The Cold War: 1945-1991

The Cold War:1945-1991

Ms. Susan M. PojerHorace Greeley HS Chappaqua,

NYEdited by Mrs. Browne

Part I:The Cold War Begins

1945- 1961

The Ideological StruggleDefinition: a conflict of ideas

Soviet & Eastern Bloc

Nations[“Iron

Curtain”]

US & the Western

Democracies

GOAL spread world-wide CommunismGOAL challenge capitalism & the weaknesses of democracy

GOAL “Containment” of Communism & the eventual collapse of the Communist world.GOAL promote democracy & capitalism

The “Iron Curtain”

From Stettin in the Balkans, to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lies the ancient capitals of Central and Eastern Europe. -- Sir Winston Churchill, 1946

Truman Doctrine [1947]1. Situation #1: A Civil War begins in

Greece.2. Situation #2: Turkey is under

pressure from the USSR for territory in the Dardanelles (Mediterranean Sea).

3. The U. S. should support free peoples throughout the world who were resisting takeovers by armed minorities or outside pressures…We must assist free peoples to work out their own destinies in their own way.

4. The U.S. gave Greece & Turkey $400 million in aid.

Truman Doctrine & Containment

Marshall Plan [1948]

1. “European Recovery Program.”

2. Secretary of State, George Marshall

3. The U. S. should provide aid to all European nations that need it.

4. $12.5 billion of US aid given

Post-War Germany

Berlin Blockade & Airlift (1948-49)

• Stalin attempts to block West Berlin in order to gain control of it.

• The West will not give it up; supplies flown in daily.

• The West “wins”; Stalin reopens access to West Berlin

The Arms Race:A “Missile Gap?”

} The Soviet Union exploded its first A-bomb in 1949.

} Now there were two nuclear superpowers!

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (1949)

United States Belgium Britain Canada Denmark France Iceland Italy

Luxemburg Netherlands Norway Portugal 1952: Greece &

Turkey 1955: West

Germany 1983: Spain

Warsaw Pact (1955)

} U. S. S. R.} Albania} Bulgaria} Czechoslovak

ia

} East Germany

} Hungary} Poland} Rumania

Premier Nikita Khrushchev

About the capitalist states, it doesn't depend on You whether we (Soviet Union) exist.If you don't like us, don't accept our invitations, and don't invite us to come to see you. Whether you like it or not, history is on our side. We will bury you. -- 1956• Khrushchev comes to power in 1954 after Stalin dies

• Will remain leader until 1964 (removed after Cuban Missile Crisis)

• Promotes De-Stalinization (recognition that Stalin used terror & repression and gov’t would not do so anymore)

• Crushes rebellion in Hungary in 1956

• Leader when Sputnik was launched beginning Space Race

• Supports Fidel Castro in Cuba

The Hungarian Uprising: 1956

Imre Nagy, Hungarian

Prime Minister} Promised free elections.

} This could lead to the end of communist rule in Hungary.

} USSR crushes this idea, Nagy executed in 1958

} Thousands died

Sputnik I (1957)

The Russians have beaten America in space—they have the

technological edge!

U-2 Spy Incident (1960)

Col. Francis Gary Powers’ plane was

shot down over Soviet airspace.

Khruschev Embraces Castro,1961

The Berlin Wall Goes Up (1961)

Checkpoint

Charlie

PART II: THE COLD WAR FROM

ITS HEIGHT TO DÉTENTE

1961-1979

Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

We went eyeball-to-eyeball with the Russians, and the other man blinked!

Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

• Khrushchev removes the missiles from Cuba

• The US will remove missiles from Turkey in exchange

• The top Soviet leaders view this as a humiliation and force Khrushchev to resign!

Creation of the US-USSR Hotline

• June 20, 1963After the scare of the Cuban Missile Crisis, it was believed that a direct line of communication was needed between the US-USSR !Considered the way to avert nuclear war & WW III!

Ich bin ein Berliner!

(June 26, 1963)

President Kennedy tells Berliners that

the West is with them!

Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

• August 5,1963• Signed in Moscow, USSR• US, Britain, USSR agreed to

ban any above ground tests of nuclear weapons – Concern over nuclear fallout &

its effects !

Leonid Brezhnev & the Brezhnev Doctrine

• Brezhnev comes to power after Khrushchev is removed for “health reasons”

• Will rule until his death in 1982

• Pursues détente with the US ( a lessening of tension & increase in trade)

• Maintains FIRM control over other USSR controlled areas

The Brezhnev Doctrine: the Soviet Union’s right to intervene in another Communist nation if communism was being threatened in ANY way!

“Prague Spring” (1968)Former Czech President,

Alexander DubčekCommunism with a human

face!

Prague Spring is ended by the USSR under the Brezhnev Doctrine!

The Domino Theory

• 1950’s - 1970’s• Belief in the United States that

if 1 nation falls to communism… all nations in the area could also fall!

SALT I TREATY• Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty

• Negotiations lasted from November 1969 to May 1972

• Includes “smaller agreements” regarding different types of nuclear weapons

HELSINKI ACCORDS

• August 1,1975• Agreement signed by 35

nations: US, USSR, most European nationsRecognized post WWII borders in

EuropeRecognized need for human rights

protections

Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan

• 1979• The USSR invaded Afghanistan in

order to “restore” a pro-Soviet government

Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan

• US Response– collapse of détente– US did not participate in 1980

Moscow Olympics– US embargo of grain shipments

to USSR– US gives military aid to

mujahideen rebels fighting Soviets

PART III:The Cold War &

Conflicts Around the World

1945-1991

The Cold War & Conflicts Around the

World• Both the USSR and the US will use

money, military, and propaganda to win over other nations to “their side”

• This will occur in Asia, Latin America, Africa & the Middle East

China (1949)• 1949• Chinese Communists win Civil War

against the Nationalists• China becomes the

People’s Republic of China

• Mao rules until 1976

The Korean War: A “Police Action” (1950-

1953)

Syngman Rhee

Kim Il-SungNorth Korea: • occupied by USSR

after WWII• supported by China

during conflict • Invaded south in 1950

to unify Korea• Still communist today

South Korea:• occupied by US

after WWII• Supported by US

during conflict• US & UN troops

pushed back invasion

• US still stations troops along DMZ border

The Suez Crisis: 1956-1957

Gamal Abdel Nasser:• Leader of Egypt • Nationalized the Suez

canal to end British control

• Supported by USSR• $ from USSR helped

build Aswan High Dam• Supported by USSR in

wars against Israel until 1979

Cuban Revolution (1959)Causes

Rule by a repressive dictatorship (Batista)

Corruption & bribery widespread

Inequality among people

High unemployment

EffectsCreation of a communist dictatorship under Fidel

Castro

Denial of rights & freedoms

Gov’t control of property & economy

Education & literacy rates soar

Vietnam War: 1964-1973• After WWII, region begins to

fight for independence against France (imperialism)

• France cannot “hold on” and pulls out in 1954

• Vietnam is divided by UN into North & South; Ho Chi Minh is leader of North

• US sees Vietnam as example of the domino theory and begins to send troops

• US fights in Vietnam from 1964-1975 when last troops are pulled out; Vietnam is reunified under communist rule

• Vietnamese always viewed this as a fight against imperialism NOT a fight for communism!

Iran-Iraq: 1979 - 1988

Long (confusing) History here!... We will cover more in Chapter 30!!• OIL!

• 1950’s the US helped put ( & keep) the Shah of Iran in power (BFF’s)• 1979 the Shah of Iran was overthrown by the Islamic Revolution led by

Ayatollah Khomeni, US hostages taken @ embassy in Teheran (no longer BFF’s)

• 1960’s the USSR supported Iraq which was then a socialist dictatorship (BFF’s)

• 1979 Saddam Hussein came to power in Iraq (no longer BFF’s)

• 1980 – 1988 Iran v. Iraq War• US supports Iraq (new BFF until 1990)• USSR supports Iran (new BFF, still kinda a BFF today)

.

Nicaragua 1980’s• The Somoza family dominated

Nicaragua’s government from 1937 until 1990• They were rich & ruthless

• The Sandinistas began to fight against the government in the 1980’s for elections & fair treatment• they used Marxist ideology• They were aligned with the

USSR• The US then began to support

the contras

• Elections were held in 1990• Daniel Ortega (Sandinista) was

elected President in 2007 (ironic?)

Part IV:The Cold War from

Brezhnev to Gorbachev & the Collapse of the

USSR

1979-1991

Leonid Brezhnev

Mikhail Gorbachev

SALT II• 1977 to 1979• Continued to build upon earlier

agreements improved relations (détente)

• However, US never ratified due to Soviet invasion of Afghanistan & pulled out altogether in 1986

Solidarity• Formed in 1980• A labor union in Poland led

by Lech Walesa• Symbolic of fight against USSR &

communism

START Treaty• First proposed by President Reagan

on June 29, 1982– Designed to limit number of nuclear warhead

missiles (5,000) and ICBM’s (2,500)– Rejected by USSR until Gorbachev came to

power– Finally signed…July 31,1991

Gorbachev’s glasnost & perestroika

• Mikhail Gorbachev comes to power March 1985

• Brought reform to the USSR• Perestroika

– Restructure the economy– Allow limited free enterprise & some private

ownership• Glasnost

– Openess in society– Ended support of Eastern European

communists, pulled out of Afghanistan– Elections in the Soviet Parliament

Chernobyl AccidentApril 26, 1986• Largest uncontrolled

release of radioactive materials (over 10 days)

• 19 mile exclusion zone still exists

• Major health & environmental impacts

Fall of the Berlin Wall

November 9, 1989 The Berlin Wall falls. In the next year, Germany will be reunited.

Attempted Coup of Gorbachev

• August 21, 1991• Hardliners attempt to overthrow Gorbachev and

return the USSR to the “old ways”

The Coup fails!

Boris Yeltsin• December 23, 1985

became mayor of Russia (appointed by

Gorbachev)• Helps restore Gorbachev after the

coup• Becomes first President of Russia

after the USSR is dissolved– President of Russia 1991-1999

Russia Today• Vladimir Putin

– President 2000-2008, 2012 - ?– Has helped modernize Russia (again)– Brought economic prosperity– Some claim he is a dictator with the title of

President

Review

• Causes of the Cold War?• Effects of the Cold War?