The Second Cold War saw a sharp escalation of East-West hostilities, ideological confrontation, and dramatic global incidents that heightened superpower rivalry once again.
Causes of Renewed Confrontation: Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan and US Reactions
In December 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, aiming to support the fragile communist regime against insurgent groups known as the Mujahideen. This action was seen by the West as blatant Soviet expansionism into a geopolitically strategic region bordering Iran and Pakistan.
The invasion undermined the fragile détente of the 1970s and reignited Western fears of communist encroachment into the oil-rich Middle East.
President Jimmy Carter declared the invasion a grave threat, suspending the ratification of SALT II, halting grain exports to the USSR, and leading a boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
The Carter Doctrine was proclaimed, affirming that the United States would use military force if necessary to defend its interests in the Persian Gulf.
The US began covertly supplying arms and financial aid to the Mujahideen via Pakistan’s ISI, fostering a prolonged conflict that drained Soviet resources and morale.
The Soviet-Afghan War became symbolic of the Cold War's global dimension and further eroded trust between the superpowers.
Political Leaders and Ideologies: Reagan, Thatcher, and Pope John Paul II
Ronald Reagan’s Confrontational Approach
Ronald Reagan assumed the US presidency in January 1981, bringing an uncompromising anti-communist ideology that defined the era.
Reagan labelled the Soviet Union an “Evil Empire”, reinvigorating moralistic rhetoric and rejecting the policy of détente.
He vastly increased US defence spending, launching the Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI) in 1983, aiming to develop space-based missile defence. Though technologically ambitious, it alarmed the USSR by potentially undermining the principle of mutually assured destruction (MAD).
Reagan’s administration supported anti-communist movements worldwide, believing in the Reagan Doctrine, which called for the rollback of Soviet influence through support for insurgencies in Afghanistan, Nicaragua, and elsewhere.
Margaret Thatcher: The Iron Lady
Margaret Thatcher, Britain’s Conservative Prime Minister from 1979, aligned closely with Reagan.
Nicknamed the “Iron Lady”, she was equally firm in her denunciation of Soviet totalitarianism.
Thatcher strengthened Britain’s nuclear deterrent, authorising the deployment of US Cruise missiles at Greenham Common, which sparked significant anti-nuclear protests domestically.
Her unwavering stance reinforced NATO unity and bolstered Reagan’s aggressive posture.
Pope John Paul II and Eastern European Dissent
Elected in 1978, Pope John Paul II played a crucial ideological role in challenging Soviet dominance in Eastern Europe.
As the first Polish pope, he inspired a resurgence of Catholic faith and national identity among Poles.
His visits to Poland galvanised opposition to the communist regime and emboldened the Solidarity movement.
His moral authority and vocal support for human rights deeply unnerved Soviet leadership and helped sustain resistance in Eastern Europe.
Repression in Eastern Europe: The Solidarity Movement and Poland
Origins and Growth of Solidarity
In 1980, economic hardship and food shortages led to widespread strikes in Poland’s shipyards, especially in Gdańsk.
Led by Lech Wałęsa, the workers formed Solidarity (Solidarność), an independent trade union and mass social movement demanding political reform.
Unlike previous protests, Solidarity gained legal recognition and rapidly amassed around 10 million members, becoming a formidable challenge to the Polish Communist Party and, by extension, Soviet control.
Soviet Response and Martial Law
Moscow viewed Solidarity as a direct threat to the Eastern Bloc’s stability.
The Soviet Union pressured the Polish government to suppress the movement, fearing a domino effect across other satellite states.
In December 1981, under General Wojciech Jaruzelski, the Polish government imposed martial law, arresting thousands of Solidarity leaders and banning the union.
Despite repression, Solidarity continued clandestine operations, maintaining pressure on the regime and inspiring dissidents throughout the Eastern Bloc.
Solidarity’s persistence revealed cracks in the Soviet sphere and foreshadowed the eventual collapse of communist control in Eastern Europe.
Symbolic Events: Downing of Korean Air Flight 007
One of the most notorious incidents heightening Cold War animosity was the downing of Korean Air Flight 007.
On 1 September 1983, a South Korean passenger jet strayed into Soviet airspace near Sakhalin Island, reportedly due to navigational errors.
Soviet air defences, suspicious of espionage, shot down the airliner, killing all 269 people on board, including a US congressman.
The USSR initially denied responsibility, later claiming the plane was on a spy mission. The US and its allies condemned the act as a barbaric overreaction.
The incident severely damaged the Soviet Union’s international image, justified increased Western defence postures, and fuelled public outrage in the West.
This tragedy epitomised the deep mistrust and high stakes that defined the Second Cold War.
Escalating Arms Rhetoric and Ideological Divides
Renewed Arms Race
The early 1980s saw a dramatic escalation in the arms race:
The US deployed new intermediate-range nuclear missiles—Pershing II and Cruise missiles—in Western Europe to counter the Soviet SS-20s, sparking mass anti-nuclear demonstrations.
NATO’s dual-track decision (negotiation and deployment) reflected its twin strategy of deterrence and dialogue, but negotiations repeatedly stalled.
Reagan’s SDI threatened to upend the delicate balance of nuclear deterrence, pushing the Soviets to invest heavily in countermeasures despite their struggling economy.
Ideological Confrontation
Propaganda intensified, reviving the binary worldview of the Cold War’s early decades.
The US projected itself as the defender of freedom and democracy against Soviet tyranny.
Soviet leaders, especially Brezhnev until his death in 1982, and his successors Andropov and Chernenko, condemned US imperialism and decried NATO’s militarisation.
Cultural exchanges and détente-era cooperation gave way to suspicion and sharp rhetoric on both sides.
Civil Society Responses
The arms escalation provoked a robust peace movement in the West:
In Britain and Germany, millions protested the stationing of US missiles.
Organisations like the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and the European Nuclear Disarmament movement gained momentum.
Despite public dissent, leaders insisted that robust defence was vital to counteract Soviet aggression.
Soviet Economic Strain
While the West increased military expenditure without severe economic setbacks, the Soviet economy, already inefficient and stagnant, struggled to sustain the competition.
Defence consumed an ever-larger share of Soviet GDP, diverting resources from civilian needs.
Internal dissent and the drain of the Afghan conflict compounded systemic weaknesses.
The costly arms race and ideological rigidity left the USSR vulnerable to the pressures that would soon force reform and, eventually, the Cold War’s end.
The Second Cold War period thus marked a perilous chapter of heightened confrontation, iconic events, and ideological fervour that set the stage for the profound changes to come in the mid-1980s.
FAQ
The Soviet Union officially justified its 1979 invasion of Afghanistan by claiming it was responding to an urgent request from the Afghan government for military assistance against insurgents threatening the socialist regime. The communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan, in power since a 1978 coup, was plagued by internal divisions, unpopular reforms, and fierce opposition from traditional and religious groups. The USSR argued that intervention was necessary to stabilise the country, defend socialism, and prevent a hostile regime aligned with the West or Islamic fundamentalism from emerging on its southern border. Internally, the Politburo feared the rise of radical Islam might inspire unrest in its own Central Asian republics. Externally, Soviet leaders portrayed their actions as supportive of Afghan sovereignty, framing the intervention as consistent with the Brezhnev Doctrine, which permitted the USSR to preserve socialist governments in its sphere. However, Western nations saw the invasion as aggressive expansionism, violating Afghanistan’s independence and demonstrating Soviet willingness to project power into the strategically vital Persian Gulf region.
The Second Cold War revitalised NATO’s purpose and significantly shaped its strategic posture. During the 1970s, détente and internal disagreements over burden-sharing had raised questions about NATO’s cohesion. However, renewed Soviet assertiveness and the invasion of Afghanistan refocused the alliance on collective security. NATO’s 1979 dual-track decision symbolised this new unity: while offering arms control negotiations to the Soviets, the alliance also prepared to deploy new US intermediate-range missiles—Pershing II and Cruise missiles—in Western Europe to counter the Soviet SS-20s. This dual strategy aimed to reassure nervous European allies of American commitment to their defence while deterring further Soviet advances. Despite massive anti-nuclear protests in countries like West Germany and Britain, NATO leaders remained united on modernising nuclear forces. Additionally, the Second Cold War encouraged closer military coordination, increased defence spending among European members, and reinforced the transatlantic relationship, especially under the strong partnership between Reagan and Thatcher. Overall, heightened tensions reaffirmed NATO’s central role in Western security.
The Strategic Defence Initiative, announced by Reagan in 1983, profoundly alarmed the Soviet leadership. Nicknamed “Star Wars” by the media, SDI aimed to develop advanced space-based missile defence systems capable of intercepting incoming nuclear warheads, theoretically making a Soviet nuclear strike less credible. Soviet strategists saw this as an existential threat to the principle of mutually assured destruction, which underpinned nuclear deterrence. In response, the USSR accelerated research into countermeasures, including anti-satellite weapons and new offensive missiles designed to evade or overwhelm such defences. However, the already struggling Soviet economy could ill afford the massive investment needed to match American technological ambitions. Efforts to keep pace with SDI diverted scarce resources away from consumer goods and exacerbated economic stagnation. Additionally, internal debates grew among Soviet policymakers about whether continued arms competition was sustainable. SDI thus not only pressured the Soviet military-industrial complex but also indirectly strengthened reformist arguments within the Kremlin, paving the way for Gorbachev’s later willingness to negotiate arms reduction and reassess Soviet foreign policy.
Solidarity’s emergence in Poland provided a powerful symbol and practical blueprint for anti-communist opposition throughout the Eastern Bloc during the early 1980s. Unlike previous uprisings in Hungary (1956) or Czechoslovakia (1968), which were violently crushed by Soviet tanks, Solidarity began as a broad-based trade union movement rooted in workers’ economic grievances but quickly evolved into a peaceful, organised demand for political freedoms. Its success in securing legal recognition and mass membership demonstrated that non-violent civil resistance could challenge a communist regime. Dissident groups in East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary observed Solidarity’s methods—strikes, petitions, underground publishing—and adapted similar tactics to their own contexts. Solidarity’s survival, even under martial law, kept alive the hope that popular pressure could eventually force systemic change. Its links with the Catholic Church, bolstered by Pope John Paul II’s moral support, also highlighted the role of cultural and religious identity in sustaining dissent. Though Soviet-backed crackdowns limited immediate ripple effects, Solidarity planted seeds of resistance that would blossom in the wave of revolutions sweeping Eastern Europe in 1989.
The downing of Korean Air Flight 007 had deep and lasting repercussions for US-Soviet diplomatic relations beyond the initial shock and condemnation. In the short term, it intensified anti-Soviet sentiment within the American public and hardened the Reagan administration’s stance that the USSR was reckless and morally bankrupt. This tragic incident severely undermined any lingering trust in ongoing arms control talks; negotiations on limiting nuclear weapons became more strained as the US portrayed the Soviet Union as both dangerous and deceitful. Furthermore, the incident reinforced the Reagan administration’s argument for increased military readiness and justified the rapid deployment of new missile systems in Europe. Internationally, the Soviet Union’s initial denial and later reluctant admission damaged its global reputation, isolating it diplomatically and reinforcing its image as a secretive, unaccountable superpower. In intelligence and security circles, the event also prompted the US to enhance global air traffic control systems and satellite tracking, aiming to prevent civilian aircraft from accidental intrusions into sensitive airspace. Overall, the tragedy deepened the atmosphere of suspicion and further polarised East-West relations during this intense phase of the Cold War.
Practice Questions
Explain why the Second Cold War developed between 1979 and 1985.
The Second Cold War emerged due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, which shattered détente and heightened Western fears of Soviet expansionism. Reagan’s election brought aggressive anti-communist rhetoric and vast military spending, including the Strategic Defence Initiative, escalating the arms race. Margaret Thatcher’s unwavering support for strong defence reinforced NATO unity. Symbolic crises like the downing of Korean Air Flight 007 deepened mistrust. Meanwhile, repression in Eastern Europe, especially the crushing of Solidarity in Poland, showcased Soviet intolerance of dissent, fuelling ideological confrontation. Together, these factors revived hostilities and entrenched divisions between East and West.
How significant was the role of political leaders in shaping the renewed Cold War tensions of the early 1980s?
Political leaders played a decisive role in amplifying Cold War tensions during this period. Reagan’s “Evil Empire” rhetoric and commitment to military superiority reignited hostility and suspicion. His Strategic Defence Initiative alarmed the USSR and threatened nuclear balance. Margaret Thatcher’s robust support for NATO deployments strengthened Western resolve against perceived Soviet threats. Pope John Paul II’s influence in Poland inspired the Solidarity movement, challenging communist control and unsettling the Kremlin. While structural factors like the arms race and Soviet actions in Afghanistan were crucial, assertive leadership magnified ideological divides, making leaders’ roles highly significant in driving renewed tensions.
