The EarlyCold War:1945-1960

The Ideological StruggleThe Ideological StruggleSoviet &

Eastern Bloc Nations

US & the Western

Democracies

GOAL spread world-wide Communism

GOAL “Containment” of Communism & the eventual collapse of the Communist world.

METHODOLOGIES: Espionage [KGB vs. CIA] Arms Race [nuclear escalation] Ideological Competition for the minds and

hearts of Third World peoples “proxy wars” Bi-Polarization of Europe [NATO vs. Warsaw

Pact]

A.

Roots of the Cold War

Shaping of the Post-War World

• The 2 sides disagreed what model the world should follow

• Yalta violated by both sides

The Bipolarization of Europe• West takes after the U.S.• East takes after the Soviet Union

The “Iron Curtain”The “Iron Curtain”

From Stettin in the Balkans, to Trieste in the From Stettin in the Balkans, to Trieste in the Adriatic, an Adriatic, an iron curtainiron curtain has descended across the has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lies the ancient capitals Continent. Behind that line lies the ancient capitals of Central and Eastern Europe. of Central and Eastern Europe. -- Sir -- Sir Winston Churchill, 1946Winston Churchill, 1946

• Divide between Eastern & Western Europe

Partition of Germany•4 zones of influence after WWII•Soviet Union wanted to punish Germany for WWII•US (& Allies) wanted to rebuild

B.

Containment

George Kennan & The Long Telegram & Article

X• U.S. ambassador to the Soviet Union

• 1946 – writes the “Long Telegram” and later Article X

• To Truman: the Soviets are expanding & they must be contained

“The Soviets ideology is the outside world was hostile and that it was their duty eventually to overthrow the political forces beyond their borders”

Truman Doctrine [1947]Truman Doctrine [1947]• Containment – stopping the spread of Containment – stopping the spread of

Communism, but not eliminating it from Communism, but not eliminating it from countries that countries that already are communist are communist

• 1947: Greece and Turkey under threat 1947: Greece and Turkey under threat of communist parties of communist parties

• The U. S. should support free peoples The U. S. should support free peoples throughout the world who were throughout the world who were resisting takeovers by armed minorities resisting takeovers by armed minorities or outside pressure.or outside pressure.

• The U.S. gave Greece & Turkey $400 The U.S. gave Greece & Turkey $400 million in aid.million in aid.

• Aid will be provided Aid will be provided to other nations to other nations under threat from under threat from communismcommunism

Marshall Plan [1948]Marshall Plan [1948]• Western European nations Western European nations

threatened by Communism threatened by Communism because of instabilitybecause of instability

• The U. S. should provide The U. S. should provide aid to aid to allall European nations European nations that need it. that need it.

• ““This moveThis move is not against is not against any country or doctrine, but any country or doctrine, but against hunger, poverty, against hunger, poverty, desperation, and chaos.”desperation, and chaos.”

• $12.5 billion of US aid to $12.5 billion of US aid to Western Europe extended Western Europe extended to Eastern Europe & USSR, to Eastern Europe & USSR, [but this was rejected][but this was rejected]

Sec of State George

Marshall

C. C. Conflict Conflict

over over Germany Germany 1948-491948-49

Independence?• 1948 – the

U.S., France, & Britain wanted Germany to become independent

• Soviet Union does not & takes Berlin Hostage

• Became a symbolic issue

Berlin Blockade & Airlift Berlin Blockade & Airlift (1948-49)(1948-49)

•Soviet Union cuts off all ground transportation in and out of Berlin

•June 1948 – May 1949 U.S. had to fly all supplies into Berlin•277,000

flights and 2 million tons of supplies

•U.S. would win & blockade ended

The End EffectThe End Effect• Germany would

be divided into 2 nations

• West Germany: Democratic

• East Germany: Communist

• Berlin continued to be divided

D.The Arms Race & Military

Alliances

NNorth orth AAtlantic tlantic TTreaty reaty OOrganization (1949)rganization (1949)

United StatesUnited States BelgiumBelgium BritainBritain CanadaCanada DenmarkDenmark FranceFrance IcelandIceland ItalyItaly

LuxemburgLuxemburg NetherlandsNetherlands NorwayNorway PortugalPortugal 1952: Greece & 1952: Greece &

Turkey Turkey 1955: West 1955: West

GermanyGermany 1983: Spain1983: Spain

Warsaw Pact (1955)Warsaw Pact (1955)

} U. S. S. R.U. S. S. R.} AlbaniaAlbania} BulgariaBulgaria} CzechoslovakCzechoslovak

iaia

} East East GermanyGermany

} HungaryHungary} PolandPoland} RumaniaRumania

Two Nuclear Two Nuclear PowersPowers

} The Soviet The Soviet Union Union exploded its exploded its first A-bomb in first A-bomb in 1949.1949.

Hydrogen Bomb• Both now wanted

stronger nuclear weapons

• U.S. 1st to test a Hydrogen Bomb in Nov. 1952

• Soviet Union tested theirs in August 1953

The Arms Race• Both nations will now compete

to develop and create more nuclear weapons

National Defense Budget

E.

Containment in Asia

China: 1949China: 1949• Civil War ends• Becomes communist under Mao Zedong

– Called the People’s Republic of China• Seen as a major failure of containment• Nationalists set up their own government

in Taiwan called the Republic of China

United Nations deals with China

• Which China gets the seat in the UN?

• ROC given the seat• Soviet Union will boycott in

protest

War in Korea1950-1953

• Korea divided at the end of WWII at 38th parallel

• 1950: N. Korea invaded S. Korea

• U.S. didn’t want containment to fail

• Pressures UN to invade

• Troops led by MacArthur• Takes war into N. Korea• China enters the war

War in Korea1950-1953

• Mac wants to use the A-bomb

• Truman fires him

• Negotiations begin for a cease-fire

• Achieved in 1953

War in Korea1950-1953

F.Cold War Under

Eisenhower

Massive Retaliation• Created by Sec. of State

Dulles• Rejection of Containment• 2 Principals:

1. Encourage Liberation

2. Retaliation• Brinkmanship – being on

the verge of war• “New Look Military”

Eisenhower scales back army & navy in favor of nuclear capabilities

Death of Stalin (1953)• Nikita Khrushchev

becomes premier• Believed in “peaceful

coexistence”• Agreement at

Geneva Summit (1955) for nuclear disarmament

• Relations sour after Hungarian Uprising in 1956

““We will bury We will bury you”you”

Sputnik (1957)• Soviet satellite launched into

space• Showed the U.S. falling behind

technologically• National Defense Education Act

(NDEA): rigorous education program– Science– Math– Foreign Lang.

• 1958: U.S. launches satellite Explorer I

• NASA formed in 1958

Berlin (Again)• 1958: Khrushchev

issues ultimatum – Get out of W. Berlin

• Eisenhower refuses to give in

• Send Nixon to U.S.S.R in 1959– Kitchen Debates

• Khrushchev visits for 2 weeks

• 2 countries agree to summit in 1960 to discuss issues

U-2 Incident• U-2 Spy plane shot

down May 1960• U.S. denied it was

spying• U.S.S.R proved they

were • Happened 10 days

before planned summit

• Worst U.S – Soviet relations since Stalin

G.Cuba

Fidel Castro• January 1, 1959,

wrestles control from Fulgencio Batista

• Reason?– Too much American

control in Cuba• Tries to visit U.S.

– Ike refuses to meet with him

• Nationalizes all U.S. property

Alliance with the U.S.S.R• Sept 1959,

Khrushchev offers aid

• Castro accepts – turns Cuba communist

• 1960: U.S. begins plotting against Castro & breaks off diplomatic ties

• Castro encourages Latin America to have Communist Revolutions