1. Chapter 10 Europe – Modern History
Section 2
A Continent Divided

2. Introduction After World War II much of Europe was in ruins.
The defeat of Germany, Italy, and Japan left a power gap that was filled by the United States and the Soviet Union.

3. The Cold War
The competition between democratic United States and the communist Soviet Union was called the Cold War.
This was dangerous because by 1948 both nations had nuclear weapons.
It was a “Cold War” because countries never mobilized armies in an official war.

4. The Cold War The Cold War: Began in Europe.
1948 – United States began a loan program called the Marshall Plan.
This plan was designed to help rebuild Europe and try to stop the spread of communism.
Under the plan factories were rebuilt, mines reopened, and roads repaired and replaced.
The countries liberated and occupied by the United States and Great Britain during World War II began to grow.

5. West European Nations Cooperate
1948 – Truman Doctrine was created. It was named after U.S. President Harry Truman.
It offered military aid to countries that were engaged in fighting communism in their borders.
Greece and Turkey

6. West European Nations Cooperate
1949 – North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was formed.
This organization would respond to possible attacks by the Soviet Union.
Being a member of this organization meant that you treated on attack on other countries like an attack on yourself.
As a result, they felt the Soviet Union would not attack because of fear of the United States. This was known as deterrence.

7. West European Nations Cooperate
1948 – The Netherlands and Luxembourg joined together to form the Benelux trade union.
1958 – West Germany and Italy joined this union. It became known as the European Economic Community.
Between 1958 – 1986 Denmark, Great Britain, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, and Greece joined the union. It was then known as the European Union.
This lead to greater cooperation and economic development among these nations.

8. The Soviet Union
The Soviet Union made the countries surrounding it satellite nations.
Satellite nations were dependent on a stronger power.
Bulgaria, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland became communist.
These countries along with the Soviet Union created the COMECON (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance.)

9. The Soviet Union
1958 – Soviet Union formed its satellite nations into an alliance known as the Warsaw Pact.
Named after capital city of Warsaw.

10. A Clash Between Superpowers
During the Cold War there were many “hot spots” – areas of tension and conflict.
China, Korea, Cuba, and Vietnam. The most important was Berlin.

11. A Clash Between Superpowers
Divided Berlin:
1945 – United States, Soviet Union, Great Britain, and France occupied Germany.
1948 – United States, Great Britain, and France decided to unite their occupation zone to promote peace and German recovery.
Soviet Union was against this plan to strengthen Germany.
Soviet Union placed a blockade that closed all land and water traffic into Berlin.
In response The United States and Great Britain began to airlift supplies into Berlin by airplane.

12. A Clash Between Superpowers
The Berlin Wall:
3 million people fled to West Berlin in search of political freedom and better living conditions.
1961 – the government built a wall between East and West Berlin to stop people fleeing.
Soldiers guarded the wall.
It was a symbol of split between Western and Eastern Europe.

13. A Clash Between Superpowers
The Race to Space:
Was a part of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States.
1957 – Soviet Union pulled ahead of the United States when they launched Sputnik I – the first space craft to orbit the earth.
Four years later Soviet Union astronaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to circle the earth.
1969 – United States took the lead when Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon.
1970s – first landing on Venus and Mars were made by the U.S.
Later space crafts explored Jupiter, Saturn, and more.
Today the U.S. and Russia are partners in the international space station project.

14. The End of the Cold War
1985 – Mikhail Gorbachev became the leader of the Soviet Union. He introduced plans to help the economy.
Glasnost – openness, people could criticize the system without fear of being punished.
Perestroika – reconstruction, loosened government control and moved the economy into capitalism.
With these reforms the Cold War was coming to an end.