Basic Themes of Chapter 30

1. Basic Themes of Chapter 30 • The Cold War (1945 to 1991) • Polarization of the world into American and Soviet ‘camps’ • Nuclear weapons give the struggle for world dominance a new element • Decolonization • Underdeveloped countries throw of old European masters • New Imperialism dies • Struggle in the 3rd World to build stability and prosperity– not so easy after decades of imperialism • These countries get caught in the middle of the Cold War struggle for Spheres of Influence

2. Basic Themes of Chapter 30 (continued) • For Western Europe, the Cold War had two phases • 1st Phase 1950s and early 1960s • a great economic recovery and remarkable political stability in Western Europe • 2nd Phase late 1960s and early 1970s • Economic progress stagnates damaging social and political unity • Cold War turns to its hottest phase

3. I. Picking Up the Pieces After WWII

4. 1a) Nuremberg War Tribunal • Interesting International Question Here…. • Why was this city chosen?

5. 1b) Zionism • What was the greatest asset of the Zionists in 1946? • What was their greatest obstacle?

6. 1c). Dealing With Defeated Nations Germany

7. Germany and Japan were occupied • Specific breakup of Germany • Japan flag issue Berlin

9. 1d) The United Nations Security Council (Veto Power) China, France, England, USSR, U.S. General Assembly (all members…1 vote each)

10. II. U.S. versus the Soviet Union

12. How did the Two New Super Powers Feel About Each Other??? I don’t trust this commie bastard!! Давай оторвёмся , Yankee! Следи за базаром! “Howdy, Ruski!” Elbe River

13. Why didn’t the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. get along? • Superpowers (+ atomic bomb) • Race for ‘spheres of influence’ around the globe • What does that mean? • Immediate hotspot- Eastern Europe • Anger over WWII- a. Why was Stalin angry? b. Why were the Americans angry? • Historical animosity (the U.S. had tried to put down the Russian Revolution) • Different Political Systems

15. Teheran (1943) , Yalta (early 1945), and Potsdam (mid 1945) … • Keep in mind that the U.S./Soviet alliance in WWII was one of necessity- not friendship • During the war, America and Britain were not in a position of power when negotiating with Stalin • They got to Germany (and especially Berlin) later • The Soviets were making the central sacrifices against Hitler (lives lost) • Stalin ends the war in possession of Eastern Europe • “No General ever gave up at the conference table that which his men have won by blood on the battlefield” • American eagerness to ‘bring the boys home’ at the end of the war and the justification for doing so (atom bomb)

16. Churchill Had Actually Foreseen This Problem • Wanted D-Day to be an attack through the Balkans • FDR (and Stalin) Disagree • Attack into France • FDR’s plan won out • Ramifications? • Divided Europe East-West

17. III. Increasing Tension

18. Stalin Refused to give up Eastern Europe. [Can you think of a country in this orange area whose failure to get its freedom at the end of the war is a great irony- at least from the perspective of England and France?]

19. Stalin’s Attempts to Institute Friendly Regimes in Eastern Europe Were Particularly Brutal in One Country • Can you guess? • Czechoslovakia • Why so brutal there? ?

20. The IronCurtain 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

23. American Anti-Isolationism • Britain has abandoned its role as global policeman (too beaten up by the war) • U.S. steps in • U.S. will increasingly become an imperialist-type power • Example • In the 1950s, when France can no longer afford to fight to retain Vietnam against guerrilla forces aligned with the Soviets, the U.S. steps in to take France’s place

24. Were American fears of Communism justified? • Yes…? • There were growing communist parties in western Europe • Soviet Union had a shiny glow for many after defeating Hitler • Communism advocates worldwide revolution • Communism seeks to take away private property • Wealthy in Europe and the U.S. threatened • The Soviet Union is a surviving Totalitarian state, which means • Censorship, propaganda, secret police, etc. • Soviets get the A-Bomb in 1949 • After Yugoslavia bucked becoming a Stalinist puppet, Stalin cracked down and forced very strict discipline on other Communist govs • No…? • Soviets had been CRUSHED in WWII • Economy is MUCH weaker than the United States’ • Heavy industry versus overall economy? • Much of the ‘aggressive’ action of the Soviet Union can be traced to their paranoia after having been invaded time and again by other nations

25. IV. First Clashes

26. The Truman Doctrine • Containment of Communism!!! • A Response to Stalin’s Efforts to Pull Turkey, Iran, and Greece into the Soviet ‘orbit’

27. The Marshall Plan American money to rebuild Europe after WWII. Purely altruistic? Or…?

28. Why give $$$ to Europe? • Lessons learned after Treaty of Versailles • Convince countries to join America’s ‘Sphere of Influence’ • “Democratic Capitalism is the way to go!”

29. Stalin saw ‘Containment’ as ‘Encirclement’ Damn you, Truman. You are really pissing me off!!! Hee, hee, hee, hee, hee, hee, hee, hee…

30. Berlin Blockade & Airlift (1948-49) • Stalin Figured ‘if you are going to contain me, I’ll contain you!’ • closed the roads into West Berlin • Another reason for the Berlin blockade • West Berlin presented a problem for Totalitarian style gov. in Eastern Europe • Do you see why?

31. The ‘Berlin Airlift’ Broke Stalin’s Blockade • As tensions rose, NATO was formed. The Warsaw Pact was formed in response. • 1 plane per minute, 24 hours a day, for 9 months… • In the end, Stalin removed his blockade… the Western Allies could fly to Berlin… • To understand why Stalin gave in, keep in mind that there is a battle in progress for the hearts and minds of the decolonizing nations • Any bad press hurts • Trying to blockade and having these efforts fail is humiliating • Berlin will remain a flashpoint • Threatens Stalin’s Totalitarian control. Why? How?

34. Western Bloc= NATOEastern Bloc= Warsaw Pact

35. Race for ‘Spheres of Influence’ outside of Europe

36. So why is it called a “Cold War?” • Brinksmanship • Moving towards war between the U.S. and Soviet War (without going across the ‘brink’) in an attempt to make the other guy ‘blink’ • Berlin Airlift • Cuban Missile Crisis • Proxy Wars • Indirect fights between the superpowers through third countries • Korea • Vietnam • Afghanistan • Many, many other smaller ones • Arms Race • Flex your muscles/weapons without having to use them • ICBMs • Spies, etc. • Keep one step ahead of the enemy

37. Slightly More Formal Definition of the Cold War An attempt by the Soviet Union and the United States to spread their respective economic, political, and social models to the rest of the globe without resorting to direct nuclear conflict.

38. The Importance of 1949 • Soviets conducted a successful test of the atom bomb • Rosenbergs • China ‘falls’ to Communism • Mao Zedong • Failure of the Truman Doctrine • America becomes determined to put ‘teeth’ into its defenses • Red Scare in America