A Brief History of the Cold War

Origins of the Cold War Cold War- a term that refers to the international rivalry between Communist states and Capitalist states Mainly between United States, Great Britain and Western European countries Verses Soviet Union- Eastern European Satellite states, Later China, Korea, Cuba, Vietnam

Over View of Cold War After WWII the US will confront Communist expansion all over the world. Conflict will last 50 years and ends peacefully with Reagan and Bush (41) in 1991, when the Soviet Union disintegrated. Each President will deal with Cold War Issues as the focus of Foreign Policy.

Presidents and the Cold War Truman-(1945-1953) Containment Policy Truman Doctrine Marshall Plan Berlin Airlift NATO Korean War Firing of MacArthur H-Bomb Eisenhower- (1953-1961) Korean War peace Guatemala Cuban Revolution Vietnam support Arms Race/Space Race Kennedy (1961-1963) Vietnam escalation (Military advisors and equipment sent) Cuban Missile Crisis (the closest the US will come to Nuclear War) Johnson (1963-1969) Escalates Vietnam involvement (500K troops 1968) Nixon (1969-1974) Massive Bombing of North Vietnam and Cambodia Negotiated Settlement of Vietnam Visits China and begins Détente with Mao Tse Tong Ford (1974-1977) Carter (1977-1981) Russians invade Afghanistan Aides Mujhadeen fighting Russians Communists take over in Nicaragua Reagan (1981-1989) Focuses American in building “Star Wars” anti-missile program and defense spending to counter Soviets Causes Soviet economy to suffer- Gorbachev begins Perestroika- opens frustrations created by Communist economy and peaceful revolution is begun Bush (41) (1989-1993) 1991 the Soviet Union is ended and chain reaction reverberates across Europe (Essentially communism and extreme socialism as an economic system is proven ineffective) Nationalism takes over in formerly communist controlled regions of Europe

Trends in American Cold War Foreign Policy American government will confront communism were ever it attempts to spread using: Covert Action: CIA- influence elections Money: Marshall Plan, later loans and economic aid Military: Equipment, supplies, training, and direct military involvement Greece, Turkey, Guatemala, South Korea, American government will support countries, governments, dictators, and even drug dealers, in an effort to stop the spread of communism.

Post WWII 1945-53 Area of Conflict: Eastern Europe, Germany, China, Korea, later Vietnam, Cuba

Stalin Wanted Protect the Soviet Union from Attack Establish a buffer zone and Satellite states friendly to Soviet interests Weaken Germany to prevent any further wars

Tehran Conference Big Three discuss what to do with Germany Stalin wanted to eliminate Germany as a threat To partition Germany- Churchill wanted to use Germany to counter the Russians- Roosevelt was more lenient to the needs of Stalin Stalin promised to help fight Japan- after Germany surrendered

Teheran Economic Development Plans International Monetary Fund Fund used to stabilize currency International Bank for Reconstruction- later known as the World Bank Plan to lend money to countries Help revive trade

Stalin Agreed at Yalta To Declare war on Japan after Germany surrendered within 2-3 months Partition of Germany into 4 Zones- Russian, US, British, and French In Exchange for Influence in Manchuria Return of land lost in Russo-Japanese War (1904)

Why does Roosevelt give in to Stalin’s Post War plans? Germany had invaded Russia twice, killed millions of Russians- Roosevelt was sympathetic to Stalin’s idea of Sphere of Influence/Buffer States Roosevelt wanted help from Russians with the Fight against Japan (Russia didn’t declare war on Japan until 2 days before war was over) Buffer Zone will later turn into the Communist Block or Warsaw Pact- The instillation of communist controlled governments along the Western border of Russia: East Germany, Poland, Baltic States, Yugoslavia, Romania, Bulgaria… Later known as the Iron Curtain phrase was coined by Churchill Stalin broke promises “We can’t do business with Stalin. He has broken everyone of the promises he made at Yalta.” FDR

Potsdam Conference July 1945 Big 3 at Potsdam Truman, Churchill, Stalin met in a suburb of Berlin for the Potsdam Conference July 17-Aug. 2 Settled the German reparation question- Soviets would get assets in the East Nazi leaders to be tried as war criminals at Nuremberg Korea to be divided Truman found out “Trinity” test of A-Bomb worked, causes a tougher line with the Russians

How does the use of the atomic bomb on Japan fit into the Cold War? Some believe that the decision to drop the bomb was in part a message to Stalin that the US was capable and prepared to use it against Russia if war broke out again. Russia wants it’s own!

Containment in Europe and the Middle East George F. Kennan- American diplomat in Moscow, expert on Russian history 8000 word telegram- advice on how US should deal with Soviet Union and Communism spread Stated the Soviet Union was paranoid of Western attack Suggested Containment strategy- prevent the spread of communism Communism in Europe would eventually die out! Truman and subsequent presidents adopt this view.

Truman Doctrine 1947 Secretary of State- Dean Acheson (Strong Anti-Communist) suggests to Truman, if Greece falls to communism- Turkey and other countries will fall… US policy will aid all countries in the world that are suffering from communist subversion Primarily economic aid (Marshall Plan) but will also include military equipment and training Congress will appropriate $400 million Policy will be replicated by subsequent presidents

“Truman Doctrine” “I believe that it must be the Policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressure.”

Marshall Plan 1947 George Marshall, Secretary of State for Truman Feared further communist popularity in post-war Europe (Socialist movements were gaining power in France and Italy, due to- severe destruction, economic declines brought by the war- In bad economic circumstances Communism sounds like a good idea) Proposes a plan to offer Massive Economic Aid to European countries to help rebuild economies and prevent attractiveness of communism ($11 Billion in 3yrs) Complemented Truman Doctrine

Berlin Crisis 1948-49 Part of the settlement at Potsdam Germany was to be partitioned 4 administrative areas. Berlin is also divided up. Russians try to force Western powers out of Berlin preventing access to the Western portion of the city (Blockade) Truman responds with Berlin Airlift supplying Berlin by air, 13,000 tons of supplies per day, airlift lasts 300 days

NATO 1949 North Atlantic Treaty Organization Cold War defensive alliance between countries in Europe-and the United States Europeans invited the United States to take an active role in European defense “An armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America… an attack against all” In Asia- SEATO- South East Asia Treaty Organization

Korean War Japan had previously taken control over Korea leading up to and during WWII At Potsdam it is agreed to de-Japan Korea with the Soviets taking the North and US taking the South By 1948 – US turned South Korea over to themselves Soviets train Kim il Sung to take the north in a Communist direction

Korean War June 1950 – North attacks South (with military support from Soviet Union and China United Nations forms alliance of 18 nations to respond militarily to attack (led by US) Varying opinions about strategies leads Truman to replace the UN commander – Douglas McArthur in 1951 1953 – peace settlement reached – marking the 38th parallel as the de-militarized zone (DMZ) Everything goes smoothly until present day…….

Soviet Block Soviets create an alliance-Warsaw Pact countries- defensive alliance dominated by Soviets- 1955 by Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the Soviet Union. The organization was the Soviet bloc's equivalent of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.