Download Cold War rivalry – 1950s

How did developments during the
1950s increase Cold War rivalry?
Learning objective – to be able to chart
the rising rivalry between East and West
during the 1950s.
I can describe the key
developments of the
Cold War in the
1950s.
Grade D
I can explain the
significance of
developments in
Cold War during
1950s.
Grade B
key
key
the
the
I can evaluate
impact of the
developments of
Cold War during
1950s.
Grade A
the
key
the
the
Starter – what do you think this object
is?
Answer – Sputnik – the first space
satellite.
The Formation of NATO - 1949
Why?
 Berlin Crisis highlighted USA commitment to
Containment in Europe.
 Berlin Crisis highlighted the Soviet threat to
western Europe and the need for western
countries to act together.
What?
 NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organisation was
formed in May 1949.
 It was an alliance between the USA and most
western European countries.
 A mutually defensive pact to defend countries
against attack from a Communist threat.
Significant?
 First military alliance to defend itself against
Communism.
The Formation of Warsaw Pact 1955
Why?
 USSR felt it needed to respond to the NATO
alliance. They saw NATO as an ‘aggressive
alliance’.
 USSR saw West Germany’s membership to
NATO from 1955 as very provocative.
What?
 The Warsaw Pact was a military alliance of
Eastern European countries led by the USSR
which mirrored NATO.
 Formed in 1955 and a mutually defensive
agreement.
Significant?
 Further brought Eastern Europe under USSR
control.
The Arms Race from 1949 to 1960
Why?
 USSR developed its own nuclear bomb in 1949 in
response to USA, who had the bomb since 1945.
What?
 Arms Race became a competition for each side to have
the most destructive nuclear weapons.
 By 1953, both sides had the more powerful hydrogen
bomb.
 In the 1950s, both sides were developing aircraft that
could fly higher and longer the deliver nuclear weapons.
 By the end of the 1950s, both sides worked towards
MAD – Mutually Assured Destruction – as their nuclear
strategy.
Significant?
 The potential for nuclear retaliation prevented either
side from waging direct conflict. For example, USSR
resisted marching into West Germany for fear of nuclear
attack.
The Space Race in the 1950s
Why?
 Developing space technology was an important
piece of propaganda for both sides.
What?
 The 1950s saw the USSR race ahead in the space
race.
 In 1957, the USSR launched the first space
satellite – Sputnik.
 Soon after Sputnik, USSR were able to send dogs
in space in specially designed rockets.
 In 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first man to be
sent to space. He became a world hero.
Significant?
 Cold War rivalry was heightened with the USA
making greater commitments to developing space
technology as they first put a man on the moon in
1969.
The Korean War – 1950-3
Why?
 Korean peninsula had been divided since
1948 and no agreement could be made
about reunification.
What?
 The North Korean forces supported by the
USSR and China invaded the South in 1950.
 USA saw no option but to support South
Korean forces to resist the invasion.
 A stalemate ensured with a ceasefire
declared in 1953 and North and South
Korean existing as separate countries.
Significant?
 The first Cold War war showed USA
commitment to global containment.
Stalin’s death – 1953
Why?
 Stalin, old and ill, died from a stroke in March
1953.
What?
 Because of his hold on power, Stalin had left no
clear successor, so there was no immediate
change of Soviet policy.
 Instead there was two years of internal fighting
between factions on who would gain leadership.
 Eventually, Nikita Khrushchev, in 1956, emerged
as USSR President.
Significant?
 Khrushchev was more liberal than Stalin and
denounced his policies campaigning for a
‘peaceful coexistence’ with the West.
Task
Rearrange the six Cold War developments below into a
pyramid of significance, with the most significant at the top.
Then write a sentence on each to say how they contributed
to the Cold War rivalry during the 1950s.
Development of
NATO
Development of The Arms Race of
the Warsaw Pact
the 1950s
The Space Race
of the 1950s
The Korean War
- 1950-53
Stalin’s death 1953
Plenary
These collection of images all
relate to the increasing
rivalry in the Cold War during
the 1950s. Can you identify
who or what is in the
pictures and write how each
picture related to the central
question of explaining the
Cold War during the 1950s.