THE COLD WAR

There are at the present time two great nations in the world, which started from different points, but seem to tend towards the same end. I allude to the Russians and the Americans. Both of them have grown up unnoticed; and while the attention of mankind was directed elsewhere, they have suddenly placed themselves in the front rank among the nations, and the world learned their existence and their greatness at almost the same time.

All other nations seem to have nearly reached their natural limits, and they have only to maintain their power; but these are still in the act of growth. All others have stopped, or continue to advance with extreme difficulty; these alone are proceeding with ease and celerity along a path to which no limit can be perceived…. The American relies upon personal interest to accomplish his ends, and gives free scope to the unguided strength and common sense of the people; the Russian centers all authority of society in a single arm. The principle instrument of the former is freedom; of the latter, servitude. Their starting-point is different, and their courses are not the same; yet each of them seems marked out by the will of Heaven to sway the destinies of half the globe.

•When was this written? (decade)

The Cold War (1945-1991?)

• Definition:– An ongoing conflict between the world’s two

superpowers—the US (Capitalism) and the USSR (Communism)

• Why “Cold”?– Both sides had nuclear weapons, but never used– US & USSR never went directly to war

Question of the Day

Was the Cold War (virtually) “inevitable”, given the inherent conflicts between Communism and Capitalist Democracy and the specific nature of US-Soviet relations in the post-WW II era?

Causes of the Cold War

• Economic Differences

• Political Differences

• “Business as Usual” Nationalism

Economic Differences

• Capitalism– Individual profit & private enterprise– “Free trade”

• Communism– Government planning & control– Tightened control over international trade &

production

• Each country wants the rest of the world to follow its system for economic reasons

Political Differences• Capitalism

– Emphasis on democracy & individual choice– Importance of voting– Importance of limiting government intervention– Overall freedom = welfare of the individual

• Communism– Emphasis on common good– Lesser importance of voting– Strong government as “voice of the people”– “dictatorship of the proletariat”– Overall freedom = welfare of the society

Nationalism

• Is the Cold War simply two powerful countries competing for power?

• Conflict & wars began looooooong before advents of Communism & Capitalism!

Why Both Sides Distrusted Other

• US troops in Russia after WW1

• Long wait for 2nd Front in WW2

• Russia attacked in both WW1 & WW2

• Russia lost 20 million people in WW2

• Only U.S. had A-Bomb• Hatred of Capitalism

• Russia had pulled out of WW1

• Stalin’s Non-Aggression Pact with Hitler

• Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe

• Soviet anti-capitalism statements

• Fear of Soviet interest in Western Europe

• Hatred of communist ideas and brutality

USSR USA

Postwar Agreements• Yalta (February of 1945)

– Stalin (USSR), FDR (US), Churchill (Eng)– Agreements

• United Nations set up• Stalin to get “influence” in Eastern Europe• USSR to invade Japan 3 months after Germany

• Potsdam (July of 1945)– Stalin (USSR), Truman (US), Atlee (Eng)– Clear that Stalin planned to stay in Eastern Europe

• Spheres of influence• Buffer states v. satellite nations

Post WW II Europe

The “Iron Curtain” descends

Good v. Evil

• One of the foremost American theologians, Reinhold Neibuhr, stated in a series of lectures given at Westminster College in Fulton, MO in 1949 and 1952 that…– Communism was evil– America was the global force for freedom and

democracy– Echoed 30 years later by Ronald Reagan!

CONTAINMENT

Harry Truman

• President from 1945-1952

Containment

• Name for US foreign policy after WW II, taken from “long telegram” from Soviet expert George Kennan to Truman administration

• Summary & Definition– Communism is legitimate threat– US must act now– Goal is not to defeat communism– But to stop it from spreading

The Truman Doctrine (March 1947)• President Truman’s statement that

– The US must provide aid to “support free peoples who are resisting subjugation by armed minorities or outside pressures”

• (US will provide financial aid to all anti-communists)

– The US should provide $400 million to help fight communism in Turkey & Greece

• Means: A small amount of (only) money to prevent communism from spreading in one particular area

The “Domino Theory”

• If one country goes Communist, its neighbors will follow

• “Countries will fall like dominoes

Sec. of State George Marshall

The Marshall Plan• US Secretary of State George Marshall’s Plan

in June of 1947 to give $13 billion to rebuild the economies of Western Europe

• Why?– Prevent instability that could let communism

spread– Build up trading partners for US economy– Genuine humanitarian concern

• Congress stalled funding until the Czech Coup of February 1948, and the last E. European state falls to the communists.

National Security Act of July 1947 • Creates the Dept. of Defense & establishes a

new cabinet position (i.e. Sec. of Defense)– Renamed the Army Air Forces as the U.S.A.F.– Created the Joint Chiefs of Staff– Set up the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

• Responsible for gathering info on enemies and spying

– Set up the National Security Council (NSC)• Group of “experts” to advise US government on foreign

policy

The State of Israel• On May 15, 1948, the British

mandate for the Palestinian state was set to expire.– In November 1947, the UN

recommended a “Partition Plan” in Resolution 181

– David Ben Gurion, the head of the World Zionist Org., proclaimed it the state of Israel.

– United Arab states attack Israel that day & have hence referred to it as “The Catastrophe”

Berlin Blockade (June 1948)

• USSR tries to close off West Berlin– Attempt to take it over

• Truman’s options:1. Let Berlin go

a. Not a lot of love for Germans!

2. Attack Soviet Uniona. Risk of WW III?

3. Find a way to supply West Berlina. This is the one chosen

Berlin Airlift (June 1948 – May 1949)

• Code named “Operation Vittles”!

• US planes flew 2,500 tons of supplies into Berlin each day for eleven months

• Why did Stalin not shoot down the planes?– Truman said he had 60 A-Bombs ready to use

• He did not!

• Soviets end blockade in May, 1949

North Atlantic Treaty Organization NATO (1949)

• Mutual protection treaty signed by US, Canada, & countries of Western Europe– England, France, West Germany, Italy, Norway,

Netherlands, etc

• Collective security: “An attack on one, is an attack on all”

• U.S. will protect Europe by FORCE, if necessary• Along w/ Rio Pact, it marks the end of George

Washington’s “no entangling alliances”– 1955—Soviets create the Warsaw Pact

Truman Signing the NATO Treaty

The Traumas of 1949• August

– (1) Russians test their own A-Bomb

• October– (2) Mao Zedong & Communists take China– (3) Germany officially split

• US now fears that Communism is really spreading– Wants to take more drastic precautions

Josef Stalin

Mao Zedong’s Ride to Power

NSC-68 (April of 1950)

• NSC report

• 4 Suggestions– Only the US can contain communism– We must use force if necessary– We must prevent communism

EVERYWHERE (not just in Europe)– US must increase military spending by 4X

• Means: US will use FORCE to fight communism ANYWHERE it threatens

Korean War Begins (June 1950)

• Communist North Korea attacks the South

• US sends troops in a three year war– Two months after NSC-68

Cold War Time Line