Ms Garratt Yalta 1945 Who participated n How

Ms. Garratt

Yalta 1945 Who participated? n How was the war progressing? n What did the US want from the Soviets? n –? n What did Stalin promise the West? –? –?

Yalta 1945

Aftermath of the War 75 million dead worldwide n Cities, factories, roads, infrastructure were devastated n Millions of displaced refugees n Revelation of the Holocaust n Nuremberg trials – crimes against humanity. Location was symbolic n Political purpose of the trials? n

The United Nations Formed in 1945 n 50 countries n Organization – Security Council – power of veto and General Assembly n – UNESCO – World Health Organization – GATT

Disintegration of US-Soviet Relations n n n n Ideology Capitalism vs. Communism Political US wanted democratic governments & free elections in Eastern Europe Soviets wanted buffer of pro-Soviet (communist) regimes. Economic US wanted open-free trade postwar system because it was dominant economic power. US not damaged by war Stalin wanted closed economic system favoring the Soviets. Took advantage of Eastern European resources to rebuild Germany

Poland 1946 What two things did the Soviets want in Eastern Europe? n How did the Soviets treat eastern European countries after they pushed back the Nazis? n How did Stalin justify his goals? n What did FDR & Churchill demand for Poland? n

Iron Curtain Speech 1946 Became a symbol of the Cold War n Expressed growing fear of Communism n Described the division of Europe into an “east” and a “western” bloc. n “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an Iron curtain has descended across the Continent. ” n

Containment Policy US assumed global role as a superpower and bulwark against communism. n This required policy aimed at preventing the spread of communism n That policy was called containment. n First developed by George Kennan n It was clear that US would not return to isolationist policies preceding WWII n

Truman Doctrine 1947 n n n Containment was enshrined in the Truman Doctrine which will guide US foreign policy through the 1973 Nixon Doctrine Pledged US military and economy assistance to “support free people who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or outside pressures Events in Greece & Turkey convinced US that Soviets were becoming dangerously aggressive. Communist rebels in Greece Stalin menacing Turkey over the Dardanelles, the strait which linked the Black Sea to the Mediterranean.

Marshall Plan 1947 What were the objectives behind the Marshall Plan? n What would happen if Europe did not recover economically from the war? n Was it successful? n Does the Marshall Plan show bias? n

Berlin Crisis 1948 What ignited the Berlin Crisis? n What choices did the US confront? n What did the US finally do? n How was the crisis resolved? n Evaluate US policy? Soviet policy? n

Berlin Airlift

Formation of NATO 1949

NATO 1949 n n n North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) This was the first time the US joined an alliance since the Revolutionary War. It was formed in direct response to the Berlin Crisis US dominated alliance in which an attack upon one member would be seen as an attack on all of them. NATO began with Western European countries & Turkey. Today it includes many eastern European countries

Warsaw Pact 1955 Soviet dominated alliance n Nations did not have a choice n Was Soviet response to NATO n Warsaw Pact would also be used by Stalin against any eastern European country that rebelled (Hungary 1956 and Czechoslovakia 1967) n

Loss of China 1949 Nationalists vs Communists n Japanese occupation n Mao Zedong n Chiang kai-Shek n Taiwan/Formosa n Communists win, Mao launches major economic push involving “collectivization” n

Hungary 1956 n n n n Imre Nagy gained power in Hungary and ended one-party rule, ejected the Soviets and withdrew from the Warsaw Pact. Soviets responded with tanks & troops Hungarians resisted the onslaught and called on the West to help them. That help never came Failure of US to help has been interpreted to mean that the US accepted that eastern Europe was a Soviet sphere of influence. Occurred shortly after the Suez Crisis which complicated US policy – to be discussed shortly Nagy was tried and executed

Suez Crisis 1956 n n n What were the chain of events that led to Suez Crisis Aswan Dam >Czech Arms Deal>Renege on Aswan Dam > Nationalization of the Canal >1956 Suez Crisis. How did the Suez Crisis threaten US interests in the Middle East? Why did the US try to distance itself from Britain and France? What were American objectives behind the Eisenhower Doctrine 1957

Berlin Wall 1961 Built to keep East Germans from fleeing in the West. n Wall literally sealed off West Berlin n Became a symbol of the Cold War n Many died trying to escape n

Checkpoint Charlie

Berlin Wall

Bay of Pigs n n n n n Castro overthrows the corrupt Bastista regime during Cuban Revolution Castro nationalizes American businesses without compensation. US then breaks diplomatic relations 10% of Cubans left for US They formed La Brigada to go back & overthrow Castro They were supposed to have American air support The entire mission went wrong from the beginning. It was major US foreign policy debacle and very embarrassing to the Kennedy administration Would lead to Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962

Cuban Missile Crisis 1962 n n n n Brinkmanship -closest we ever came to nuclear war Result of Bay of Pigs Soviets attempted to install 42 missiles and present the US with a fait accompli US reconnaissance discovered the missiles. US quarantined the area – refused to let Soviets ships through the blockade SS Dean Rusk makes famous comment “We’re eyeball to eyeball and I think the other fellow just blinked” Soviets backed off Krushchev was seen as weak and removed as premier Leonid Brezhnev, a hardliner, will replace him

Czechoslovakia 1967 Alexander Dubcek announced liberal reforms in Czechoslovakia and called for “socialism with a human face” n “Prague Spring” was period when reforms were blooming. n Soviets responded again with tanks & force & ousted Dubcek n Put the Brezhnev Doctrine to use (right to intervene in the affairs of any communist nation) n

Six Day War 1967 n n n n Represents the failure of the UN and Soviet willingness to exploit regional tensions in order to gain more influence In order to enhance his power regionally the leader of Egypt focused attention on Israel. Began to violate international law which provided causus belli for war Closed the Straits of Tiran Ordered the removal of the UN Mobilized troops Finally Israel launched “preemptive strike” & destroyed Egyptian, Jordanian & Syrian air forces and gained substantial territories including the Jerusalem. Israel vowed not to return territories until Arabs were willing to recognize its right to exist.

Detente Recognition that nuclear was a very real possibility the 2 superpowers pursued a policy of “détente” or a lessening of Cold War tensions. n Policy was prompted by a Realpolitik approach to politics which was much more pragmatic then ideologically dogmatic n

Nixon Doctrine 1973 Reversal of Truman Doctrine. n Instead of the US providing soldiers to combat spread of communism the US will not supply “regional superpowers” (e. g. Israel & Iran) to police regions. n Nixon Doctrine was result of quagmire in Vietnam and desire not to get sucked into regional disputes n

Yom Kippur War 1973 n n n Both superpowers were content to allow the status quo to continue in the AIC Sadat was not however Successfully broke the stalemate by attacking Israel by surprise on YK As Israel began to successfully push back the Egyptians and Syrians USSR warned Israel to stop or threatened they would intervene US went on high nuclear alert (Def Con Three)

Oil Crisis 1973 n n n First time that oil was successfully used as a political weapon. Any nation (US & Netherlands) that supported Israel during YKW was embargoed by OAPEC also cut back supplies to put pressure on the internat’l community to negotiate a favorable solution to AIC Caused a serious “recession” worse since Great Depression. Extensive elaboration on this subject during class discussions

Vietnam 1954 - 1975 n n n US involvement began after French defeat at Dien Bien Phu 1956 Eisenhower invoked Domino theory (fear that the fall of Vietnam would lead to the loss of other nations to Communism) Elections between No & So Vietnam were to take place which would have resulted in Communist victory

Iranian Revolution & Hostage Crisis 1979 Carter calls for greater “human rights” in Iran n Shah n n TBC

Terrorism On the rise since the 1970 s n Attempt to gain recognition for cause n Willingness to kill civilians n More later n

Glasnost n n n Realization that the Soviet command economy was not working Gorbachev believed that economic decisions needed to be made at the local level by individuals not the state including non-socialist ideas. This called for “Glasnost” or free exchange of ideas The results of Glasnost included opening of churches, end to censorship, freeing jailed dissidents, allowing ownership of private businesses and free voting Change was in the air

Perestroika n Restructuring of the social and economic conditions in Soviet life

Fall of the Soviet Union 1991 n TBC n