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Part 1 1945-1963. Confrontation. In 1945, in San Francisco the United Nations was formed. The Ideological Struggle. Soviet & Eastern Bloc Nations [“Iron Curtain”]. US & the Western Democracies. GOAL spread world-wide Communism.
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The Ideological Struggle Soviet & Eastern Bloc Nations[“Iron Curtain”] US & the Western Democracies GOAL spread world-wide Communism GOAL“Containment” of Communism & the eventual collapse of the Communist world.[George Kennan] METHODOLOGIES: • Espionage [KGB vs. CIA] • Arms Race [nuclear escalation] • Ideological Competition for the minds and hearts of Third World peoples [Communist govt. & command economy vs. democratic govt. & capitalist economy] “proxy wars” • Bi-Polarization of Europe [NATO vs. Warsaw Pact]
Why does each side mistrustthe other? USSR doesn’t trust the U.S. because… US cut off lend-lease aid in 1945 Spent millions of lives in WW2 US avoided opening 2nd front in Western Europe to aid them Claimed US and Britain had “frozen out” Soviets when developing atomic weapons • U.S. doesn’t trust the Soviets because… • Stalin’s purging campaigns… will he do the same to Eastern Europe? • Broken promises by Stalin • USSR did not ensure free elections in Poland • USSR did not Allow for self-determination in Eastern Europe • USSR would not remove troops from Iran • Soviet Union developing atomic weapons (how?)
COLD WAR • 1945 delegates from 45 countries met form the United Nations • The five great powers – United States, Soviet Union, Great Britain, France, and China were permanent members of the Security Council with the right to veto • The UN was intended to promote international cooperation • In 1945 Russia controlled much of Eastern Europe • Stalin’s aim was to protect Russia’s western border with communist allies – Poland, Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria
The “Iron Curtain” From Stettin in the Balkans, to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lies the ancient capitals of Central and Eastern Europe.-- Sir Winston Churchill, 1946
An “iron curtain” separated Eastern Europe from Western Europe—and iron curtain of Soviet controlled countries.
The Truman Doctrine 1947 • Truman’s doctrine: The U.S. should support free peoples throughout the world who were resisting takeovers by armed minorities or outside pressures… • We agree to give money and aid to any country resisting communism • The U.S. gave Greece & Turkey $400 million in aid
The concentration camps were opened…and the terrible sights were beyond comprehension…
Marshall Plan [1948] “European Recovery Program.” Secretary of State, George Marshall The U. S. should provide aid to all European nations that need it. This move is not against any country or doctrine, but against hunger, poverty, desperation, and chaos. $12.5 billion of US aid to Western Europe extended to Eastern Europe & USSR, [but this was rejected].
Soviet Response • Felt Germany should be punished for WWII • Strips East Germany of its industry (for punishment and “protection”) • Orders the Soviet Army to block all Aid to Berlin in an attempt to push out the Americans
Remember, the Soviet Union had lost 25 million of its citizens and soldiers, so they felt they deserved a large “share” of Eastern Europe.
In 1948, the Berlin Blockade begins…when the Western Zone refuses to dismantle factories and other infrastructure and send to the Soviet Union for reparations and institutes the Marshal Plan
Berlin Airlift • In response the U.S. and Britain begin to airlift supplies to the Berliners
Children hope for chocolates during Berlin Airlift Three air corridors used by the Allies during airlift Waiting in Line for Takeoff
Marshall Plan Propaganda Who is sending money to the European countries?
Communism remains a threat, but the Marshall plan helps to re-build Europe.
1947 Truman gets $400m to aid Turkey and Greece – to support free people • 1947 George Marshall proposed an economic packet to help war-torn Europe • The soviets refused to participate • 1948 a communist-backed coup in Czechoslovakia persuaded the Americans that they had to stop the spread of communism • The European Recovery Program (Marshall Plan) provided $13b in aid
Eisenhower continued the Truman Doctrine • 1953 Stalin died • Khrushchev became the leader and promised “peaceful coexistence” • West Germany became part of NATO in 1955 • 1955 the soviets established the Warsaw Pact • 1958 Khrushchev demanded that the west accept the neutralization of West Berlin or they would sign their rights to East Berlin to East Germany • The western powers did nothing and the deadline passed
Important Soviet Slogans • Khrushchev– “Peaceful Co-existence We must learn to work together to save the world for our grandchildren. It is this theme that lead Polish and Hungarian peoples to look for liberalization of economic and intellectual opportunity.
Khrushchev & Solzhenitsyn • Khrushchev’s beginning was to discredit Stalin (de-Stalinization Program) He thus encouraged Russian writer Alex. Solzhenitsyn who wrote One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (1962). This book portrayed the horrors of life in a soviet prison camp. • (NK was removed in 1964) by 1970 the soviet hard liners saw works like this as an affront to the soviet system the author in sent to prison.
Fighting for Protection • NATO • Policy of collective security • 12 Original Member Nations • Western Europe: USA • Warsaw Pact • Policy of collective security • Eastern Europe: USSR
Red: Soviet Controlled, Warsaw Pact Blue: NATO Countries, Lighter Blue Later Joined NATO Albania: withdrew from Warsaw Pact 1968
Great Britain was a declining power…rationing continued long after the end of the war…
In Britain, coal and steel were nationalized. This would have a long term detrimental effect on Britain’s economy.
Charles de Gaulle came back to lead France—after the role of President (the executive) was strengthened.
France entered it Fifth Republic from 1958 to the present day.
China • In 1949 the Communists win the Chinese Civil War (150 million dead) • Mao Zedong (Tse Tung) becomes to Communist leader of China and pursues the “great leap forward” its goal is to modernize China • It results in another 100 million deaths • This is seen as a defeat for America who had supported Nationalist China under Chang Ky Shek • “Nationalist China” is now Taiwan • Most of Asia is communist
Berlin Crisis • Many East Berliners were escaping to the West • In response in 1961 Khrushchev created the Berlin Wall, which was a manned barrier to prevent East Berliners from fleeing to the West • Kennedy will oppose it and will travel to Berlin in order to show that he was with them • In the end the wall will remain and be re-enforced • Also in 1961 Kennedy tries to invade Cuba which leads to the Bay of Pigs fiasco, this moves Cuba closer to Moscow
Oct 15 – Oct 28 the Scariest Days in Human History • Cuban Missile crises began on Oct 15 1962 when a U-2 spy plane found Soviet nuclear missiles in communist Cuba • The U.S. will respond by “quarantining” the island from Soviet ships • Both countries will put their militaries on alert while a Soviet ship approached the Cuba, at the last minute it will turn back and the Soviets agreed to remove the missiles • What people did not know was that Kennedy and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev had agreed that the U.S. would pull missiles out of Turkey and assure that America would not invade Cuba • Neither side wanted war due to the policy of mutually assured destruction
The ideas of containment and brinkmanship and mutually assured destruction were part of the cold war vocabulary.