The Early
Cold War:
1947-1970
Ms. Susan M. Pojer
Horace Greeley HS
Chappaqua, NY
Brinkmanship
The Policy of threatening to go
to war as a response to
enemy aggression.
Put this
definition on
the back of
your map.
You want a
piece of This?!?
Examples of Brinkmanship and the
Cold War
Both the USA and the USSR wanted to avoid an all out
Nuclear War. Instead of fighting directly, they paid others
to fight for them, and then continued a kind of global
game of “Chicken”. The following events are examples
of when the two sides almost committed to total war, but
then pulled back at the last minute and instead did
something clever to stay in the game without losing face.
•The Berlin Blockade and Airlift
•The Korean War
•The Cuban Missile Crisis
Berlin
Blockade
& Airlift
1948-49
Russians try to claim West Berlin once
and for all by starving them out. Water,
power are cut. Ground transport is
closed.
Americans fly supplies to the people of West
Berlin for almost a year.
Eventually Russia gives up and opens roads and
utility lines again….until next time….
Please do not talk at this time
March 5
HW: Please review 17.1 & 17.3 for Quiz on Friday.
Please get your map and add the Berlin Blockade
and Air Lift.
Cold War Map- Berlin
Blockade and Airlift
• Choose a symbol to represent the Berlin
Blockade and Airlift and put it on the small map of
Berlin (not Germany) on your map.
• In your map key (on the Left), indicate that your
symbol represents the Berlin Blockade and
Airlift.
• On the back of this paper explain what the Berlin
Blockade and Airlift was.
• Put the Berlin Blockade and Airlift on the time line
in 1948 - 49
Review Containment
Glossary Definition:
U.S. policy directed at
blocking Soviet
influence and stopping
the expansion of
communism.
Versions: Container
My Definition:
USA attempts to limit
Soviet power during
the Cold War and
prevent other countries
from becoming
communist.
Examples:
Roach Motel
USA Vs. USSR- cold
war
Picture:
Soviets
Inside
Related Words:
Surround
Contain
Isolate
Box up
Eliminate- removing a
piece from the playing
board
Premier Nikita Khrushchev
About the capitalist
states, it doesn't
depend on you
whether we
(Soviet Union) exist.
If you don't like us,
don't accept our
invitations, and don't
De-Stalinization
invite us to come
Program
to see you. Whether
you like it our not, history is on our
side. We will bury you. -- 1956
Containment and Cuba
• 1. Together read Intro to
Cuban/American relations
• 2. Get into groups of three.
• 3. Divide the reading (person 1 does
reading 1 and so on)
• 4. Read your section and underline
evidence of the US Containment
Policy in Cuba.
• 5. Share out.
Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
The confrontation began on October 14,
1962, when U.S. reconnaissance
photographs taken by an American U-2
spy plane revealed missile bases being
built in Cuba, in response to similar U.S.
bases built at the Turkish-Soviet border.
After a tense confrontation on
October 28, 1962, both U.S.
President John F. Kennedy and
Soviet General Secretary Nikita
Khrushchev, with the intercession of
U.N. Secretary-General U Thant,
agreed to remove their respective
nuclear missiles. This is as close as
we have ever come to nuclear war.
Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
Cold War Map- Cuban Missile
Crisis
• Choose a symbol to represent the Cuban Missile
Crisis and put it on Cuba on your map.
• In your map key (on the Left), indicate that your
symbol represents the Cuban Missile Crisis.
• On the back of this paper explain what the Cuban
Missile Crisis was.
• Put the Cuban Missile Crisis on the time line in
1962
Please do not talk at this time
March 6
HW: Interview someone over 36 about the Cold War.
Ask them about their experiences in the 50’s, 60’s,
70, and 80’s. Ask them what they remember about
the events on your map or what they thought would
happen to the world. Due Tuesday
• Please take out a half sheet of paper (You
may share with a friend) and label it Cold
War Quiz
• Put your name on this paper.
• Number 1 -5 of this paper.
• Please remember, no notes or talking on
the quiz!
Use the quotation to answer this question.
"An iron curtain has descended across the
Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals
of the ancient states of Central and Eastern
Europe . . . all are subject in one form or
another, not only to Soviet influence but to a
very high and, in many cases, increasing
measure of control from Moscow."
- Winston Churchill, "The Sinews of
Peace" speech, March 5, 1946
1. The quotation expresses Churchill's
concern about
A. the rise of two superpowers.
B. ruined cities in Eastern Europe.
C. the spread of communism.
D. postwar economic recovery.
2. What was the underlying cause of the Cold
War?
A. conflicts within the UN
B. Soviet resentment of U.S. military
efforts during World War II
C. border disputes in Europe
D. competition between the United States
and the Soviet Union
3. Who were most of the
Vietcong?
A. pro-Communist
South Vietnamese
B. pro-Communist
North Vietnamese
C. anti-Communist
South Vietnamese
D. anti-Communist
North Vietnamese
4. During the war in Korea,
what did President Truman
and Douglas MacArthur
disagree strongly about?
A. American
involvement
B. the use of nuclear
weapons
C. whether to attempt
to cross the 38th parallel
D. whether China
posed a threat to South
Korea
5. What is the 38th Parallel
Please trade papers and
write the words, Corrected
By: and then your name at
the bottom of the page.
Quiz Answers!
1. C. the spread of communism.
2. D. competition between the
United States and the Soviet Union
3. A. pro-Communist South
Vietnamese
4. B. the use of nuclear weapons
5. The line dividing North and
South Korea
Mao’s Communist Revolution:
1949
China Becomes Communist in spite of
Western intervention
The Korean War: A “Police
Action” (1950-1953)
If Korea becomes Communist, who else will
follow? If all the world becomes Communist,
who will America trade with?
China
38th
Parallel
After WWII Korea was split (along the 38th
parallel), just like Berlin and Germany between
the US and the USSR. North Korea invaded
South Korea to unify their nation with Russian
support.
Americans (as a Member of the UN) get
involved to stop the advancement of
Communism. They push the N. Koreans far
back into N. Korea. This brings in the Chinese
who do not want Capitalist neighbours
"Domino Theory"
After countless deaths and destruction, the two
sides leave where they started, Communists in
the North and Capitalists in the South. The
country is still divided along the 38th parallel.
Propaganda
Add Propaganda to the Back of your Cold
War Map
Propaganda- an advertisement that attempts to
spread ideas or promote a cause
Cold War Propaganda was mostly about
controlling information. Governments only
wanted their people to know certain things
about what was going on in the war. They
also wanted to make sure they had public
support, so they tried to guarantee victories for
every contest, or at least tried to scare people
into wanting to continue the fight.
Propaganda
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Maintaining Communism, especially when it wasn’t working well,
was all about controlling communications. Soviet citizens wouldn’t
rebel to seek a Different life if they didn’t know that life could be
different.
Radio Free Europe was an attempt to communicate with the people
of Russia. It broadcast western music and propaganda to Russia,
bearing the message of the West: “Democracy and Capitalism are
Better…”
Get out a half sheet of paper
(you can share with a friend)
and label it Propaganda.
As you listen to the song
Russians by Sting, think about
the message he is trying to
give. Is this Propaganda or
Anti Propaganda? Explain.
Please do not talk at this time
March 9
HW: Cold War Interviews! Interview someone over
36! Write down your answers!
Please put this definition the back of
your map
Proxy Wars (AKA Surrogate War)a war started by a major power that
does not itself participate directly.
The super power does not send its own
troops, but may supply support in terms
of weapons, money, training and
intelligence
Think of two Mafia bosses...
Don Corleone
They want to fight each other to see who is the
Top Gangster of the USA!
Tony Soprano
However, an all out war between two such powerful men might
destroy both of them, and a large number of innocent bystanders
as well. The police and the Government would get involved. No
one would win.
They both have top supporters...
But these bosses don't want to send
their top people to do the dirty work.
They are too Valuable. They might
get killed. Then everyone, the
police, the media, and so on, would
know the Bosses were involved. The
Bosses would have to commit totally
to the war, and they would have to
fight it publicly. That limits what they
can do.
So, they both hire Hit-men instead...
These Mafia Bosses don't know these
men. They don't care what happens to
them. Sure, they give them weapons,
ammunition, money for expenses,
maybe even let them practice on their
shooting range, but at the end of the
day, these men are expendable. If
they succeed, great. If they die trying,
its not a big deal. Plus, since no one
knows the Bosses know these men,
the Bosses stay out of it. There is no
Media frenzy, no news supports to link
them to assassinations. They can do
sneakier things.
So, what is in it for the Hit-men?
Well, they get Money, Weapons, Information, Training, and they can use all
of those things for themselves, and their own interests after or while doing
the work of the Bosses. They are independent contractors. They do their
job and then they do what they want.
The Proxy Wars of the Cold War are
like this example:
The USA and the USSR are the Mafia Bosses. They can't fight each
other directly without blowing up the world.
Their top supporters are their allies, NATO, and the Warsaw Pact
Countries. These groups can't get involved without turning the fight
into a well publicized World War III (Also a no win situation)
The Hit men are the groups fighting in the politically unstable
countries of the world, like the North and South Koreans in Korea,
the Viet Cong and the South Vietnamese in Vietnam and Sandinistas
and the Contras in Nicaragua.
These groups get money, information, weapons, training and support
from the USA or the USSR.
In exchange they promote Capitalism or Communism in their
countries.
But they also use the resources they get to fight for what they want,
revolution, independence, and so on....
It is important to note...
The USSR and the USA do give Weapons,
Money, Training, Information, and so on...
But they don't give:
The BEST Weapons (no one was handing
out Nukes!)
A Lot of Money (just enough to keep
things going...)
The Best Training (We don't want these
people to beat us at our own game later...)
ALL the Information (We leave a lot out.
We don't want our secrets to become public)
Examples of Surrogate Wars and the
Cold War
The USA and USSR never actually went to war with each
other. Instead, They often fought each other by
supporting the enemies of the other side. The
superpowers sometimes clashed in the most bizarre
ways, such as the World Chess Championships! Mostly
they looked for unstable governments and tried to give
enough support to make their favourite side win.
•The Vietnam War
•Civil War in Nicaragua
•Revolution in Afghanistan
Map Instructions: For each event find Vietnam, Nicaragua
and Afghanistan on your Cold War Map and choose a symbol
to represent each conflict. Label your symbol and place
each event on the timeline on the front, then write your
definition on the back of your map.
Vietnam War: 1965-1973
Americans followed a
policy of Containment
and sided with the South
Vietnamese to promote
Capitalism and stop the
spread of Communism.
Unfortunately, the People
of Vietnam wished to be
Communist. They fought
a dirty, guerrilla style war
against superior
technology and numbers,
but they won because the
American people turned
against the failed war, the
suicide missions and the
determination of the
Vietnamese.
Civil War in Nicaragua (1979)
Americans supported
the unpopular
dictator Samoza.
When Communist
Sandinista leader
Ortega took control of
Nicaragua with
Russian support,
Americans funded the
Anti Communist
Contras to fight him
in Nicaragua and
other communists in
El Salvador.
Because of Foreign
support, this war
raged for 10 years
killing thousands and
ruining the
Nicaraguan economy.
Revolution in Afghanistan 1979 - 1996
Soviets back a communist military coup that seizes
the government of Afghanistan.
Americans give weapons and aid to the Mujahedeen
forces (Islamist peasants who opposed the non
religious people in power) challenging the Soviet
backed government.
The Soviets step up involvement and eventually
invade when the Afghani leader, President Takari,
begins a reign of terror. Meanwhile, Americans
channel more and more aid through Pakistan
(secretly) and demand the Soviets stop their
involvement at the UN (publicly).
With both sides of the Conflict well armed by the
USA and USSR respectively, Afghanistan falls into
civil war. The Russians, experiencing their own
Vietnam, pull out
Civil war and infighting between extremist factions
continued until the Mujahedeen’s Taliban seized
power in 1996.
Please speak quietly to a partner nearby
March 10
HW: Cold War Events Homework. See Handout. Due
Thursday.
Share the results of your interview with a
partner nearby.
What did you find interesting or surprising
about what the person you interviewed
said?
Choose one thing between what you and
your partner found out to share with the
class.
Espionage
Knife
Gun
The Spy Wars between
Russia and the US were
legendary. Both countries
tried desperately to steal
each others secrets and
keep their own.
Failing that, they worked to
spread misinformation.
Gun
For example, the Russians
invented the MIG-29 high
altitude fighter jet to shoot
down an American High
Altitude spy plane that the
Americans never actually
built.
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed as
Traitors for selling atomic secrets to the Soviets
U-2 Spy Incident (1960)
Col. Francis Gary Powers’ plane
was shot down over Soviet
airspace. He was violating a
treaty Americans had signed to
respect Soviet airspace. He
failed to commit suicide to the
great embarrassment of the US.
The Berlin Wall Goes Up (1961)
Russians seek to
stop the
emigration of
citizens to the
West through
West Berlin’s
Airports
They build a
wall around
West Berlin and
kill anyone who
tries to cross.
Checkpoint
Charlie
The wall goes up in the
middle of the night.
People get trapped on one
side or the other, away from
friends and family.
For the next three decades,
people try to escape. Its
easy at the beginning, but
later requires more and more
patience, time, and genius.
Ich bin ein Berliner!
(1963)
President Kennedy
tells Berliners
that the West is
with them!
(Or that he is a
Jelly Donut. Kind
of both…)
Berlin Wall
• Choose a symbol to represent the Berlin
Wall and put it on the small map of Berlin
(not Germany) on your map.
• In your map key (on the Left), indicate that
your symbol represents the Berlin Wall.
• On the back of this paper explain what the
Berlin Wall was.
• Put the Berlin Wall on the timeline from
1961 – 1989.