Cold War Motives: U.S. vs. U.S.S.R

The Cold War-period of conflict from the late 1940s to the

collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991-intense rivalry between the two post-WWII

superpowers = a war of words & ideologies-competition between the superpowers and

their allies led to armed conflict in Korea, Vietnam, Cuba, and Afghanistan

-tensions, fear, and distrust took the world dangerously close to nuclear war

The United States

Experiences during the War-over 300,000 military deaths-few civilian casualties-homeland was not invaded-industrial production helped end the Depression-war production revitalized the capitalist

economy-by 1945, half of all the goods and services

produced came from the U.S.

Emotions after the War

-sense of optimism for the future

-feeling of nationalism for our contribution to defeat Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan

-fear of the spread of totalitarian governments

-fear of communism because it called for a revolution and limited civil liberties

Needs after the War-to provide opportunities for returning GIs

GI Bill of Rights, 1944 Levittown, NY

-to rebuild Europe by providing aid and promoting democratic governments

Marshall Plan, 1947 Berlin Airlift, 1948

-to create economically strong countries that would buy U.S. products

-to adopt a policy of containment to stop the spread of communism

Truman Doctrine, 1947-to establish a military alliance

NATO = North Atlantic Treaty Organization

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

U.S.S.R

Experiences during the War

-suffered more casualties than all of the Allies combined

-over 15 million civilian casualties

-much of Russia, Poland, and the Ukraine lay in ruins after the German invasion

Emotions after the War-fear of another invasion from the West-distrust of Western European nations and the U.S.

because of the Soviet war experience

Needs after the War-to rebuild the nation with a focus on industry and

military strength-to set up and support similar communist governments

in Eastern Europe-to create a “buffer zone” of friendly satellite nations

for defense -to establish a military alliance

Warsaw Pact