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The Cold War

Germany surrendered in 1945 and was divided and occupied by the Allies. The Potsdam Conference established this division and began de-Nazification efforts. Europe was largely bankrupt after the war while the US and USSR emerged as new superpowers. The Soviets wanted to rebuild the German economy to their benefit while the Americans prioritized self-determination, leading to the origins of the Cold War between them. Japan also surrendered in 1945 after atomic bombs were dropped and was remade under US occupation with a new constitution and demilitarization. These postwar changes established the foundations for the ensuing global Cold War conflict between capitalist and communist ideologies.

Education◦
Europe Germany surrenders May 1945 Potsdam Conference: Germany divided, occupied by Allies Germany de-Nazified Nuremberg Trials: War Criminals, Holocaust collaborators tried Crimes Against Humanity developed
Europe European countries largely bankrupted by war USA and USSR new world superpowers
Treatment of Germany:
Leads to Origins of the Cold War Soviets want to rebuild economy using German industry Allies agreed to divide Germany temporarily Soviets wanted a “buffer” Americans wanted “self-determination”
Treatment of Germany:
Japan/Asia  Surrendered August 1945 after First (and only) use of atomic weapons: August 6 – Hiroshima, August 9 – Nagasaki
Japan/Asia Loses all territories since 1895 General MacArthur oversees drafting of new constitution  Emperor looses god-like status (though not war criminal) Japan demilitarized Minimal war crimes (compare to Germany) 1951 - Regains independence
Long-standing changes Difference between the west and east would quickly start the Cold War Nuclear weapons complicate issue United Nations: works for world peace & improve the lives of the people of the world. (Replaces League of Nations)
Long-standing changes  Nationalism and anti-colonialism = desires for independence and self-determination See: India, Africa, Asia  Advances in science and technology (synthetic rubber, radar, synthetic materials, jet engines, atomic weapons/energy)  New world powers, new threats, new rules lead to … COLD WAR
IRON CURTAIN From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe. Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest and Sofia; all these famous cities and the populations around them lie in what I must call the Soviet sphere, and all are subject, in one form or another, not only to Soviet influence but to a very high and in some cases increasing measure of control from Moscow.
What was the Cold War? A state of economic, diplomatic, and ideological discord among nations without armed conflict after World War II. But, no direct fighting (“hot war”) between superpowers…but in Vietnam, Korea, etc. Why?
Cold War Begins a non-military battle of diplomacy and propaganda between the United States and Soviet Union - Many of the smaller wars were called proxy wars because the U.S. and U.S.S.R. never fought face to face
Berlin Wall
The Cold War 1945- 1991
Origins of the Cold War Cold War defined by issues raised at Potsdam Conference
Iron Curtain…
U.S. vs. USSR (Soviet Union) U.S. U.S.S.R Capitalism Communism Private property State owns Democratic Totalitarian
Similarities Both the US & USSR: wanted to defeat Hitler wanted their values and economic and political systems to prevail wanted a sphere of influence agreed that capitalism and communism could not coexist believed the other to be a threat to their own existence
Differences Soviets thought capitalism brought imperialism and war Americans thought communism was totalitarian and bent on subjugating other nations
New World Classifications  “First World” Countries: Industrialized, wealthy countries (Western Europe, Canada, US, Australia)  “Second World” Countries: Communist / Communist-controlled countries (USSR, Soviet-bloc countries, China)  “Third World” Countries: Poor, unindustrialized countries that have some sort of natural resource to exploit. (Congo, Iraq)  “Fourth World” Countries: Poor, unindustrialized countries that have little- to no resources to exploit (Haiti)
Nuclear Weapons Soviets began their nuclear program in 1943 US hoped to regulate nuclear arms after WWII - but clearly held the advantage Soviets refused to participate, started arms race
The Ideological Struggle Soviet & US & the Eastern Bloc Western Nations Democracies [“Iron Curtain”] GOAL  GOAL  spread world-wide “Containment” of Communism Communism & the eventual collapse of METHODOLOGIES: the Communist world.  Espionage [KGB vs. CIA] [George Kennan]  Arms Race [nuclear escalation]  Ideological Competition for the minds and hearts of Third World peoples [Communist govt. & command economy vs. democratic govt. & capitalist economy]  “proxy wars”  Bi-Polarization of Europe [NATO vs. Warsaw Pact]
Nuclear Testing
Nuclear Weapons
What’s at stake?  If a 25 megaton bomb was dropped on downtown San Diego the following would be the result
What’s at stake? 12 psi  Radius: 6.5 miles  Some building foundations left  98% of the population within this area are dead
What’s at stake? 5 psi  Radius: 10.7 miles  Virtually everything is destroyed  All single family homes are gone  50% of population is dead, 40% is injured
FIGHTING COMMUNISM CONTAINMENT POLICY: The U.S. would work to stop the spread of communism. 1. Truman Doctrine 2. Marshall Plan 3. NATO and other alliances
4. The Truman Doctrine & Domino Theory Truman Doctrine: U.S. would aid countries around the world who are fighting communism (like Greece and Turkey). Domino Theory: If the U.S. will not fight communism, then countries will fall to communism like dominos.
The ‘Truman Doctrine’  Truman had been horrified at the pre-war Allied policy of appeasement and was determined to stand up to any Soviet intimidation. The Truman Doctrine in March 1947 promised that the USA “would support free peoples who are resisting subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures”.  Triggered by British inability to hold the line in Greece, it was followed by aid to Greece and Turkey, and also money to help capitalists to stop communists in Italy and France. It signalled the end of “isolationst” policies.
The Marshall Plan 1948 Plan to aid Europe— in ruins Prevent countries from falling to communists Aid American business $17 billion to 16 countries in Europe (not Soviet Union)
The ‘Marshall Plan’  The Marshall Plan offered huge sums to enable the economies of Europe to rebuild after World War II, and, by generating prosperity, to reject the appeal of Communism. The Soviet Union (USSR) prevented Eastern European countries from receiving American money.
NATO vs. WARSAW PACT North Atlantic Treaty Organization: defense alliance among U.S. and Europe against the Soviet Union. Still exists. Warsaw Pact: Defense alliance among Soviet Union and its satellite governments in Eastern Europe.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (1949)  United States  Luxemburg  Belgium  Netherlands  Britain  Norway  Canada  Portugal  Denmark  1952: Greece &  France Turkey  1955: West Germany  Iceland  1983: Spain  Italy
Warsaw Pact (1955) } U. S. S. R. } East Germany } Albania } Hungary } Bulgaria } Poland } Czechoslovakia } Rumania
Post War Japan:  U.S. occupied – under General MacArthur New constitution Democracy with Emperor as figurehead Rebuild economy Abolished army and navy
The Red Scare  Intense fear of Communists taking over U.S. China became a Communist country in 1949. Soviets developed an atomic bomb in 1949. Rosenbergs convicted of selling atomic secrets to Soviet Union. Executed 1953.
Korean War [1950-1953]
Korean War [1950-1953] Kim Il-Sung Syngman Rhee “Domino Theory”
MacArthur at Inch'on landing • U.S. General Douglas MacArthur led the U.N. force, approximately 80% of which were U.S. soldiers.
Korean War, 1950-53  Divided north and south at 38th parallel at end of WWII.  In 1950, Communist North Korea invaded South Korea.  The U.S. and United Nations, aided the South; China aided the North Koreans.  Treaty signed in 1953, keeping dividing line at 38th parallel (still today).  33,000 American soldiers died, 100,000 wounded.
The Shifting Map of Korea [1950-1953]
Ending the War: U.N. troops regained South Korea by March of 1951. • Gen. MacArthur wanted to attack China with support of Chinese nationalists. • President Truman disagreed with MacArthur about attacking China.
• Truman fired MacArthur for defying him by publicly taunting and threatening the Chinese.
• In July of 1953, the Korean War ended
Space Race  Began when Soviets beat the U.S. into space  Soviet satellite Sputnik launched in 1957  Explorer I, the first U.S. satellite, was launched in 1958.  The National Defense Act of 1958 approved federal funding of education in math, science and foreign languages.  Reforms in education –
The Arms Race: A “Missile Gap?” } The Soviet Union exploded its first A-bomb in 1949. } Now there were two nuclear superpowers!
Nuclear Arms Race  Hydrogen bomb invented – both U.S. and Soviets had them  1,000 times more powerful than atomic bomb—vaporized an island.  Dangers of fallout and radiation  Many built bomb shelters!!
Premier Nikita Khrushchev About the capitalist states, it doesn't depend on you whether we (Soviet Union) exist. If you don't like us, don't accept our invitations, and don't De-Stalinization invite us to come Program to see you. Whether you like it our not, history is on our side. We will bury you. -- 1956
An Historic Irony: Sergei Khrushchev, American Citizen Who buried who?
Mao’s Revolution: 1949 Who lost China?
• The U.S. gave the Chiang Kai-shek millions of dollars, but the communists won the war.
• China became a commu- nist country, and Chiang Kai-shek and his forces fled to Taiwan.
Paris, 1961 Khrushchev & JFK meet to discuss Berlin and nuclear proliferation. Khrushchev thinks that JFK is young, inexperienced, and can be rolled.
The Berlin Wall Goes Up (1961) Checkpoint Charlie
Ich bin ein Berliner! (1963) President Kennedy tells Berliners that the West is with them!
Khruschev Embraces Castro, 1961
Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) We went eyeball-to-eyeball with the Russians, and the other man blinked!
Vietnam War: 1965-1973