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The Cold War: An Overview
The Arms Race:The Arms Race:A “Missile Gap?”A “Missile Gap?”
} The Soviet The Soviet Union Union exploded its exploded its first A-bomb in first A-bomb in 1949.1949.
} Now there Now there were two were two nuclear nuclear superpowers!superpowers!
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• The nuclear bomb gave America a lead which was expected to last at least 5 years. The rapid Russian development of nuclear technology, helped by the work of the “atom spies” was a shock.
Significantly, Russia hurriedly declared war against Japan at the beginning of August 1945 and rushed to advance into Asia to stake out a position for the post-war settlement. This helped make both the Korean and Vietnamese conflicts more likely.
Premier Nikita Premier Nikita KhrushchevKhrushchev
About the capitalist About the capitalist states, it doesn't states, it doesn't depend on you depend on you whether we whether we (Soviet Union) exist.(Soviet Union) exist.If you don't like us, If you don't like us, don't accept our don't accept our invitations, and don'tinvitations, and don'tinvite us to come invite us to come to see you. Whether to see you. Whether you like it our not, history is on you like it our not, history is on our side. our side. We will bury youWe will bury you. -- . -- 19561956
De-Stalinization De-Stalinization ProgramProgram
The Ideological StruggleThe Ideological StruggleSoviet &
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:
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 Cold War: Roots of the Conflict
Soviet Expansion:
· The Soviet Union occupied most of Eastern Europe by the end of World War II.
• In 1946, Winston Churchill correctly warned that the Soviets were creating an “iron curtain” in Eastern Europe.
Winston Churchill giving the “Iron Curtain” address at Westminster College on March 5, 1946
Post-War GermanyPost-War Germany
Iron CurtainIron Curtain – – A term used by A term used by Winston Winston
Churchill Churchill to describe the to describe the separating of separating of Those Those
communistcommunistlands of East lands of East Europe from Europe from
the the West. West.
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• The Russians took very high casualties to capture Berlin in May 1945. They spent the early occupation trying to take over all zones of the city but were stopped by German democrats such as Willy Brandt and Konrad Adenauer. Reluctantly the Russians had to admit the Americans, French and British to their respective zones.
The ‘Truman Doctrine’• Truman had been horrified at the pre-
war Allied policy of appeasement and was determined to stand up to any Soviet intimidation.
The Truman Doctrine in March 1947 promised that the USA “would support free peoples who are resisting subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures”.
• Triggered by British inability to hold the line in Greece, it was followed by aid to Greece and Turkey, and also money to help capitalists to stop communists in Italy and France.
It signalled the end of “isolationst” policies.
The ‘Marshall Plan’
• The Marshall Plan offered huge sums to enable the economies of Europe to rebuild after World War II, and, by generating prosperity, to reject the appeal of Communism.
The Soviet Union (USSR) prevented Eastern European countries from receiving American money.
An overview of the Cold
War
How can a war be ‘cold’?
What were the Hotspots of the
Cold War?
After World War 2 the Cold War began and caused tension
throughout the world.• The USA and the USSR were
the two world Superpowers.• The USA was a capitalist
society with a democracy.• The USSR was a communist
country with a dictatorship.• Both wanted to be the most
powerful nation in the world.
Nuclear tensions• The USA had shown its atomic power
when it exploded the A-bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War 2.
• The USSR was also developing atomic weapons/bombs.
• The USA and the USSR were in competition with each other to have the best, most powerful weapons in the world – this was called the Arms Race.
After World War 2, the world changed!
• Many countries became communist after World War 2 including:
- Czechoslovakia (1948)- Poland (1947)- Hungary (1947)- China (1949)- Cuba (1959)- North Korea (1945)
Germany - divided• Germany, which had been
ruled by the Hitler and the Nazis until their defeat in 1945 was split in two.
• The western side became West Germany and the eastern side became East Germany.
• East Germany became another communist country.
The domino effect• The USSR had a lot of influence over
many of the new communist countries (especially those in Europe).
• The USA was very worried that the USSR’s influence over these countries was making the USSR and communism more powerful.
• The USA did not want communism to spread any further – they were worried about the domino effect (one country becomes communist, then another, then another etc)
Cold War?• The tension and rivalry between the
USA and the USSR was described as the Cold War (1945-1990).
• There was never a real war between the two sides between 1945 and 1990, but they were often very close to war (Hotspots). Both sides got involved in other conflicts in the world to either stop the spread of communism (USA) or help the spread (USSR).
The Korean War 1950-1953
The Berlin Wall 1961
Berlin• West Berlin, was an outpost of Western
democracy and economic success deep within the communist zone – like a capitalist island within communist East Germany
• The Berlin Blockade was an attempt to starve West Berlin into submitting [giving up] to the communists
• The Allied [western powers] airlift signalled the West’s determination to use all resources to defend Berlin.
It was feld by both sides that Berlin could act as the trigger for general war between capitalist and communist countries
The Cuban Missile Crisis 1962
The Vietnam War c.1963-1975
• Berlin and the Wall
By Mr Crowewww.SchoolHistory.co.uk THE BERLIN WALL
Another Cold War crisis
• Background
• East – West rivalry
• Berlin divided – contrast the two halves.
WEST: Prosperous, helped by US, attracted people from the East. Seen by USSR as ‘infection’ in the heart of Communist East Germany.
EAST: Much less prosperous and under Communist control
Focus on refugees from East Germany or East Berlin to West
1949-129,2451949-129,245
1951- 165,6481951- 165,648
1953- 331,3901953- 331,390
1955- 252,8701955- 252,870
1957- 261,6221957- 261,622
1959- 143,9171959- 143,917
1961- 207,0261961- 207,026
1962- 21,3561962- 21,356
1963- 42,6321963- 42,632
1964- 41,8761964- 41,876
What they wanted
The West• Prevent USSR from
gaining control of East Germany
• To see a united, democratic Germany
The East• Maintain control over E
Germany• Make the West
recognise it as an independent state
• Stop the flood of refugees especially the skilled and professional ones – much needed in E Germany
1958-Soviet demands
West should:
• Recognise GDR
• Withdraw troops from West Berlin
• Hand their access routes over to the East German government
West refused and Khrushchev backed down.
Events of 1961• June - Khrushchev pressured new
American President John F Kennedy• Demanded withdrawal of Western forces
from West Berlin – Kennedy refused• July 23 – Flow of refugees from East to
West = 1000 a day• July 25 – Kennedy repeats support for
West Berlin and announced increase in arms spending
Events cont’d
• 13-22 August – Khrushchev and East German govt. orders barbed wire barrier across Berlin, followed by a wall of concrete blocks
• All of West Berlin encircled apart from access points
• This was against the Four Power agreement made in 1949.
Results
• Important results for Berlin, Germany and the Cold War:
• BerlinBerlin was divided, free access ended between East and West, many families split, many attempted to escape to the West-between 1961 and 1989; 86 people died trying to cross the Berlin Wall
Results continued…• Kennedy accepted the Soviet action. He
refused to use US troops to pull down the wall to avoid war.
• Kennedy looked weak but West turned it into propaganda – why if Communism was so attractive was a wall needed?
• 1963 – Kennedy visited West Berlin – pledged continued support – ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ (I am a Berliner) – famous speech
• Khrushchev lost face by failing to remove the West from Berlin
• LINK:CNN - Cold War-The Wall
