America, Asia and the Cold War

We live in what is frequently said to be 'a post-Cold War world' - one in which the issues that dominated the international arena for much of the second half of the twentieth century are said to have been replaced by new agendas of 'global terrorism' and a world-wide struggle between the 'forces of democracy' and their opponents. So what was the Cold War? When and why did it begin? What were the issues involved? When and why did it end (if indeed it has)? And what has been its legacy for the twenty-first century? Events in the Western hemisphere, such as the Berlin blockade and the Cuba missile crisis, have often been highlighted in debates about the Cold War. This is only part of the picture, however. The Cold War in Asia, in which the United States (and Australia) were deeply involved, is equally important. Hence this course will cover such topics as the 'loss of China' to the communists in 1949, the subsequent 'hot' wars in Korea and Vietnam, and the drawing of Indonesia into the Cold War orbit. All these events not only defined the epoch. They had consequences that are still being played out today.