THE COLD WAR Competition between superpowers for influence in the world after WWII Clash of ideologies Democracy vs Dictatorship Capitalism vs Communism Cold b/c US & USSR never actually fought each other Soviet Post-War Goals Communist Goals Stalins Goals
Consolidation of communist controls where it already existed Spread of communism to new areas Eventual world domination Rebuilding of Soviet Union Creation of Buffer Zone to protect USSR from future invasions Cold War Strategies Arms Race Aid to rebel or govt forces Espionage
Propaganda Space Race Origins of the Cold War Big Three
1945 Bringing World War II to an end Feb YALTA CONFERENCE Big Three Purpose:to work out future of Poland & Germany Yalta Decisions What to do with a defeated Germany?
Will the Soviet Union help defeat Japan? What about Poland? How can future wars be prevented? Germany was divided into 4 occupation zones
Germany was divided into 4 occupation zones.When the Soviet Union refused to join its zone with the French, British, and American zones and allow the German people to assume control of their own government, the Cold War began. Nuremberg Trials High German officials tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Soviet Union declared war on Japan the day after the
first atomic bomb was dropped. Poland - Occupied by Soviet Army
- Stalin agreed to free elections after the war United Nations Strengths: Weaknesses: Created to help keep the
peace and to promote the betterment of humanity Strengths: Weaknesses: *Membership for all nations * No power to enforce decisions *Participation by world powers* Veto power of Sec. Council *No military of its own Economic and Social Council International Court of Justice
General Assembly All nations One vote each Security Council 15 members 5 permanent Veto power US, GB, FR, USSR, China Economic and Social Council International Court of Justice Secretariat Potsdam Conference July 1945 New leaders: Truman (FDR had died)
Clement Atlee (Replaced Churchill as British PM during the Conference) Increases tensions over reparations and territory IRON CURTAIN Part of the old border defenses between South Moravia and lower Austria View of East G From West G CONTAINMENT policy of keeping communism contained within its present territory through the use of diplomatic, economic, and military actions Marshall Plan $12 billion to aid in the economic recovery of Europe Truman Doctrine $400 million in aid to Greece and Turkey to fight communist rebels Marshall Plan same offer made to Soviet Union with conditions, rejected Truman Doctrine US would supply any nation with economic and military aid to prevent falling under the Soviet sphere of influence COMECON Soviet response to Marshall plan
Council for Mutual Economic Assistance Estd 1949 Communist Takeover in Czechoslovakia
Feb. 1948 Key members of Czech govt die mysteriously Pro-western President forced to resign, new constitution ratified Complete takeover by Czech communists Berlin Airlift Blockade of Berlin began on June 24, 48
From June 1948 to May 1949, U.S. and British planes airlift 1.5 million tons of supplies to the residents of West Berlin. After 200,000 flights, the Soviet Union lifts the blockade. NATO 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 Czechoslovakia
East Germany Hungary Poland Rumania Bipolarization of Europe The Arms Race: A Missile Gap?
The Soviet Union exploded its first A-bomb in 1949. Now there were two nuclear superpowers! Communism in China Civil War Resumes 1946-1949 Mao Zedong Communist
Chiang Kai Shek Nationalist Victory by Chinese communists under the leadership of Mao Zedong.
US supported nationalists were forced to retreat to Taiwan. Mainland China = Peoples Republic of China (Communist China) Taiwan = Republic of China (non-communist) Korea Divided Korean War June 1950 North Korean forces crossed the 38th Parallel.
UN sent in forces (led by US)to aid South Korea. General Douglas MacArthur Never technically declared a war -but was considered a police action. China Enters the Korean War
US-UN troops pushed North Koreans back over the 38th Parallel and into North Korea. When Americans reached the border between North Korea and China, the Chinese attacked, pushing the Americans back into South Korea. War ended with a truce still in force. Korea remains divided at the 38th Parallel. MacArthur was fired by Truman after criticizing the Presidents handling of the war. The Shifting Map of Korea [1950-1953] Attitudes at Home Lived with threat of nuclear war
Possibility of massive retaliation Fallout shelters built New Red Scare Government Response Creation of Department of Defense,
National Security Council, and CIA HUAC House Un-American Activities Committee formed to root out communists in American government Blacklisting of many Hollywood activists McCarthyism: 1950 - 54 Witch Hunt led by Senator Joseph McCarthy
Convinced communists had infiltrated the US government and the US military. Series of hearings of suspected communists Finally ended after televised hearings showed how off the wall McCarthy was. The Space Race SPUTNIK 1 Oct 4, 1957 First artificial satellite
Alarmed US Response = US space program (NASA) Increased emphasis on math & science in schools Race to Space USSR USA April 1961 Yuri Gagarin 1958 - Explorer I
first human in space June 1963 Valentina Tereshkova first woman in space Explorer I first American satellite May 1961 Alan Shepard first American in space Feb 1962 John Glenn first Am. to orbit earth July 1969 Neil Armstrong first to set foot on the moon Cuban Revolution 1956 Fidel Castro led a revolution against a
dictatorship. In its place, set up a communist dictatorship. Bay of Pigs 1961 US-CIA sponsored invasion of Cuba by 1500 C. exiles
Total disaster Embarrassment for JFK Cuban Missile Crisis Soviet Union put missiles in Cuba that were capable of reaching US cities. US demanded removal of the missiles. Almost went to war with Soviet Union! Vietnam War Vietnam = Part of French colonial empire
US first got involved helping the French put down rebellion. 1954 Vietnam was divided into North (communist) Vietnam and South (non-communist) Vietnam Vietnam War Grew out of efforts by North Vietnam to gain control of South Vietnam NV Leader = Ho Chi Minh US supported South V. as part of its containment policy and the domino theory. War ended with Communist conquest of South Vietnam in 1975. Tet Offensive Turning Point in Vietnam War
1968 Viet Cong and N Vietnamese campaign to drive Americans out Lasted 8 months Ultimately failed to achieve its goal but did lead many people in the US to question our presence in Vietnam. Led to strong anti-war movement in US End of Cold War Michael Gorbachev Ronald Reagan 1991