Origins of the cold war

Dominated international relations from late 1940s to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 Centered around intense rivalry and arms race between the U.S. and Soviet Union No actual armed conflict between the U.S. and Soviet Union occurred, but the Cold War took the world dangerously close to nuclear war several times Intense historical debate over how and why the Cold War began Origins of the cold war

U.S.-Soviet Relations to 1945 WWII alliance with the Soviets was a temporary halt in our poor relations Americans viewed the Soviets as a threat: Red Scare of 1919 FDR’s advisers concluded Stalin and the Soviets couldn’t be trusted (before he signed the Nonaggression Pact with Hitler) Soviets late entry into the fight against Japan in the Pacific Stalin complained the British and Americans waited too late to open up a second front against the Nazis in France Soviets bore the brunt of the fighting Half of all deaths in WWII were Soviets U.S.-Soviet Relations to 1945

Postwar Cooperation and the U.N. Five major allies of WWII were granted permanent seats and veto power on U.N. Security Council U.S., Great Britain, France, China, Soviet Union Soviets rejected a proposal for regulating nuclear energy and eliminating atomic weapons Interpreted by some Americans that Moscow did not have peaceful intentions Soviets declined participation in the World Bank- viewed it as a symbol of capitalism Postwar Cooperation and the U.N.

Satellite States in Eastern europe After WWII, Soviet forces continued to occupy countries of Eastern Europe Free elections were held per the Yalta Conference, but the results were manipulated in favor of Communist candidates 1946-1948: One by one, Communist dictators came to power in Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia Satellite States in Eastern europe

Satellite States in Eastern Europe Soviets argued that Russia needed a geographical buffer of satellite states to protect against another Hitler-like invasion from the West U.S. and British were alarmed by Soviet takeover of Eastern Europe Violation of self-determination, democracy, free markets Particularly concerned over free elections in Poland Poland’s independence was the issue that started WWII Satellite States in Eastern Europe

Occupation Zones in Germany After WWII, Germany and Austria were divided into military occupation zones Each zone temporarily occupied by one of the Allied countries Soviet forces remained the eastern zone of Germany, gradually turning it into a new Communist state Occupation Zones in Germany

Occupation zones in Germany Soviets wanted a weak Germany for security reasons, large war reparations for economic reasons U.S. and Great Britain viewed the economic recovery of Germany as important to the stability of Europe Fearing a restored Germany, the Soviets tightened their grip over East Germany and attempted to drive out other Allied forces from Berlin Occupation zones in Germany

March 1946: Truman is present as former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill declares: “An iron curtain has descended across the continent” of Europe The iron curtain metaphor referred to the Soviet satellite states of Eastern Europe The speech was a call for Western democracies to work together to stop the expansion of Communism Some argue whether the speech was anticipating the Cold War, or helped to cause it Iron curtain

? Why did Americans view the Soviets as a threat after WWII? What happened in the U.N. to make Americans interpret Soviet intentions as threatening? What was the Soviet argument for the Communist takeover of Eastern European satellites? Why were the U.S. and Great Britain alarmed at this? Why did the Soviets want a weak Germany? How did this contrast with U.S. and Great Britain’s vision for a post-war Germany? What was the “iron curtain” metaphor referring to? ?