Europe and North America Section 2 Preview Main Idea / Reading Focus The Arms Race Begins Cold War Around the World Map: Cold War Hot Spots Attempts at

Europe and North America Section 2

Preview

• Main Idea / Reading Focus

• The Arms Race Begins

• Cold War Around the World

• Map: Cold War Hot Spots

• Attempts at Arms Control

Superpower Rivalries


Reading Focus

• How did the arms race begin in the 1950s and early 1960s?

• How did the Cold War contribute to conflict around the world?

• How did the superpowers attempt to achieve arms control during the Cold War?

Main Idea

As the Cold War continued, the world’s two superpowers—the Soviet Union and the United States—competed for power and influence around the world.

Superpower Rivalries


The U.S. technological advantage was short-lived. Less than one year later the Soviets tested their own hydrogen bomb.

During the 1950s and early 1960s nuclear war seemed to draw ever closer as the Soviet Union and the United States raced to develop powerful new weapons. This rivalry between the world’s two superpowers became increasingly tense—and dangerous.

• 1949, Soviets successfully tested atomic bomb

• Great military advantage of U.S. over Soviet Union gone

• U.S. sought to develop even more powerful weapons

The Nuclear Arms Race

The Arms Race Begins

• Atomic bombs used energy created by splitting atoms

• Nuclear fusion—larger explosion

• 1952, U.S. tested first fusion-powered hydrogen bomb, vaporizing island on which tested

Hydrogen Bomb


Strategy of Deterrence

• Deterrence, development of or maintenance of military power to prevent attack

• Two superpowers locked in arms race to gain advantage in weapons• U.S. had more weapons, but nuclear attack by either side would lead

to terrible destruction

Change in Tactics

• Both sides forced to change military tactics• Could no longer rely on conventional forces, like troops, tanks• U.S., Soviets increased stockpiles of nuclear weapons• Nuclear weapons central to deterrence


In October 1957 the arms race took another leap forward with the Soviet Union’s successful launch of Sputnik.

• Sputnik, history’s first artificial satellite—object orbiting earth

• Soviet military technology now feared to be in the lead

• U.S. government established National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA

• Agency would eventually return United States to forefront of space research

Sputnik• Growing threat of nuclear war

• Significant impact on people

• Built bomb shelters to help protect from nuclear explosion

• Schools led air-raid drills to prepare for possible Soviet attack

• Books, movies, comic books had plots centered on dangers of radiation, nuclear war

Public Fears

Soviet Union Launches Sputnik


Red Scare

Cold War led to so-called Red Scare in U.S.

• Many Americans feared possible Communist influence in U.S. government

• U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy

– Prompted congressional committee in effort to expose Communists in American film industry, government, late 1940s, early 1950s

– Accused many innocent people of Communist activities


Identify Supporting Details

How did the arms race begin?

Answer(s): development of atomic and hydrogen bombs


The Korean War showed that Cold War rivalry could lead to conflict far from the United States or the Soviet Union. During the Cold War, this rivalry led to struggles for influence in countries around the world.

• End World War II, France tried to reestablish control over Southeast Asia

• Communist rebels in Vietnam fought back, forcing French to give up control

War in Southeast Asia

• Peace agreement temporarily divided Vietnam in half

• Communists controlled North, anti-Communist regime ruled South

Vietnam Divided

• U.S. supported South Vietnam, when revolution broke out sent military troops

• Eventually North Vietnamese fought alongside rebels

• War dragged on until mid–1970s

American Support

Cold War Around the World


Crossing Over

• After Communist East Germany, democratic West Germany formed in 1949, tens of thousands of East Germans crossed from East to West Berlin

• Some wanted to live in free nation, other simply wanted to find work

Communist Brutality

• Barrier, Berlin Wall, heavily guarded

• Anyone attempting to cross risked being shot by East German guards

• Succeeded in slowing flight of East Germans, became symbol of Communist system brutality

Berlin Wall

• By 1961, up to 1,000 per day made daily trip between homes in East Germany, jobs in West Berlin

• To stop exodus, East Germany erected barrier between two halves of city

Another Crisis in Berlin


• 1959, rebels led by Fidel Castro overthrew Cuba’s dictator• Installed Communist government• Centrally planned economy, close ties with Soviets• Actions worried United States; Cuba near Florida coast• Cuba’s alliance with Soviet Union brought Cold War close to

American territory

• U.S. government secretly trained invasion force to overthrow Castro

• April 1961, force came ashore at Cuba’s Bay of Pigs

• American officials believed invasion would start uprising against Castro

• Instead invaders quickly defeated

Bay of Pigs• 1962, Cuban missile crisis, two

week confrontation between U.S., Soviet Union over installation of nuclear missiles in Cuba

• After standoff missiles removed; U.S. agreed to remove missiles from Turkey, not attack Cuba

Cuban Missile Crisis

Communism in Cuba


Suez Canal

• 1956, Egypt angered West by taking over Suez Canal

• Britain, France, Israel attacked Egypt; Soviet Union would take Egypt’s side

• U.S. demanded Western allies halt attack; conflict came to end

Angola

• 1975, Angola won independence from Portugal

• U.S., Soviet Union supported opposing sides in ensuing civil war which lasted until 1991

The Congo

• Ending of European colonial rule in Africa brought superpower involvement

• 1960 Belgium ended control of Congo; U.S., other western countries supported military dictator Joseph Mobutu as good ally against Soviet Union

Other Cold War Conflicts


• Many countries sought to avoid being caught up in worldwide rivalry between superpowers

• Beginning in 1950s, number of nations refused to support either side

• So-called nonaligned nations sought to use combined strength to promote interests of poorer countries

Nonaligned Nations

• U.S. supported efforts to overthrow regimes allied with Soviet Union in Central, South America

• 1970s, U.S. secretly supported opposition to Chile’s socialist leader Salvador Allende, who was overthrown in 1973

• 1983, U.S. forces ousted Communist regime on island of Grenada

Central and South America

The Americas



Find the Main Idea

How did the Cold War play out around the world?

Answer(s): Communism was spreading to many other countries, and the United States became involved in an attempt to stop its spread around the world.


While relations between East and West were largely hostile throughout the Cold War, some attempts at cooperation were made.

• Eisenhower proposed open skies treaty with Soviet Union

• Each side could fly over other’s territory, gather accurate weapons information

• With accurate information, neither side would have to imagine worst about enemy

• Soviets rejected proposal

Early Arms Control• Soviet leaders proposed total

nuclear disarmament

• United States rejected idea

• President Kennedy favored limited nuclear weapons tests

• Cuban missile crisis convinced both sides important to make arms control progress

• 1963 U.S., Soviets agreed on Test Ban Treaty

Test Ban Treaty

Attempts at Arms Control


SALT I

• U.S. President Richard Nixon sought détente, reduced tension between superpowers; started negotiations called Strategic Arms Limitations Talks

• SALT I talks led to agreements limiting nuclear weapons held by each side

SALT II

• Vulnerability important element of principle of deterrence

• Two sides began new round of talks called SALT II

• Talks resulted in arms control treaty in 1979: never ratified by U.S. Senate

ABM Treaty

• Also led to Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty, preventing development of weapons designed to shoot down nuclear missiles

• Meant to ensure each side remained vulnerable to other’s nuclear weapons

SALT I and SALT II


Reagan Presidency

• Reagan took aggressive position against Soviet Union

• Wanted to develop missile defense system

INF Treaty

• 1988, two countries ratified Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty

• Called for elimination of certain types of missiles

Arms Reduction Talks

• Idea of system seemed to violate spirit of ABM Treaty

• Began arms reduction talks with Soviet leader Gorbachev

Improving Relations

• After many years of conflict, relationship between U.S., Soviet Union began to improve

The 1980s


Sequence

What were the major arms control agreements negotiated by the Soviet Union

and the United States?

Answer(s): Test Ban Treaty, SALT I, reducing the number of nuclear weapons each side held, ABM Treaty that prevented the development of weapons that shoot down nuclear missiles

Documents

Europe and North America Section 2 Preview Main Idea / Reading Focus The Arms Race Begins Cold War Around the World Map: Cold War Hot Spots Attempts at