Spinrad/World History Chapter 17.1 The Cold War Two Superpowers Face Off

Causes of the Cold War U.S. support of Whites during Russian Revolution During WWII, the Soviet Union and United States were allies, but they weren’t friends! U.S. suspicious of Stalin who had signed a nonaggression pact with Hitler, uncomfortable with a communist dictator who desires worldwide communism Stalin begged for a second front but the allies delayed invasion of Europe until 1944

Yalta Conference February 1945 Roosevelt (United States), Churchill (Great Britain), Stalin (Soviet Union) What should happen to Germany after WWII? Divide Germany into zones of occupation controlled by the allied nations Stalin promised free elections in Eastern Germany but didn’t keep his promises! Stalin agreed to join the Allies fighting Japan

Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin at Yalta

Germany was divided into 4 zones, ruled by Britain, France, U. S Germany was divided into 4 zones, ruled by Britain, France, U.S. and Soviet Union Division of Germany Britain, France and U.S. joined zones, making West Germany and East Germany was created in Soviet zone

Post WWII Formation of United Nations United Nations: international peacekeeping organization of 50 countries who intended to protect each other against aggression 11 member Security Council to investigate and settle disputed Britain, China, France, U.S. and Soviet Union the only permanent members of Security Council; had veto power

United States vs. Soviet Goals Soviet Union Encourage free markets and democracy in countries to prevent the rise of Communism Encourage Communism in other countries to unite workers of the world in a revolution Gain access to raw materials and markets to fuel industry Rebuild war-ravaged economy using Eastern Europe’s industrial equipment and raw materials Rebuild European governments to promote stability and create new markets for American goods Control Eastern Europe to protect Soviet borders and balance U.S. influence in Western Europe Reunite Germany to stabilize it and increase the security of Europe Keep Germany divided to prevent its waging war again How did U.S. and Soviet goals conflict?

Stalin Breaks Yalta Agreement Stalin wanted buffer countries along the Soviet Union’s western border to protect from invasion DID NOT allow free elections in Eastern Europe as promised Installed Communist governments in Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Poland, and Yugoslavia

Potsdam Conference July 1945—Churchill voted out, FDR dead Harry S. Truman (United States), Clement Attlee(Great Britain) and Joseph Stalin (Soviet Union) Truman pressed for free elections in Eastern Europe and Stalin refused In 1946, Stalin explained that communism and capitalism could not exist simultaneously, foreshadowing a war between the United States and the Soviet Union

Potsdam Conference

In 1949, Churchill declared that an “iron curtain” had descended across Europe, dividing mostly democratic Western Europe from Communist Eastern Europe Stalin took this as a “call to war”, beginning the Cold War, or a state of hostility that existed between the U.S. and Soviet Union from 1949 until 1991 when the Soviet Union broke up

Containment The United States adopted a policy of containment, or blocking Soviet influence and preventing the spread of communism Created alliances in Europe Helped weak countries resist Soviet advances

Containment Truman Doctrine Marshall Plan 1947 U.S. policy of giving aid to free nations threatened by Stalin and communism $400 million in aid given to Turkey and Greece Marshall Plan 1948 U.S. program of economic aid to European countries to help them rebuild after WWII $12.5 billion in aid to provide food, machines and other materials European countries needed to rebuild and help them resist communism… WHY??

Berlin Airlift Berlin, the capital of Germany, was divided between France, Great Britain, the United States and Soviet Union It was located in East Germany, or the Soviet zone

Berlin Airlift 1948, France, Britain and U.S. withdrew troops Soviet Union took West Berlin hostage, cutting off traffic into western zone No supplies could get in People faced starvation Stalin wanted the west to surrender West Berlin or give up their plans of reunifying Germany

Berlin Airlift In response, for 11 months the British and Americans flew 2.3 million tons of food, fuel, medicine and even Christmas presents to West Berlin, taking a total of 277,000 flights, until the blockade was lifted in May 1949

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (N.A.T.O.) Alliance of 10 Western European nations, Canada and the United States formed in 1949 An attack on one member would be considered an attack on all In response to N.A.T.O., Stalin formed the Warsaw Pact, an alliance of Eastern European nations and the Soviet Union

Cold War Alliances N.A.T.O. Warsaw Pact Neutral

Brinkmanship By 1949 both the U.S. and Soviet Union had atomic bombs In November 1952, the U.S. exploded its first hydrogen bomb (H-bomb), which was thousands of times stronger than atomic bomb By August 1953 the Soviet Union exploded their own H-bomb John Foster Dulles, secretary of state under Eisenhower, said that the U.S. was willing to go to the brink of war, or practice brinkmanship arms race

H-Bomb

Space Race The arms race led to a space race 1957 the Soviets launched the beeping satellite Sputnik I, making the Americans feel inferior in science and technology The U.S poured billions of dollars into education and created NASA

Tensions increased when the Soviets caught Francis Gary Powers, a U-2 pilot, spying for the CIA in Soviet air space U-2 Spy Plane