Post-World War II Europe: Split, Tensions, and the Cold War

2. How was Europe divided up after World War II?

3. Why split Europe in two? • Ideological divide – centred on the way nations should be run

4. Suspicions between democracies and communist countries • USSR and its communist influence • Under Stalin, USSR became more industrialised and the nearest thing to an autarky • Began to try to influence other countries to become communists • Communist parties in many nations campaigning for a revolution • The West feared a worldwide communist revolution

5. Suspicions between democracies and communist countries • Talks and meetings held to promote peaceful co-existence between the two sides • Outcome: • a verbal acceptance of the idea of co-existence between the two systems • Vague acceptance that Eastern European states (buffers between USSR and West) would be able to hold elections • West wanted democratic elections • USSR wanted communist governments elected

6. Suspicions between democracies and communist countries

7. How to keep the whole world peaceful? • The United Nations Organisation • Set up in 1945 to maintain world peace • Set up in hope that it will not repeat mistakes of the League • Joined by nations from both sides of the war • Problems • Getting members to agree • Gave five permanent members (including USA and USSR) right of veto  the two seldom agreed • Successes • Most successful in areas of the economy and health

8. What happened after the war? Iron curtain • Boundary which ideologically and physically divided Europe into two separate areas (communism vs democracy) from the end of WWII

9. The division of Germany • Potsdam Declaration divided Germany into four zones controlled by: • USA • USSR • Britain • France • Aim was to work towards reunifying the country as soon as possible

10. The return of distrust • Rapidly escalating feeling of distrust between the two ideologies • Each suspected the other of wanting the whole world to accept their ideology • Britain and USA had not told USSR about the atomic bomb – did not want to share the technology with a communist country • End of war brought new arms race to build nuclear weapons

11. What was the Cold War? • Cold War • A war where two sides fought to win other nations to their side with ‘weapons’ such as propaganda, political pressure and economic aid • A real fear that such a war might turn ‘hot’ • Baruch Plan: drawn up in the hopes of limiting the extent of damage such a war could cause

12. The Baruch Plan

13. How did economic recovery begin?

14. The US debates • To aid or not to aid? • US Senate reluctant to give aid to Europe • Truman pointed out that US support was needed to prevent spread of communism • Containment: idea that communism should be prevented from spreading; only be allowed to exist in the places that are already communist • Countries had to choose: democracy or communism? • Truman’s arguments worked as the US Senate was fearful of communism

15. The Marshall Plan and communist countries • The Marshall Plan was devised to help Europe • $13 billion in aid was given out to European countries

16. The Marshall Plan and communist countries • USA asked USSR to join as an aid-giver • USSR refused as it had suffered heavy losses in the war • Told all its satellite states in the Eastern bloc not to take any aid • As a result, these countries suffered • USSR had to manage its own recovery before it could help its satellites • COMECON (1949) set up to counterbalance Marshall Plan • Aim: to exchange economic experiences and render mutual assistance • Intended to tie USSR and its satellites together more tightly

17. Preparing for war? • Nuclear arms race began • USSR producing atomic bombs • USA began setting up bases in Western bloc countries near USSR, assuring everyone these were defensive precautions • USSR not convinced  began arms build up

18. What impact did the Communist victory in China have on the Cold War?

19. What impact did the Communist victory in China have on the Cold War? • CCP and KMT united to fight the Japanese • West sent aid to KMT, the ‘official’ government • As soon as World War II ended, civil war began in China • CCP kept gaining ground • CCP won the war in 1949

20. Reasons for Communist victory

21. Feelings between the CCP and the West • The West had to decide whether to accept CCP as the ‘official’ government, or to treat them as rebels

22. Feelings between the CCP and the West • China’s feelings towards the West, as given in a speech in June 1949 by Mao

23. The PRC and the USSR • Mao favoured an alliance with USSR • Treaty of Friendship signed in February 1950 • USSR offered technical assistance to China in industry and other areas where USSR had greater scientific expertise • China entered Korean War in 1950 supporting North Korea and USSR • However, both sides had different approaches to communism within their countries and the spread of communism worldwide • After the death of Stalin, this became a bigger problem

24. A shift of focus: The Cold War in the Asia Pacific • Creation of the PRC shifted the Cold War focus towards Asia Pacific • US worried about two communist countries with a Pacific coastline • USA wanted control in Asia Pacific

25. The Korean and Vietnam wars • Shift of focus in Cold War led to fighting in Korea and Vietnam • China became involved in these wars • Mao believed China should help people to fight to free themselves from their imperialist past

26. The Korean and Vietnam wars • China’s diplomatic choices were often driven by ideology and a pragmatic view of what was best for China at the time

27. What led to the Korean War and what impact did it have on the Cold War?

28. What led to the Korean War and what impact did it have on the Cold War? • Korea: a Japanese colony from 1910 until end of World War II • When Japan surrendered, it surrendered to the USSR in the north and USA in the south • Hence, Korea became divided

29. What led to the Korean War and what impact did it have on the Cold War? • Koreans wanted a united Korea • But, USSR and USA both wanted to make sure their part of Korea would not be absorbed by the other side • Passed on their ideologies to their part of Korea • Korea became a symbol of their presence in Asia Pacific • August 1948: North Korea became a communist country • September 1948: South Korea elected a democratic government

30. The Korean War begins • June 1950: North Korean army invaded South Korean • UN agreed to assist South Korea • China entered the war in October 1950

31. What effect did the Korean War have on the Cold War? • Over two million civilians died • Millions more made homeless • Showed the potential of the Cold War becoming a war involving nuclear weapons • USA changed its views on its involvement in Southeast Asia • Sent US troops to fight in Vietnam just as they had done for the Korean War

32. What effect did the Korean War have on the Cold War?

33. What led to the Cuban Missile Crisis and what impact did it have on the Cold War?

34. What led to the Cuban Missile Crisis and what impact did it have on the Cold War? • Cuba: an island in the Atlantic close to USA • Much of the land and businesses were owned by Americans • Government was corrupt • Most Cubans poor • Fidel Castro overthrew the government and took over • As his ideas were close to communism, relations between Cuba and the USA worsened

35. Worsening relations between Cuba and USA • Worsening relations between Cuba and USA • Cuba developed into a Cold War hotspot

36. The Bay of Pigs incident • A US-backed invasion: • Carried out by Cuban exiles who wanted to overthrow Fidel Castro • Failed terribly • Most governments knew that the CIA had planned the invasion, despite denial of US involvement • Castro used this invasion as a reason for importing weapons from USSR to defend his government from further invasion

37. The Crisis • In 1962, a US spy plane flew over Cuba, discovering missiles on the island • The missiles were intended to carry nuclear warheads • This meant USSR had the capacity to launch nuclear missiles from Cuba  dangerous to USA

38. US concerns

39. What happened next?

40. What effect did the Crisis have on the Cold War? • Showed a real possibility of nuclear war • Peaceful co-existence became a very attractive option • Communication between both sides • Both sides forced to communicate during the Crisis • Agreed to set up direct phone link between Moscow and Washington “People no longer thought world war between the USSR and the USA was inevitable. In 1963 we set up the Moscow/Washington hot-line; we agreed to explore space together, and to ban the use of mass weapons of destruction from outspace… Most importantly, we took the first step toward arms control in the nuclear age, which was the limited nuclear test ban treaty…”

41. Summary