The Cold War 1945-1991The Cold War 1945-1991Everybody Wants to Rule the WorldEverybody Wants to Rule the World

The New World

The Background To The Cold

War

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Who was to blame for the Cold War?

Focus Points

• Why did the USA-USSR alliance begin to break down in 1945?

• How had the USSR gained control of Eastern Europe by 1948?

• How did the USA react to Soviet expansionism?

• What were the consequences of the Berlin Blockade?

• Who was the more to blame for starting the Cold War: the USA or the USSR?

Europe at the end of WW2

• After the war who would lead the countriesand form new governments

• The USSR favoured the communist groups,the USA favoured the non-communists

• Examples would be Greece and Yugoslavia

• This was one cause of tension between thesuperpowers

What you should be aware of:

By raising educational levels and stimulating construction of the housing industry the GI Bill profoundly shaped the entire industry of postwar America. This would become the most highly educated generation in the world.

The Montgomery

GI Billgov’t loans with LOW interest rates for all veterans of WWII - used for education or to start new businesses or to buy homes

THE TASK THEY FACED

• Two conferences were held in 1945 at Yalta and Potsdam• The aim was to discuss the future especially• What to do with Germany’s leaders after the war• What would happen to the occupied countries after

liberation, especially those of Eastern Europe• How to end the war with Japan• How to build a lasting peace.

YALTA (in the USSR)YALTA (in the USSR)Date: Feb 1945Date: Feb 1945

Present: Churchill, Present: Churchill, Roosevelt and StalinRoosevelt and Stalin

POTSDAM (Germany)POTSDAM (Germany)Date: July 1945Date: July 1945

Present: Churchill, Present: Churchill, Truman and StalinTruman and Stalin

Improve your knowledge• The nuclear bomb gave America a lead which was

expected to last at least 5 years. The rapidRussian development of nuclear technology, helpedby the work of the “atom spies” was a shock.

Significantly, Russia hurriedly declared waragainst Japan at the beginning of August 1945and rushed to advance into Asia to stake out aposition for the post-war settlement. This helpedmake both the Korean and Vietnamese conflictsmore likely.

What Happens To Japan After The War?

1. Japan is reorganized under the Allied Power’s guidance

2. It became a democratic nation.

3. A new constitution was designed. It is the MacArthur Constitution. It included a "Peace Clause" (Article 9), which renounced war and banned Japan from maintaining any armed forces. This was intended to prevent the country from ever becoming an aggressive military power again. However, within a decade, America was pressuring Japan to rebuild its army as a bulwark against Communism in Asia after the Chinese Civil War and the Korean War, and Japan established Self-Defense Forces. Traditionally, Japan's military spending has been restricted to about 1% of its GNP.

What Happens To

Germany After The

War?

Iron CurtainIron Curtain ––A term used byA term used byWinston ChurchillWinston Churchillto describe theto describe theseparating ofseparating ofThose communistThose communistlands of Eastlands of EastEurope from theEurope from theWest.West.

Not only is the country of Germany

divided but the capitol city Berlin (in

the Russian controlled communist

section) is also divided

Iron CurtainIron Curtain ––A term used byA term used byWinston ChurchillWinston Churchillto describe theto describe theseparating ofseparating ofThose communistThose communistlands of Eastlands of EastEurope from theEurope from theWest.West.

Improve your knowledge

• The Russians took very high casualties to captureBerlin in May 1945. They spent the earlyoccupation trying to take over all zones of the citybut were stopped by German democrats such asWilly Brandt and Konrad Adenauer. Reluctantlythe Russians had to admit the Americans, Frenchand British to their respective zones.

Germany After WWII

•The Western Democratic side was united under a market economy.

Iron CurtainIron Curtain ––A term used byA term used byWinston ChurchillWinston Churchillto describe theto describe theseparating ofseparating ofThose communistThose communistlands of Eastlands of EastEurope from theEurope from theWest.West.

• The history books were rewritten

• War trials began

Nuremberg TrialsTrials held in Nuremberg, Germany.

To prosecute the political, economic, and military leadership of Nazi Germany

Hermann Goring

Nuremberg Trials

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The United Nations

The United Nations

The United Nations

General Assembly

Security CouncilSecretary- General Ban Ki Moon

The United Nations

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The Berlin Wall

Iron Curtain• British prime minister Winston

Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” speech (1946) illustrated the division within Europe at that time. Following World War II, Europe had clearly been divided into two political and economic systems supported by two superpowers, the Soviet Union and the United States.

• In his speech, Churchill described the conflict this way: “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent.” Churchill was outlining the ideological conflict between Soviet Communism and democratic capitalism

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The World 1948

The Marshal Planand

The Truman Plan

• America decides to end its isolationist policy. No longer will they tuck their head in the sand and ignore what is going on in the world.

• now they will practice a policy of containment - to “contain” the communists to their side of the world/ iron curtain.

• this will entail lots of economic aid - lots and lots of money to help rebuild the economies- because poor countries (where bread is rationed and there are no factories) tend to go communist

Truman Plan•Pres. Truman decides to send

lots of money to Turkey and Greece.

•They were having civil wars and the communists might take over.

•We send $55 million to rebuild their economies and their gov’ts

Marshall Plan•American General and

Secretary of State Marshall developed this plan to help most of Europe

•Sent $17 billion to rebuild Europe in the hopes of holding off communism.

The value of the Marshall Plan does not stand alone

The European Union’s roots are in this plan.

European cooperation began after the destruction of World War II had reduced much of the region to rubble and chaos. The U.S. Marshall Plan helped Europe rebuild its cities and infrastructure. But cooperation was Europe’s own plan for avoiding further catastrophic wars, and ensuring peace and prosperity.

Beginning in 1945, Europeans began proposing ideas for overcoming destructive national rivalries by forming a community built on mutual cooperation — what Winston Churchill called “a kind of United States of Europe.”

The European Union’s roots

In 1951, Western European nations formed the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), to pool the essential raw materials for production needed by all. France and Germany, enemies during two world wars, were the leading nations in the agreement.

In the years that followed, Western Europeans signed other treaties that broadened and deepened economic cooperation. Those nations within this Common Market enjoyed freedom from many trade restrictions and tariffs, which helped their economies to grow.

The European Union

In 1993 the Maastricht Treaty formalized the European Union. By this time, the member nations had formed an economic and political community with a single market and intergovernmental cooperation. Within the EU, businesses could now work across national borders without trade restrictions and citizens could travel freely without visas.

But back to the Marshall Plan....

And Stalin

• He hated Marshall Aid!!

• Forbade Eastern European countries from having anythingto do with it

• Regarded as anti-Communist

• Feared that it might weaken his hold on Eastern Bloc

• And Eastern countries would swing to the US dollar.• CNN Cold War - Episode Script: Marshall Plan

The Berlin Blockade

The Berlin Blockade was an attempt by the Soviets to “starve the city” into submission

The Berlin Airlift signaled the Allied forces determination to use all resources to defend Berlin

Clearly, the city of Berlin is now a trigger point

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China Goes Communist

•DOMINO THEORY- THE US FEARED THAT IF A COUNTRY FELL TOCOMMUNISM, ITS NEIGHBORS WOULD SOON FALL.

•THIS WAS EVIDENT IN PARTS OF ASIA.

•CONTAINMENT- THE US TRIED TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OFCOMMUNISM IN ASIA AND EASTERN EUROPE AND TO MAKE THEWORLD SAFE FOR DEMOCRACY.

Containment

CHINA

In 1949 Communist leader,Mao Zedong, defeated thecorrupt democratic leader,

Chiang Kai-shek.Chiang Kai-shek and the

Chinese Nationalists fled tothe island of Taiwan, 300

miles off the coast of China.

MAO ZEDONG

CHINABECOMES A

COMMUNISTNATION

UNDER MAOZEDONG