yalta system
Yalta system refers to the basic blueprint of the post-war world order and political pattern determined by the heads of the three major countries, the United States, the Soviet Union and Britain, mainly through Tehran Conference, Yalta Conference and Potsdam Conference. In the late World War II, the United States, the Soviet Union and Britain reached an understanding and agreement on how to end the war, deal with the problems left over from the war and safeguard world peace and security at a series of international conferences represented by the Yalta Conference for their respective interests. Its essence is that the two great powers, the United States and the Soviet Union, arranged the post-war world and divided their spheres of influence. The establishment of Yalta system reflects the situation of international power contrast formed during World War II, and embodies the principle of peace and democracy to some extent. It has played a positive role in accelerating the victory of the anti-fascist war and maintaining world peace after the war; Realized national peace with different social systems and ideologies; The establishment of the United Nations is also an important part of the Yalta system and an important symbol of cooperation among countries. However, it has the nature that the United States, the Soviet Union and Britain compete for the fruits of victory according to their respective strengths and interests, and has obvious power politics color, which damages the sovereignty and interests of some sovereign countries. The Yalta system laid the bipolar pattern of post-war world politics, ended the central position of Europe in world politics, and set a precedent for the two superpowers of the United States and the Soviet Union to compete for world hegemony later.
(B) Bipolar political structure
After World War II, the United States became the world's number one power. In order to replace the situation that European powers dominate the world, the United States adopted a "cold war" policy towards socialist countries to curb the development of socialism. 1947, the United States successively threw out Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan, and 1949 in May, it planned to set up the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and other organizations to form an encirclement of socialist countries. The establishment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization marks the formation of the imperialist camp headed by the United States. Faced with political isolation and hostility, ideological attacks and slanders, economic sanctions and blockades, and military encirclement and threats, the Soviet Union and the people's democratic countries had to rise up to defend themselves. 1947 September, nine European countries * * * production party, labor party information bureau was established; 1949, 1 In June, the Soviet Union and six eastern European countries set up economic mutual assistance committees to fight against the Marshall Plan; 1950 In February, the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Mutual Assistance was signed, marking the formation of the Eastern Group. 1955 in may, the Warsaw treaty organization was established to fight against the north Atlantic treaty organization, thus forming a confrontation between two major military blocs in Europe and a cold war situation. The so-called "cold war" refers to all hostile acts except open means of war. Such as economic blockade and sanctions, political isolation, gross interference in other countries' internal affairs, and even subversive activities, incitement to war, nuclear war blackmail and military threats. It is a form of fierce confrontation in post-war international relations and an important form of confrontation between socialist countries and capitalist countries. 1947 The appearance of Truman Doctrine marked the beginning of the US containment strategy and cold war policy towards the Soviet Union. The outstanding performance of the cold war confrontation between the two camps in Europe is the Berlin crisis that broke out in 1948; In Asia, it is a "hot war confrontation", which is highlighted by the Korean War from 1950 to 1953. From the early postwar period to the mid-1950s, a world political pattern of confrontation between the imperialist camp and the Eastern bloc was formed. The fundamental reason for the formation of the bipolar pattern is that western countries are afraid, hostile and try their best to stifle socialist countries and the booming world revolutionary movement, while the United States takes this opportunity to seek world hegemony. The characteristics of this pattern are as follows: the political struggle between two flags; The struggle between economic blockade and anti-blockade; Military "cold war" and local aggression and anti-aggression struggle; The peaceful evolution of ideology and the struggle against it.
(C) the United States and the Soviet Union for world hegemony
1. The struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union for world hegemony
In 1950s and 1960s, the bipolar pattern was mainly manifested in the cold war confrontation between the imperialist camp and the Eastern bloc, which included the elements of hegemony between the United States and the Soviet Union, but it was not the main resistance factor. Since the late 1960s, the Soviet Union has gradually embarked on the road of hegemonism, and began to compete with the United States for world hegemony, and it has become increasingly fierce. If from the mid-1950s to the end of 1960s, the hegemony between the United States and the Soviet Union was still the United States attacking and defending the Soviet Union, it would be the Soviet Union attacking and defending the United States in the 1970s. It was not until the 1980s that Reagan came to power and put forward the slogan of "expanding the army to resist the Soviet Union" and "reviving national prestige" that the United States reversed the unfavorable situation. In addition, the expansion momentum of the Soviet Union was contained. Since the mid-1980s, the United States and the Soviet Union began to move from confrontation to dialogue, and reached agreements on a series of international issues, which eased the tension that plagued the world. 1989 12, the Malta meeting between the heads of state of the United States and the Soviet Union was regarded as the symbol of the end of the cold war.
2. Differentiation and reorganization of international forces
From the mid-1950s to the end of 1960s, under the framework of the bipolar pattern, world politics began to be turbulent, divided and reorganized, and the bipolar pattern was shaken. This is mainly because:
(1) The upsurge of national liberation movement and the rise of the third world
The rise and development of the post-war national independence movement destroyed the imperialist colonial system, which was a great progress in the process of world history, laid the foundation for the rise of the third world and changed the nature and role of the United Nations. Now, the United Nations has become a favorable place for the people of the world, especially the people of the third world, to oppose hegemonism and strive for the establishment of a new international order and an international organization to participate in. From the Bandung Conference of 1955 to the establishment and development of the Non-Aligned Movement and the Group of 77 in the 1960s, all these marked the rise of the Third World. By the first half of 1970s, the Third World, as a political force that cannot be ignored, had stepped onto the international stage, which greatly impacted the bipolar pattern of confrontation between the two camps.
(2) Contradictions, conflicts and disintegration of the camp of socialist countries.
The Soviet Union's great power policy, big party policy and hegemonic policy led to a series of contradictions and conflicts in the Eastern Group, which eventually led to the disintegration of the Eastern Group. The contradictions in the camp of socialist countries were first exposed in the conflict in southern Jiangsu in 1948. The Polish incident and the Hungarian incident in 1956 were another manifestation of the intensification of contradictions and conflicts between the Soviet Union and the socialist countries in Eastern Europe. From 65438 to 0968, the Soviet Union invaded the Czech Republic, which was an outstanding manifestation of the Soviet Union's development from a big country to hegemonism. The deterioration of Sino-Soviet relations between the two parties and countries is the most important manifestation of the intensification and disintegration of contradictions in the Eastern bloc.
(3) the division of the imperialist camp
From the mid-1950s to the early 1970s, the power balance of the imperialist camp changed, and the hegemonic position of the United States began to decline. Western Europe and Japan, which were controlled by the United States in the early postwar period, became politically independent with the growth of their economic strength, which led to the division of the imperialist camp. 1958, the European economy was established in the same body, seeking joint economic and political autonomy. 1958, Charles de Gaulle became the French president again, put forward "Gaullism", changed the practice of always relying on the United States in foreign policy, and adhered to the policy of restoring France's status as a great power and independence in international affairs. From 65438 to 0969, the Brandt government of the Federal Republic of Germany actively promoted the "New Oriental Policy" and pursued a foreign policy that was more in line with its own interests. 1972, Tanaka's cabinet came to power and put forward a "multilateral independent foreign policy" with "coordination with the United States as the main axis" and the restoration of diplomatic relations between Japan and China as the primary task, in order to seek the status of an "international country." In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the development of scientific and technological revolution led to the worldwide adjustment of industrial structure and the rise and fall of some countries, thus changing the world political structure. From the early 1970s to the 1990s, the world political structure began to develop from bipolar to multipolar. The reasons are as follows: ① the strength of western Europe has increased and it has further moved towards unity. Japan's economic strength has rapidly increased, and it has proposed "multilateral independent diplomacy" to seek the status of "international country". (3) China adhered to the independent line, and began to reform and open to the outside world in the late 1970s, with its national strength strengthened and its international status constantly improved. (4) The development of post-war national liberation movement and the rise of the Third World have made developing countries an important force in international politics.
(4) The bipolar pattern has ended and the world has entered a new period of pattern transformation.
1. The sign of the end of the bipolar pattern. 1989 drastic changes in eastern Europe, 1990 German reunification, 199 1 the disintegration of the Warsaw Pact, and the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 65438+February of the same year led to the disintegration of the Yalta system and the end of the bipolar pattern. At present, the world is still in a transitional period in which the old pattern has collapsed and the new pattern has not yet formed.
2. The reasons for the transformation of the old and new patterns. There are many reasons, the most fundamental of which is that the imbalance of world economic development after the war has changed the balance of world political power and broken the old balance of power.
3. The characteristics of the transformation between old and new modes. (1) The disintegration of the old pattern was carried out under peaceful conditions without large-scale war. (2) The transformation between the old and new modes is a long and complicated process. For a time, there was a struggle between multipolarization and "unipolar world", sometimes even a fierce struggle. (3) The formation of the new pattern will be a gradual process.