The Cold War Political, Social, and Economic Causes

The Cold WarPolitical, Social, and Political, Social, and Economic CausesEconomic Causes

Consequences of WWII

• Staggering casualties & refugee problem

• Rise of U.S. and USSR, decline of Europe

• Decolonization worldwide

• Discrediting of Social Darwinism

CountryMilitary casualties

Civilian casualties

Germany 3.250.000 3.810.000

Austria 230.000 80.000

Italy 330.000 85.000

Britain 452.000 60.000

France 250.000 360.000

USA 295.000

Soviet Union 13.600.000 7.700.000

The United Nations

Established immediately after WWIIMilitary power, unlike League of NationsPermanent council members (veto powers): U.S., U.S.S.R. (now Russia), France, Great Britain, China

Decolonization• Began after WWII

• India and Pakistan, 1947Palestine, 1947

• Egypt, 1956

• Africa, 1950s-70s

• Dutch East Indies, 1949Vietnam, 1940s-70s

• Caribbean, 1960s-1970s

Israel’s BirthPalestine mostly Arab, minority

Jewish population exploded after WWII (Holocaust survivors)1947 - British gave up, turned area over to U.N.U.N. partitioned Jewish and Arab areas1948 - New state of Israel attacked by Arab neighbors. Israel won with U.S. aid.Refugees from war not allowed back in, still in camps ringing IsraelFurther wars in 1960s added more Jewish territory

India and Pakistan• Freed from British control

(since 1600s) in 1947

• Hindu majority, Muslim minority--resulted in two countries

• Fighting since over Kashmirã contested region on border

• U.S. allied with India, Soviets supported Pakistan

Egypt• Nominally independent since

1922; British interest: Suez Canal

• Canal built 1869, connects Atlantic & Mediterranean, Indian & Red Seas

• 14% total world trade; 26% oil, 41% total trade from Gulf states

• Canal nationalized in 1956 by Egyptian President Abdul Nassar

• USSR announced support of Egypt

• U.S. forbid Israeli/European interference; Canal transferred to Egyptian control

Political Cause - Containment

• Yalta Conference, 1945

• Division of Eastern & Western Europe

• Division of Germany and Berlin

• Stalinist elections: Poland (1947), Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia (1947-48)

U.S. Attempts to “Contain” Communism

• Truman Doctrine, 1947

• Marshall Plan, 1947

• Berlin Airlift, 1948-49

• North Atlantic Treaty Organization “NATO”

Truman Doctrine, 1947

o Triggered by communist insurrections in Greece and Turkey

o Promised U.S. aid to any nation fighting communism

Marshall Plan

o 1947-51: U.S. provided 9.4 billion to rebuild after WWII

o Stalin refused to allow East to take part

Berlin Blockade and Airlift 1948-49

• Germany & Berlin divided at Potsdam into four zones

• 1948: Three zones united into West Germany

• Stalin blockaded West Berlin

• 321 day airlift

• Stalin withdrew blockade in 1949

• Result: two Germanys, East and West

NATO vs. Warsaw Pact

NATO

•“An attack against one or more of them… shall be considered an attack against them all.”

•Collective Security

Warsaw Pact

•Created in response to NATO

•Consisted of the Soviet Union and her Satellite nations .

Increasing Cold War Tensions, 1950s-early

60s • 1949: Chinese Revolution

• 1949: Soviets get atomic bomb

• 1950-53: Korean War

• 1959: Sputnik

• 1960: U-2 incident

• 1961: Bay of Pigs

• 1961: Berlin Wall

• 1962: Cuban Missile Crisis

Political Social EconomicContainment

• Truman Doctrine

• Marshall Plan

• Berlin Blockade

• Communist Spread

• Sputnik

• Bay of Pigs

• Cuban Missile Crisis

Social Cause - Fear

• Nuclear Holocaust

• “McCarthyism” – “there’s a commie under every bed

• Losing the Space Race

• Spy Technology

• The “Domino Theory”

• Social Unrest of the ’60s and ’70

Nuclear Holocaust

Nuclear weapons have been at the heart of many national and international political disputes and have played a major part in popular culture since their dramatic public debut in the 1940s and have usually symbolized the ultimate ability of mankind to utilize the strength of nature for destruction.

Miss Atomic Bomb, 1957

“McCarthyism” – Early 1950sThe term derives from U.S. Senator

Joseph McCarthy, a Republican of Wisconsin. During this time people in a variety of situations, primarily those employed in government, in the entertainment industry or in education, were accused of being Communists or communist sympathizers and became the subject of aggressive investigations and questioning before various government or privately run panels

Senator Joe McCarthy

The Hollywood Ten

The Space Race

• Sputnik - The world's first artificial satellite was about the size of a basketball, weighed only 183 pounds, and took about 98 minutes to orbit the Earth on its elliptical path.

• Yuri Gagarin - On April 12, 1961, Gagarin became the first

human to travel into space

May1960 - U-2 Incident

• The Russian military shot it down flying 15 miles high in Soviet territory.

• The United States thought the U-2 Spy Plane was immured to attack.

The Domino Theory in Southeast Asia – if one country fell to communism then the rest

would

The Korean Conflict – 1950 - 1953 The Vietnam

Conflict – 1959 - 1974

Social Unrest of the ’60s & ’70s

One of the most widely known symbols in the world, in Britain it is recognized as standing for nuclear disarmament. It was designed in 1958 by Gerald Holtom, a professional designer and artist and a graduate of the Royal College of Arts.

Political Social EconomicContainment

• Truman Doctrine

• Marshall Plan

• Berlin Blockade

• Communist Spread

• Sputnik

• Bay of Pigs

• Cuban Missile Crisis

Fear• Atomic war between the US and USSR

• Communists taking over our country

•The Soviets dominating the space and spy technology

• All of southeast Asia becoming communist and Cuba being communist

• The Social Revolution/changes of the ’60s and ’70s

Economic Cause - Globalization

The United States wanted to encourage free trade throughout the world. The Soviet Union wanted to shield off her own sphere from international commerce. Russia feared that trade with the West would involve the risk of Russia being opened to western influences which would have eroded the strength of the totalitarian regime. These differences led to much ill feeling between the United States and the Soviet Union.

What is Globalization?

Is it the integration of economic, political, and cultural systems across the globe? Or is it Americanization and United States dominance of world affairs? Is globalization a force for economic growth, prosperity, and democratic freedom? Or is it a force for environmental devastation, exploitation of the developing world, and suppression of human rights?

The United States wanted Globalization because

• It expanded our Market Economy, we could now sell Levi’s and Coca Cola to communist countries.

• Large companies that are now permitted to set up businesses in communist countries - in the past they were not

• Bottom line – it increased the standard of living for Americans $$$$$$$$$$$$$$

The Soviets rejected Globalization because

• Exposure through trade to other non-communist countries threatened the tight control the government had over its citizens

• The transition to Globalization was more difficult with a Command Economy.

Political Social EconomicContainment• Truman Doctrine

• Marshall Plan

• Berlin Blockade

• Communist Spread

• Sputnik

• Bay of Pigs

• Cuban Missile Crisis

Fear• Atomic war between the US and USSR

• Communists taking over our country

•The Soviets dominating the space and spy technology

• All of southeast Asia becoming communist and Cuba being communist

• The Social Revolution/changes of the ’60s and ’70s

Globalization• The US profited from it because we have a market economy.

• The Soviets risked opening a closed society up to the rest of the world – which ultimately lead to the collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union and eastern Europe.