Cold War End of WWII Berlin Havana Definition

Cold War End of WWII Berlin Havana

Definition of Cold War A state of political hostility between countries using any means short of armed warfare.

Lasting from 1947 to 1991, The Cold War was the continuing state of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition existing between the Soviet Union and its satellite states , and the powers of the Western world , particularly the United States and our Allies.

With the end of World War II the world found itself at a crossroads. The Germans, Japanese and Italians were defeated.

But another threat soon appeared. . .

What happened to Germany after WWII? Turn to the person next to you and discuss what you know about Germany’s status post-WWII.

World War II During World War II, the United States, Great Britain and the Soviet Union had been Allies and had worked closely together to defeat Nazi Germany

World War II After the Nazis were defeated Germany was in ruins, their military and Government was dismantled -it fell to the victorious Allies to govern Germany. The Allied powers (USA, England, France and the Soviet Union) each assumed administrative and security control over specific areas of Germany (and large areas of the world as well).

World War II Berlin, the capital of Germany, lay inside the Soviet controlled sector of Germany. The city was divided between the Allies just like Germany itself had been.

Why did Joseph Stalin want revenge against Germany? Turn to the person next to you and discuss why you think Stalin would want revenge.

The Soviet Union had suffered horribly during WWII.

Operation Barbarossa On June 22, 1941 4. 5 million Axis troops under Nazi leadership invaded their former Allies the Soviet Union. The Soviets and the Nazis had signed an agreement not to fight each other in 1939. They agreed they would each invade Poland the Nazis from the west, the Soviets from the east and divide that land between themselves. Stalin was convinced Hitler would not betray this agreement

Hitler had written of his desire to invade east into the Soviet Union back in 1925 in his book Mein Kampf. He claimed German people needed living space (Lebensraum). That space was The Soviet Union.

-9, 000 Soldiers killed The Soviet Union suffered heavy losses in World War II -18, 000 Soldiers wounded -19, 000 Civilians killed Exact figures for Civilians wounded are hard to find, but estimates place them upwards to 30 -40, 000 80% of Soviet Males born in 1923 didn’t survive World War II

Military Deaths (Allies)

Joseph Stalin had wanted Germany to pay for the damages it had caused to Russia during the war.

Stalin felt a $20, 000, 000 fine should be paid to the Allies by the Germans for the war. -He also thought half of that sum should go to the USSR. The Allies disagreed, remembering how Hitler used the $33, 000, 000 fine levied against Germany after World War I as an excuse to start World War II.

Stalin insisted he receive the money. He began collecting it from the section of Germany under his control.

President Truman refused to let Stalin collect money from the areas under control of the United States.

So Stalin simply shifted the full amount he felt Germany owed him to the section under his control.

THIS WAS THE BEGINNING… of a standoff between the two superpowers in the world (USA & USSR). This standoff grew into the first stages of the Cold War.

Many issues led to the Cold War ● Stalin was furious that the US had developed the Atomic Bomb without telling him & he was terrified we would use on his country. ● Long-standing competition between the economic systems of Communism & Capitalism. ● Stalin’s refusal to order his troops to leave areas of Eastern Europe they had driven the Nazis out of.

Many issues led to the Cold War (cont. ) ● Complete disagreement as to how post war Germany should be governed. ● Control of Berlin. ● A growing sense of mistrust between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Satellite Nations Stalin was concerned about a repeat of the damage the USSR had suffered at the hands of the Germans in World War II. He tried to surround his land with a series of “satellite nations” to use as a buffer zone between him and a possible enemy.

Satellite Nations A satellite nation is a political term that refers to a country which is formally independent, but dominated by another country. To keep these nations in line, Stalin established a firm & strict control over them.

With these Satellite Nations in place, Europe was effectively cut in two. One half siding with the United States and our allies, the other half under the control of the USSR.

Iron Curtain This partition of Europe became known as the “Iron Curtain”

Soviet Union Under the total domination of Russia, these Satellite Nations under the rule of Joseph Stalin were known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. USSR for short

The USSR Albania Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus Bulgaria Czechoslovakia East Germany Estonia Georgia Hungary Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Latvia Lithuania Moldova Poland Romania Russia Tajikistan Turkmenistan Ukraine Uzbekistan