COLD WAR 1945 1980 Cold War Origins Until

COLD WAR 1945 -1980

Cold War: Origins • Until the end of WWII the United States and the Soviet Union collaborated • After it the big differences between both countries were evident and led to confrontation

Cold War: United States • Richest country in the world • Democracy • Freedom • Capitalism • President Truman considered Communism an evil • Atomic bomb • Fear of Communism • Angry about Nazi-Soviet Pact • They wanted reconstruction

Cold War: Soviet Union • • Biggest country in the world One-party state State control Communism Led by Stalin Biggest army Angry because US and Britain had invaded Russia (1918 -19) • Allies delayed the action in the second front to help Russia • Wanted huge reparations from Germany

Conferences after WWII: Yalta • Germany was split into four zones • Germany would pay reparations • National-Unity government in Poland • Free election in Eastern -European countries • Russia would help against Japan

Conferences after WWII: Postdam • Arguments about details of boundaries • Disagreement about reparations amount • Stalin had arrested noncommunists Polish • Alarm in front of the rise of communism • Truman used the atomic bomb without telling it to Stalin

Soviet Expansion in Eastern Europe • Stalin wanted a buffer zone • The Red Army `liberated’ area under Communism • Iron Curtain • Stalin set up Comintern: Communist countries alliance under Soviet control

Soviet take over of power • Soviet Union progressively took control of a majority of the countries of Eastern Europe, mainly those that had been liberated by them after WWII: – Albania – Bulgaria – East Germany – Romania – Poland – Hungary – Czechoslovakia

Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan • Truman aimed at detain communism • He wanted to help Europe to be re-built • Economic help: Marshall Plan • Stalin forbade the Cominform countries to apply for the Marshall Aid

Cold War Development • There were several episodes in this confrontation: – – – – Berlin blockade Korean War Hungary U-2 Cuban Missile crisis Czechoslovakia Detente

Cold War Development

Germany • In 1945 the Allies decided to split Germany into four parts • Britain, France and US united their areas • Berlin was in the area under Soviet control

Salami Tactics • Stalin expanded communism in Eastern Europe • The affected area were the countries Russians liberated in 1945 • Churchill said that Europe had been divided by an Iron Curtain.

Salami Tactics • Albania: 1945 Communists took power without opposition • Bulgaria: 1945 the Communists executed the leaders of all the other parties • Poland: 1947 the Communists forced the non-Communist leaders into exile

Salami Tactics • Hungary: 1947 Russian troops stayed there. Stalin allowed elections (non-communists won a big majority). The Communists were led by the pro-Russian Rakosi. • Rakosi demanded that groups which opposed him should be banned • He got control of the police, and arrested his opponents • He set up a secret police unit, the AVH

Salami Tactics • Romania: (1945– 1947) – the Communists gradually took over control • Czechoslovakia: (1945– 48) – in 1948, the Communists banned all other parties and killed their leaders • East Germany: (1949) – the Russians turned their zone into the German Democratic Republic

Fulton Speech • 1946 • Churchill described the Soviet bloc as an ‘iron curtain’ • Stalin believed this was necessary to maintain the safety of the USSR • After Fulton, the Cold War worsened • Russia called the speech a declaration of war

Greece • February 1947 • USA supplied arms and money to defeat the Communists in Greece

Cominform • October 1947 • Stalin forbade Communist countries to accept Marshall Aid • Cominform was set up to control all Communist countries in Europe

Czechoslovakia • 1948 • Communists took control • Panicked the US Senate into granting Marshall Aid (31 March 1948)

Germany: Berlin Blockade • Berlin was divided into four sectors too • When Allies introduced changes in West Germany Stalin cut off the links of Berlin • During the blockade Allies supplied Berlin by air.

Korean War 1950 -53

Korean War 1950 -53

Korean War 1950 -53

Korean War 1950 -53 • The conflict generated high tension • The US and the Soviet Union supported each of the opponents • The country ended divided in two areas: – North Communist – South Capitalist

Peaceful Coexistence • Khrushchev succeeded Stalin • He advocated ‘Peaceful Coexistence’ • He met Western leaders at summit meetings • He was friendly to Yugoslavia, telling Tito there were ‘different roads to Communism’ • He criticised Stalin, executed Beria, set free political prisoners and began to de-stalinise the eastern bloc countries.

Peaceful Coexistence • Khrushchev used Russian troops when countries tried to leave Russian control • He loved to argue • He gave economic aid to countries like Afghanistan and Burma

Peaceful Coexistence • Represion of antisoviet rebellions in Eastern Europe • Spy • Competition among the two blocks: – Arms race – Space race

Peaceful Coexistence • The world was divided into two military alliances: – NATO for capitalist world, under US control – Warsaw Pact, created by Khrushchev, for communist countries

Poland 1956 • Political prisoners were set free • Series of bad harvests • Strikes and protests • Gomulka (before in jail) took power • Khruschev sent troops • Gomulka continued in the government to destalinisate Poland but loyal to Russia

Hungary 1956 • During October 1956, students, workers and soldiers in Hungary attacked the AVH (the secret police) and Russian soldiers, and smashed a statue of Stalin • Hungarian prime minister, Rakosi, asked Khrushchev for permission to make 400 arrests, Khrushchev said no

Hungary 1956 • Rakosi fell from power and on 24 October 1956 Imre Nagy - a moderate and a westerniser - took over as prime minister • Nagy asked Khrushchev to move the Russian troops out. Khrushchev agreed and on 28 October 1956, the Russian army pulled out of Budapest

Hungary 1956 • For five days, there was freedom in Hungary. The new Hungarian government introduced democracy, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion. Cardinal Mindzenty, the leader of the Catholic Church, was freed from prison • Then, on 3 November 1956, Nagy announced that Hungary was going to leave the Warsaw Pact. However, Khrushchev was not going to allow this. He claimed he had received a letter from Hungarian Communist leaders asking for his help

Hungary 1956 • At dawn on 4 November 1956, 1, 000 Russian tanks rolled into Budapest. They destroyed the Hungarian army and captured Hungarian Radio the last words broadcast were "Help!" • Hungarian people - even children - fought the Russian troops with machine guns. Some 4, 000 Hungarians were killed • Khrushchev put in Russian supporter, Janos Kadar, as prime minister

Effects of the Hungarian Revolution • Repression in Hungary - thousands of Hungarians were arrested and imprisoned. Some were executed and 200, 000 Hungarian refugees fled to Austria. • Russia stayed in control behind the Iron Curtain - no other country tried to get rid of Russia troops until Czechoslovakia in 1968. • Polarisation of the Cold War - people in the West were horrified - many Communists left the Communist Party - and Western leaders became more determined to contain communism.

The U 2 Incident • Paris summit to reduce tension • Russian shot down an American spy-plane • Consequences: – Paris summit ruined – Eisenhower’s visit to Russican cancelled – Khruschev and Russian grew in confidence – Americans angry with Eisenhower Kennedy elected

The Berlin Wall 1961 • Causes: – Kennedy´s opposition to communism – East Germans fled to Western Berlin – Russians claimed that Americans used Berlin to spy and sabotage • The Wall: Khruschev built it when Americans refused to leave Berlin

Cuban Missiles Crisis • Castro took power in Cuba • Changes in Cuba: – Agreement with Russia – Nationalisation of American-owned companies • Bay of Pigs: – American organised anti-Castro invasion failed – Castro asked Russia for weapons

Cuban Missiles Crisis • Russians accused Americans of spying • Blockade • Telegrame and letter exchanges • Results: – Khruschev lost prestige – Kennedy won prestige – Set up of a telephone hot-line – Beginning of the end of Cold War

Czechoslovakia 1968 • There were no riots or demonstrations but, during 1967, students and writers were complaining about the lack of freedom, and the poor performance of the Czechoslovak economy • Novotny, the Czechoslovak president, asked Leonid Brezhnev, the Soviet leader, for help, Brezhnev did not support him. • Novotny fell from power Dubcek - a reformer - took over as leader of the Communist Party (KSC) • Dubcek's government announced an Action Plan for what it called a new model of socialism - it removed state controls over industry and allowed freedom of speech.

Czechoslovakia 1968 • For four months (the Prague Spring), there was freedom in Czechoslovakia. But then the revolution began to run out of control. Dubcek announced that he was still committed to democratic communism, but other political parties were set up. • Also, Dubcek stressed that Czechoslovakia would stay in the Warsaw Pact, but in August, President Tito of Yugoslavia, a country not in the Warsaw Pact, visited Prague.

Czechoslovakia 1968 • At a meeting in Bratislava on 3 August 1968, Brezhnev read out a letter from some Czechoslovakian Communists asking for help. He announced the Brezhnev Doctrine - the USSR would not allow any Eastern European country to reject Communism. • On 20 August 1968, 500, 000 Warsaw Pact troops invaded Czechoslovakia. Dubcek and three other leaders were arrested and sent to Moscow.

Czechoslovakia 1968 • The Czechoslovakians did not fight the Russians. Instead, they stood in front of the tanks, and put flowers in the soldiers' hair. Jan Palach burned himself to death in protest. • Brezhnev put in Gustav Husak, a supporter of Russia, as leader of the KSC.

Effects of the Prague Spring • Czechoslovakia returned to communist control and Russian troops were stationed there. Half the leadership of the KSC, along with the directors of many firms (especially publishing companies) were sacked and 47 anti-communists were arrested. • Russia stayed in control behind the Iron Curtain. The Brezhnev Doctrine stated that Iron Curtain countries would not be allowed to abandon communism, "even if it meant a third world war". • Increase of the Cold War. People in the West were horrified and so were many communist countries, especially Romania and Yugoslavia.

Detente 1960 s-70 s • 1968 Nuclear Non. Proliferation Treaty: powers with nuclear weapons agreed not to give any other countries nuclear technology. • 1971 The US table tennis team played in China. • The US dropped its veto and allowed China to join the United Nations.

Detente 1960 s-70 s • 1972 The US President Nixon visited China. • Russia and America signed the SALT 1 Treaty (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks) agreeing to limit their antiballistic missiles and bombers.

Detente 1960 s-70 s • 1975 The Helsinki Agreement recognised Soviet control over Eastern Europe, concluded a trade agreement, and Russia promised to respect human rights. • Russian and American spacecraft docked in space.

End of the Cold War • In 1980, Ronald Reagan became president of the USA. As a strong anti-communist, he called the Soviet Union the "evil empire" and increased spending on arms. - The US military developed the neutron bomb, cruise missiles and a Star Wars defence system using space satellites. • By 1985, the Soviet Union was in trouble. In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev became leader of the USSR. - He withdrew from Afghanistan. - He realised that the USSR could not afford the arms race, and opened the START (Strategic Arms Reduction Talks) with the USA. He signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 1987. - He began to reform the Soviet system by allowing perestroika (competition in business) and glasnost (freedom).