The Cold War 1945 1995 Cold War A

The Cold War 1945 --1995

Cold War • A state of conflict between nations that does not involve direct military action • Usually through economic and political actions, propaganda, espionage or proxy wars • Often economic or military aid (weapons, tactical support, advisors) were provided to lesser nations involved in conflicts

Cold War • This phrase is used to explain the tensions that developed between the US and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) after WWII **Soviet Union (USSR) attempted to expand its influence around world **USA attempted to stop (contain) the spread around the world

Yalta Feb. 1945 What: meeting with Stalin, Churchill, FDR Why: decide what to do with Germany after the war ended Decision: decided to divide Germany to be supervised by the Allied Powers

Stalin’s first moves • He installed/secured Communist governments in areas he had ‘freed’ from Hitler/Mussolini **Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Poland, Yugoslavia

Potsdam Conference Another Meeting of Allied leaders: 1. Truman presses Stalin to allow free elecions 2. Stalin says communism and capitalism could not exist in the same world! 1946: Churchill says “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an Iron Curtain has descended across the continent. ”

Containment Policy --relations continued to worsen through ‘ 47 Pres. Truman adopted a new foreign policy Containment: directed at blocking Soviet influence and stop the spread of commnism Impact: US would form alliances and help weak countries resist

‘Domino theory’ As the 50 s got going the US became so worried about the spread of communism, govt officials began to believe in a new foreign policy: If one nation in a region of world ‘falls’ to communism, its neighbor countries would as well. This was esp. directed toward Southeast Asia. This lead to the US’s involvement in Vietnam.

Czechoslovakia Feb. 1948 • Key members of Czech gov’t die mysteriously • Pro-western president forced to resign (by Soviet communists) • New constitution ratified --complete takeover by Czech communists

The Berlin Problem USSR keeps west Berlin ‘hostage’ They cut off highway, water, and rail traffic into Berlin’s western zones. They city faced starvation. Stalin hoped that the USA/capitalists would surrender W. Berlin and possibly give up idea of re-unifying Germany

Berlin Airlift This blockade began June 24, 1948. From June ‘ 48 to May ‘ 49, US and British planes airlift 1. 5 million tons of supplies to residents of West Berlin. --200, 000 flights later: USSR lifts the blockade

Impact of Berlin Airlift • Marked a rise in tensions between West and Soviets • Helped heal divisions left from WWII as West shifted from being conquerors to protectors of Germany • Cooperation paved the way formation to the military alliance, NATO= North Atlantic Treaty Organization • Marshall plan

Marshall Plan What: a massive aid program to rebuild Europe from destruction of WWII Who: US Secty of State, George Marshall How: $13 billion in US aid sent to Europe When: 1948 --52 Response: USSR and E. Europe call it “dollar enslavement” (refuse aid)

Comecon What: Soviet response to Marshall plan Called: Council for Mutual Economic Assistance When: 1949 Why: strengthen international socialists (communists) relationships on an economic level Why: they were now cut off from traditional markets and suppliers in West Europe

Military Alliances NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization --western alliance against USSR (communism)--promised to defend each other WARSAW PACT --eastern alliance between USSR and its satellite countries to defend against NATO

Chinese Revolution • After WWII, civil war resumed in China; nationalist troops had suffered more during war • Jian Jieshi (Chaing Kai Shek) with his Nationalist forces (Kuomintang) lost and reformed their govt on the island of Tawaian • Oct. 1, Mao proclaims People’s Republic of China (PRC) • Two months later, Mao travels to Moscow and negotiates the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance.

Korean War • When: 1950 --53 • Why: Korea had been divided at 38 th parallel following WWII --just like Europe they stayed divided between comm/captial • When: June 25, No. Korea (communists) invaded So. Korea (eventually helped by China) • Lead by US--the United Nations lead a force to stop the invasion; invasion was stopped • Ended in 1953 basically at same place it started; just an armistice; no treaty; technically still at war

Berlin Again! The Wall 1961 So many people were leaving communist East Berlin that the USSR built a wall to stop it ---1 st phase done in 24 hours --- also to keep Western ideas away --2 ndary wall in 1962 --final version 45, 000 separate sections, reinforced concrete (barbed wire, trenches, 300+ watchtowers, 30 bunkers)

JFK and the Wall

Vietnam To stop the ‘dominos falling’ in So. East Asia --complex ‘conflict’; history of colonization by France; nationalist movements against France; WWII occupation; post-WWII division into north/south --USSR supports communist north/USA supports non-comm south (but not all Vietnamese in So agree to their govt and want to be part of North) --100, 000 s lives/controversy later… 1973 USA troops leave and by ‘ 75 North defeats So and whole country becomes Communist

CUBA 1959 Jan. leftist forces under Fidel Castro overthrow American backed Fulgencio Batista Castro ‘nationalizes’ (govt controls) sugar industry and signs trade agreements with USSR Castro seizes US assets on island

Bay of Pigs --1961 • US organized invasion force of 1, 400 Cuban exiles is defeated by Castro’s forces (south coast= Bay of Pigs) • Launched from Guatemala in ships/planes • Surrendered on April 20 (3 days fighting) • JFK takes full responsibility

Cuban Missile Crisis 1962 --Khrushchev (USSR leader) secretly plans to install nuclear missiles on Cuba (90 miles from Florida) Pres. Kennedy blockaded Cuba Khrushchev turned his ships around after secret agreement: USSR = no nucs in Cuba USA= no nucs in Turkey ***Americans tht we were headed into WWII and it was super close!! (13 day standoff)

Mutually Assured Destruction the Arms Race! Both sides wanted nuclear weapons. To be able to ‘deter’ the other side from attacking first==be stronger As each side trys to ‘be stronger’ than the other side-# nuclear warheads skyrockets (55, 000 by 1980 s) This was called MAD= Mutually Asssured Destruction (of ourselves if start something so keeps the peace)

Atomic Bomb First full detonation=July 1945 USA USSR gets bomb 1949 China gets bomb in 50 s-----in 1950 s US tests 23 bombs by dropping them over the Marshall Islands (Bikini Atoll)

Detente From a French word that means relaxation In this sense it refers to the beginning of a ‘relaxation of tensions’ between US/USSR

SALT Strategic Arms Limitation Talks SALT I and II (1970 s) --meetings meant to reduce the # of weapons --did slow the arms race

Afghanistan --USSR’s ‘vietnam’

Mikhail Gorbachev Leader of USSR 1985 --95 --actually last leader of Communist Russia --reform minded --believed in some ‘openness’ in speech/press (Glastnost) --believed in rebuilding the economy allowing some capitalistic elements (Peristroika)

Communist Collapse Poland Mostly due to the extremely slow economies in communist system which were overburdened with debt/expenses for the military to stay strong 1980 --Poland!! **workers at Lenin shipyards went on strke **lead by Lech Walesa started in Gdansk and spread to other cities ***became a movement called “Solidarity” ---Communist government gave in to demands and recognized workers rights to form unions/strike

Communist Collapse German Unification Fall of Berlin Wall= Nov. 9, 1989 --Brandenburg Gate opened; people finally free to pass back and forth for first time since 1961 --Nov. 10 th---people take down the wall themselves

Communist Collapse the Satellites 1989/90== communist governments fall Czechoslovakia Hungary Poland Romania Bulgaria East Germany

Communist Collapse German Unification • Sept 12 th, 1990 • Moscow meeting--nations agree to end Allied occupation rights in Germany • Oct 3, East and West Germany united as Federal Republic of Germany

The Soviets Three Baltic states announce they were leaving the USSR and becoming independent Gorbachev does not use force to keep them USSR transitions into CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) BUT ultimately, all former republics declare independence. **Ukraine **Armenia etc…….

The End of The Cold War --What era are we in now?