The Cold War

1. The Cold War

2. What was the Cold War? • Period of tension (1945-1991) involving primarily the two superpowers (United States and Soviet Union) following W.W.II • No Direct Conflict between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. (otherwise W.W.III) • Proxy wars fought instead (substitute nations/groups for either U.S. or U.S.S.R.)

3. Why does the Cold War Begin? • Competing Ideologies (Main Factor) • Other reasons • Nazi-Soviet Pact • D-Day not until mid-1944 • Stalin ignores Yalta Conference (Free Elections not allowed in E. European states) • Only Two Super Powers (Arms Racing) • The Cold War and the Spread of Communism • http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/communis.htm • http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/coldwar1.htm

4. East vs. West • Communist Bloc • Eastern Europe (Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Hungary, and Bulgaria) • Iron Curtain (Churchill) • Why name “Iron Curtain” • Communication divide(censorship) btn. West and East • How did Soviets obtain these areas? • Nazi retreat • Justification for no “free” elections? • Buffer States – barrier btn. Soviet Union and Western Europe

5. East v. West (Cont) • Result? • Societies develop differently • West = free East = closed (people oppressed) • (Economically) West = prosperity East = stagnant development • Why? • Market vs. Command (Incentive???)

6. U.S. Reaction to Soviet (communist) threat • The Origins of the Containment Policy • Truman Doctrine • Attempt to block Soviet influence and stop the spread of communism by supporting nations that reject communism. • Controversial Why? • Some leaders are brutal dictators • Should we be supporting them??? • The enemy of my enemy is my friend?

7. Other U.S. Policies/Actions • The Marshall Plan • Provides food, machinery, and other materials to rebuild W. Europe • proposed to E. Europe too but rejected. Why? • Soviets do not allow them to accept it (Western influence) • Berlin blockaded by Soviets • Why? • Starve them into submission • What saves West Berlin? • Berlin Airlift(1948-49) • U.S. and Britain flew food and supplies into West Berlin • Results – West Berlin remains free • GDR (East Germany) and FGR (West Germany) created

8. Superpowers Form Rival Alliances • NATO: (1949) • North Atlantic Treaty Organization • U.S., Canada and 10 W. European states (Belgium, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, U.K.) • Purpose? • Defend Europe against USSR and spread of communism (mutual defense alliance) • Warsaw Pact: (1955) • U.S.S.R., E. Germany, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Albania • Purpose? • Western threat (West Germany joins NATO)

9. NATO and Warsaw Pact Today • Warsaw Pact disbands in 1991 • Why? • Break-up of former Soviet Union • NATO (Modern States) • New Purpose – • Difficult to define since the breakup of the Soviet Union and decline of communism • Common defense of NATO nations against various threats (terrorism/WMD’s/piracy/cyber-attacks/civil wars???) • Secure democracy

10. Threat of Nuclear War • 1949 Soviets test their own atomic bomb • Technology escalates • H-bomb (Nuclear Fusion) • Missile technology • Sputnik • Sets off “Space Race” • NASA – funded by Department of Defense • Domino Theory • Brinkmanship

11. Post WWII Soviet Union

12. Post WWII Soviet Union Cont. • Totalitarian Government • Shares many features with Nazi Germany • Cult of personality (Stalin – intense propaganda) • Absolute obedience to the state • Police state (mass censorship and violation of other civil liberties) • Purges and other mass killings (brutal regime) • Est. range from 100,000’s to tens of millions (40 million) • Economics - Command economics (collectivization) • 5 Year Plans • Workers given small rewards at times but punished if considered lazy • Gulags (labor camps in Siberia) many civilians worked to death - Ultimate result = Citizens suffer heavily under Stalin’s Regime

13. Chinese Communist Revolution

14. Origins of the Revolution • Chinese Communist Party (CCP) established by young radicals in Shanghai (1921) • At first welcomed by Sun Yat-sen’s Nationalists **Unified against Imperialist nations** • Chiang Kai-shek takes over for Sun Yat-sen(d) in 1925 • Shanghai Massacre (1927) • Thousands killed by Chiang’s forces • Republic est. in Nanjing (1928) - Communist leaders go into hiding • Mao Zedong becomes important leader for CCP • Believes peasants will lead revolution opposed to urban workers • Nationalists (aka. Kuomintang or KMT) attacked CCP forces • The Long March • People’s Liberation Army (PLA) broke through Nationalist lines • Only 9,000 out of 90,000 survive but provides hope for future

15. Chinese Civil War (1945-1949) • Chiang’s government oppressive and very unpopular (especially to China’s rural population) • Supposed to be moving toward republican form of government (struggle to do so) • During Japanese occupation (W.W.II) KMT and CCP had united against common threat - Japanese • Once war is over however (1945) civil war breaks out between Nationalist and Communist forces • PLA defeats Nationalist forces by 1949 • Chiang and followers flee to Taiwan

16. Aftermath of Civil War • People’s Republic of China (PRC) established under Chairman Mao and Communist party • Had promised peasants land reform for their support • 1955 begin building a socialist society - private land collectively owned/most industry and commerce nationalized • Hoping food production increases (doesn’t happen) • Great Leap Forward (1958) • Radical plan intended to speed up economic growth reach final stage of communism (elimination of all social classes) • Collective farms combined into Communes (30,000+ workers) • Ends up being a disaster (approximately 15-20 million people die) Why? • Destroys incentive – people hated communal living (drought/famine also contribute to problems) • Cultural Revolution (1966) • Red Guards (army made up of China’s youth) carry out brutal attacks on intellectuals, artists, and pro-Westerners and anyone else who represented “old ways” or ideas contrary to the regime. • Heroes of the Revolution – the peasants (work with their hands)

17. Korean War

18. Korean War (1950-1953) • Proxy War? • A conflict between third parties fighting on behalf of more powerful parties (Soviets and Americans) • Why does it begin? • Two Koreas – post W.W.II • North Korea (occupied by Soviets/USSR) • South Korea (occupied by U.S.) • North attempts to install communist regime in South Korea • Result? • U.N. sponsors invasion led by U.S. (90% of troops) • Other major nations involved • North - China (directly) and USSR (indirectly) • South – numerous other nations join coalition forces • Ends in a stalemate between two sides at 38th parallel • Armistice (longest cease fire in history) • Tension/instability along border DMZ

19. Vietnam War

20. Vietnam Conflict??? • Origins of conflict? • French colony (Indochina) – est. late 1800’s (1887) • Rebellion against French occupation and pro-West gov’t • French unable to control situation • Surrender Indochina in May 1954 • Civil War breaks out between the North and South • North Vietnam taken over by communist (Ho Chi Minh) • NLF (National Liberation Front) or VC (Vietcong) leading communist rebellion in South Vietnam • Why does the U.S. intervene? • Stop the spread of Communism (Truman Doctrine) • Domino Theory – deeply concerned that it would spread • Began sending advisors to Vietnam as early as 1959 • Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (2 U.S. ships attacked in 1963)

21. Results of Vietnam War • Tet Offensive (1968) • US Turned back VC offensive but hurt American resolve at home • protest movement intensifies – Johnson does not run again • U.S. forces begin pulling out in 1973 (defeated) • Fall of Saigon (1975) • North takes over rest of country (spreads communism) • Modern day situation – communist??? • Not as much as it had been but still referred to as communist • Have enacted a number of market reforms since mid 1980’s (still considering more) • Economy has improved dramatically (rice output much greater over past 30 years)

22. Soviet Invasion in Afghanistan

23. Soviet Invasion in Afghanistan • Soviet Invasion 1979 • Prompted by call for aid from pro-Soviet government People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) • PDPA institutes a socialist regime that is hostile to various factions including assaults on Islamists • mujahedeen (“strugglers” “people doing jihad”) opposes PDPA government and Soviets using largely guerrilla tactics • War does not go well for mujahedeen early on until U.S. intervention • Financial aid, advisors, and weaponry introduced in Afghanistan • Stinger Missiles have huge impact on Soviet air power • Soviets begin withdrawing troops in May 1988 (completed in 1989)

24. Results of Soviet invasion • Soviet Union • Often referred to as USSR’s Vietnam • Helps lead to financial collapse and eventual break-up of the Soviet Union • Afghanistan • PDPA government ousted • Civil war ensues between various factions (Taliban) local warlords • Radical fundamentalists Islamists • United States • We end funding to Afghanistan after war • Afghanistan provides safe haven for al Qaeda • 9/11 – Why?

25. The Fall of the Soviet Union/Decline of Communism • Soviet Union created in 1922 following Bolshevik Revolution • Member Republics: • 1Russia, 2Ukraine, 3Belarus, 4Uzbekistan, 5Kazakhstan, 6Georgia, 7Azerbaijan, 8Lithuania, 9Moldova, 10Latvia, 11Kyrgystan, 12Tajikistan, 13Armenia, 14Turkmenistan, and 15Estonia

26. The Fall of the Soviet Union/Decline of Communism (Cont.) • Economic issues • Military spending • Missiles in response to U.S. (SDI) • Afghanistan • Overall effects of command economy • Gorbachev becomes leader in 1985 • Institutes reforms: • perestroika – (restructuring) economic reforms that allowed limited free market • glasnost – (openness) political reforms eased restrictions on freedom of speech, etc... • Soviet Republics begin to request independence (nationalist movements) • Soviet Union dissolves (1991)

27. The Fall of the Soviet Union/Decline of Communism (Cont.) • Eastern European states begin to fight against Soviet control • Poland – Solidarity (1988 free elections) • Berlin Wall is torn down in 1989 • Germany reunified in 1990 • Other Eastern European states free from Soviet control as well • End of the Cold War??? • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtonKfWw2JY