Cold War
Superpowers Face Off
After WWII
During WWII –
Soviet Union and
U.S. were allies
However, after
WWII, competing
political
philosophies would
lead to conflict for
half a century =
The Cold War
Yalta Conference: A Post War Plan
Feb., 1945 (war is not
over yet)
Purpose: 1. divide
Germany into zones
controlled by Allied
military;
2. Germany to pay
Soviet Union to cover
loss of life and
property during the
war.
3.Stalin agreed to join the war against
Japan.
4.He also promised that Eastern
Europeans would have free
elections.
Winston Churchill (Eng.) was skeptical
that Stalin would honor his
promises.
United Nations
June, 1945 – U.S.
and Soviets joined
48 other nations
Purpose: to protect
members (General
Assembly) against
aggression.
Based in New York
Security Counsel: had the real power to
investigate and settle disputes.
Britain, U.S., China, France and Soviet
Union were prominent countries
Different Effects from the War:
-Even after Yalta, the Soviets and U.S.
split sharply
-The U.S. suffered 400,000 deaths
-The Soviets suffered at least 50 times
that much
-A lot of Soviet cities were demolished
U.S.:
Different Goals
Soviet Union:
Encourage democracy and
discourage Communist
governments
Encourage communism as
part of a worldwide workers
revolution
Access to raw materials and
markets in other countries
Rebuild its economy using
Eastern Europe’s raw
materials and equipment
Rebuild European
governments to promote new
markets for U.S.
Reunite Germany to stabilize
it and increase security in
Europe
Control Eastern Europe to
protect Soviet borders and
balance U.S. influence in
Western Europe.
Keep German divided to
prevent it waging war again.
Eastern Europe’s Iron Curtain
A wall of protection
Stalin ignored the
Treaty of Yalta
FDR dies April 12,
1945
Harry Truman now
U.S. president and
resents Soviets
going back on the
Yalta treaty.
- Churchill, Truman and Stalin meet at Potsdam,
Germany – July, 1945
-Stalin refuses to allow free elections
-1946 – Stalin declares that communism and
capitalism cannot exist in the same world.
Result:
-Now Europe is divided between East and West.
-Germany is split into two sections: Soviets
control the eastern part including half of Berlin
Renamed the German Democratic Republic
(although Communist)
-The western zones became the Federal Republic
of Germany (1949)
-“Iron Curtain” coined by Churchill in a speech. It
was an imaginary ‘curtain.’
Containment
Is a policy directed at
blocking Soviet
influence and stopping
the expansion of
communism.
Included: forming
alliances and helping
weak countries resist
Soviet advances.
The Truman Doctrine - 1947
Truman’s support
for countries that
rejected
communism.
Very controversial
– not the business
of the U.S. to
crusade against
communism.
Marshall Plan - 1947
Assistance
program ($12
billion) to provide
aid to needy
European
countries.
Huge success even
for those countries
that broke away
from Soviet
domination.
Berlin Airlift - 1948
France, Britain and
the U.S. decided to
withdraw from
Germany, so that
Germany could
form one nation.
The Soviet Union
held West Berlin
Hostage
The Blockade
Germany was
divided into four
zones; Berlin was
also divided into
four zones.
West Berlin was
denied water, rail
traffic, highway
traffic.
The city faced
starvation.
The gamble: The Soviets believed that the
Allies would give up on unifying Germany.
What happened: the U.S. and Britain flew
food and supplies into West Berlin for 11
months.
May 1949 – the Soviet Union admitted defeat
and lifted the blockade.
The Cold War Divides the World
These conflicts started the Cold War
between the U.S. and Soviet Union.
Definition: is a struggle over political
differences carried on by means short of
military action or war (non violent).
1949 – Super powers start using spying
techniques, propaganda, secret
operations, etc. dealing with each other.
NATO
1949 – 10 western
European nations
joined the U.S. and
Canada
Objective: to form a
defensive military
alliance.
An attack on any
NATO member would
be met with armed
force by all member
nations.
Warsaw Pact - 1955
Soviet Union made
their own alliance.
They saw NATO as
a threat.
Included: E. Germany, Czechoslovakia, Poland,
Hungary, Romania,
Bulgaria, Albania
Berlin Wall - 1961
E. Germans built a wall to
separate East and West
Berlin.
It symbolized a world
divided into rival camps.
12 ft. high, 103 miles
It came down- Nov. 9,
1989
Non-joiners of either
alliance: China and India
***
You Tube:
“Germany Post War Iron
Curtain, The Berlin Wall
1962”
Threat of Nuclear War !!
U.S. had bombs
1949 – Soviet
Union exploded its
own atomic
weapon.
1950-Pres. Truman
authorized work for
a thermonuclear
weapon before the
Soviet Union.
The Hydrogen Bomb
Much more powerful than
the “A” bomb.
Power comes from the
fusion of atoms
“H” bomb = splitting of
atoms
1952 – the U.S. tested the
first H bomb
1953 – Soviets exploded
their own; now they too
have bombs
Brinksmanship (going to the brink or
edge of war)
1953 – Eisenhower becomes President
He appointed anti-Communist John Foster Dulles
as Secty of State.
Dulles stated that if the Soviet Union or its
supporters attacked U.S. interests – the U.S.
would ‘retaliate instantly’ – the U.S. would use
whatever means, whatever place
An arms race started with the U.S. and Soviet
Union stockpiling nuclear weapons
Race to Space
1957 (Aug.)– Soviets
announce the
development of a
rocket that could
travel great distances
(ICBM –
intercontinental
ballistic missile)
Oct. – Sputnik – first
unmanned satellite
above the earth’s
atmosphere
Impact to Americans
Felt that U.S. was
behind in science and
technology
Poured lots of money
into science education
1958 – U.S. launched
its own satellite
**** YouTube:
“Sputkik” 9:38
U-2 Incident
1955 Eisenhower proposed
that the U.S. and Soviet
Union could fly above each
country to prevent surprise
nuclear attacks
Soviet Union – said no!
1960 – CIA developed
high-altitude spy planes
(U-2)
Soviet Union shot one
down, captured the pilot
(Gary Powers). The pilot
was to take photographs of
territory in Russia that had
been previously denied to
the U.S. This incident increased Cold War tensions.
**** You Tube: “Cold War Crisis,
The U-2 Incident” 4:17
Assignment:
Draw a political cartoon depicting the conflicts
(one or more) between the U.S. and Soviet Union
during the Cold War. Use your notes or refer
to pgs. 531 – 536 in your textbook You can
have more than one frame.
**********
-Make sure you label your illustrations so the
reader can make sense of your cartoon.
-Title your cartoon with an original title
-Don’t forget your name!
Due: next class