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Cold War
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Roots of the Cold War Western Democracy Soviet Communism
Citizens elect representatives Citizens have basic rights Economic freedom allowed Soviet Communism Dictatorship controlled by the Communist Party Ordinary citizen had few rights No private property or economic freedom
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End of WWII helped start Cold War
Soviets *afraid of being invaded again *sought control of Eastern Europe to protect from invasion from the West USA *Avoid isolationism *Refused appeasement Resist all Soviet demands Communism next world threat * Containment policy New Weapons *Atomic bomb - made war dangerous. Rather than attack one another the superpowers were in a Cold War - non-fighting Communism in Asia Japanese invasion of China weakened Chinese Nationalist Government. Communist Chinese took power.
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Yalta Conference Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin USA, Britain, USSR
*Agreed to divide Germany into four occupation zones (Allies plus France) * Stalin also pledged to allow free elections in Eastern Europe post war
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IRON CURTAIN FALLS 1946 Stalin never follows through with promise of free elections Stalin places Eastern Europe under Communist rule Trade and communication between Eastern and Western Europe cut off Soviet satellites
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American Involvement - Containment
Feared Stalin would be another Hitler Post WWII - US only country strong enough to handle USSR and the spread of Communism Truman Doctrine - USA’s containment policy Policy to keep Communism from spreading Marshall Plan - Millions of dollars in aid to Western Europe to help with post-war reconstruction Building future trading partners and help in resisting Communism
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Berlin Airlift Stalin closed all Western highway and railroad links to Berlin Allies organized massive airlifts to feed and supply the city.
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NATO/WARSAW PACT NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization 1949
pledge to protect Western Europe from Communism USA pledged to utilize nuclear weapons if necessary Warsaw Pact: 1955 response to NATO Crushed any opposition to join or attempts to leave
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Nuclear Arms Race By 1949 both the USA and Soviets developed far more destructive hydrogen bombs and missiles Both realized they were far to destructive = used as deterrents
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Krushchev comes to POWER
Denounces Stalin Releases several political prisoners Attempted to introduce change Triggered unrest in Eastern Europe Poland workers strike 1956 (gave reformers freedom if agreed to stay communist) East Berlin Many East Germans fled to the West. Krushchev built the Berlin Wall Hungary 1956 launched demonstrations for reform threatening to leave Comunism. Soviet troops brutally crushed this rebellion Czechoslovakia Wanted Communism with a human face (liberal communist policy), Krushchev sent in tanks to Prague replace liber leaders with hard-line Communist leaders
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Cuban Missile Crisis Fidel Castro - came to power in promising democracy but was a Communist USA stopped trade with Cuba Castro turned to fellow communist Soviet Union for Support Bay of Pigs 1961 failed mission to overthrow Castro due to no air support from JFK USA learned that Cuba was secretly building bases to install Soviet nuclear missiles (These would be within striking distance of the USA) JFK ordered a naval blockade of Cuba threatening to invade if missiles were not removed
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Vietnam - Politically Divided
Ho Chi Minh - Communist state in North Vietnam South Vietnam refused to hold elections to join Vietnam Viet Cong - Communist guerilla war against South Vietnam USA stepped in to aid in resisting Communism without success 1975 South Vietnam fell to join North Vietnam as a communist country
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The Cold War Ends Surprising stagnation (after fall of Krushchev) Gov ineffective People stopped working Farms failed to produce enough food Poor quality consumer goods Living standards fell Alcoholism and corruption grew Unrest due to priviledge of Party members Command economy unable to compete with free enterprise ofthe West Detente’ :attempt of Soviet Union to ease tensions with the West collapsed when Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia 1969 and Afghanistan 1979
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“Tear down this wall” Gorbachev takes lead of Soviet Union 1985
Attempted reform to preserve Communist party but also provide liberties to people to encourage initiative and growth To prevent more war, entered into talks with Reagan to “tear down that wall” 1988 Eventually moving to a democratic government Berlin Wall comes down 1989
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Dissolution of USSR 1991 Unrest throughout Soviet Union
Nationalist of Russian and Non-Russian groups Desires for independence Short-lived coup supported by Communist Party Gorbachev granted Lithuania and other Baltic States independence Russia, Belarus, Ukraine declared independence = Commonwealth of Independent States Gorbachev resigned
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Reunification of Germany 1990
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Free Enterprise Changes China
Deng Xiaoping - Economic Reform (gradually toward free enterprise) Land reforms Consumer goods variety and increase New factory management Limited Capitalism Foreign investment Tiananmen Square 1989: unarmed students peacefully demonstrate for greater personal freedom and democracy Army tanks fired on hundreds of unarmed students Western leaders respond with reduced trade Trade has since resumed with great economic freedom Fastest growing economy in the world.
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