THE COLD WAR

U.S. STRATEGIES

FOCUS QUESTION:

ORIGINS OF THE COLD WARU.S. – Soviet alliance was a weak link

• United to fight a common enemy• Too many differences to remain allied after the war

Split began beforethe war ended

CONFLICTING WAR AIMS

United States

Promote democracyGain access to marketsRebuild Europe for stabilityReunite Germany for peace

Soviet Union

Encourage CommunismRebuild the USSREstablish a buffer zone of satellite statesKeep Germany weak and divided

POLITICAL DIFFERENCESUnited States

Democratic RepublicRule of lawRespect for civic rights

Soviet Union

Totalitarian DictatorshipRuthless legal systemLittle regard for rights

ECONOMIC DIFFERENCES

United States

Capitalist systemFree MarketPrivate ownershipProfit motive

Soviet Union

Communist systemCommand EconomyState ownership

“IRON CURTAIN”Open split occurs in Eastern Europe

• Allies agreed to hold free elections to be held in Poland

• Soviet Union refused to allow these electionsChurchill announces “an Iron Curtain has descended upon Europe”

U.S. STRATEGIESAll strategies based on “Containment”

• Understanding that the U.S. was not prepared for war against the USSR

• Seen as a way to outlast the Soviet Union• Theory developed by George Kennan

CONTAINMENT (TRUMAN)Designed to prevent the spread of CommunismFirst seen with the Truman Doctrine (1947)

• U.S. sent $400 million to aid Greece and Turkey• U.S. would support “free peoples” of the world

Demonstrated strength under the Marshall Plan• U.S. provided $12.5 Billion to rebuild

Europe• “Berlin Airlift”• Development of NATO

BRINKSMANSHIP (EISENHOWER)Communism had to be “rolled back”

• Conduct forceful, bold foreign relations to “liberate captive peoples”

Bring the world to the brink of war, then let cooler heads prevail

• Utilize “massive retaliation” with nukes to push agenda• Saw massive cuts in conventional forces

FLEXIBLE RESPONSE (KENNEDY)

American policy too linked to nuclear weaponryMultiple options needed in foreign relations

• Strong nuclear forces for MAD• (Mutual Assured Destruction)

• Strong conventional forces to deal with smaller wars

Demonstrated its strength with the Cuban Missile CrisisDemonstrated its weakness with Vietnam

DÉTENTE (NIXON)

Developed as a result of the war in Vietnam• The public was unwilling to use troops overseas

Negotiate with the Communist powers • The Soviet Union and China• Saw the development of practical arms control

ARMS RACE (REAGAN)Argued the U.S. suffered a gap in conventional and nuclear forces

• Pushed a massive military build-upChallenged ideas of containing Communism

• Pushed challenging Communism “Roll Back”• Invaded Grenada• Supported contras in Nicaragua• Mined harbors in El Salvador• Supported mujahedeen in Afghanistan

COLD WARFormed the basis of U.S. policy for 50 yearsShaped many aspects of American policy

• Foreign relations• Domestic affairs

Provided unity within the partisan system