The Cold War

Origins of the Term George Orwell contemplated a world living under the threat of nuclear war in his essay You & The Atomic Bomb (1945): -Prediction of the Cold War? “For forty or fifty years past, Mr. H. G. Wells and others have been warning us that man is in danger of destroying himself with his own weapons, leaving the ants or some other gregarious species to take over. Anyone who has seen the ruined cities of Germany will find this notion at least thinkable. Nevertheless, looking at the world as a whole, the drift for many decades has been not towards anarchy but towards the reimposition of slavery. We may be heading not for general breakdown but for an epoch as horribly stable as the slave empires of antiquity… but few people have yet considered its ideological implications–that is, the kind of world-view, the kind of beliefs, and the social structure that would probably prevail in a state which was at once UNCONQUERABLE and in a permanent state of 'cold war' with its neighbors.”

Origins of the Term Walter Lippman: -American journalist who popularized the expression “Cold War” with his articles and 1947 book of essays bearing that title.

What was the Cold War About? Struggle between superpowers for global influence? Conflict of mutually exclusive security needs? Conflict over ideology?

Beginnings of the Cold War Thinking logically, since the Soviet Union and the USA fought on the same side during WWII, their relationship after the war should have been friendly, right? WRONG! Any indication that these powers were friendly was an illusion.

Beginnings of the Cold War Before the war, the USA had gone as far as calling the Soviet Union devilish, and vice versa… they weren’t exactly friends Their “friendship” was only the result of their mutual enemy, Nazi Germany. Distrust between the Allies was there before the end of the war. Idea of “holding hands with the devil to cross the bridge.”

Beginnings of the Cold War Examples of this!!! 1) General Patton proposed uniting with defeated Germany, and fighting the growing Soviet Red Army in 1945!!! 2) Stalin (an ally of the USA against Japan) only became aware of the American atomic bomb project a month before it was used!!! They had been working on it for years!

Beginnings of the Cold War At the end of WWII, there was no trust between the two superpowers. The Soviet Union had a MASSIVE army America had the most powerful weapon in the world

Three Types of Warfare Hot War: All talks have failed and armies are fighting. Warm War: Talks are ongoing, but army is being mobilized and warp plans are in place. Cold War: Used to describe the relationship between the USA and the USSR. -Neither side fought because of potential consequences, but they fought for their beliefs using other states. -This almost broke down in 1962.

Tensions The United States The Soviet Union Free electionsFixed elections or no elections Democracy***Dictatorship Liberal-CapitalistSoviet Communism Idea of “survival of the fittest” Idea of “everyone helps everyone” and “working class rule” Richest world power Poor economic base Personal freedom*** Secret police Freedom of the media Censorship

Cold War Trivia What Cold War leader’s temper tantrums often left him with cold feet? A)Stalin B)Khrushchev C)Lyndon B. Johnson D)Kissinger

Answer B! In 1960, Khrushchev took off one of his shoes at the UN and banged it on the podium during a temper tantrum.

Cold War Trivia Who turned to the USA for help, which if given, may have prevented him from turning to the Soviet Union? A)Pol Pot (Cambodia) B)Mao Zedong (China) C)Fidel Castro (Cuba) D)Vladimir Lenin

Answer C! Castro wanted help overthrowing Batista, but the USA turned him down. He was also treated very discourteously by the USA administration when he visited after overthrowing Batista.

Cold War Trivia One American General wanted to take armies into the Soviet Union immediately after WWII. Who was it?

Answer General Patton!

Cold War Trivia In what year did the Soviets successfully test their own atom bomb? A)1953 B)1949 C)They haven’t yet D)1946

Answer B! The Soviets pooled their resources to get the A-Bomb after the Americans dropped A-Bombs on Japan in They didn’t want the Americans to have such an advantage over them.

Cold War Trivia Who said this? “So far as an arms race is concerned, there is one going on right now but there is only one side racing.” A)Ronald Reagan B)George Bush Sr. C)Jimmy Carter D)Gerald Ford

Answer A! Reagan believed that the only way to beat the Soviet Union was to outspend them. He made this comment in June 1980.

Cold War Trivia The United States offered what to help influence democracy in many nations? A)Warsaw Plan B)Marshall Plan C)Emergency Relief Plan D)NATO Plan

Answer B! The Marshall Plan was created by George Marshall Jr., who was the American Chief of Staff and Secretary of State at the time.