Cold War:
Part I: “Reconstruction & Confrontation”
Post War Clean-up • US and USSR became Top Powers – After defeating Germany (and Japan)
• Most of Europe was trying to rebuild • America and Soviet Union were virtually untouched and able to “reload” rather than “rebuild”
Beginning of Problems • Problems started during WWII… • US was mad at Stalin for the non-aggression pact with Hitler • Stalin blamed allies (US) for not invading Germany controlled Europe before 1944. • US suffered 300,000 deaths • USSR – 28 million killed or wounded – Still had some rebuilding to do
Yalta Conference • February 1945 • US, Britain, USSR met • Divided Germany into zones of occupation controlled by allied forces • Germany would also have to pay reparations to USSR • Stalin agreed to join war against Japan • FDR and Churchill were skeptical of USSR
Post-War Germany
The Ideological Struggle Soviet & Eastern Bloc Nations [“Iron Curtain”] GOAL spread worldwide Communism
METHODOLOGIES:
US & the Western Democracies GOAL “Containment”
of Communism & the eventual collapse of the Communist world. [George Kennan]
Espionage [KGB vs. CIA] Arms Race [nuclear escalation] Ideological Competition for the minds and hearts of Third World peoples [Communist govt. & command economy vs. democratic govt. & capitalist economy] “proxy wars” Bi-Polarization of Europe [NATO vs. Warsaw Pact]
The “Iron Curtain�
Iron Curtain: the ideological barrier that divided Eastern and Western Europe during the Cold War.
Truman Doctrine [1947] 1. Containment: restrict Soviet power and the spread of communism 2. Civil War in Greece. 3. Turkey under pressure from the USSR for concessions in the Dardanelles.
4. The U. S. should support free peoples throughout the world who were resisting takeovers by armed minorities or outside pressures…We must assist free peoples to work out their own destinies in their own way. 5. The U.S. gave Greece & Turkey $400 million in aid.
Marshall Plan [1948] 1. Secretary of State, George Marshall 2. U.S. aid plan designed to promote economic recovery in Europe after WWII
3. $12.5 billion of US aid to Western Europe extended to Eastern Europe & USSR, [but this was rejected].
Berlin Blockade & Airlift (1948-49)
The Arms Race: A “Missile Gap?” } Arms Race: a competition to achieve weapon superiority } The Soviet Union exploded its first A-bomb in 1949. } Now there were two nuclear superpowers!
North Atlantic Treaty Organization - NATO (1949) A mutual defense pact by Western nations in 1949.
United States
Luxemburg
Belgium
Netherlands
Britain
Norway
Canada
Portugal
Denmark
1952: Greece & Turkey
France Iceland Italy
1955: West Germany 1983: Spain
Warsaw Pact (1955)
} U. S. S. R.
} East Germany
} Albania
} Hungary
} Bulgaria
} Poland
} Czechoslovakia
} Rumania
A 1955 defense pact between the USSR and Eastern European nations
Premier Nikita Khrushchev About the capitalist states, it doesn't depend on you whether we (Soviet Union) exist. If you don't like us, don't accept our invitations, and don't De-Stalinization invite us to come Program to see you. Whether you like it our not, history is on our side. We will bury you. -- 1956
Mao’s Revolution: 1949
Who lost China? – A 2nd } Power!
China’s Communist Path • The Communists were led by Mao Zedong • Founded the People’s Republic of China and “The Great Leap Forward” • Formed an alliance with the Soviet Union & practiced Marxist principles • Plans failed and Mao stepped down • Cultural Revolution occurred: political persecution in China from 1966 to 1976 – Led by Radical student groups known as the Red Guards – Persecuted anyone considered antirevolutionary
The Korean War: A “Police Action” (1950-1953)
Kim Il-Sung
Syngman Rhee
“Domino Theory”
CONTAINMENT TESTED • After WWII Korea was occupied by USSR(North)and USA (South) • USSR sends tanks/weapons to North to take over the south • Truman puts stop to this
The War • North Korea invaded South • General MacArthur commanded UN military to fight back • September 1950-launch surprise attack on North Korea • 1/2 surrendered; the rest retreated
Not Over Yet • UN forces pushed North Korea back close to China • China gets angry & sends 300,000 troops • MacArthur calls for a nuclear attack • Truman disagrees; removes MacArthur
End of War • 1952: UN took control of South Korea • New border set near 38th parallel • 4 million killed • Today: Korea remains divided
The Suez Crisis: 1956-1957
The Hungarian Uprising: 1956
Imre Nagy, Hungarian Prime Minister } Promised free elections.
} This could lead to the end of communist rule in Hungary.
Sputnik I (1957) – Space Race
Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first artificial satellite to orbit Earth
The Russians have beaten America in space—they have the technological edge!
U-2 Spy Incident (1960) Col. Francis Gary Powers’ plane was shot down over Soviet airspace.
The Berlin Wall Goes Up (1961)
Checkpoint Charlie
Khruschev Embraces Castro, 1961 • Fidel Castro overthrew dictator • Cuba becomes a Soviet ally • U.S. tried to remove Castro in a failed invasion: Bay of Pigs
Bay of Pigs Debacle (1961)
Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) • Castro had allowed Soviets to install nuclear weapons in Cuba • U.S. placed a naval blockade around the island • Soviets withdrew missiles but U.S. agreed not to invade Cuba
Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
We went eyeball-to-eyeball with the Russians, and the other man blinked!
Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
Vietnam War: 1965-1973
Trouble in Vietnam • Communism spread into Vietnam led by Ho Chi Minh • North KoreaCommunist • South Korea- AntiCommunist
Domino Theory • Containment Policy dictated they end communism • US felt they must get involved • Domino Theory- if one country fell then its neighbors would follow
Conflict ensues • South Led by Ngo dihn Diem • People hated him • Vietcong (communist S.V.) had taken control of large parts of S.V. • Eventually Diem was assassinated but others were not liked either • Risk of a Vietcong takeover, US increases involvement
US Enters Fight
• August 1964- LBJ sends troops to Vietnam • 1965-185,000 troops • 1968- 500,000 troops
Vietnam War • US had the best weapons and training • Vietcong were fighting at home and were committed to fight. • Popularity of South Vietnam decreased and influence of North Vietnam and USSR increased which made it harder for the US
More Work • Within 3 years, North Vietnam had conquered the South and united the country. • Last troops were pulled out in 1973
Post War Vietnam • North took control of South and installed communist government • Communism caused 1.5 million to flee • Many refugees came to America • 1995, relations became less strained between US and Vietnam
Easing Cold War Tensions • Tensions relaxed by 1970s • U.S. led the way in the arms race in 1960s and wanted to threaten Soviets to back down • By 1970s Soviets caught up in the arms race • Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT) 1972 was agreed upon to limit number of nuclear weapons
Tensions cont… • Pres. Nixon reaches out to China • Helped to reduce the tension in East Asia • Mikhail Gorbachev, new Soviet leader, brings reform • Berlin Wall came down and Germany was reunited • Soviet Union collapses in 1991 – Dissolved into 15 separate states