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The Cold War Begins 17.1
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FDR passed away right when tensions w/ the S.U. were breaking down
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“The enemy of my enemy is my friend…” This is why the U.S. and S.U. were alliances Common enemy = Nazi Germany Few similarities otherwise
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United States Democracy Free elections Economic + religious freedom Private property Individuality Soviet Union Communist Party made all economic, political, + military decisions No freedom of worship No ownership of property Punished if a critic
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Stalin: Wanted Germany weak + Eastern Europe to remain under Soviet control U.S./rest of Allies Wanted strong, unified Germany + independent nations Eastern Europe
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Yalta Conference (Feb 1945) Divide Germany into zones Germany also had to pay S.U. for destroyed property Stalin agreed to join war against Japan Free elections in E. Europe BUT after the war many of the nations that S.U. occupied became satellite states not free states Controlled by S.U.
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U.S. was a leader in creating the United Nations 48 countries joined Based in New York Protect against aggression General Assembly: Each member could vote on issues Security Council: 5 permanent members Power to veto any decision One rotating member Investigate + settle disputes
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5 main powers and the rest rotate U.S., S.U., China, Great Britain, France Create the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Condemned slavery, torture, upholds freedom of speech + religion Affirms that everyone should have the right to a good standard of living, health, and well-being
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Potsdam, Germany meeting Stalin refused to commit to free elections in E. Europe He wanted a buffer from being directly attacked again Truman believed Stalin was on the path to “world conquest” Soviet Red Army = big threat Rivalry began in 1945 that would last for 46 years aka the Cold War In a 1946 speech Stalin announced that capitalism + communism could not coexist in the same world The 2 superpowers never actually fought each other directly in a military conflict = COLD war
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Winston Churchill called Stalin’s influence = “iron curtain” that ran across Europe East of the curtain S.U. was installing communist gov’ts + police states in nations = more power for Stalin ∴ democracies must stand firm
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East = German Democratic Republic West = Federal Republic of Germany
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George Kennan, “X,” wrote “The Sources of Soviet Conduct” in Foreign Affairs magazine He outlined the American policy of containment Containment = Keep communism w/in its existing borders
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Kennan argued that Stalin wanted to expand the Soviet empire BUT argued Stalin wouldn’t risk the security of the S.U. for this goal The U.S. needed to ∴ contain and pressure Stalin
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In other words Stalin wouldn’t risk a war w/U.S. (+ potential destruction of S.U.) just to expand BUT the U.S. NEEDED to offer a full commitment to keeping the S.U. at bay
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Gov’ts in Greece + Turkey were being threatened by communists seeking to take over 1947 – U.S. only country w/ the resources to help them…
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Greece + Turkey needed aid ∴ Truman addressed Congress on 03/12/47 Asked them for $ to support the free peoples who are fighting conquest by armed communists Truman Doctrine: Truman’s promise to aid nations struggling against communism Congress gave him $400 million to aid Greece + Turkey
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U.S. Sec. of State, George Marshall unveiled a recovery plan for Europe Stronger economies = more success in defending communism Early 1948 - Marshall Plan: $13 billion in loans/grants to W. European countries to help them rebuild Satellite states in E. Europe were offered the aid but Stalin refused
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Tensions were highest in Germany:
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West Berlin: “a bone in the throat” of the S.U. Prosperity and freedom East Berlin: Low standard of living and control
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∴ in June 1948: Stalin stopped all highway, railway, + waterway passages from West Germany into West Berlin Berlin Airlift: (blockade lasted June ‘48- Sept ‘49) Stalin couldn’t control the sky… ∴ the U.S. and GB dropped supplies into W. Berlin using airplanes http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/berlin-airlift http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/berlin-airlift
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1949 – North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) formed to defend W. Europe against SU Made up of 12 W. European + N. American countries “An armed attack on against one or more of them…shall be considered an attack against all of them” Called collective security 1955 West Germany joined in NATO
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In response, S.U. and its satellite states formed Warsaw Pact
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Sept 2 1949 the Soviet Union successfully detonates an atomic bomb Balance of power shifts Now the U.S. doesn’t have total control over atomic weaponry…
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Americans shocked + scared by the news They had believed the Russians were far from developing nuclear technology The world was now a MUCH more dangerous place
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Truman ordered the development of the H-bomb (Hydrogen bomb) 1,000 more powerful than the atom bomb Einstein/Oppenheimer believed this would lead to an arms race + cautioned against it Stalin would continue to develop nukes as long as the U.S. challenged them to
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1952 – U.S. successfully tests an H-bomb 1953 – S.U. successfully tests an H-bomb Both conducted above ground = horrible radiation into the atmosphere Big health problems for ppl living by testing sites Began a 4 decades long arms race Nuclear destruction = dark, concerning cloud over the entire world Mutually assured destruction (they hoped) Fear of atomic destruction would prevent each other (U.S./S.U.) from actually using the nuclear weapons https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yF536dG7R4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yF536dG7R4
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Eisenhower: Very militarily savvy + worked w/ top political officials during WWII ∴ he was very well versed in both aspects of leading the country = GOOD! Strongly believed the U.S./U.N. should actively stop the spread of communism (supported Truman’s policy) John Foster Dulles: Eisenhower’s sec. of state Experienced diplomat Helped organized the U.N. after WWII
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1954 – Dulles announced the policy of massive retaliation The U.S. would respond to communist threats by threating to use crushing, overwhelming force (nukes). Brinkmanship: By going to the brink of war the U.S. could protect its allies, discourage communist aggression + prevent war
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AmericansSoviets October 1952Hydrogen Bomb August 1953 December 1957 ICBMsAugust 1957 January 1958SatelliteOctober 1957 Brinkmanship added to Containment under Eisenhower
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March 5, 1953 Stalin died ∴ power struggle in the S.U. Nikita Khrushchev came out on top He was not as cruel as Stalin Ike and NK meet in July 1955 (Geneva, Switzerland) Little significant results BUT did appear to ease tensions b/w the superpowers
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Sputnik I – October1957 Soviets were first to send something to space (satellite) Used an ICBM to get it there Sputnik II – November 1957 Sent a larger satellite to space w/ Laika (dog) to see if a living creature could live Americans worried! Could having the power/technology to send something to space = the SU could launch a powerful enough rocket to land in the U.S. ?!?!? !?!
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U-2 Spy Plane Incident CIA started secret high-altitude spy flights over Soviet territory May 1960: Soviets shot down one of the U-2 planes and captured its pilot: Francis Gary Powers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VB9ArG-IWsE
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