The Cold War Begins Std Analyze U.S. foreign policy since WWII Analyze the effects of massive aid given to W. Europe under the Marshall Plan to rebuild itself after the war and the importance of a rebuilt Europe to the U.S. economy. EQ : How did US leaders respond to the threat of Soviet Expansion in Europe?
What is a “cold war”? George Orwell the term in the essay “You and the Atomic Bomb”,contemplating a world living in the shadow of the threat of nuclear war, warned of a “peace that is no peace”, which he called a permanent “cold war”. Orwell directly referred to that war as the ideological confrontation between the Soviet Union and the Western powers. What is a “cold war”? Leave two-three lines in your notebook to add in the definition of Cold War after your group discussions.
Origins of the Cold War - Yalta Conference Focus on post war issues structure of the United Nations Division of east and west for rebuilding after the war Discussion Question: The US and Soviet Union were allies during World War II…how did they become opponents in a global struggle for power?
A Divided Continent
A Conflict of Systems United States Economic system: (mostly) laissez- faire capitalism Political system: Democratic elections Social system: Religious, legal equality stressed Soviet Union Economic system: Marxist socialist government order Political system: Controlled by communist party Social system: atheistic, economic equality stressed Why would people living in one of these nations distrust the other? Vs.
Growing Fear Americans believed communism was expansionist and would not rest until the whole world was communist as well Why did this prospect frighten Americans? Is there a similar fear today?
The USSR and Eastern Europe Satellite States Soviet troops remained in Eastern Europe, Asia, and the Middle East to “help” restore government order USSR wanted a buffer zone to protect itself from Western invaders Stalin claimed they all wanted to be communist because communism is just so awesome
The “Iron Curtain” From Stettin in the Balkans, to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lies the ancient capitals of Central and Eastern Europe. -- Sir Winston Churchill, 1946
The Ion Curtain communication and travel between eastern and western Europe stopped term coined by Winston Churchill Berlin came to represent the division between East and West Iron Curtain
Truman and Containment Truman Doctrine, 1947 the US heard that communists might take over Greece and Turkey $400 million given to aid Greece and Turkey economies Truman promised financial or economic aid to any European nation threatened by communism critics said it created a world in which all nations were forced into either a pro-American or pro-Soviet camp Containment George F. Kennan argued that we must stop the spread of communism by standing up to the USSR
The Marshall Plan, 1947 Containment Policy the US sent $12.5 billion in aid to help western Europe rebuild 16 countries used it including Germany like the Dawes Plan after WWI Soviet countries refused any help, they had their own system called the Molotov Plan
The Berlin Airlift, 1948 Stalin closed Berlin to the West by closing the borders he hoped to starve out western Berlin Truman ordered supplies airlifted to West Berlin daily for 231 days until Stalin backed down 277,264 flights in 231 days 2,250,000 tons of goods including food and coal 300 tons per day
The Berlin Airlift
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (1949, NATO) United States Belgium Britain Canada Denmark France Iceland Italy Luxemburg Netherlands Norway Portugal 1952: Greece & Turkey 1955: West Germany 1983: Spain Created by US and western Allies in response to the threat of Communism Member Countries
Warsaw Pact (1955) }U. S. S. R. }Albania }Bulgaria }Czechoslovakia }East Germany }Hungary }Poland }Rumania Created in response to NATO Created in response to NATO USSR dominated the Soviet satellites in East Europe USSR dominated the Soviet satellites in East Europe Member Countries
NATO Warsaw Pact