The Cold War
1946-1989
Winston Churchill states: “An Iron
Curtain has descended across the
continent (Europe)”. Symbolizes
division of democracy/communism
USA deters Communism
Truman Doctrine -to show support for Greece
to maintain democracy, US supplies $ to
prevent communism.
Marshall Plan -US allots $13 billion to
European countries to rebuild in hopes they
will opt for democratic gov. George Marshall, Sec. of St.
Policy of Containment -US vows not to let
communism spread.
Treaty Organizations
NATO -North Atlantic Treaty Org.: US,
Canada, Brit., France, Neth., Italy,
others. Later W. Germany. (Dem.)
Warsaw Pact -USSR, Poland, Czech.,
Hungary, Romania, others. (Comm.)
SEATO -Southeast Asia Treaty Org.(Dem.)
CENTO -Central Treaty Org.: US, Brit.,
Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Pakistan. (Dem.)
Berlin 1948
Berlin Airlift Feb. 1948
Stalin establishes blockade preventing
food, fuel, medicine from reaching West
Berlin. Goal was to drive out US,
French, British forces.
Truman airlifts supplies for 11 months,
Stalin gave up.
Threatened possibility of war.
Arms Race
USSR develops atomic bomb.
1953-US develops Hydrogen bomb,
over a thousand times more powerful
than atomic bomb. USSR gets it eight
months later.
Deterrence or Brinkmanship -idea that
each side has so many weapons, no
one would threaten war.
More Technology
ICBM -Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, a
nuclear bomb in a rocket.
Sputnik -USSR launches first successful
orbiting satellite in 1957.
U-2 Spy Plane -plane that takes photographs
below. USSR shot down American Gary
Powers. Increased tension between
superpowers.
Soviets put first man in space, Yuri Gagarin in
1961, USA puts Alan Shepard in space later
that year.
Communist Control China
Mao Zedong leads communist defeat
over Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist army
after WW II. Nationalists fled to island
of Taiwan.
USA increased anti-communist feelings
after Mao signs treaty w/ USSR. China
expanded its control
Mao and Marxist Socialism
Transforms farming, industry.
Great Leap Forward -set up communes for
peasants to farm and live together-major
failure.
Territorial disputes lead to decline of
relationship with USSR.
Cultural Revolution -Mao closed schools, used
youth as Red Guards to enforce new policies
on peasants and anyone who resisted new
government.
War in Korea
Korea divided at 38th Parallel, north is
communist and supported by USSR and
China. South is democratic supported
by USA, UN.
3 yrs. Fighting, 4 million deaths, UN &
N. Korea agree to stop. A new line near
38th was drawn.
US succeeds in “containment”
New American President
Dwight Eisenhower (”Ike”) - WWII hero
elected in 1952 & 1956. Vice President
is Richard Nixon who will lose to
Kennedy in 1960, but will win in ‘68.
Death of Stalin in 1953
Nikita Khrushchev takes over leadership
of USSR in 1955.
Used process of De-Stalinization to ease
tension of citizens but maintained
strong communist state.
John F. Kennedy elected president of
USA in 1960
Khrushchev Era
Khrushchev condemned Stalin’s
“administrative violence, mass repression,
and terror”
De-Stalinization - loosened control of literary
works (Solzhenitsyn’s book on a Siberian
forced labor camp). Produced more consumer
goods.
Failed economy, Cuban crisis forced him out.
Vietnam
Domino Theory -idea that if one nation in SE
Asia fell to communism, all the rest would too
North was communist, led by Ho Chi Minh,
help from China. South, led by Ngo Dinh
Diem democratic support from USA.
Countries divided at 17th Parallel.
Viet Cong -South Vietnamese guerillas who
wanted communism.
20 year struggle
Vietnamese nationalists and
communists fought to rid France’s
colonization and won in 1954.
USA and France set up anti-comm. Gov.
south of 17th par. Vietcong began the
fight backed by N.Viet.
From 1960-1969, US escalates
involvement.
Vietnamization
US began to withdraw troops in 1969
hoping South Vietnam could battle
themselves=vietnamization.
Protests against war forced Pres. Nixon
to completely w/d by 1973. 58,OOO
Americans died, North Vietnam
eventually won and made the south
communist.
Cambodia 1975
Communist rebels known as Khmer
Rouge led by Pol Pot killed 2 million,
1/4 of population to achieve a
Communist nation.
1978, Vietnam invaded and installed a
less repressive gov.
USA normalized relations with Vietnam
in 1995.
Cuba
Fidel Castro overthrew an unpopular dictator
(Batista) in 1959, at first was welcomed.
Became a harsh dictator who killed
opponents, suspended elections & controlled
the press. Nationalized industry. USA cut
relations.
Cuba turned to USSR for support.
USA failed at a government takeover with an
invasion at the Bay of Pigs using trained
Cuban exiles.
Cuban Missile Crisis
American spy plane
spots nuclear missile
silos in Cuba.
Major threat to USA
only 90 miles from
Florida.
USSR had secretly put 42 nuclear arms
in Cuba. President Kennedy demanded
they be removed.
Tension rose around the world in fear
of a nuclear war.
Soviet premier Khrushchev agreed to
remove missiles w/ US promise not to
invade Cuba.
Satellite States
East Germany, Poland, Hungary,
Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Romania were
under Soviet control by 1948.
Imre Nagy declared Hungary free in ‘56
Soviet army stopped revolt, killed Nagy.
Alexander Dubcek led “Prague Spring”
(reforms for freedoms) in Czech., 1968.
Soviet army crushed that too.
Yugoslavia
Josip Broz, known as Tito seemed to be
Stalinist (not regular communist). After
war, he established an independent
Communist state that did not support
Stalinism. Yugoslavia remained
independent of Soviet satellite states.
Tito led until 1980.
Albania was Stalinist but grew indep.
Post war France
Established new government called the
4th Republic led by Charles de Gaulle in
1946. Parliament was given most power
and proved to be ineffective. De Gualle
quit. He returned in 1958, drew a new
constitution giving president more
power (5th Republic). Very successful
for 10 years.
A new West Germany
Three western zones were unified in
1949 and led by Conrad Adenauer until
1963. He cooperated with USA and
worked well with other European
nations. Economy boomed.
Decline of Great Britain
Very bad economy after WW II.
Churchill (a conservative) lost to
Clement Atlee, a liberal from the Labor
Party. Atlee instituted a welfare state.
Government took over healthcare,
created minimum standard of living.
This would be too expensive to extend
to colonies, the empire was dismantled.
Europe Unifies
Europeans finally realize need to unify.
1957, France, W. Germany, Belgium,
Neth., Lux. And Italy sign Rome Treaty.
It creates the European Economic
Community also known as the Common
Market. No tariffs or import charges.