The first use of the term 'Cold War' has been attributed to the US presidential advisor Bernard Baruch.

Baruch used the phrase on April 16, 1947 in a speech to the South Carolina House of Representatives, where his portrait was being unveiled.

“Let us not be deceived;” Baruch said, “we are today in the midst of a Cold War. Our enemies are to be found abroad and at home. Let us never forget this: Our unrest is the heart of their success.”

In diplomatic terms there are three types of war:

• Hot War: this is actual warfare. All talks have failed and the armies are fighting.

• Warm War: this is where talks are still going on and there would always be a chance of a peaceful outcome but armies, navies etc. are being fully mobilized and war plans are being put into operation ready for the command to fight.

• Cold War: this term is used to describe the relationship between America and the Soviet Union, 1945 to 1991. Neither side ever fought the other - the consequences would be too appalling - but they did ‘fight’ for their beliefs using client states who fought for their beliefs on their behalf e.g. South Vietnam was anticommunist and was supplied by America during the war while North Vietnam was pro-Communist and fought the south (and the Americans) using weapons from communist Russia or communist China. In Afghanistan, the Americans supplied the rebel Afghans after the Soviet Union invaded in 1979 while they never physically involved themselves thus avoiding a direct clash with the Soviet Union.

*** The one time this Cold War process nearly broke down was the Cuban  Missile Crisis.

Cold War: OriginsCold War: Origins• Some historians argue that the Cold War began in

1918 when the WWI Allies, including the U.S., sent forces to Russia to topple the Bolsheviks.

• Remember that the WWI Allies aided the Whites against the Reds in this Russian Civil War. The Reds/Bolsheviks were victorious and established the Soviet Union.

• From that time on, the Soviet government viewed the western democracies as its enemies.

Cold War• Not a regular war – but a diplomatic world war for

global domination.

• Wars in Korea (1950s), Vietnam (1960s-70s), and in Afghanistan (1980s) but NOT directly between the U.S.A. and U.S.S.R.

• Most dangerous chance of nuclear war: the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.

• Collapse (or retreat) of Communism in 1990s.

Mutually Assured Destruction (M.A.D.)

• Full-scale use of nuclear weapons would effectively result in the destruction of both sides -- no victory, only total destruction.

• Assumes neither side will dare launch a first strike because the other side will retaliate.

• Expected result is a tense but stable peace.

• Nuclear proliferation: in the 21st century, the “nuclear club” includes at least USA, Russia, UK, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel.

Cold WarConflicts about …

1. Economic Theory: Capitalism vs. Communism

2. Political Organization: Democracy vs. Totalitarian state

3. Culture and “way of life”: Individual rights/privacy vs. duty to state and live for the community

Battle for Hearts and Minds• Bi-polar World:

“the West” (capitalism and democracy)

vs.

“the East” (communism and single-party rule)

Two Different Economic Theories

Capitalism• Based on competition.• Market sets prices – based

on supply and demand.• No central control – role of

government is regulation to curb excesses.

• Assumes income and wealth will be unequal.

Communism• Based on central control

and cooperation. • Government determines

what is produced – and prices.

• No stock market and little private property.

• Stated goal: to not have any poor nor any wealthy people.

America Soviet Union

Free elections No elections or fixed

Democratic Autocratic / Dictatorship

Capitalist Communist

‘Survival of the fittest’ Everybody helps everybody

Richest world power Poor economic base

Personal freedom Society controlled by the secret police

Freedom of the media Total censorship

“freedom vs. totalitarianism” (western view)

“inequality vs. social equality”

(eastern view)

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948• "We the peoples of the

United Nations [are] determined - .. to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small".

• The Soviet Union (U.S.S.R), Belarus, the Ukraine and Yugoslavia abstained. THEY DID NOT SIGN IT!

What was it like to live under Communism?

U.S.A. • Freedom of speech• Freedom of religion• Freedom of

movement across borders

• Freedom of choice to buy and sell

• Freedom to own property

East Berlin• State Controlled Media• No religion• No travel outside of

communistic countries and papers needed

• State provided all necessities—there were often shortages

• Property was distributed by the government

State control was enforced in two ways

Secret Police• The secret police

arrested people who spoke out against the government or were otherwise considered a threat.

Spies• Soviet spies

infiltrated western countries to learn their secrets as well as learn if anyone from their communist countries had switched sides.

This was not just in the U.S.S.R• While there are some differences between

communist countries, for the most part they were and still are very restrictive about Human Rights and stick to the main economic principles of communism.

Cold War Alignments: 1953

Cold War Alignments: 1980Cold War Alignments: 1980

Berlin Wall: 1961• In a masterfully-planned operation, spanning just 24 hours,

the streets of Berlin were torn up, barricades of paving stones were erected, tanks were gathered at crucial places and subways and local railway services were interrupted, so that within a day the West of Berlin was completely sealed off from the East.

• As of that same day inhabitants of East Berlin and East Germany were no longer allowed to enter the West of the city (including the 60,000 who had been commuters).

Berlin Wall built to stop East Germans from fleeing to the west!

• The wall was built to split East and West Berlin in 1961 and stood until 1989.

• About 100-200 people were killed trying to cross over, under, or through this wall to join their families and friends on the other side.

• It eventually extended for over 100 miles.

Berlin Wall in the 1980’s