Post-war diplomatic problem...a new war…a “COLD WAR”
Definition of “cold war”:
“A state of political hostility existing between countries, characterized by threats,
violent propaganda, subversive activities, and other measures short of open
warfare…”
The Cold War
Your task is to answer these two 2-part questions:
1. How and why did the end of World War 2
lead to the development of 2 superpowers and
how did this development help to cause conflict between
them?
2. Why did this conflict develop into a “cold war” between
the US and USSR after World War 2 and which nation started
it?
Timeline:
Pre-existing animosity between the USSR and the US and Great Britain
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1918-1920 – The Russian Civil War – Communists win; USSR created
1920-1933 – USSR isolated from west (world’s democracies)
1927: Joseph Stalin takes power
1928: Stalin advocates “world revolution” (monolithic communism)
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Motive: To expand communism around the world; threatens democracies
1933 – US officially recognized USSR – because of the Fascist threat to world peace
1936-38 - Appeasement of Hitler (Rhineland, Austria, Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia):
Stalin suspicious that Britain and France were encouraging Hitler to invade USSR
1939 – Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact – led to the German invasion of Poland
Soviet occupation of Poland and Baltic states condemned by Britain and France
1941-1945 – The “ALLIES” – an alliance (not of friendship) against a common enemy
WW 2: The US and UK delayed opening western front in Europe
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Stalin believed that US and GB wanted USSR weakened by Germany
• increased his suspicions about US/GB motives
1945 – Yalta and Potsdam conferences revealed the disagreements on many post-war
issues between the West and the USSR (the East), especially Poland and other nations
of Eastern Europe “liberated” by the USSR - and the use of 2 atomic bombs by US.
increased US/GB suspicions about Soviet motives and vice verse…
Historically, the US has always been isolationist during peacetime.
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After WW2, will the US return to isolationism again?
Terms of Peace: Post WW2
• POTSDAM AGREEMENT:
– Partitioned Germany (and Berlin) into 4 zones of occupation (US, UK, France, USSR)
– Nuremberg Trials for Nazi war criminals
– established the United Nations
– Self-determination in Korea and Indochina “at later date”
• YALTA AGREEMENT:
– Military occupation of Germany (US, USSR, GB and France)
– Free elections in Poland and in other liberated nations of Europe
• Allowance for a government in Poland sympathetic to USSR
– secret deal: FDR & Stalin – in return for USSR’s joining war against Japan
– Allowed for Soviet “influence” in Mongolia
– Split Korea at 38th parallel with Soviet (north) and US (south) influence until free elections
– Undid the Treaty of Portsmouth, which ended Russo-Japanese War (1905)
• EXTRAS:
– Indochina was returned to France: WHY? (remember Ho Chi Minh?)
• 2nd time in 25 years they’re denied independence
– Philippines remained a US territory indefinitely: WHY? (against Tydings-McDuffie Act)
– US military occupation of Japan to oversee installation of democracy and capitalism
• Japan retained the Emporer
• US: a HUGE presence in Asia
– In Eastern Europe, Soviet-backed governments emerged without “free elections”
The World Powers After World War 2
Which nations are in a position to lead?
(Which nations aren’t in a position to, but MUST lead?)
• Germany: technically did not exist, no economy, no longer a world power
– A HUGE recovery and rebuilding program was needed
– occupied by US, France, Britain and USSR to achieve recovery and rebuilding
• Japan: technically did not exist; US military occupation meant US domination of Japan
• Great Britain:
– needed to recover and rebuild, not in a position to be a world power after the war
• France:
– Fuggedaboudit
• USSR:
– Invaded by Germany for second time in 27 years, over 20 million killed, economic
infrastructure ruined by Nazis, economy ruined, nation bankrupted, military demobilized,
great need to recover and rebuild, BUT did liberate the Nazi occupied nations of Eastern
Europe. Question about “monolithic communism”.
• USA:
– Aside from Pearl Harbor, no geographic impact of war/no damages, accounted for 50% of
world’s industrial output, accounted for 33% of world’s exports, military presence in Asia
and Europe, had a monopoly on the atomic bomb.
Find the clues…WHY was there a “cold war” between the US and
USSR after World War 2 and which nation started it?
• Political ideologies of US and USSR were “BI-POLAR”
– Soviet Union’s “monolithic communism” promoted the elimination of capitalism
• The USA is the greatest capitalist nation in the world, pursuing a global “open door”
policy
– Soviet Communism promoted rule by a dictatorship in a single party state with no freedom
• The USA is a multi-party democratic nation in which freedom flourishes
• Each believed that the other sought world domination
– US perspective: USSR promoted global Communism and are the motivating force behind
ALL communist movements around the world (“monolithic communism”; Soviets are the
“new Nazis”)
– Soviet perspective: USA promoted global Democracy & capitalism (“monolithic
democracy/capitalism”; Americans are the “new Nazis”)
• REVIEW: Impact of World War Two on both nations (who suffered more?)
– USSR: 23,000,000 killed (14% of population), 1700 cities destroyed, 25,000 small towns
and villages destroyed, economic disaster during the war, liberated Nazi-occupied Eastern
Europe
– USA: 418,000 killed (0.32% of population), NO cities or towns touched by war, experienced
an economic “BOOM” during WW2, achieved Japanese surrender in Asia
• Mutual distrust: Why?
• Each nation sought to offset the influence of the other
– The existence of one nation was a threat to the other
– Both develop PROACTIVE strategies to avoid “direct confrontation”
– This set off a war of ideologies, a “cold war”. But how and why did it develop into one?
Post-World War 2 Goals of the USA and USSR
• US goals (capitalist democracy):
– Continued US prosperity and international stability
• How to achieve their goals:
– political and economic partners in Europe and Asia
– maintain military presence in Europe & Asia
• USSR goals (communist totalitarianism):
– national security and economic recovery & rebuilding
• How to achieve their goals:
– Create a “buffer” to protect USSR from another invasion
– Political and economic partners needed to achieve recovery/rebuilding
• US strategy to achieve their goals?
• Soviet strategy to achieve their goals?
• Goals and requirements to achieve them are in direct conflict with each other.
THE IRON CURTAIN SPEECH
This speech explains Winston Churchill’s perception of the USSR and his perception of the global
role of the US and UK in 1946.
Iron Curtain Speech Summary:
• United States has new status and new duty as a world power.
– To lead the world in peacetime - - - No more isolationism
• Churchill has empathy for the USSR, but…
• USSR has imposed a sphere of influence over Eastern Europe, closing it off from the rest of
Europe; an “Iron Curtain” has physically divided Europe.
– According to Churchill, what are the USSR’s motives for doing this?
• Disunity of Europe, historically, threatens peace.
– USSR is not united with US and GB…USSR threatens peace in Europe
• Mistakes of the past cannot be repeated (World War 1).
– US, GB and United Nations must make Europe peaceful
• USSR is a global threat to “Christian civilization” and democracy.
• USSR has utilized Hitler-like tactics and threatens Asia as well.
– US and GB cannot appease the USSR like Hitler was appeased
• US and GB must proactively become stronger
– to promote freedom and democracy and to counter growing Soviet strength
• Responsibility of the US, GB and the “English-speaking world” (the moral and civilized
center of humanity) to unite in order to prevent war, maintain peace and restore unity in
Europe. The duty is to promote their future security.
• Stalin’s response…get copy from CW folder and list his points…
• Old allies are now new enemies…
• What strategy will each use to deal with the other?
USA ’s Perception of the USSR
(and how to deal with them):
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USSR was ‘expansionist’ (Churchill)
– ‘Monolithic communism’ & Comintern
US diplomat to USSR: George Kennan
‘X Article’/’Long Telegram (July 1947) – George Kennan’s conclusions…
– Soviet government's structure prohibited objective or accurate pictures of internal
and external reality, because…
– Soviet leadership enforced DISCIPLINE
– Soviet leadership was INFALLIBLE
– Conclusion: Russians were brainwashed
– USSR at war with Capitalism
– Soviets believe that capitalism is the antagonist against Soviet Union’s security
– Russians are paranoid, xenophobic, insecure, defensive & fiercly loyal
– USSR will try to disrupt and weaken all rivals in order to defend their interests
– Communism will go where it is unopposed, but will retreat against superior force
(military or otherwise).
STRATGEY to deal with the Soviet ‘reality’: ‘CONTAINMENT’
– allow communism to exist where it exists, but never allow it to spread to other
nations
(domino theory).
USSR ’s Perception of the USA
(and their strategy):
• Stalin: Security of USSR threatened by US/GB
• Nicolai Novikov: Novikov Telegram (9/27/46)
– Concluded that the US (and Britain)…
• were imperialistic; striving for world supremacy
• would use economic imperialism (capitalism) to weaken USSR and spread their
influence
• would use its military to enforce the spread of its influence around the world
• Were conspiring to :
– ruin communism
– control the United Nations
• sought to dislodge Soviet influence in Eastern Europe
• That Truman, unlike FDR, was confrontational, not cooperative; making it
impossible to resolve issues diplomatically
• A US challenge to communism anywhere is a threat to Soviet communism
everywhere.
• STRATEGY: ‘SELF PRESERVATION’
– Preserve Soviet security and support wars of ‘national liberation’ against
capitalism
– NOTE: no mention of monolithic communism
IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS:
Why (and how) did the end of World War 2 (1) lead to the development
of 2 superpowers and (2) how did this development help to cause the
“cold war” between them?