How did the Cold War influence international conflicts after world war ii?
1 Answer
They reflected Soviet - American rivalry.
Explanation:
Many wars reflected Soviet American rivalry by proxy. For example the 4 major Arab Israeli wars from 1948-73 saw the Arabs supported by the Soviets and the Israelis backed by the USA. Both the Korean and Vietnam wars saw the Soviets and Americans back separate sides. Both can be considered international wars because there was direct international involvement in both cases.
The problems caused by decolonisation saw many civil wars and international conflicts where the Soviets and Americans became involved if not directly then indirectly. The Somalian and Ethiopian conflict is an example where in the process of the war the two superpowers switched sides; such is the cynicism of real politics.
The Cubans had thousands of troops in Angola supporting the MPLA and in Central America the Soviets and Cuba lent their support to revolutionary movements attempting to overthrow brutal military dictatorships backed by the USA, for example the Sandinistas in Nicaragua.
