The Cold War:

1947-1991

The Cold War:

1947-1991

The Cold War

• Time period about ideological differences

• Btwn USSR and the US played out through arms races, space races, and spheres of influences

• People lived in fear of nuclear war especially during the 50s and early 60s

The Ideological StruggleThe Ideological StruggleSoviet &

Eastern Bloc Nations

US & the Western

Democracies

GOAL spread world-wide Communism

GOAL “Containment” of Communism & the eventual collapse of the Communist world.

Communism vs.Command Economy vs.

DemocracyCapitalism

How the Cold War was fought:

PhasesCold War is broken into 4 (really 3) phases- many events happen in each one…

1.Division (1945-1948)- events that LED to the Cold War..2.Containment (1948-1970)3.Détente (1970-1980)4.“Thawing” or the end (1981-1991)

So WWII ends, then there’s phase 1-

Division of countries…

Phase 1- Division1. Yalta Conference (1945)

a. Postwar plan

b. SU & US disagreed on goals…

c. Divides Germany into Alliedoccupied zones

d. Germany has to $$$ compensate for the losses it caused

(MUCH MORE than after WWI)

Post-War GermanyPost-War Germany

Phase 1- Division2. Creation of United Nations (UN) (1945)

a. 48 countries formed an international organization that intended to protect its’ members agnst agression.

b. Est. a General Assembly whereeach country could vote on issues

c. Security Council- investigate &settle disputes

d. Permanent: GB, China, France,US, SU

3. Iron Curtain (1946)

a. Europe’s division into mostly Democratic W. Europe vs. Communist E. Europe

b. Germany split in 2:

US- W Germany

SU- E Germany

Phase 1- Division

The “Iron Curtain”The “Iron Curtain”

4. The Truman Doctrine (1947)

a. President Truman’s declared support for countries that rejected Communism

b. Led to great controversy in US

1. US shouldn’t interfere w.other nations

2. US can’t afford globalcrusade agnst. Communism

c. US gave $400mill to Turkey/Greece

Phase 1- Division

5. Marshall Plan [1948]5. Marshall Plan [1948]

A.A. US Secretary of State, US Secretary of State, George MarshallGeorge Marshall

B.B. $$$ assistance program $$$ assistance program where US gave aid to where US gave aid to

needy European nationsneedy European nations

C. Provided food, machinery, &C. Provided food, machinery, &other materials to rebuild other materials to rebuild W Europe after WWII. W Europe after WWII.

D. Pushed countries away from SU, D. Pushed countries away from SU, towards UStowards US

So the beginning of the Cold War has begun… Now we go to Phase 2:

Containment(1948-1968)

Phase II: Containment• Truman’s US Foreign policy

directed at blocking Soviet influence & stopping the expansion of Communism. – Formed alliances– Helped weaker countries resist

Both fought for other countries to join them, not the other guy:

• This created 3 worlds: – Industrialized Capitalist nations (US)– Communist nations (SU)– Third World (developing, nonaligned

nations)

• This created competition b.n US & SU over all the Third World

• = Nonaligned Nations

• Independent countries that struggled to stay uninvolved & neutral

• India, Indonesia

1. Berlin Blockade & Airlift 1. Berlin Blockade & Airlift (1948-49)(1948-49)

2. 2. NNorth orth AAtlantic tlantic TTreaty reaty OOrganization (1949)rganization (1949)

A defensive military alliance made up of US, Canada, A defensive military alliance made up of US, Canada, & 10 other countries meant to defend & protect & 10 other countries meant to defend & protect agnst. Communismagnst. Communism

An attack on any NATO member would be met with An attack on any NATO member would be met with armed force by all member nationsarmed force by all member nations

SU saw this as a threat & created Warsaw PactSU saw this as a threat & created Warsaw Pact

3. Warsaw Pact (1955)3. Warsaw Pact (1955)

} A Communist alliance that was created A Communist alliance that was created in response to the Western NATOin response to the Western NATO

} USSR, E Germany, other communist USSR, E Germany, other communist countriescountries

} This led to the Berlin Wall officially This led to the Berlin Wall officially dividing the world into 2 rival camps: dividing the world into 2 rival camps: Communism vs. DemocracyCommunism vs. Democracy

The Berlin Wall Goes Up The Berlin Wall Goes Up (1961)(1961)

CheckpoinCheckpointt

CharlieCharlie

4. Mao’s Revolution: 19494. Mao’s Revolution: 1949

A 2A 2ndnd }} Power!Power!

Mao Zedong• Chinese Communist leader• Kicked Japan & Chinese

Nationalists out of China to form Communist China

• Now China was a Communist nation, another superpower to join USSR in the Communist East

He is known for 2 imp things:

• 1. The Great Leap Forward– A plan (by Mao) that called for large

collective farms- “Communes”- owned by the gov’t (aka Communism)

– Strictly controlled peasants’ lives- worked, ate, slept together

– Owned nothing

• 2. Cultural Revolution (1966-1968)– A major uprising led by the Red

Guard; the goal was to establish a society where peasants & workers were all equal.

– Intellectual & artistic activity = dangerous

– Shut down colleges & schools– Caused havoc- farms & factories=

closed down! = the end of the C.R.!

• While China was busy becoming super Communist, other things were going on as well as part of “Containment”…

• Such as “Proxy wars” (one of the strategies.. – There’s 2 proxy wars that are part of

Containment.. One was…

5. The Korean War (1950-5. The Korean War (1950-1953)1953)

DemocraticDemocratic

U.S.U.S.

CommunistCommunist

S.U. & ChinaS.U. & China

38th Parallel“DMZ” Demilitarized Zone

38th parallel• The line that divides North & South

Korea

• The North- Communist industrial gov’t set up by SU

• The South- non-communist gov’t supported by US

6. The Arms Race:6. The Arms Race:A Race to have the best A Race to have the best

weaponweapon} The Soviet The Soviet

Union Union exploded its exploded its first A-bomb in first A-bomb in 1949.1949.

} Now there Now there were two were two nuclear nuclear superpowers!superpowers!

7. The Space Race:• US & SU started to compete in

skies also-

• Each wanted to control space as well.. So missions began to beat the other at going into Space…

• SU was 1st…

• (pg. 971)

Sputnik I (1957)Sputnik I (1957)

The Russians have beaten America The Russians have beaten America in space—they have the in space—they have the

technological edge!technological edge!

• For 20 years they 2 raced each other until finally they joined together in 1975 (still during Cold War!)

• The big imp guy to the US during the Space Race was…

John F. Kennedy• US President• Led the US during Containment (Cold

War) facing many conflicts: Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missile Crisis, Space Race

• 1917-1963• US• Encouraged Space Race, avoided

nuclear confrontation w. SU, was assassinated (hmm.. Wonder y..)

8. Issues w. Cuba

A. Bay of Pigs Debacle A. Bay of Pigs Debacle (1961)(1961)

B. Cuban Missile Crisis B. Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)(1962)

• SU secretly built 42 missile sites in Cuba

• JFK (US) demanded their removal b.c they were too close to US & put a blockade of Cuba

• People fearful of nuclear war• US promised not to invade Cuba &

SU removed missiles• Cuba= completely dependent on SU,

supported Communism, alienated US

Cuban Missile Crisis Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)(1962)

We went eyeball-to-eyeball with the We went eyeball-to-eyeball with the Russians, and the other man blinked!Russians, and the other man blinked!

Cuban Missile Crisis Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)(1962)

9. Proxy war #2…

Vietnam War: 1965-1973Vietnam War: 1965-1973

• North Vietnam– Communists,

Vietnamese Nationalists (Ho Chi Minh)

– Wanted independence from France

South Vietnam-French, US-Wanted to contain Communism

1950s part of conflict…

• The Northern Communists won & defeated France

• France lost the Northern part of it’s colony

• Vietnam divided @ 17parallel– North- Ho Chi Minh & Communists– South- French anti-commie gov’t,

Ngo Dinh Diem

1960/70s part of the conflict• Vietcong (Southern Communist

Guerillas)– Overthrew & killed Diem

• US entered the war (1964)– VERY unpopular war- protested– Nixon withdrew– N Vietnam took back S Vietnam-

millions fled the country– Still Communist today– 1.5 mill Vietnamese, 58,000 US died

Lyndon B. Johnson• US president

• Assumed presidency when JFK was shot, committed to containment

• 1963-1969

• USA

• Due to his commitment to Containment = escalated US involvement in Vietnam = US protested & lost

• So that was Containment..

• Now began phase 3:

• Détente (1970-1980)– A time of lessened Cold War tensions

where they backed away from direct confrontation

• While Containment still cont’d, they both agreed to reduce tensions

• Détente improved relations w. China & SU

Richard M Nixon• US President• Had a new policy in Cold War- deal

w. other nations practically & flexibly= Détente

• 1970-1974• USA• He took US out of Vietnam war,

lessened Cold War tensions, improved foreign relations= visited communist nations

1. SALT (1972)• Nixon (US), Brezhnev (SU)

• Strategic Arms Limitation Talks

• 5 year agreement that limited the number of intercontinental ballistic & submarine-launched missiles each country could have

2. Helsinki Accords (1975)

• US + SU + 33 other nations joined

• A signed commitment to Détente & cooperation

Phase 4:

“Thawing” or the End

1981-1991

Phase 4:

“Thawing” or the End

1981-1991

Ronald Reagan• US President

• 1981-1989

• Fiercely anti-communist president, Moved away from Détente– increased Defense spending = put

pressure on SU– Tensions increased w. SU

What led to the “thawing”..

• USSR changed leadership in 1985-

• Mikhail Gorbachev (1985-1991)– New leader, young w. new ideas– Realized that Soviet progress wouldn’t

occur w.o free flowing ideas:• Glasnost (Openness)• Perestroika (Economic Restructuring)• Democratization

– His changes led to the end of the USSR, Communism, & the Cold War

Glasnost (1985)• Openness

• A policy brought by Gorbachev to reform society to being more “open” instead of silent

• Gov’t allowed churches, books by previously banned authors, released dissidents from prison

• This openness allowed Soviets to complain about economic probs = Economic restructuring (Perestroika)

Perestroika (1985)• Economic restructuring

• Soviets complained about poor economy so Gorbachev created this policy to revive the economy- not to destroy Communism but to create a better system

• As a result:– Local managers gained greater

authority over farms/factories– People could open small businesses

Democratization (1987)• Gorbachev’s policy to gradually

open the political system & loosen it’s grip on Soviet politics

• Created elections for a legislative body= gave people a say in their gov’t = downfall of Communism!

Gorbachev’s policies led to…

• Loosened central control

• Nationalist groups demanded independence = unrest

• Republics (the other little countries part of the SU)- broke away and formed their owned loose confederation

• = Collapse of the Soviet Union

• = Collapse of Communism

• = End of the Cold War

Why is the Cold War significant?

• Longest silent war in History• This characterized life/society/the

world for ½ a century (1945-1991)– The world was based off this Division– Everyone’s politics, economics,

societies- revolved around it

• Events such as: Berlin Wall, Cuban Missile Crisis, Korean War, Vietnam War, the collapse of the Soviet Union, collapse of Communism

European Economic European Economic IntegrationIntegration

1957 1957 EEuropean uropean EEconomic conomic CCommunity [EEC]ommunity [EEC]

European Economic European Economic IntegrationIntegration

1957 1957 EEuropean uropean EEconomic conomic CCommunity [EEC]ommunity [EEC]

France, W. Germany, Italy, France, W. Germany, Italy, Benelux.Benelux.

Created a larger free trade Created a larger free trade area, or customs union.area, or customs union.

Eliminate all trade barriers.Eliminate all trade barriers.

One common tariff with the One common tariff with the outside world.outside world.

Free movement of capital & Free movement of capital & labor.labor.

Money $$

• July 1944 – 40+ countries created an int’l monetary system

• IMF (Int’l Monetary Fund) – use currency reserves from member nations to finance temp. trade deficits

• The World Bank – gave funds for reconstructing Europe and helped needy countries after the war

• 1948 – OEEC (Org. of European Economic Cooperation – economic cooperation and integration

• 1957 – France, W. Germany, Neth., Belgium, and Luxembourg created the European Economic Community (Common Market)– Became the European Community after 1970 with its

expansion of other countries

European Economic European Economic IntegrationIntegration

1991-92 1991-92 Maastricht AgreementsMaastricht Agreements

EEuropean uropean UUnion [EU] created from nion [EU] created from the EC.the EC.

One currency, one culture, one One currency, one culture, one social area, and one environment!social area, and one environment!

Create a “frontier-free” Europe Create a “frontier-free” Europe a a common EU passport.common EU passport.

One large “common market.”One large “common market.”

Goods coming into the EU would Goods coming into the EU would have high tariffs placed on them. have high tariffs placed on them.

2002 2002 a common currency [ a common currency [EuroEuro]]

2003 2003 60,000 men EU rapid defense 60,000 men EU rapid defense force was created. force was created.