Chapter 18 Cold War Conflicts 1945 1991 We

Chapter 18: Cold War Conflicts [1945 -1991]

We Didn’t Start the Fire

Section 1 Origins of the Cold War Why did it happen?

1. The Ideological Struggle Soviet & Eastern Bloc Nations [“Iron Curtain”] GOAL spread worldwide Communism METHODOLOGIES/How: 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]

Espionage Video

The Arms Race: A “Missile Gap? ” } The Soviet Union exploded its first A-bomb in 1949. } Now there were two nuclear superpowers!

Battle for the Hearts and Minds

Bipolarization of Europe

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (1949) v United States v Luxemburg v Belgium v Netherlands v Britain v Norway v Canada v Portugal v Denmark v 1952: Greece & v France v Iceland v Italy Turkey v 1955: West Germany v 1983: Spain

Warsaw Pact (1955) } U. S. S. R. } East Germany } Albania } Hungary } Bulgaria } Poland } Czechoslovakia } Rumania

2. US/Soviet Rivalry (distrust went back into the early days of WWII) Why? a. Soviet/Germen Non-Aggression Pact b. Allied delay in invading France c. Manhattan Project

Formation of the United Nations • Created on April 25, 1945. In San Francisco. Why? • To promote world peace. • But, became a battle ground for the SU and US.

Adlai E. Stevenson and Soviet representative Valerian A. Zorin October 23, 1962

3. Personality Conflicts Harry S. Truman • Became president when FDR died on April 12, 1945. • Not prepared to be president. Why? • FDR kept him in the dark. • Did not know much, including about the A-bomb. • Had excellent leadership qualities Joseph Stalin • Became leader of the USSR when Lenin died • Strong supporter of communism • Modernized the USSR • Totalitarian ruler • Ruled with an “iron fist”

Potsdam Conference

US/Soviet Tensions Rise Why?

1. Who was going to control Eastern Europe? • Stalin installed communist governments throughout E. Europe. • Known as “satellite nations/states”.

2. US/British Response: “Containment” • New US/British policy: designed to actively prevent the spread of communism. • Winston Churchill said that an, “iron curtain” now divided Europe. • When Stalin learned of it, he called Churchill "a warmonger, ” and associated him with Hitler.

The “Iron Curtain” “From Stettin in the Balkans, to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lies the ancient capitals of Central and Eastern Europe. ” -- Sir Winston Churchill, 1946

Containment in Action: Europe

Truman Doctrine [1947] 1. Civil War in Greece. 2. Turkey under pressure from the USSR for concessions in the Dardanelles. 3. 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. 4. The U. S. gave Greece & Turkey $400 million in aid.

Marshall Plan [1948] 1. “European Recovery Program. ” 2. Secretary of State, George Marshall 3. The U. S. should provide aid to all European nations that need it. This move is not against any country or doctrine, but against hunger, poverty, desperation, and chaos. 4. $12. 5 billion of US aid to Western Europe extended to Eastern Europe & USSR, [but this was rejected].

Cold War Conflicts: Europe

Germany How would the Allies handle the occupation of Germany? 1. Germany was divided in 4 Zones: US/GB/SU/French. 2. Stalin blocked access to Berlin.

Post-War Germany

Berlin Blockade & Airlift (1948 -49)

Germany and the Berlin Airlift 1. US and GB tried to break the blockade by flying supplies into Berlin. 2. The airlift lasted for almost a year. 3. SU backed down 4. Germany was not reunified. Remained divided into two nations: W. Germany and E. Germany.

The Berlin Wall Goes Up (1961) Checkpoint Charlie

Ich bin ein Berliner! (1963) President Kennedy tells Berliners that the West is with them!

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty