THE COLD WAR (1945-1963)

David Errichetto

The Cold War

The Cold War started in 1945

The countries that were in the cold war were the U.S.S.R (Union Soviet Socialist Republic) and the U.S.

Enemies Becoming Allies

During World War II Russia and the U.S. were allies against Germany yet they themselves were enemies with each other.

The only reason why they became allies was due to the fact that Hitler had to be defeated.

The Causes of The Cold War

One main cause of the beginning of the cold war was because of the debate on what form of govt Germany should have

Russia wanted Germany to have a communist govt and the U.S. wanted Germany to have Democratic form of govt.

The Leaders In The Cold WAR

The leader of the U.S. was President Truman who was extremely against communism

And Stalin who felt the form of govt best for the human race was a communist form of govt.

War Is Here

In 1946 Winston Churchill gave a speech that made Stalin claim that Churchill’s speech was a declaration of war. 

In 1947 Russia was attacking Greece and the British were holding them off until the told Truman that they were pulling out then he acted and sent soldiers to Greece telling congress that it was America’s duty to preserve freedom and democracy in Europe. 

HELP WANTED!

In June 1947, a U.S. General George Marshall went to Europe to see what was needed to stop the expansion of Communism.

When he came back to the U.S. he said that the people were poor and they are on the edge of falling into a communist govt.

Other Than War

Instead of going to war General George Marshall recommended an injection of $17 billion cash for aid, and to get the European economy going again.

He argued that wealthy free people would not turn into communist control

NEVER HESITATE

Congress hesitated to agree to send the money, then – in February 1948 – Czechoslovakia turned Communist.

In March 1948, Congress voted Marshall Aid to Europe.  

Accident Or Coincidence

The Czech Prime Minister, Masaryk, mysteriously ‘fell’ out of a window and hard-line Stalinists took over.

FREE WILL/CONTROLED WILL

Russia did not there army into ANY eastern European state to turn it Communist – they all turned Communist of their own all in their own free will. 

WE ARE GOING TO WAR

By 1948, the USA and the USSR were officially involved in the ‘Cold War’.

During 1945-1948 Russia had been stripping the factories of east Germany of machinery to take as reparations.

Almost There

But efforts in restoring Germany were seen by Stalin as an attack

On 24 June the Russians stopped all movement into Berlin, since Berlin is like Germany being that it is divided into sections.

The reason Stalin stopped all movement is because he felt the supplies moving into Germany was destroying its economy.

Western powers say Stalin was trying to starve Berlin into surrender.

CONSTRUCTION One of the ways that USSR blocked off

Berlin is by constructing the Berlin wall in August 17 1961

WHO WANTS A HOT WAR

Neither side wanted a hot war. President Truman ignored General

Clay about invading Germany so he just sent supplies into Germany for almost a year.

Stalin could have shot the supply planes down but he also didn’t want a hot war.

Victory/Defeat

On 12 May 1949, Stalin admitted defeat and reopened the borders.  

WARS COME AND GO

Still the cold war went on but no longer with Russia but with Korea.

The leader of Korea Kim II Sung talked to Stalin and Mao Zedong (the leader of China, which had turned Communist) about invading south Korea since Syngman Rhee (the leader of South Korea) bragged that he would attack North Korea.

WHO’S LAUGHING NOW

In JUNE 25 1950 North Korea invaded south Korea.

North Korea easily defeated south Korea

And in September 1950 North Korea had conquered all South Korea apart from a small area around Pusan in the south.

NO MORE COMMUNISM

The U.S. was not ready to see another country fall into communism so at this point they figured there would be a domino affect being that if one country went to communism other countries would too.

A MINOR ROAD BLOCK

We were fast acting in stopping communism in Korea by going to Korea and pushing back north Koreans back to the Chinese border but china jumped into the war and drove the U.S. back.

We stopped the Chinese by threatening to drop the atomic bomb if they didn’t make a truce.

A SHOCK

In 1953 Stalin died and Khrushchev took power in Russia.

Khrushchev in 1956 he shocked the world by declaring that he wanted to desalinize the communist bloc,

He wanted this because he found Stalin had been a murderer and a tyrant.

PEACEFUL EXISTENCE

Khrushchev still a communist wanted to make peace instead of war.

Khrushchev visited Afghanistan and Burma and gave them economic aid if they supported Russia, and in 1955 he set up the Warsaw Pact, which is a military alliance,

RACE

In 1953 USSR started and arms race with the development of the hydrogen bomb.

The USSR also started a space race to see who would put the first man on the moon

GOOD CHANGE AN BAD CHANGE

Khrushchev worsened the Cold War By criticizing Stalin, he destabilized the Soviet-bloc governments Stalin had set up in eastern Europe. 

The effects of this is riots breaking out in Poland and later in Hungary.

A Sense Of Peace

The Hungarians were encouraged by words of support from America.   Finally, Nagy announced that Hungary was going to leave the Warsaw Pact.

OOO SO CLOSE

Khrushchev may have believed in peaceful co-existence, but was not ready to allow freedom so on 4 November 1956, 1000 Russian tanks rolled into Budapest and re-established Soviet rule.

It was thought that the Russians killed 30,000 citizens but really near 4,000. None the less it was obvious that communism needed to fall.

HIGH TENSIONS

Through the late 1950s tensions were high due to a Summit Meeting Khrushchev demanded an apology from President Eisenhower. Because 9 days earlier they shot down a U.S. spy plane and captured the pilot.

When Eisenhower saw the pilot he refused and apology and Khrushchev went home.

AN END The world was full of fear during this time

because if we were to go to nuclear war our nuclear stock piles showed that the entire world would be destroyed and life will be no more.

NOW CUBA

Cuba and Russia started trading with each other and the U.S. almost went to war with Cuba because president J.F.K got info that in 10 days Cuba would fire a missile into America.

So the U.S. made a blockade on Cuba.

THE END

On October 26 Khrushchev sent two telegrams – the first offering to dismantle targets in the U.S. as long as we don’t attack Cuba.

The second demanding that American missile sites in Turkey be dismantled.

WHO WINS ?

Neither side is known as a winner J.F.K. seems like a winner because the Russians had dismantled the Cuba sites.