The Cold War

1945 -- 1991

The Cold War

A state of political tension and military rival between nations that stops short of full-scale war.

The Cold War existed between the United States and the Soviet Union following World War II.

When

It began right after World War II.

It was began by Joseph Stalin at Yalta in 1945.

It began over Eastern Europe.

Joseph Stalin

Harry Truman

Winston Churchill -- England

What

It was a rivalry between the two superpowers – the United States and the USSR (Soviet Union – Russia)

The rivalry stopped short of direct, violent confrontation because that would have meant nuclear war.

USSR Flag

Why Did the Cold War Begin Mutual distrust. The U.S. didn’t trust the

USSR and

The USSR didn’t trust the U.S.

There were two ideologies – communism vs. Democracy

There was an arms (weapons) race. Each attempted to have more weapons than the other.

There was the USSR’s intention to take over the world – especially the Third World.

Who?The Soviet Union vs The U.S.

The Korean WarThe beginning leaders in the

1940s and 1950s areStalin – USSRPres. Harry Truman – U.S.

North Korea – Kim Il Sung

1958 -- 1964

The Cuban Missile CrisisU.S. leaders – Pres.

Eisenhower and Pres. JFKUSSR leader – Nikita

Khrushchev

“Ike” Eisenhower

John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Fidel Castro

Nikita Khrushcev

1960s + 1970s

The Vietnam WarUSSR – BrezhnevU.S. – JFK, LBJ and Nixon

Brezhnev -- USSR

Lyndon Baines Johnson --LBJ

Richard Millhouse Nixon

1991

The Cold War ends in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union.

USSR – GorbachevU.S. -- Reagan

Mikail Gorbachev

Pres. Ronald Reagan

WhereThe First WorldThe U.S. and its allies in Western

EuropeThe Second WorldThe Soviet Union and Eastern

EuropeThe Third World – Developing countries i.e. Korea,

Vietnam

Military Alliances

NATO –North Atlantic Treaty Organization– 1948 – democracy

Warsaw Pact – USSR and its satellites in Eastern Europe – 1955 -- communism

How

Who had the bomb? – the U.S. and the USSR

NATO prevented the Soviet Union from invading Western Europe.

Weapons were nuclear and conventional

Hot Wars

1950 – 1953: North Korea vs South Korea (U.S.)

Pres. Eisenhower got us out.1965 – 1975: North Vietnam

(communist) vs. South Vietnam (U.S.)Pres. Nixon pulled troops out and

North Vietnam communist took over South Vietnam.

Asian Leaders

Mao – ChinaHo Chi Minh – VietnamFidel Castro – CubaIndia -- Nehru

Chairman Mao Zedong -- China

Ho Chi Minh – Vietnam

Nehru -- India

Confrontations in Berlin, Germany

1948 – the Soviets attempt to oust the U.S. who controls West Berlin.

The Soviets control East Berlin.

The Soviets attempt to prevent the U.S. from bringing in supplies to the west.

This is called the Berlin Blockade – JFK simply used airplanes to drop supplies to the West Berliners. We win.

1961 – the Soviets build a wall around East Berlin.

It was the symbol of the Cold War.

Berlin Wall – Symbol of the Cold War

Confrontations in Cuba

1959 – Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro, Cuba goes communist.

1961 – Bay of Pigs invasion. The CIA tried to overthrow Castro’s government. It failed.

1962 – Cuban Missile Crisis – the Soviet Union put nuclear missiles in Cuba, aimed at the U.S.! This was the most dangerous and scary moment of the Cold War.

Africa & Middle East leaders

Nasser – EgyptLumumba – CongoShah of IranAyatollah Khomeini – IranSadat – EgyptBegin -- Israel

Gamal Nasser -- Egypt

Lumumba -- Congo

Shah of Iran

Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran

Anwar Sadat -- Egypt

Menacham Begin -- Israel

The CIA vs. the KGB

Whenever it looked like a country was going communist, the CIA overthrew their government.

1954 – Iran, Guatemala1973 – Chile

Revolts in Eastern Europe

Called “the Eastern Block”.

1956 – Hungary – crushed by Soviet troops and tanks.

1968 – Czechoslovakia – crushed by Soviet troops and tanks. Nicknamed “Prague Spring.”

1981 – Poland – Gorbachev did not crush the uprising! It was led by Lech Walesa and the Solidarity Party.

Prague Spring

The Middle East (Southwest Asia)

1948 – Israel – The U.S. backed Israel.

The USSR supported the Arab nations that attacked Israel.

1979 – Iran – The U.S. backed the Shah of Iran. USSR supported Ayatollah Khomeini

Who Ended the War?

President Ronald Reagan – the Soviet Union is “The Evil Empire.”

“Star Wars”

Pope John Paul II – he was Polish and the first non-Italian pope in 500 years.

The pope encouraged Poland to rise up. It did and the Soviets did nothing.

In Germany the people tore down the Berlin Wall.

Gorbachev – the Soviet leader allowed freedom of speech. Their economy crumbled as did communism.

Pope John Paul II

Is it really over?

By 1989 the Berlin Wall fell.By 1990 all of Eastern Europe was

free.By 1991 the Soviet Union collapsed.