Cold War

The Cold War1945 - 1990

2

Bell Ringer

What is a “Cold War?”

30 seconds

Discuss w/ Partner

3

Cold War

a state of political hostility and military tension between two countries or power blocs, involving propaganda, subversion, threats, economic sanctions, and other measures short of open warfare

4

Post WWII

US and USSR emerged as rival superpowers

Schism between East & West

5

European Recovery Program

Marshall Plan1948 - 1952Provided $13 billion

Rebuild war-torn EuropePrevent spread of

communism

6

Potsdam ConferenceJuly 1945Stalin promised to allow free elections in

Eastern Europe

7

Satellite States

Stalin never allowed truly free elections

Instead, installed Satellite States; communist governments in Eastern European nations that were politically & economically dependent upon the USSR

Why?To protect USSR from

Western invasion

8

Containment Policy

Policy of “Containment”:US would not get rid of communism, but would not

allow it to spreadUS would “contain” communism where is already

existed

9

Division of Germany

After World War II,

Germany was broken

into four “zones of

occupation”

Each of the major

Allies, was given one

piece.

Berlin, the capital,

was also split into

four pieces.

11

The Iron Curtain

Winston Churchill coined this term in 1946

Refers to…The military, political, and

ideological barrier established between the Soviet bloc and western Europe from 1945 to 1990

13

What is going on in this cartoon?

What symbolism do you see?

Discuss w/ partner - 1 min.

14

Churchill’s Warning

Churchill felt that behind the Iron Curtain, the USSR was planning to attack and conquer Western Europe

15

The Problem with Berlin

Berlin was in the Soviet Zone

Stalin was not happy with any presence of democracy in Eastern EuropeWhat did he do?

16

Berlin Blockade

June 1948, Stalin attempted to starve West Berlin into submission by cutting off food/supplies

All rail and street access was blocked

17

Berlin AirliftAmerican and

British planes flew food and supplies into Berlin for 327 days

May 1949 - Stalin lifted the blockade

18

19

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty OrganizationEstablished in 1949Created a system of collective defense

member states agreed to mutual defense in response to an attack by any external party

Original members were: United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France,

Denmark, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg.

Later…Greece (1952), West Germany (1955)

20

The Warsaw Pact

Communist Response to NATOSigned on May 1, 1955 in Warsaw, Poland

Military treaty that obligated its members to come to the others’ aid should any one of them be the victim of foreign aggression

Original Members:Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, East Germany, Poland,

Romania, the USSR, and Czechoslovakia

22

Cold War in Asia

23

China

Mao Zedong wanted China to become a communist state after WW II

Chang Kai Shek fought to stop the communists but was unsuccessful

24

Communist China: 1949

25

Taiwan

Chang Kai Shek, retreated from mainland China and moved his government from Nanjing to Taipei, Taiwan

Taiwan then proclaimed they were separate from China

Still a problem area

26

Change in Leaders

US1952Dwight Eisenhower

USSR 1953 Stalin died Nikita Khrushchev

De-Stalinization - the process of eliminating the more ruthless policies of Stalin

27

Uprisings Against Communism

Eastern Europeans of the Soviet Bloc resented the poor, harsh conditions under which they lived

Uprisings occurred in:PolandHungaryCzechoslovakia

28

Hungarian Uprising 1956

Hungarians revolted and called for a democratic government…and in elections that is what they chose

The Soviet response was swift and brutal

29

Hungarian Rebellion Crushed

Soviet tanks rolled into Hungary and killed 30,000 Hungarians and executed the resistance leader Imre Nagy

US and UN did nothing to help

30

Space Race

October 4, 1957 - Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik I

The world's first artificial satellite = about the size of a beach ball

Orbited the earth in 98 minutes

This began the space race

31

The Berlin Wall

Berlin truly symbolized the Cold War in Europe. This was where it all started with the blockade of 1948, and where 41 years later, it all came to an end. Two dates, one dramatic, the other a joyful, marked the high points…

August 13, 1961, when the Wall went up November 9,1989, when it came down

32

East Germans had limited access to West German media and were aware that their standard of living was substantially lower than that of their counterparts in West Germany. Many East Germans left their side, hoping to find better economic opportunities in the West.

In 1961, the East German government decided to stop this flight to the West, which was depleting the country's labor force. During the night of August 13, 1961, East German soldiers and members of its militia surrounded West Berlin with temporary fortifications that were rapidly replaced by a concrete wall, 12 ft high and 103 miles long, of which 28 miles lay between two sides of the city. Where a wall was not possible, buildings were bricked-up. The only openings in the wall were two closely guarded crossing points. Although East Germany announced that the wall was needed to prevent military aggression and political interference from West Germany, the East German government built tank traps and ditches along the eastern side of the wall, suggesting that it was constructed to keep East German citizens in.

33

It began with armed guards moving in to seal up the border between East & West Berlin…

34Next, barbed wire was laid down…

35

36Then, concrete walls were put in…

37The wall totally trapped the citizens of West Berlin

38

39

40

Many East Berliners wanted to leave and come to the Western side. They were not allowed to leave; however, many tried…

41

In 28 years, the Wall claimed at least 239 victims, shot by guards, drowned in the waters of the Spree or one of the lakes, or killed jumping out of their houses. The border guards, often young brainwashed men doing their military service, felt that shooting down a fugitive was a patriotic action. Shooting fugitives earned them a rich reward in fact – a decoration, personal congratulations from the head of the Stasi, a substantial bonus and extra leave in a holiday village on the Baltic. After the Wall came down, some of these border guards were tried for murder

42

43

The first victim was Rudolf Urban, who was killed on August 19, 1961 after jumping out of a window in the Bernauer Strasse. That same street was the scene of another tragedy on October 4, 1961 when young Bernd Lünser, under fire from the Vopos, leaped from the fourth story of a building but mis-landed and was killed.

44

A year after the Wall went up, on August 17, 1962, the death of young Peter Fechter was met with great agitation. After being badly wounded by border guards, he lay dying for nearly an hour at the foot of the Wall, during which time nobody came to help him.

45

On the first anniversary of the tragic death of Peter Fechter, citizens place wreaths at the foot of the cross erected near the spot where he died.

46

Many showed their disgust with the wall by adding graffiti to it on the Western side.

47

Wall Stats

Total border length around West BerlinBorder between East and West BerlinBorder between West Berlin and East GermanyBorder through residential areas in BerlinConcrete segment wall

3.6m (11.81 ft.) high Wire mesh fencingAnti-vehicle trenchesContact or signal fenceColumn track

6-7 m (7.33 yd) wideNumber of watch towersNumber of bunkersPersons succeeded in passing the WallPersons arrested in the border areaPersons killed on the Berlin WallPersons injured by shooting

96 mi27 mi 69 mi 23 mi66 mi41 mi 65 mi 79 mi 77 mi 30220ca. 5000ca. 3200192 ca. 200

48

The Wall fell as the combined result of both internal and external pressures. The evolution of the USSR played a crucial role in this process.

On his first official visit to West Germany in May 1989, Mikhaïl Gorbachev, whose ambition was to save his country from decline and ruin through an innovative policy based on restructuring (perestroïka) and openness (glasnost), informed Chancellor Kohl that the Brezhnev doctrine had been abandoned ; Moscow was no longer willing to use force to prevent democratic transformation of its satellite states.

49

50

The Fall of The Berlin Wall….

Reagan SpeechThe CelebrationThe Hoff’s Claim to Fame (for real)This meant that Germany was once

again unified as one

51

Western Europe Post WWII

The Formation of the EU

53

Bell Ringer

What are “glasnost” and “perestroika?” How did they pertain to the Cold War?

Discuss with partner

45 seconds

54

Bell Ringer

Glasnost: opennessPerestroika: restructuringContributed to the fall of communism in

the Soviet Bloc

55

Just For Fun…

Check out this song about the Cold War Era

As it plays, jot down as many things as you can that you recognize or can define/ describe now that you know a little about the Cold War Era

56

Jean Monnet is regarded by many as the architect of European Unity. Never elected to public office, Monnet worked behind the scenes as a French administrator to unify the Western European powers.

57

Three “Communities” Developed:

European Coal and Steel Community

Guaranteed access for all to coal and steel in Ruhr +

eliminate import duties and quotas on coal and

steelEuropean Economic Community (Common Market)

Eliminated trade barriers and create

common tariffs + free movement of capital

and labor

1952

1957

European Atomic Community

Coordinated their nonmilitary atomic

research and technology

1957

58

Community Members

1967 - Six Countries United:FranceFederal Republic of Germany (West Ger.)Italy“Benelux” Union

BelgiumNetherlandsLuxembourg

59

European Union (EU)

Created in 1992 with the Maastricht Treaty

Currently 29 members

Covers a variety of issues:

Health, Economic, Foreign Affairs, Defense

Created a free-trade union

Created single currency (Euro) adopted by 20 of 29

60

European Social Welfare

What is a social welfare state?Concept of government in which the

state plays a key role in protecting and promoting the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those who lack the minimal provisions for a good life.

61

European Social Welfare

Basic Features:“Cradle to Grave” care

Paid family leaveUniversal health carePaid vacation (4-weeks MINIMUM)Unemployment compensationRetirementEducation (even university…free or min. cost)

62

What’s the Catch?

Europeans pay much higher taxes up to 50% of incomeRead article “Going Dutch…”

Write the following in your notebooks:3 pros of this system3 cons of this systemWould you like to live in a social welfare state?

Why or why not? (use specific examples)Worth 5 points of 10…you will need this for an

activity…

You may list these in 2 columns labeled

“Pros” and “Cons”