The Cold War

By 1946 wartime Allies now hostile Distrust so great that US & USSR talked openly of threat of war between the two countries Propaganda war developed w/ each side denouncing policies of the other The term ‘Cold War’ began to be used Cold War lasted from late 1940s to 1991 The cold War Begins Write your own definition of the term ‘Cold War’ as it might appear in a historical document

By 1946 wartime Allies now hostile

Distrust so great that US & USSR talked openly of threat of war between the two countries

Propaganda war developed w/ each side denouncing policies of the other

The term ‘Cold War’ began to be used

Cold War lasted from late 1940s to 1991

What point is the cartoonist making about the alliance?

Why was the USA so worried about Communism? Wartime alliance due to common enemy, not mutual friendship FDR & S got along well, but not countries < WWII each had distrusted the other greatly US troops sent to fight Reds in Russia (1918-21) Before war US citizens trusted USSR less than Nazi Germany USA appalled @ Nazi-Soviet Pact (E) & US delay @ 2 nd front always angered S Differences too great to be overcome easily Russia U S A

Wartime alliance due to common enemy, not mutual friendship

FDR & S got along well, but not countries

< WWII each had distrusted the other greatly

US troops sent to fight Reds in Russia (1918-21)

Before war US citizens trusted USSR less than Nazi Germany

USA appalled @ Nazi-Soviet Pact

(E) & US delay @ 2 nd front always angered S

Differences too great to be overcome easily

Fact File: USA compared to USSR Democracy: gov’t chosen by the people Capitalist: Businesses & property privately owned World’s wealthiest country, but extremes of rich & poor Americans believed freedom from gov’t control more important than economic or social equality Americans believed other countries should run ‘the American way’ Many Americans bitterly opposed to atheist communism Communist one-party state: elections held, but only party candidates could run Economic superpower because of 5-year plans, but standard of living much lower than USA. Still, unemployment low, and extreme poverty almost non-existent Communists believed rights of individuals less important that society as a whole, so OK to tightly control peoples’ lives Soviet leaders believed in Communism Many people in USSR bitterly opposed to ‘decadent’ capitalism

Democracy: gov’t chosen by the people

Capitalist: Businesses & property privately owned

World’s wealthiest country, but extremes of rich & poor

Americans believed freedom from gov’t control more important than economic or social equality

Americans believed other countries should run ‘the American way’

Many Americans bitterly opposed to atheist communism

Communist one-party state: elections held, but only party candidates could run

Economic superpower because of 5-year plans, but standard of living much lower than USA. Still, unemployment low, and extreme poverty almost non-existent

Communists believed rights of individuals less important that society as a whole, so OK to tightly control peoples’ lives

Soviet leaders believed in Communism

Many people in USSR bitterly opposed to ‘decadent’ capitalism

Comparisons Elections Industries Individual Rights USSR - Communist USA – Capitalist & Democratic Communist Communist Democrat Republican

On the left is a reconstruction of Norman Rockwell’s Four Freedoms poster promoting the causes for which the USA was purporting to fight WWII … freedom of speech … freedom of worship … freedom from want … freedom from fear Ours to fight for … Which of these freedoms do you think the Soviet Union would also believe in? Explain. Which would it think unimportant? Explain. What might be an equivalent poster (with four freedoms Soviet-style) for the USSR in WWII?

On the left is a reconstruction of Norman Rockwell’s Four Freedoms poster promoting the causes for which the USA was purporting to fight WWII

Which of these freedoms do you think the Soviet Union would also believe in? Explain.

Which would it think unimportant? Explain.

What might be an equivalent poster (with four freedoms Soviet-style) for the USSR in WWII?

Differences existed in 1920s, ’30s w/o Cold War 1940s differences more significant > WWII both were only superpowers left (E), (F), (G) (J) now 2 nd rate powers USA now willing to take on respons-ibilities as only democratic superpower ‘ Til 1930s USA was isolationist … no more! Not willing to repeat mistakes of the past No more appeasement of dictators Every Communist action would meet strong American response ‘ [America] will have to take responsibility for world collaboration or we shall have to bear the responsibilities for another world conflict’ FDR to Congress, March 1945, after Yalta Why was the USA so worried about Communism?

Differences existed in 1920s, ’30s w/o Cold War

1940s differences more significant

> WWII both were only superpowers left

(E), (F), (G) (J) now 2 nd rate powers

USA now willing to take on respons-ibilities as only democratic superpower

‘ Til 1930s USA was isolationist … no more!

Not willing to repeat mistakes of the past

No more appeasement of dictators

Every Communist action would meet strong American response

‘ [America] will have to take responsibility for world collaboration or we shall have to bear the responsibilities for another world conflict’

FDR to Congress, March 1945, after Yalta

Focus Task: How did the USSR gain control of Eastern Europe? It is 1948. As a high-ranking member of the State Department’s Europe Bureau, produce a briefing paper to update President Truman on the situation in Eastern Europe. Your report should mention: The Communist successes in Eastern Europe between 1945 & 1948 and the reasons for them Stalin’s plan for Eastern Europe The methods being used by Stalin to control Eastern Europe Whether you think the USA should be worried and why

It is 1948. As a high-ranking member of the State Department’s Europe Bureau, produce a briefing paper to update President Truman on the situation in Eastern Europe. Your report should mention:

The Communist successes in Eastern Europe between 1945 & 1948 and the reasons for them

Stalin’s plan for Eastern Europe

The methods being used by Stalin to control Eastern Europe

Whether you think the USA should be worried and why

Fin

PSDs for the Cold War Unless Russia is faced with an iron fist and strong language another war is in the making. Only one language do they understand – ‘how many [army] divisions have you got?’ … I’m tired of babying the Soviets. President Truman, writing to his Secretary of State in January 1946

Unless Russia is faced with an iron fist and strong language another war is in the making. Only one language do they understand – ‘how many [army] divisions have you got?’ … I’m tired of babying the Soviets.

President Truman, writing to his Secretary of State in January 1946