Also in South Asia, Pakistan joined
a trade alliance with the US and
others in 1954 designed to contain
the spread of communism.
Meanwhile, India became a key
player at the 1955 Bandung
Conference in Indonesia, which
encouraged new nations to avoid
taking sides with the US or the
USSR. The Cold War heated up
along the India-Pakistan border
over disputed territory in Kashmir
in 1965. When the United Nations
called for a diplomatic solution,
the US halted arms supplies to the
region. This worked in India's favor
as it already had a stronger
military. It was able to maintain
control over Kashmir after a
ceasefire, though the region
remains in dispute to this day.
As the Soviet Union dissolved and the cold war ended the balance of power in Europe and especially Eastern European changed forever.
While earlier, the Soviet Union held sway over much of Eastern Europe, that completely disintegrated overnight. The Soviet influence in the region was shattered.
On the edges of Eastern Europe were the NATO countries, who quickly became the dominant political and military force in the region without any rival.
Communism and socialist policies also ended as newly freed countries started to transition to market-based economy.
An important resource that Spain wanted from the colonies was gold.
