Origins of the Cold War

Ideological DifferencesIdeological Differences

Different philosophies/ideologies:Different philosophies/ideologies:– Democratic capitalismDemocratic capitalism– Marxist communismMarxist communism

U.S. vs. Soviets

Private control Voting by the people Competing political

parties

State controlled all economic activity

Totalitarian gov’t No opposing parties

Long History of Distrust

The U.S. had The U.S. had intervenedintervened in the Russian in the Russian Civil War against the BolsheviksCivil War against the BolsheviksNoNo Soviet representative participated in Soviet representative participated in the Treaty of Versaillesthe Treaty of VersaillesThe U.S. did The U.S. did notnot establish diplomatic establish diplomatic relations until 1933relations until 1933The Soviets were The Soviets were notnot invited to join the invited to join the League of Nations until 1934League of Nations until 1934

Yalta Conference – Feb. 1945

Churchill, Roosevelt (gravely ill), and Stalin Germany

Agreed to spilt Germany into four different pieces/zones The American, British and French zones became one

West Germany and the Soviet zone became East Germany

PolandStalin knew that Poland was a good place to invade

Russia He did not want Poland’s old government to resume

powerStalin said they had to be sympathetic to Soviet security

needs

United Nations

April 25, 1945 representatives of 50 nations met in San Francisco to establish UN.

Charter signed on June 26, 1945.

Potsdam – July 1945

Big Three: U.S., Great Britain, and the Soviet Union met at Potsdam near Berlin in July ’45.

At Potsdam, Stalin agreed to allow vote by secret ballot with multiparty system in Poland and other parts of Eastern Europe.

Stalin did not keep his promise.

Why was the fight to contain communism so important?

Soviet Post-War

Estimated 20 million deaths, half of whom were civilians.

Communist governments established in Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Poland.

Became known as satellite nations.

New World Order (outlined by Roosevelt in Four Freedoms Speech)

Create a world of nations with self-determination.

Grow economically. Ensure stability in Europe. Reunite Germany, to be more

productive.

Containment – The Long Telegram

Feb. ’46, George F. Kennan, American diplomat in Moscow proposed containment policy.

Prevent any extension of communist rule.

Dominate U.S. Foreign Policy until 1989 and fall of U.S.S.R.

Truman Doctrine – March 1947

“it must be the policy of the United States to support free people who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures.”

Policy of Containment Official beginning of Cold War

Greece and Turkey

Between 1947 and 1950, U.S. sent $400 million in economic and military aid to prevent communist takeover.

What was the Cold War all about?

To the U.S. and the Western Europe… To the U.S.S.R…

Cold War

Conflict between the U.S. and Soviet Union in which neither nation directly confronted the other on the battlefield.

Dominated global affairs from ’45 until breakup of Soviet Union in ’91.

Black & White World

Marshall Plan

In June ’47, Secretary of State George Marshall proposed U.S. provide aid to all European nations that needed it.

Why would the U.S. partake in this measure?

16 countries would receive $13 billion in aid over next four years.

“Iron Curtain”

Taken from a 1946 speech given by Winston Churchill in the U.S., metaphor representing the stark division of Europe between the East and West.

Crisis #1

Berlin

Division of Germany

After WWII, Germany divided into four zones occupied by U.S., Great Britain, and France in the West and Soviet Union in the East.

’48, U.S., Britain and France combined their three zones into one nation – West Germany.

Soviet, communist zone – East Germany

Events

In June ’48, Stalin closed all highway and rail routes into West Berlin, no food or fuel could reach that part of the city.

2.1 million residents had no food. Britain, France & U.S. begin 24/7 airlift to

resupply city.

~Berlin Airlift

Blockade Lifted

For 327 days, planes took off and landed every few minutes.

277,000 flights, 2.3 million tons of supplies.

May 1949, Soviet Union lifted blockade.

Western Germany Formed

May ’49, western part of Germany officially became a new nation: Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany, including West Berlin)

Soviet Union created German Democratic Republic (East Germany, including East Berlin).

NATO formed

Ten Western European nations, including Belgium, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, and Portugal joined U.S. and Canada on April 4, 1949.

Defensive military alliance called North Atlantic Treaty Organization.