BELLWORK
1. How was the Cold War different than previous wars?
2. Explain the strategies used to “fight” the Cold War.
3. Describe the main economic and political difference between the
West and the USSR. Why would these differences be a threat to
one another?
4. What is Stalinism? How is it different than traditional Marxism?
5. In 6 words or less, explain why the US and USSR emerged as
superpowers after WWII.
6. THINKER: Many people perceived the US and USSR as “inevitable
enemies.” To what extent do you agree with this? What about
those two countries made conflict “inevitable?”
How was the Cold War different than previous wars?
• A conflict of ideas without actual
battlefields or armies facing off
• Political, strategic, economic,
and ideological conflicts
• War of ideologies: Capitalist
Democracy vs. Communist oneparty state
• Struggle that contained everything
short of war
• Competing social and economic
ideologies
Wars: HOT vs. COLD
• HOT war- actual fighting between
two forces.
• COLD war- still a conflict but more
of ideas than actual battles. Fighting
still occurs but not between the two
major enemies.
Explain the strategies used to “fight” the Cold War.
Conflict
Democratic Support
Communist Support
Conflict
Democratic Support
Communist Support
Greek Civil War
(1946-49)
US & UK
USSR &
Yugoslavia
Congo Crisis
(1960-65)
US & UK
USSR
Arab-Israeli
Conflict (1948present)
US & UK
Israel
USSR,
Afghanistan,
Palestine, Syria
Indo-Pakistani
War of 1971
US & UK
Israel
USSR
Korean War
(1950-53)
US, UK, UN, South
Korea
USSR, China,
North Korea
Angolan Civil War
(1974-2002)
US
USSR
Cuban Revolution
(1953-59)
US
USSR & Cuba
Afghan-Soviet
War (1979-1989)
US & UK
USSR
Laotian Civil War
(1953-57)
US
USSR & China
Iran-Iraq War
(1980-88)
US
USSR
Nicaraguan Civil
War (1979-1990)
US
USSR
Vietnam War
(1957-1975)
US, South
Vietnam, UN
USSR, China,
North Vietnam
Guatemalan Civil
War (1960-1996)
US
USSR
What is a proxy war?
Six major strategies were used by both
sides:
•1.
•2.
•3.
•4.
•5.
•6.
1.
Brinkmanship,
Espionage,
Foreign aid,
Alliances,
Propaganda,
Surrogate wars.
3.
2.
4.
6.
5.
Describe the main
economic and
political
difference
between the
West and the
USSR. Why would
these differences
be a threat to one
another?
• United States
Development
of the Cold
War
– U.S. thought that Soviet expansion would continue and spread throughout the
world. (“Domino Theory”)
– They saw the Soviet Union as a threat to their way of life; especially after the
Soviet Union gained control of Eastern Europe
• Soviet Union
– They felt that they had won World War II. They had sacrificed the most (25
million vs. 300,000 total dead) and deserved the “spoils of war.” They had lost
land after WWI because they left the winning side; now they wanted to gain
land because they had won.
– They wanted to economically raid Eastern Europe to recoup their expenses
during the war.
– They saw the U.S. as a threat to their way of life
What is Stalinism?
• How is Stalinism different than
Marxism?
• 1929-1953
• Collectivization
• Five Year Plans
• Great Purges
• Establishment of Gulags
• How did the Soviet victory over
Germany affect Stalin’s power?
Why did the US and USSR emerge as
superpowers after 1945?
• Military Reasons
– To defeat Germany, US became #1 air
power & USSR became #1 land force
– France & Britain could not defeat
Germany
– USSR lacked strong neighbors =
regional power
• Economic Reasons
– US economy strengthened by war
– US was committed to open trade
– Eastern European nations needed a
dependable larger power
• Political Reasons
– Democracy triumphed over
fascism
– Communism triumphed over
fascism
– USSR resisted Germany
– Stalin’s influence in Europe
– USSR’s strength prevented
instability in the region
Many people perceived the US and USSR as “inevitable
enemies.” To what extent do you agree with this? What
about those two countries made conflict “inevitable?”
HOMEWORK
• Now that you know about the origins of
hostilities between the US and USSR, you are
going to read about the steps that led to the
division.
• Step One: Wartime Conferences – Tehran,
Yalta & Potsdam
• Read pgs. 9-18 tonight!!!!