The Cold War 1945 1991 Cold War w

The Cold War 1945 -1991

Cold War? w Tension and rivalry between superpowers – U. S. (capitalist/democracy) vs. – USSR (communist dictatorship) w Not a fighting (hot) war – often very close to war (hotspots). • Berlin airlift • Cuban Missile Crisis – US/USSR avoid direct conflict to prevent nuclear war and mutually assured destruction (MAD) w Both used proxies (substitutes) in conflicts – either stop (US) or help (USSR) the spread of communism (U. S. ) • Fund arm rebels/opposition to governments aligned with other side. Examples: – USSR funds rebels in Angola, Congo, Sandinistas in Nicaragua, South America – US funds contras in Nicaragua, Jihadists in Afghanistan

Spread of Communism w Eastern Europe (late 1940 s) – Stalin reneges on promises to hold free elections w China (1949) – causes “red scare” – “Who lost China” w Cuba (1959) w SE Asia (1975)

Communism at greatest extent w Keep in mind the Sino-Soviet split divides the communist world by the early 1960 s – China says “peaceful coexistence” makes USSR weak

Key Terms w Containment – U. S. to prevent spread of Communism. • fears the “Domino Effect” – if one country falls to communism, then another, etc. – Vietnam → Cambodia → Laos w Mutually Assured Destruction – guaranteed destruction of BOTH superpowers in the event of a nuclear war. – “MAD”

The Arms Race Competition to have most powerful weapons. w w w 1945 U. S. bombs Japan 1949 Soviet A-Bomb 1952 U. S. H-Bomb 1953 Soviets H-Bomb Later race includes delivery systems – ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles) – Submarine-based launch capability w Arms control agreements – Test ban treaties, SALT I & II (strategic arms limitation treaties), etc.

Hotspots w Korean War (1950 - 1953) – Communists from North invade S. Korea. • U. S. forces assist S. Korea • U. N. sends 15 -nation force (USSR in middle of boycott) w Cuba – Communist Fidel Castro takes power (1959) • US assists counterrevolutionary forces at Bay of Pigs (1961) • Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) w The U-2 Affair (1960) – American U-2 spy plane shot down over USSR. w Vietnam War (1955 - 1975) – French fight communists and leave; followed by U. S. – S. Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia => communist w Afghanistan (1979 - 1988) – Soviets invade Afghanistan to prop up communism • US supports jihadist opposition • Russia’s “Vietnam” w Various other “proxy” wars – Fueled by decolonization as superpowers jockey for influence over new states.

Khrushchev Era w Stalin dies (1953) w New leader Nikita Khrushchev denounces the policies of Stalin. – “destalinization” w Rejects idea of inevitable war with West – "peaceful coexistence” – but still bellicose • “We will bury you” – Kitchen debates w/Nixon w Sputnik – 1 st man made satellite – space race begins => NASA • Kennedy promises a man on the moon by end of 1960 s • US wins race (1969)

Sputnik II Laika

THE BERLIN WALL

1961 - Berlin Wall w Communists construct Berlin Wall to prevent East Germans from fleeing to West Berlin. – Many people attempted to escape to the West. – 86 people died trying to cross the Berlin Wall between 1961 and 1990. w Propaganda tool for West – “you need to build a wall to keep your people in”

Leonid Brezhnev Era (1964 – 1982) w General Secretary of the Communist Party – Khrushchev replaced shortly after Cuban Missile Crisis w hostile to internal reforms – tolerates corruption – leads to “Brezhnev stagnation” a period of socioeconomic decline w Supports policy of détente w/West – But engages in massive military buildup and interventionism • military budget is 12. 5% of GNP

Resistance to Communism in Eastern Europe w Hungary (1956) – Imre Nagy (leader) promises free elections, Soviets invade. w Czechoslovakia (1968) – Prague Spring reform crushed by Warsaw Pact forces. • “Brezhnev Doctrine” – USSR will use force to protect its interests in E. Europe w Poland (1980) – Labor union, Solidarity, led by Lech Walesa challenges communist govt. • Pope John Paul II (Polish cardinal, 1 st non-Italian pope in 450 years) – gave Poles courage to demand “peaceful change”

Détente • Period of reduced tensions between U. S. and USSR in 1960 s and 1970 s. • Arms Control Treaties • Helsinki Accords • triangulation • Nixon exploits Sino-Soviet split to strengthen America’s strategic position.

US – Soviet Cultural and Economic Differences w West = open, free democratic, dynamic – market-based economies (consumer makes all decisions, has the power) • abundant consumer goods – free exchange of ideas • free press, ability to protest, free movement w East = closed, restrictive, stagnant – command economies (government makes all decisions, consumer has no power) • focused on heavy industry • shortage of consumer goods – state-run press, religion repressed, no protest – Life under Communism

Milos Forman, director One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Amadeus Defectors Martina Navratilova Mikhail Baryshnikov Stalin’s daughter, Svetlana

Ronald Reagan w U. S. President (1981 -1989). w Ramps up U. S. arms production. – “Star Wars” missile defense program w USSR is an “Evil Empire. ” w “Tear down this wall. ” Mikhail Gorbachev w Becomes leader of USSR (1985). – 1 st Gen’l Secretary not born under tsars w Ushered in an era of reform. – Perestroika • Economic reform- restructuring • Arms race bankrupted USSR – Glasnost • openness, allowed greater free expression and criticism

Ronald Reagan: “Tear Down This Wall” http: //vodpod. com/watch/526191 ronald-reagan-tear-down-this-wall Reagan Speech

1989 - Fall of Berlin Wall w Gorbachev renounces Brezhnev Doctrine w Refuses to intervene to crush pro-democracy movements in Eastern Europe w After massive public demonstrations in East Germany and Eastern Europe, the Berlin Wall fell. NBC News

1991 – USSR Collapses w Soviet Union officially dissolved. w Russian Federation (Russia) formed. – 15 constituent republics become independent states. w “New World Order” – U. S. only “superpower. ”