, the need to prevent such a full-scale war became extremely important due to the fear of mutually assured destruction. The two nuclear-armed superpowers did not wish to exchange blows directly since … Although the Soviet Union never really fought directly with the USA, its main enemy in the Cold War, both the USSR and the USA frequently sought to challenge each other through 'proxy wars'. Proxy Wars During the Cold War - Chapter Summary. 4. Mobutu would rule as a military dictator for more than three decades. The Shah was himself overthrown by an Islamist revolution in 1979 and control of the country passed to the Ayatollah Khomeini. Balaguer ruled for much of the next three decades, employing similar tactics to Trujillo and receiving support and aid from Washington. During the late 1940s, the United States offered support and inducements to shape the political future of smaller nations. as the U.S. did in Guatemala in the 1950s or communist movements as the Soviet Union did in Angola in the 1970s. Correct Answer: Proxy wars were used by the United States and Soviet Union as a way to fight one another without resorting to actual war between the two nations. Incoming US president John F. Kennedy was unwilling to risk international embarrassment by maintaining support for the Dominican dictator. An estimated 100,000 lives were lost in the crisis and many more during the reign of Mobutu. In addition, both the US and USSR were involved in civil wars in Malaya (1948-60), Laos (1953-1975), Cambodia (1967-75) Ethiopia (1974-91), Lebanon (1975-90) and El Salvador (1980-92). Its leaders wound back the reforms of 1945-54, banned political parties, refused free elections and used the military to pursue, imprison and execute political dissidents. Structure Proxy Wars During The Cold War November 1955 - April 1975 SU USA supported anti-communists 1955 - 1975 Chinese Civil War Chilean Coup D'état Ethiopia War Korean War USA supported rebels with weapons and secret founding of CIA after many bombings and deaths: peace treaty Authors: Jennifer Llewellyn, Steve Thompson Throughout the more than 4 decades of the Cold War there were numerous proxy wars, some of which continue to this day and all of which have lasting repercussions. Twenty-one countries came to the aid of South Korea with the United States providing 88% of the troops deployed by the UN. Countries that endured Cold War-related regime change included Tibet (1950), Iraq (1958), Cuba (1960), Bolivia (1970), Uganda (1971), Argentina (1976), Pakistan (1977), Afghanistan (1978), Iran (1979), the Central African Republic (1979) and Turkey (1980). Foreign interference became a hallmark of the past-World War II era, even its first months. They decided to support Mobutu in a coup attempt. Soviet forces did not withdraw until mid-1946, under pressure from the US. The election of Jimmy Carter in 1976 triggered a shift in US policy and the withdrawal of support for the Somoza dynasty. When Belgium granted the Republic of the Congo independence in 1960 they hoped that the Belgians within the country would keep their positions and maintain some control. Though often absent from retellings of the Cold War, the interventions and alliances conceived in Southern Africa between the 1960s and 1980s, had … In October 1983, hardline elements of the NJM, dissatisfied with the lack of socialist progress in Grenada, arrested and executed Bishop. The new regime declared martial law and sought aid from Castro’s Cuba. The Cold War provided a perfect environment for proxy wars. The intended purpose of proxy wars was to avoid an all-out nuclear war between the Cold War era superpowers. In the first months of Pinochet’s rule, more than 40,000 Chileans were arrested and as many as 5,000 either vanished or were murdered. Whether it was in Vietnam or Afghanistan, the United States and Soviet Union mismanagement of proxy wars destabilized the proxy countries for decades after the respective powers disengaged from the conflict. During the Cold War, the threat of mutually assured destruction drove major nuclear powers to achieve political ends through indirect means—as when the US fought Vietnamese forces that were heavily backed by China and Russia. Cold War Proxy Conflicts - The South African Border War Throughout the Cold War a number of hot conflicts ocurred that served as places for both sides to engage each other with out direct conflict, effictivly wars by proxy , these generally came in a couple of varieties. Proxy wars in Nicaragua and Angola. Soviet troops breached this agreement, however, and remained ensconced in northern Iran after the war. Like its neighbour Cuba, the Republic was strongly influenced by the United States. Proxy War: Significant proxy wars are Vietnam War when USSR supported North Vietnam and South Vietnam got patronage fro… Though many in Western countries opposed apartheid on moral grounds, South Africa remained a significant Cold War ally. Its first democratically elected prime minister, Patrice Lumumba, was an anti-colonialist who sought to reduce Western influence in his country. The military governed Brazil for the next two decades, assisted by American political backing and financial aid. In 1964 the United States orchestrated a coup d’etat in Brazil, the largest nation in South America. During this period the US government and American business interests wielded considerable influence over the country. The conflict lasted from 1975 until 2002 with only a few brief periods of peace and relative stability. 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