1. Domestic & “Family” Issues 1953-65ish What’s Going On Inside Countries and Alliances

2. Great Britain Labour Party 1945-51 – Victory over Churchill’s Conservatives – Creation of the welfare stare in GB – Rebuilding effort – “Special relationship” with the United States – Dealing with decolonization & Commonwealth issues Conservatives 1951-64 – Continue the rebuilding efforts – Preside over a period of initial economic growth, followed by stagnation Continued welfare state, but promoted economic liberalism and less state involvement – 1959 election “Britain never had it so good”; things go south after that – Not allowed into EEC(1963); declining role in world affairs

3. Cod Wars (1970’s) Reoccurring conflict between GB & Iceland over fishing rights Iceland gunboats destroy Brit gear GB gives up claims b/c Iceland’s importance to NATO

4. France Fourth Republic (1946-1958) – Economic growth and rebuilding – Creation of welfare state Social Security, Health Care, Unemployment insurance, and disability pensions to ALL citizens – 20 different gov’t coalitions in 10 years Why the instability??? – Discuss French Reading – 1 st half 5 th Republic (1958-today!) – De Gaulle & Fr exercised a disproportionate influence in Euro affairs GB stagnating under Conservative gov’ts; rising tide of anti-US Saw France as major power & leader of Euro Supported Euro unity, but not at expense of sovereignty and not = – EEC led by Fr & Ger – NATO led by Fr, GB, & US – Wanted own nukcear weapons Franco-German “treaty” (1/1963) Brought two states closer together; supposed to be a check on the power of NATO, EEC, & GB-US relationship – Discuss French reading- 2 nd half

5. West Germany (FRG) Konrad Adenauer – First Chancellor (1949-1963) Headed Christian Democrat Union; Centre-right “In his years in power, Germany achieved prosperity, democracy, stability, and respect.” (Richard Hiscocks, The Adenauer era (1975) p. 290) – Worked for FULL alignment with West, not just neutrality like original plan Forged close relations with old enemies Fr & US Fast rebuilding and MASSIVE econ growth – The “German miracle” 1955- full sovereign state – Allowed to rearm Limited, and monitored – Joins NATO

6. Strains Within NATO De Gaulle & his nationalism Differences between US & Euro on role of NATO – Role of nuclear deterrent Conflicts between NATO members over “local” issues – Cod Wars; troops; economic issues

7. Problems Within Soviet Block Enthusiasm of Stalin’s 5-Year Plans replaced with exhaustion from war Economic – Consumer goods given LOW priority in econ 12.1% (US averages about 25%) – Reassertion of control over private land By 1952, 1940 ag levels (grain, potatoes, cattle) still not reached Social – Little social mobility Status & hierarchy emphasized – Women’s rights reduced Intellectual – ALL art, lit, music, & film had to promote socialism Cultural ties to outside world cut All learning focused on the Party

8. Problems Within Soviet Block Political – Increasingly centralized under Stalin State and Party subordinate to Stalin – Continued & increased use of terror – Decentralization under destalinization Some increases, but also uncertainty – Cultural conservative- Russian nationalism became more chauvinistic Dislike of Russian heavy-handedness – Didn’t like loss of state sovereignty – Don’t like their econ used by COMECON to better USSR

9. Demonstrations of Discontent East German Workers’ Revolt (1953) Polish October or Polish Thaw (1956) – Demonstrations & strikes led to some minor liberalizations & autonomy Hungarian Revolution (1956) A Soviet tank in Berlin, 17 June 1953.

10. East Germany Full police state – Elections manipulated – All media, art, and culture censored – Churches harassed – Stasi- secret police Most effective & repressive secret police in the world Motto: “The shield and sword of the Party” Consumer goods still below pre-war levels in 1953 – What was available was LOW quality Inefficient distribution system Food supplies always low

11. Rumania Nicolae Ceaușescu is head of Party – Used nationalist assertiveness to mask & distract from repression & bad econ Talk about how that works with partner HUGE foreign debt; shortage of consumer goods; econ dependence on USSR Used cult of personality