The Cold War Unfolds
15.1 Notes
I. Two Sides Face Off in Europe

U.S. and NATO vs. Soviets
and Warsaw Pact


U.S. and Soviets became
known as superpowers
due to their vast influence,
armies and nuclear arsenals
Iron Curtain-dividing line
between democratic
western and communist
eastern Europe
II. Eastern Europe Resists

Berlin Wall



The democratic West Berlin
was prosperous
Workers fled Eastern Berlin
Soviets put up a wall to stop
them leaving
Revolts in Eastern Europe


1950’s saw several
oppositions to Soviet policy
Countries that tried to leave
the Warsaw Pact or economic
reform or democracy were
invaded
III. Nuclear Weapons Threaten the
World




1949- Soviets had A-Bomb
1953- Both sides had
Hydrogen Bomb (x1000 more
powerful)
Arms Race- U.S. and Soviets
raced to get more and better
weapons than each other
MAD- Muy Awesome
Dandelions- the idea that if
both sides launched both
would be destroyed

This prevented open warfare,
hence the “Cold War”
IV. Limiting Nuclear Weapons
During the Cold War both sides did meet to
make progress toward reducing the threat of
nuclear weapons
 1963 Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation (NPT) Treaty
 1972 SALT I (Strategic Arms LimitationTalks)froze existing #of nukes, ABM treaty


ABM- Anti-ballistic missile- missile that can shoot
down other missiles
IV. Limiting Nuclear Weapons cont.
1979 SALT II- Set limits on # of nukes
 1991 START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty)
Treaty- Reduced # of nukes
 1993 START II- No multiple warheads on
ICBM’s
 2002 SORT or Moscow Treaty- Set limit on #
of warheads
 2010 New START- Reduces # of nukes

V. Cold War Goes Global
U.S. and Soviets established other alliances
around the world
 Local conflicts around the globe would turn
into Cold War “hot spots”


U.S. would support one side, Soviets the other
VI. The Cuban Missile Crisis
1950’s Fidel Castro overthrows previous dictator
and takes over Cuba
 Cuba seeks Soviet Union’s help
 1962 Soviets sent a nuke to Cuba
 Americans responded with a blockade
 U.S. President John F. Kennedy demanded the
missile removed
 13 days later Soviets agreed
 The world dodged a bullet and it might have
come to nuclear war

VII. Soviet Leaders During the Cold
War
Stalin dies in 1953
 Nikita Khrushchev 1953-1964

Closed prison camps
 Eased censorship


Leonid Brezhnev until 1964-1982

Reversed Khrushchev’s changes
VIII. The United States in the Cold War
Containment- U.S. policy of containing the
Soviet Union
 Fear led people to build bunkers and fallout
shelters
 Red Scare- fear of communists


Sen. McKamara led a witch hunt for communists