The Cold War(1945 – 1991)

What was the Cold War?

• The Cold War: a period of tension, threats, and competition between communist nations led by the Soviet Union and anti-communist nations led by the U.S.– The Cold war began at the end of WWII in 1945 and

ended with the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991– The U.S. and the Soviet Union never attacked each

other

The Superpowers• The United States– Government: democratic republic– Economic System: capitalism (free-

enterprise)– Cold War Goal: wanted to stop the spread

of communism• The Soviet Union (U.S.S.R.)– Government: totalitarian dictatorship– Economic System: communism– Cold War Goal: wanted to spread

communism throughout the world

Communism• Classless society– No rich, middle class, or poor• All wealth is distributed evenly among the people

– No ownership of private property• All property is owned by the government

• Economy is strictly controlled by the government

• All farms, factories, mines, etc. are run by the government• Individuals cannot earn profit from businesses• Prices and wages are set by the government• Government decides what and how much to produce

Capitalism• Free-enterprise: economy is free from government

control– Individuals are allowed to own property– Businesses are privately owned and operated for profit

• Economy is driven by competition– Businesses compete for profits– Workers compete for wages

• Pay is usually based on productivity and skill level• A market economy– Wages are negotiated at the workplace– Prices are negotiated in the marketplace

• Society is divided into classes– Rich, middle class, poor

Cold War Alliances

Europe After WWII

• Soviet military occupied countries of Eastern and Central Europe during WWII– Stalin refused to hold free elections and instead set up

communist governments– This created a “buffer zone” that protected the Soviet

Union from invasion• Iron Curtain: cold war dividing line

between communist Eastern Europe and non-communist Western Europe– Western Europe

• Anti-communist• Democratic governments• Influenced by the United States

– Eastern Europe• Communist• Totalitarian governments• Dominated by the Soviet Union

Communism in Europe

Division of Germany• After WWII, Germany was divided by

Great Britain, France, the United States, and the Soviet Union (USSR)– Each nation was supposed to run its “zone”

until free elections could be held• Berlin – the capital of Germany– Located in Soviet zone (East Germany)– Also divided into zones run by G.B, France,

U.S., USSR

Conflict over Germany• U.S. and Soviets disagreed about reuniting

Germany– President Truman (U.S.) wanted to reunite Germany and

allow free elections• British, French, and American zones united to form West

Germany– Included West Berlin (even though it was located in East Germany)

– Stalin feared united Germany could attack the USSR• The Soviets refused to allow their zone to become part of a

united Germany– Soviet zone became East Germany– Included East Berlin

Berlin

• The Blockade– Soviets blockaded West Berlin in effort to end plans

to unify Germany• The Berlin Airlift– Airplanes were used by Allies to deliver food and

supplies to West Berlin– Soviets eventually lifted blockade

• The Berlin Wall– Built around West Berlin by the communists

• Kept people from Communist East Germany from leaving• Anyone who tried to climb over was shot• Became a symbol for the division between Communist

and anti-Communist nations of the World

The Cold War

Heats Up!

U.S. Fights Communism• Containment: plan to stop the spread of communism– The Truman Doctrine: U.S. policy to help weaker

nations prevent communist takeover• Money and weapons were given to countries that were

fighting against communist rebels– Ex. Greece and Turkey

• Introduced containment policy– The Marshall Plan: U.S. plan to give aid to nations

of Western Europe to prevent communist takeovers • Gave $13 billion to help rebuild economies damaged by

WWII• Western Europeans were no longer desperate and most

weren’t interested in turning to communism

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

• NATO: anti-communist military alliance created to protect member nations from threats by communist forces– Led by the United States– Included anti-communist nations from all over

the world–Helped fight the spread of communism

The Warsaw Pact

• The Warsaw Pact: communist military alliance created to protect member nations from anti-communist forces– Created in response to the creation of NATO– Led by the Soviet Union– Included communist nations from Central and

Eastern Europe

A Divided World

The Spread of

Communism

Communism Spreads to China

• China during WWII– Ruled by Nationalist Party (KMT)– Led by Chiang Kai-shek – Anti-communist ally of the United States

• Communist Revolution– Communist rebels fight Nationalists for power– Nationalists flee to Taiwan– Communists take control of China (1949)

• People’s Republic of China is established• Mao Zedong becomes dictator

Communist China• Great Leap Forward (1958): Chairman Mao’s five-year

economic plan to modernize China– Rapid shift from farming to industry• Privately-owned farms were seized and combined to form

large government-run farms• Many peasants were taken from farms and forced to work in

factories• Very harsh treatment of those who resisted

– Results• Production of low-quality manufactured goods• Food shortages: 15-20 million people died of starvation• Many Chinese began rebelling against Mao’s harsh form of

communism

Communist China• Cultural Revolution (1966-1976): Chairman Mao’s

effort to increase control of China and create a more “pure” communist state– Red Guards: gangs of young people ordered by Chairman

Mao to destroy “old” ideas and attack anyone who opposed communist views

– Mao’s enemies were purged from Communist Party– Led to years of chaos

Korea• After WWII, Korea was divided– North Korea was communist– South Korea was anti-communist

• Korean War (1950-1953)– North Koreans invaded South Korea

• Supplied by USSR and China• Wanted to unite the two Koreas under a communist government

– The United Nations (UN) sent troops (mostly Americans) to protect South Korea and to stop the spread of communism

– The Chinese sent troops into North Korea to fight the UN– Armistice (ceasefire) signed (1953)

• The border between North and South Korea was set at the 38th Parallel (38 ۫۫ N latitude)

• Communism was contained– South Korea remained non-communist

Vietnam• Vietnam was divided (1955)– North Vietnam was communist• Led by Ho Chi Minh• Supported by China and the Soviet Union

– South Vietnam was anti-communist• Supported by the U.S. and France

Vietnam War (1957-1975)• Vietnam War (1957-1975)– Viet Cong communist guerrillas tried to take over

South Vietnam• Backed by North Vietnam, China, and USSR

– U.S. involvement in Vietnam (1960s - 1973)• U.S. sent aid to South Vietnam

– Money, weapons, and military advisors• U.S. began sending troops to Vietnam (1964)

– 1.5 million Vietnamese and 58,000 Americans died– Americans were bitterly divided over war

» Anti-war protests push U.S. to end war• U.S. withdrew troops from Vietnam (1969-1973)

– Communists took over South Vietnam (1975)• Vietnam reunited as communist nation• U.S. failed to contain communism

Cuba• Cuba was communist– Led by Fidel Castro– Supported by the Soviet Union

• The Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)– Soviet Union brought nuclear missiles to Cuba

• American spy planes took photos of the missile sites• Huge threat to U.S. security!

– Cuba is only 90 miles away from the U.S.– Missiles could easily reach major U.S. cities

– The U.S. and the Soviets came very close to nuclear war• U.S. President John F. Kennedy demanded that the Soviets remove the

missiles from Cuba– Cuba was blockaded by the U.S. navy until the Soviets agreed to remove

the missiles• Nikita Khrushchev, the Soviet leader, agreed to remove the missiles as

long as the U.S. agreed not to invade Cuba– Nuclear war was avoided!

Struggle for Influence in Africa

• After WWII, African nations began fighting for independence– The United States and the Soviet Union

competed for influence in the African countries• Gave money and military aid • Tried to spread their ideas• Some African nations chose not to take sides

The Race ForTechnology

• Nuclear power• Nuclear weapons– The United States and the Soviet Union

had nuclear weapons– Both nations feared a nuclear war

• nuclear annihilation: total destruction by nuclear weapons

• Arms Race– U.S. President Ronald Reagan challenged

the USSR to an arms race by building up the American military

– USSR couldn’t keep up!

Nuclear and Military Technology

Space Technology

• The Space Race: competition between the U.S. and Soviet Union to control outer space– Soviets

• put first man-made satellite (Sputnik) into orbit• put first man in space

– Americans• put first men on the moon

– US took lead in space technology/exploration– Eventually, both countries began to cooperate in

space exploration

The End ofThe Cold

War

Communism Fails• Failures of Communism– Most Communist countries

were struggling by the 1980’s• Economic failures

– Extreme poverty– Food shortages

• Political (government) failures– Corruption– Harsh treatment of people

» Very few freedoms

Reform in the Soviet Union (1985-1991)

• Mikhail Gorbachev: leader who reformed the Soviet Union– Perestroika: restructuring of Soviet economy and

government• Allowed some private ownership and profit• Created a Soviet Parliament

– Glasnost: openness of government and freedom of speech• Allowed people to openly criticize or disagree with

the government– Self-determination: people of Eastern Europe could

choose their own governments• The Soviet military would no longer be used to keep

Communist governments of other nations in power

The Collapse of Communist Governments• Changes in Europe– Anti-Communist Revolutions begin in

Eastern Europe (1989)– The Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989)– Germany is reunified under a

democratic government (1990)– The Breakup of the Soviet Union

(1991)• The Soviet Union split into 15 countries

(Russia is the largest)

Changes in China• By the 1980s, many people in China were

unhappy with the ruling Communist government– Tiananmen Square Massacre (1989)• Hundreds of pro-democracy demonstrators were

massacred by Chinese military• China has relaxed its communist economic

policies but it remains a totalitarian nation

Special Thanks to:

• Google Images• ClipArt• Ben Bindewald author of Power Point