EAST VERSUS WESTA GLOBAL DIVIDE A COLD WAR

EAST VERSUS WESTA GLOBAL DIVIDE & A COLD WAR: CAUSES & COURSE

Cold War Russia-source of fear to W. Capitalist World Russia & U. S. -were allies during WW II Soviet Union & U. S. -sharply opposed, conflict seemed inevitable

Cold War-Military Conflict In 1946, W. Churchill said: “An iron curtain has descended across the Continent. . . I am convinced there is nothing they [the communists] so much admire as strength, and there is nothing for which they have less respect than weakness, especially military weakness. "

Cold War-Military Conflict “Iron curtain”-watchword of the CW CW-the state of political tension & military rivalry-U. S. /Allies Vs. SU/Allies Initial arena of CW was Europe was bitterly divided, particularly in Berlin; but no shooting war occurred between the 2 sides

China 1949 -Mao Zedong proclaimed the est. of the People's Republic of China & SU-were sharply opposed due to territorial disputes, ideological differences & for communist leadership They were at the brink of war in the late 60 s

Cold War Soviet insistence on security/control in E. Europe clashed w/Am & British desires for democratic societies & capitalism NATO & Warsaw Pact-an Am sphere of influence in W. Europe & an imposed Soviet sphere in E. Europe

NATO (blue) And WARSAW PACT (red)

Cold War Communism into Asia globalized the CW & led to destructive "hot wars“ N. Korea invaded S. Korea in 1950 Chinese & Am. involvement (1950 -1953)

Cuban Missile Crisis Fidel Castro came to power in 1959, his nationalization of Am. assets provoked great U. S. hostility Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev deployed nuclear-tipped missiles to Cuba World held its breath for 13 days as Am. forces blockaded the island & prepared to invade (Oct. 62’)

Cuban Missile Crisis A nuclear exchange between superpowers seemed imminent Catastrophe averted by Khrushchev & U. S. President John F. Kennedy Compromise-Soviets remove missiles from Cuba in return for an Am. promise not to invade the island

Arms Race In Nuclear Weapons U. S. gets bomb in 1945, SU in 1949 In 40 years a global arsenal of close to 60, 000 warheads Delivery sys-bomber aircraft & missiles One bomb can destroy any major city in the world

Vietnam 1956 -1975 Military efforts by S. Vietnamese communists & the communist N. Vietnamese govt to unify their country prompted massive Am. intervention in the 60 s, peaking at 550, 000 U. S. troops Armed & supported by the Soviets & Chinese the Vietnamese communists bested the Americans. The Vietnamese united their country under communist control by 1975

Afghanistan A third major military conflict of the CW era occurred in Afghanistan (1979 -1989)-war a "bleeding wound, " sustained by U. S. aid to Afghan guerrillas In Vietnam & Afghanistan, both superpowers painfully experienced the limits of their power