Introduction
The Cold War lasted for nearly five decades and shaped politics, science, technology, culture and economics on a global scale. Although the Cold War ended twenty years ago, its longevity and diverse influences have meant that its legacies remain to the present day. The Cold War continues to have an impact on the environment, politics and the individuals who lived their lives against its backdrop. The legacies left by the Cold War are not always obvious. They are both negative and positive, and are sometimes surprising.
Landmines in Cambodia
The Cold War caused Cambodia to suffer several decades of conflict and instability, and left the country with a difficult legacy.
When the Vietnam War escalated in the 1960s, it spilled over into Cambodia. Vietnamese communists set up bases in the country and used the Ho Chi Minh Trail to move and supply troops. The United States responded by bombing Cambodian villages near the border with Vietnam. The bombings went deeper into Cambodia and continued throughout the remainder of the Vietnam War and beyond. It left the economy and infrastructure in ruins. The political situation was also severely destabilised. In 1975, Cambodia came under the control of the cruel and repressive communist Khmer Rouge régime lead by Pol Pot. In the 1978, the communist Vietnamese army invaded Cambodia and ousted Pol Pot. The United Nations, prompted by the United States, condemned the action. Due to Cold War politics, the United Nations could not help to resolve the situation in Cambodia until 1989, when the Vietnamese army withdrew. Elections were held in Cambodia in 1993.
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The years of conflict, repressive rule and instability has left its mark on the landscape of Cambodia. The country contains one of the highest concentrations of landmines and unexploded ordnance in the world. The United Nations estimates there have been over 50,000 amputations as a result of landmines since 1979.
The Mines Advisory Group estimates that there are around 800 casualties a year. The mines also make large areas of land inaccessible to farmers. There are several charities working to clear the landmines in Cambodia, but with so many littered throughout the country they will remain a problem for years to come.
Bunkers in Britain
Due to its geographical location and alliance with the United States, Britain was at the ‘frontline’ of the Cold War. Britain’s airfields were home to hundreds of American aircraft and thousands of American military personnel and their families, making Britain ‘America’s unsinkable aircraft carrier’ and a clear target for the Soviet Union.
This made it imperative for the British government to make provision to protect key military and administrative centres. As a result, hundreds of bunkers were built throughout Britain. They varied in size and purpose. There were huge complex bunkers deep underground for central government which cost millions of pounds to construct. Smaller bunkers were built for regional government controllers, county councils, engineers from the water and electricity boards, and the volunteers of the Royal Observer Corps.
Most members of the public were not aware of the existence of the bunkers, even though they might be living very close to one. Since the end of the Cold War, the fate of the nuclear bunkers has been mixed. Some, such as Kelvedon Hatch in Essex and Hack Green in Cheshire have become tourist attractions. Others have been demolished, and many more have simply been left to slowly decay, leaving a lasting legacy on the British landscape.
Nature reserves
A rather surprising environmental legacy of the Cold War is the existence of nature reserves in some unexpected places. RAF Fylingdales, which would have issued the four minute warning in the event of a nuclear attack, is now responsible for maintaining 3,000 acres of the North Yorkshire Moors National Park while still operating as a ballistic missile warning system. Included in the RAF Fylingdales areas of care are around eighty rare species of birds, plants and animals.
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Another important nature reserve is the site of the former Iron Curtain. For decades, the area of land which acted as the border between East and West remained virtually untouched (apart from the death strip). This enabled plants and animals to flourish and most of the area has now become part of a nature reserve called the European Green Belt. It covers 861 square miles and is home to more than 600 rare and endangered species of birds, animals, plants and insects.
A similar situation has occurred along the demilitarized zone (DMZ) which has divided North and South Korea since the armistice ending the Korean War was signed in 1953. The DMZ is heavily guarded and mined, which makes it inaccessible to humans but has allowed nature to take over. Rare and endangered species of animals and plants have thrived, creating a unique nature reserve in a highly contentious and dangerous place.
Political legacies of the Cold War
Once the celebrations over the opening of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe died down, the real business of dealing with the years of living under communist rule began. Many countries in Eastern Europe struggled with the transition to a free market economy and soon became disillusioned with their post-communist governments. Although Eastern Europe has persevered with the capitalist system with varying degrees of success, there is some nostalgia for the certainties which the communist system offered.
The Cold War can still affect relations between Russia and the West. They were enemies for so many decades that a crisis or incident can quickly bring the rhetoric of the Cold War back to the surface. The controversy over the death of Alexander Litvinenko and the crisis over Georgia provide two recent examples.
Personal legacies
The impact of the Cold War on individuals is diverse and far-reaching. Just a few examples include British children who grew up on military bases in Germany, the men who fought in Korea, families separated by the Berlin Wall, journalists who made their names reporting on the events of the Cold War and anti-nuclear campaigners. Those experiences have remained with them and are part of the enduring personal legacies of the Cold War.
