The Cold War1945 – 1991

What is it? Period of time when the

potential for war between Russia and the U.S. could have led to a nuclear war

War of ideals (Communism v. non-communism)

Several conflicts between communism and non-communism, but never literally between Soviet Union and U.S. (“proxy wars”)

The Cold War [1945-1991]: An Ideological Struggle

Soviet & Eastern Bloc

Nations[“Iron

Curtain”]

US & the Western

Democracies

GOAL spread world-wide Communism

GOAL “Containment” of Communism & the eventual collapse of the Communist world.[George Kennan]

METHODOLOGIES:1. Espionage [KGB vs. CIA]

2. Arms Race [nuclear escalation]

3. Ideological Competition for the minds and hearts of Third World peoples [Communist govt. & command economy vs. democratic govt. & capitalist economy] “proxy wars”

4. Bi-Polarization of Europe [NATO vs. Warsaw Pact]

The Bipolarization of Europe

Following WWII

Stalin says war between U.S.S.R. and U.S. will occur eventually Communism and

capitalism cannot coexist

Europe now divided into East and West Germany also divided

East and West

From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe….. All these famous cities and the populations around them lie in the Soviet sphere and are all subject to one form or another, not only to the Soviet influence but to a very high and increasing measure of control from Moscow. - Churchill (1946)

Iron Curtain

Churchill’s idea of an imaginary line that divides Communist Eastern Europe and Asia from the rest of the world

Stalin claimed this speech was a call for war

U.S. response to Soviet expansion

Containmentblock Soviet influence and prevent expansion

1. create alliances

2. help weakening countries resist Soviet advances

Truman Doctrine Truman’s support for countries that reject communism

Truman Doctrine

Controversial America should mind

it’s own business Lacks resources to

provide sufficient help for other countries

Some US support would go to dictators who were not communist

How U.S. helped

Marshall Plan – sent $12 ½ Billion to help rebuild Europe (originally intended to send $4-5 bill.)

Berlin Airlift Russia tries to surround

west Berlin to try to starve them (warning to Allies)

Allies fly in supplies every 3 minutes for 11 months

Blockade lifted

Cold War organizations NATO – North Atlantic

Treaty Organization U.S., Canada, 11

Western European countries

Promise protection to any country attacked

Warsaw Pact Soviet Union’s response

to NATO Soviet Union, Poland,

East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania

Cold War Competition

Cold War competition becomes a race to do everything first and everything best (from the scary to the impressive to the ridiculous)

Brinkmanship

John Foster Dulles U.S.’s willingness to

go to edge of war Requires nuclear

weapons and airplanes to deliver weapons

Turns into Nuclear Arms Race (who can build up more weapons)

Nuclear Arms Race U.S. – A-Bombs Japan (1945)

Splits atoms U.S.S.R. – creates A-Bomb in

1949 U.S. – creates H-Bomb in

1952 (thousands of times more powerful than A-bomb) Combines atoms

U.S.S.R. – creates H-Bomb in 1953

U.S.S.R. – (Intercontinental Ballistic missile – ICBM) – long distance rocket -- 1957 initially used to push first

unmanned satellite into space (Sputnik I)

Can carry Nuclear weapons or go into space

1958 – US creates ICBM

Spies

Alger HissJulius and Ethel

RosenbergCIAKGBAnd . . .Bond, James Bond

Cold War in Space U.S. – gets satellite into

space (1958) 1960 – U-2 spy plane

shot down 1961 – Russia has first

man to orbit earth (Yuri Gagarin)

1962 – John Glenn orbits earth

1969 – Neil Armstrong (American) first to set foot on moon

1971 – USSR puts up first manned space station

Sports

Olympics1972 Basketball1980 Hockey1980 Boycott1984 Boycott1988 BasketballTotal Medal Count?

USSR won 1009 - 873

Movies

Red DawnRocky IV