The Cold War in Europe

1. What events in Europe changed the American attitude toward the Soviet Union?

Occupation of E. Europe following the war’s end (E. Germany, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia)

Pro-Soviet (Communist) governments were established in these countries

In 1919, the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I acknowledged Poland as an independent state but left some of its borders unsettled. Within months, the Poles began to clash with their neighbors over these tenuous boundaries. Poland’s chief of state, Józef Pilsudski, saw an opportunity to recapture territories his country had lost in the late 18th century and to create a federation of states that could act as a buffer against future German or Soviet expansion. Pilsudski captured some of this territory from the Ukraine in 1919, but after Poland occupied Kiev in May 1920, occasional skirmishes with Soviet Bolsheviks erupted into open warfare. In the Polish-Soviet War (1920–1921), the Soviets battled the Poles all the way back to Warsaw, but Polish forces eventually drove the Soviets out of the country. The Soviets sued for peace and the war ended with a ceasefire in October. The Peace of Riga, signed on March 18, 1921, divided the disputed territories between Poland and Soviet Russia and established borders for Poland that would hold until September Josef Stalin, who had served during the 1920–1921 war, would later avenge the Polish victory by having Polish veterans and their families shot or deported to Soviet labor camps during World War II, when he led the USSR.

Stalin refused to allow free elections in Poland

Winston Churchill – famous speech “…from Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent of Europe…”

Churchill used image of iron curtain to describe the division of Europe as result of Soviet actions

Iron Curtain Those countries under Soviet control were said to be “behind” the iron curtain

Europe was divided into Communist and non- Communist nations

Satellites Nations of E. Europe Under the control of the USSR

2. What key events heightened the Cold War?

Tensions increase - Another Possible War Tension worsened by Soviet failure to remove troops from northern Iran January 1946, President Truman warned “Another war is in the making.” February 1946, Stalin stated publicly he believed war between East, West bound to happen

Early 1947, Soviet backed Communists threatened governments of Greece, Turkey President Truman announced Truman Doctrine—pledge to provide economic, military aid to oppose spread of communism Congress agreed to send aid to Greece, Turkey

Containment and Crisis in Berlin Division of Germany, Berlin originally meant to be temporary 1947, Western leaders began planning creation of independent democratic German nation Also planned democratic government in West Berlin

Berlin Blockade June 1948, Soviets blocked off land, rail, water routes into West Berlin to force West to leave Berlin Western leaders organized Berlin airlift to supply Berlin by air “Operation Vittles”

Truman would not abandon W. Berlin—“beacon of democracy”; ordered a massive airlift of supplies; 2.5 million tons of supplies dropped over ~1 year period; Stalin finally lifted the blockade Airlift successful; Soviets called off blockade May, 1949

NATO- North Atlantic Treaty Organization At end of Berlin crisis, western zones of Germany formed Federal Republic of Germany, or West Germany Soviet zone became German Democratic Republic, or East Germany U.S., Canada, most Western European countries joined in military alliance—North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO— designed to counter Soviet power in Europe

Warsaw Pact A few years later…Soviets & E. European countries formed the Warsaw Pact