THE COLD WAR
47
description
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. Stalin’s Goals. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of THE COLD WAR
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 GoalsCommunist Goals Consolidation of
communist controls where it already existed
Spread of communism to new areas
Eventual “world domination”
Stalin’s Goals Rebuilding of Soviet
Union
Creation of “Buffer Zone” to protect USSR from future invasions
Cold War Strategies• Arms Race
• Aid to rebel or gov’t forces
• Espionage
• Propaganda
• Space Race
Origins of the Cold War
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?
Nuremberg Trials –High German officials tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Soviet Union declared war on Japan the day after thefirst atomic bomb was dropped.
Poland - Occupied by Soviet Army - Stalin agreed to “free elections” after the war
United Nations
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
International Court of Justice
General Assembly
All nationsOne vote each
Security Council15 members5 permanentVeto power
US, GB, FR, USSR, China
Economic and Social Council
Secretariat
Potsdam Conference1945July
New leaders: Truman (FDR had died) Clement Atlee (Replaced Churchill as British PM during the Conference)
Increases tensions over reparations and territory
CONTAINMENTpolicy 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
COMECON Soviet response
to Marshall plan
Council for Mutual Economic Assistance
Est’d 1949
Communist Takeover in Czechoslovakia
Feb. 1948 Key members of Czech gov’t 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} Czechoslovak
ia
} 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 =People’s 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.
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
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 SpaceUSA
1958 - 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
USSR April 1961 Yuri Gagarin first human in space
June 1963 Valentina Tereshkova first woman in space
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
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/europe/02/euro_borders/html/11.stm
