the cold war 1945-1991

The Cold War 1945-1991

Definitions• Capitalism = An economy where the

production and selling of goods/services are privately owned;

• Goods and services are purchased by those who can afford them.

• Government interference to preserve competition and protect citizens.

• Communism = A totalitarian gov’t that plans and controls the economy;

• Government controls human rights.• A single political party holds power;• All goods are equally shared by the

people based on need

USA vs. USSR

Government

Leader(s)

Economy

Economic Focus

Classes (poor, middle, etc.)

Private Property

Trading w/ others

CommunismCapitalism

All controlled by gov’t

Strong National

Usually a Dictator

Improve life for workers

NoNo

Want exclusive rights

Nat’l and State gov’t

3 Branches

Gov’t mostly does not interfere

Survival of the Fittest

YesYes

Free, open trade

Causes Before WWII• 1917 - Communists overthrew

Russian gov’t (Bolshevik Revolution)

• 1918 - Communists surrendered during WWI (Quit on Allies)

• 1930s - Stalin’s kills all political opponents (purges)

• 1938 - Distrust over Western appeasement to Hitler (Austria, Czech.)

• 1939 - Signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact

• 1917 - US troops sent to fight against Bolsheviks during Russian civil war (Red Army vs. White Army)

• After WWI - US gov’t feared communist takeover – Red Scare

• 1919-1921 - Palmer Raids arrested and deported thousands of suspected communists

• Refused to recognize the Soviet gov’t until 1933

Causes During WWII

• Believed US/GB purposefully waited to create a 2nd front in France to weaken the Soviet Union

• Feared the Soviet Union would surrender and sign a separate peace with Germany (just like WWI)

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• Yalta was the penultimate of the wartime allied conferences. It dealt mainly with the settlement of post-war Europe.

Allegedly FD Roosevelt was too ill to withstand Stalin’s demands, and his successor, Harry S Truman, took a tougher line. By the time of the Potsdam Conference in July 1945, the West had the bomb and was anxious to restrict Russia.

Yalta Conference 1945

• FDR, Churchill, Stalin met to discuss post-war plans

• Agreed that Germany would be divided up into four parts (GB; US; (USSR; France; GB; USA)

• Each had their own ideas/wants• FDR – wanted Soviet help in defeating Japan after Germany surrendered• Churchill – wanted free elections in Eastern Europe; esp. Poland• Stalin – wanted influence in Eastern Europe for USSR’s own

future safety; Germany permanently divided• The United Nations would be created with Soviet membership

(not allowed to join League of Nations after WWI)

YALTA (in the USSR)Date: Feb 1945

Present: Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin

POTSDAM (Germany)Date: July 1945

Present: Churchill, Truman and Stalin


• The Russians took very high casualties to capture Berlin in May 1945. They spent the early occupation trying to take over all zones of the city but were stopped by German democrats such as Willy Brandt and Konrad Adenauer. Reluctantly the Russians had to admit the Americans, French and British to their respective zones.

Iron Curtain – A term used by Winston

Churchill to describe the separating of Those

communistlands of East Europe from

the West.


• The nuclear bomb gave America a lead which was expected to last at least 5 years. The rapid Russian development of nuclear technology, helped by the work of the “atom spies” was a shock.

Significantly, Russia hurriedly declared war against Japan at the beginning of August 1945 and rushed to advance into Asia to stake out a position for the post-war settlement. This helped make both the Korean and Vietnamese conflicts more likely.


• Truman had been horrified at the pre-war Allied policy of appeasement and was determined to stand upto any Soviet intimidation.The Truman Doctrine in March 1947 promised that the USA “would support free peoples who are resisting subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures”. Triggered by British inability to hold the line in Greece, it was followed by aid to Greece and Turkey, and also money to secure upcoming elections in Italy and the advance of Communist trade unions in France.It signalled the end of “isolationst” policies.


• The Marshall Plan reflected the strength of the US economy and offered huge sums to enable the war shattered economies of Europe to rebuild and, by generating prosperity, to reject the appeal of Communism, Czechoslovakia showed interest in receiving Marshall Aid but was blocked by Russia.

The Soviet system was as much dependent upon creating a self-contained economic bloc as it was in maintaining a repressive political system.

Causes After WWII

• Refused to hold free elections in Eastern Europe

• Set up communist gov’ts in most E. Eur. Nations

• 1949 - Developed own Atomic Bomb

• Began building hundreds of nuclear bombs

• Did not tell Soviets about the Atomic Bomb prior to its use

• 1946 - Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” speech condemns communism

• 1947 - Truman Doctrine - stop the spread of communism worldwide = Containment Policy

• Marshall Plan - $billions sent to rebuild western Europe (esp. W. Ger, but not E. Europe)

• 1949 - Created North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO); collective defense

• 1949 - Unified Western Germany into one nation (West Germany)

Improve your knowledge• West Berlin, as an outpost of Western democracy and

economic success deep within the Communist zone, was both a nest of spies for both sides and a constant challenge to the Soviets.The Berlin Blockade was an attempt to starve the city into submission and the Allied airlift signalled the West’s determination to use all resources to defend Berlin.Thereafter, it was accepted by both sides that Berlin would act as the trigger for general war. Any Russian invasion would be followed by conflict with the considerable Allied forces camped permanently on the plain of West Germany. Both sides finding Europe too dangerous a site for confrontation, looked elsewhere to compete.

United States• Became the leading financial power• Had the strongest military (Atomic)• Believed it was our responsibility to

protect other free nations• Feared communist take over of

Europe/Asia• Pres. Truman vowed to stop the spread of

communism everywhere• A.k.a. = “Containment Policy”• “Domino Theory” – once one country

falls, they all will• Marshall Plan• Creation of NATO

Soviet Union• Refused to leave Eastern Europe• Helped create communist gov’ts in each

country• Wanted allies against future attacks from the

West• Wanted communist revolutions around the

world• Developed own Atomic bombs • Military buildup made the Soviet Union a

world power• Distrusted the U.S.• “Containment Policy” is a challenge to war• Created own alliance – Warsaw Pact 1955

(countries they refused to leave after WWII)


• Truman restricted his ant-Soviet policy to one of “containment”, resisting the advance of Communism into South Korea. After some hesitation he resisted his Commander, Gen Douglas MacArthur’s attempt to “roll-back” Communism by invading North Korea and China.MacArthur was dismissed but Truman’s successors continued to be drawn into conflicts of containment for the rest of the cold war. The beginning of the Korean War also highlighted the failings of the United Nations.Up to 1950, Russia and America had respectively blocked each other’s iniatives by using their veto powers in the Security Council. Because the Russian delegates were boycotting the UN in 1950, Truman was able to condemn the Communist invasion of S Korea and to set up a counter-attack under the banner of the UN. In contrast to the pre-War League of Nations, at least this ensured that the UN would, in future, be able to deploy force in international disputes.

European Alliances by 1955


• The “Red Scare”, launched by Senator Joe McCarthy, dominated US politics for several years 1948-53 and helped pressure Truman into the Korean War, a costly and ultimately stalemated conflict. Given the suddeness of the fall of China, the development of the Soviet bomb, and the shocking performance of the Western secret services, the level of panic is understandable.

the cold war 1945-1991

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