Download The Cold War

The Cold War
How did WWII
lead to the
Cold War?
COLD WAR
Ideological and political struggle for
global power and domination
between the Communist, Soviet
Union and Free-market, Democracy
of the United States
YALTA CONFERENCE
Agreement that shaped international affairs
for the future
“Big Three”: Roosevelt (US), Churchill
(Britain) and Stalin (USSR)
Discussed plans for post-war world
Created world peacekeeping organization,
United Nations (UN)
Called for free elections and democratic
govts. in liberated nations
Stalin refused to honor Poland (crucial
buffer between W. Europe & USSR)
POTSDAM CONFERENCE
Truman replaced Roosevelt
Germany and Austria were divided into
4 occupied zones
Berlin was divided into four zones (US,
British, French & Soviets)
England & US want to rebuild post-war
Europe; Soviets want to strip “Eastern
Block” Countries
They also hoped to prevent Germany
from starting another war.
ALLIES BECOME ENEMIES
US and USSR stood alone as super powers
Conflict due to political & economic differences
US: spread capitalism & democracy
USSR: spread communism & create satellite states
Satellite states: country that is independent but is actually
controlled by another country
Focused on central and eastern Europe  Germany
“Iron Curtain”: a imaginary separation between Communist,
Eastern Europe (USSR) from Capitalist, Western Europe
Struggle for global dominance began
USSR vs U.S.
USSR
U.S.
US & the
Soviet & Eastern
Western Democracies
Bloc Nations
GOAL: “Containment”
[“Iron Curtain”]
of
Communism
&
the
GOAL: spread worldeventual collapse of the
wide Communism
World
CONTAINMENT
US policy to prevent Soviets from expanding
communism
Marshall Plan: provided economic aid to
assist Europe’s recovery after the war
US loaned more than $13 billion to W.
Europe (avoided communism from
spreading)
Truman Doctrine: provided economic aid to
assist countries to fight communism
CONTAINMENT
Berlin Blockade: Soviets blocked traffic between
W. Germany & Berlin
Stalin initiated due to merging of US, British &
French zones (created W. Germany)
Raised fears of takeover and deprived W.
Berlin of crucial supplies (food & fuel)
Berlin Airlift: 6/26/1948 – response to Soviet
blockade
US & British flew food & supplies to more than
2M people
Known as Operation Vittles: lasted 321 days
Soviets lifted blockade on May 12, 1949
CONTAINMENT
Germany officially became two
nations in 1949: W & E Germany
NATO
formed to defend one another
from communist attack
US, Canada, Britain & nine other
W. European nations
Warsaw Pact: Soviet response to
NATO (countries in E. Europe –
USSR, E. Germany, Poland etc)
How did warfare
look different in
the Cold War?
CHINESE
VI. Korean
War
REVOLUTION
Civil War in China
Nationalists (N) vs. Communists (C)
US supported Nationalist to prevent China
from turning Communist
Communists won
VI. Korean KOREAN
War
WAR
At Yalta, Allies divided Korea along 38th
Soviets got N. Korea: Left wellequipped and trained troops
US got S. Korea, but troops pulled out
in 1949
1950 North Korea crossed 38th parallel
& attacked South Korea hoping to unite
under Communism
US & 15 others joined UN efforts to aid
S. Korea
VI. Korean KOREAN
War
WAR
Gen. MacArthur surprises N. Koreans landing at Inchon and cut
the North’s forces in half
Macarthur captures N. Korean capital; N. Korean force retreat to
Yalu River, the border of China
China then invades with a million “Volunteers”
Macarthur goes behind Truman’s back and wants to “Nuke” China
1951 Truman fires MacArthur; Americans retreat back to 38th
Parallel
Neither side can move beyond the 38th Parallel
1953 an armistice is signed but not a peace treaty, still technically
at war today
VI. Korean KOREAN
War
WAR
Effects of the war
Countries divided along 38th parallel
UN casualties = 136,000
Communist casualties = 1.5 million
US forces remained stationed along the border
Communism was contained
ARMS
VI. Korean War
RACE
The Nuclear Super Powers compete for
Nuclear supremacy
Americans lived under the threat of nuclear
war in the 1950s
1952: US tested its first hydrogen bomb
The "Ivy Mike" test of the first hydrogen bomb
Less than a year later, the Soviet Union tests
its own hydrogen bomb
Both countries rush to increase their nuclear
stockpiles
EISENHOWER
VI. Korean
War
DOCTRINE
1957: Promised military or economic aid to any
Middle Eastern country needing help in resisting
communist aggression
Purpose: to eliminate or roll back communism
throughout the world
VI. KoreanBRINKMANSHIP
War
Many people believed that the US would have to go to
the very brink, or edge, of war to oppose communist
nations.
M utually
A ssured
D estruction
M.A.D.: relied on the idea of massive retaliation of
nuclear weapons should the Soviets strike first
Problem with this: Assured that neither side could win
in nuclear war
SPACE RACE BEGINS
USSR launched Sputnik in
October 1957
Gaining the advantage of first to
space
Proved America was lagging
behind
US rushed to launch in January
1958
NASA created in late 1958 to
conduct space research
How did the Cold
War change with
new leaders?
NEW LEADERS
USSR: Nikita Khrushchev (1953 – 1964)
Called for desalinization after Stalin
died
Suggested capitalism and
communism could peacefully co-exist
U.S.: JFK – President from 1960 – 1963
Cuba: Fidel Castro 1959 – 2011
Dictator, turns country Communist
CUBA & THE BAY OF PIGS
Cuba became allies with USSR
Cuba is 90 miles from US so this concerned the
US
Solution: Overthrow Castro at the Bay of Pigs
1,500 CIA trained Cuban exiles wade ashore at
the Bay of Pigs
Invasion was a disaster; Cubans did not rise
up in support of exiles
Castro personally led defense of island
300 killed, the rest captured
JFK accepted full blame- after all he approved
the invasion; Some lost confidence in JFK
CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS
The Soviet Union began to build missile bases in Cuba, worrying
Americans that we were vulnerable to attack.
United States discovers the Soviets putting nuclear missiles in Cuba
Kennedy demands the Soviets remove the missiles
Oct. 1962: U.S. Navy then surrounds Cuba to prevent Soviet ships
from reaching the island
Soviet Union removes the missiles & the United States agrees not to
invade Cuba
United States & Soviet Union sign the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
This treaty ends the testing of nuclear weapons above ground
BERLIN WALL
August 13, 1961
Soviet Union built
To keep people from leaving
communist East Berlin
A cement & barbed-wire wall that
separated East from West Berlin
Kennedy sent U.S. troops to West
Berlin to guard against a Soviet
attack
He was not willing to go to war with
the Soviet Union
SPACE RACE CONTINUES
April, 1961: Russian- Yuri Gagarin- first
human to fly into space
US- ‘Ham’- first monkey into space
 May 5, 1961 NASA send the 1st American
into space Alan Shepard
John Glen: 1st American astronaut to orbit
the earth
July 20, 1969: U.S. astronauts reach the moon
Apollo 11 - first moon landing
Symbolic victory for US in the space race
How did the goal
of containment
impact the US?
VIETNAM WAR
Small country in S.E. Asia
1883 France conquered:
Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia
France calls territory Indochina
1930s: Vietnam nationalists fight for independence
Led by Ho Chi Minh
Leads the Vietminh – League for Independence
During WWII, Minh leads fights against Japanese (who have gained
control of Vietnam) & force them out in 1945
Independence felt possible but France wanted colony back
Vietnamese Nationalists and Communists join together to fight French
VIETNAM WAR
Dien Bien Phu (March – May 1954)
Vietminh trap 12,000 French soldiers
French loose 7,000; Surrender May 5,
1954
U.S. supplies French troops; US fearful of
domino theory
Domino Theory: If one country falls to
communism then the surrounding
countries will too
Theory became major justification for US
foreign policy in the Cold War
VIETNAM WAR
Vietnam is divided 1954
North: Communist
Leader: Ho Chi Minh
South: U.S & French supported govt.
Leader: Ngo Dinh Diem
Diem ruled as Dictator
Opposition grew
Vietcong: Communist guerrillas, gained strength in south
Diem killed by South Vietnamese generals; Takeover by
Communist Vietcong, backed by North Vietnam, inevitable
VIETNAM WAR
Vietnam falling to Communism huge threat; U.S increases
involvement by sending troops
Gulf of Tonkin-1964
Two US ships attacked by N. Vietnamese
U.S. pass Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Gave President Johnson power to take any step necessary to
protect & keep peace in southeast Asia
Tet Offensive- 1968
N Vietnam attacks 100 major S Vietnam cities
Raises anti-war feelings in US; Begins withdrawal of US
troops
END OF THE VIETNAM WAR
End of war:
Armistice signed
1973; Paris Peace
Treaty signed
1975: Last troops
leave & Vietnam
reunited into one
communist country
END OF THE COLD WAR
Détente: policy of lessening Cold War tensions in US; Presidents Nixon and
Ford improve relations with China and USSR
Fall of the Soviet Union
USSR loses control in satellite states - elections brought noncommunist
leaders to the forefront
USSR poor economy- too much money spent on arms race
Many people still escaping East Berlin and threating revolution
President Reagan demands that Gorbachev take down the wall
Gorbachev has no choice but to give in
Nov 1989: East Berlin citizens allowed to leave
Berlin Wall comes down
USSR formally dissolved in Dec 1991