1. The Cold War Mr. Thomas Sothars De Smet Jesuit HS

2. Iron Curtain Speech “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an Iron Curtain has descended across the continent." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvax5 VUvjWQ

3. Marshall Plan Massive aid program to rebuild Europe from World War II.  12.5 billion in U.S. aid was sent to Europe from 1948 to 1952. – The Soviet Union and communist Eastern Europe decline U.S. aid, citing "dollar enslavement."

4. Truman Doctrine 1947  Greece and Turkey in danger of falling to communists  Truman requested $400 million from Congress in aid to both countries.  Successful effort

5. Containment Policy Domino Theory Many newly independent states, preferred socialism to capitalism – which was the system of their imperialist captors THUS – US policy became “contain” communism LATER… DOMINO THEORY - if one goes, they will all go down (Vietnam)

6. COMPETITION  US and USSR fight to add countries to their “influence” – gave out loans, grants and arms to countries that followed them.  Eastern Europe (USSR) vs. W. Europe (US)  USSR had strong recovery at first, but then bureaucracy made it less efficient – USSR gap in consumer goods widened

7. COMPETITION EXAMPLES  NATO vs. WARSAW PACT  SPACE RACE (see later)  CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS (USSR vs. US)

8. Berlin Airlift  Blockade of Berlin began on June 24, ’48  From June 1948 to May 1949, U.S. and British planes airlift 1.5 million tons of supplies to residents of West Berlin.  After 200,000 flights, USSR lifts blockade.

9. 1949 – Fall of China  In June, Jiang Jieshi defeated by Mao – Flee to island of Taiwan  Mao proclaims People’s Republic of China (PRC)  Two months later, Mao travels to Moscow, – negotiates the Sino- Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance.

10. Cuban Missile Crisis  Castro comes to power – communism 90 miles away!  U2 spy planes see Cuban missile sites  Kennedy demands no missiles  TENSE standoff

11. Korean War, 1950-1953  N. Korea communists cross 38th parallel into S. Korea.  US helps S. Koreans and China supports the North  The U.N. Security Council condemns the invasion and starts fighting w 15 nations…Soviets not at veto meeting  MacArthur to fight them to the 38 th – he goes further!  Chinese threatened; chase them back across 38 th  Cease fire eventually brings war to close by 1953 – stays the same!

12. Vietnam War  Ho Chi Minh and Viet Minh in N. Vietnam  S. Vietnam had Ngo Dinh Diem; dictator and communist group called Vietcong try to rebel in South  The United States assumes the chief responsibility of providing anti-communist aid to South Vietnam.  US decides to get involved after Gulf of Tonkin incident!

13. 1964 - Gulf of Tonkin Resolution  N. Vietnamese patrol boats fired on the USS Mattox  U.S. Congress approves the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, granting President Johnson authority to send U.S. troops to South Vietnam.

14. Vietnam  Support for Vietcong grows in S. Vietnam with help from N., USSR and China  US begins air bombing – who’s the enemy?  Protests; Vietnamization by Nixon….get out of war, but then bomb Laos and Cambodia (hiding places)  US left, N. overran S.

15. Sputnik  On October 4, the Soviet Union launches Sputnik, the first man- made satellite to orbit the Earth.  In 1958, the U.S. creates NASA and the space race is in full gear.

16. 1961 - Berlin Wall  On August 15, communist authorities begin construction on the Berlin Wall to prevent East Germans from fleeing to West Berlin.

17. JFK in Berlin http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5359589

18. 1968 - Prague Spring  On January 5, reformer Alexander Dubcek became leader of Communist Party in Czechoslovakia, pledging reforms & democratization  The Prague Spring movement swept across the country.  Soviet and Warsaw Pact leaders sent 650,000 troops in August.  Dubcek arrested and hard-liners restored to power.

19. 1969 – SALT I and II  On November 17, the 1st phase of Strategic Arms Limitation Talks began in Helsinki, Finland.  The finished agreement, signed in Moscow on May 26, 1972, placed limits on both submarine- launched and intercontinental nuclear missiles.

20. 1972 – Nixon visits China  Nixon becomes the first U.S. president to visit China, meeting with Mao Tse-tung on February 21.  The rapprochement changes the balance of power with the Soviets.

21. DETENTE  Thawing of cold war…détente (lessoning of cold war tensions) replaced “brinkmanship”  NIXON…Visits China, SALT agreement

22. 1975 - Cambodia  Communist Khmer Rouge take power in Cambodia, April 16 1975.  Cambodia's educated and urban population forced into the countryside as part of a state experiment in agrarian communism.  Under the regime of Pol Pot, as many as 3 million Cambodians died from 1975 to 1979. “The Killing Fields”

23. 1979 - Afghanistan  December 25, 100,000 Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan to bring it into Soviet sphere.  U.S.-backed Muslim guerrilla fighters (mujahideen) waged a costly war against the Soviets for nearly a decade before Soviet troops withdraw in 1988.  Afghanistan—the Soviet “Vietnam”  Battle for who will rule: Taliban the victor!

24. COLLAPSE OF DETENTE  Ronald Reagan in 1981  Anti-Communist – increased defense spending, sees USSR as “evil empire”  Star Wars  Initiates the Contras  BUT NEW LEADERSHIP IN USSR changes things!

25. 1983 - Star Wars  Reagan outlined his Strategic Defense Initiative, or "Star Wars," a space-based defensive shield that would use lasers and other advanced technology to destroy attacking missiles far above the Earth's surface.  Soviets accuse the U.S of violating the 1972 Antiballistic Missile Treaty.  Soviets forced to spend heavily to match the program causing near economic collapse.

26. 1985 - Gorbachev comes to power  On March 11, Mikhail Gorbachev came to power in the Soviet Union.  Gorbachev ushered in an era of reform. – perestroika Economic reform- restructuring – glasnost – means openness, allowed greater free expression and criticism of Soviet policies

27. 1989 - Berlin Wall falls  Gorbachev renounced the Brezhnev Doctrine, which pledged to use Soviet force to protect its interests in Eastern Europe.  On September 10, Hungary opened its border with Austria, allowing East Germans to flee to the West.  After massive public demonstrations in East Germany and Eastern Europe, the Berlin Wall fell on November 9.

28. Fall of Berlin Wall

30. 1990 – German unification  At a September 12 meeting in Moscow, the United States, Soviet Union, Great Britain, France and the two Germanys agreed to end Allied occupation rights in Germany.  On October 3, East and West Germany united as the Federal Republic of Germany.

31. 1991 – Soviet Union breaks up  Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and other states become independent

32. POST COLD WAR  Yugoslavia’s religious conflicts- breaks up  Serbian Christians of Bosnia attempt to “rid” the state of Muslims – example of ETHNIC CLEANSING  New global cooperation: EEC with Britain  NGO’s (Amnesty International, Doctors Without Borders) to help global suffering  Multinational companies control culture