The Cold War

The Cold War  A state of political tension and military rival between nations that stops short of full-scale war.  The Cold War existed between the United States and the Soviet Union following World War II.

When  It began right after World War II.  It was began by Joseph Stalin at Yalta in  It began over Eastern Europe.

Joseph Stalin

Harry Truman

Winston Churchill -- England

What  It was a rivalry between the two superpowers – the United States and the USSR (Soviet Union – Russia)  The rivalry stopped short of direct, violent confrontation because that would have meant nuclear war.

USSR Flag

Why Did the Cold War Begin  Mutual distrust. The U.S. didn’t trust the USSR and  The USSR didn’t trust the U.S.  There were two ideologies – communism vs. Democracy  There was an arms (weapons) race. Each attempted to have more weapons than the other.  There was the USSR’s intention to take over the world – especially the Third World.

Who? The Soviet Union vs The U.S.  The Korean War  The beginning leaders in the 1940s and 1950s are  Stalin – USSR  Pres. Harry Truman – U.S.

North Korea – Kim Il Sung

 The Cuban Missile Crisis  U.S. leaders – Pres. Eisenhower and Pres. JFK  USSR leader – Nikita Khrushchev

“Ike” Eisenhower

John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Fidel Castro

Nikita Khrushcev

1960s s  The Vietnam War  USSR – Brezhnev  U.S. – JFK, LBJ and Nixon

Brezhnev -- USSR

Lyndon Baines Johnson --LBJ

Richard Millhouse Nixon

1991  The Cold War ends in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union.  USSR – Gorbachev  U.S. -- Reagan

Mikail Gorbachev

Pres. Ronald Reagan

Where  The First World  The U.S. and its allies in Western Europe  The Second World  The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe  The Third World –  Developing countries i.e. Korea, Vietnam

Military Alliances  NATO –North Atlantic Treaty Organization– 1948 – democracy  Warsaw Pact – USSR and its satellites in Eastern Europe – communism

How  Who had the bomb? – the U.S. and the USSR  NATO prevented the Soviet Union from invading Western Europe.  Weapons were nuclear and conventional

Hot Wars  1950 – 1953: North Korea vs South Korea (U.S.)  Pres. Eisenhower got us out.  1965 – 1975: North Vietnam (communist) vs. South Vietnam (U.S.)  Pres. Nixon pulled troops out and North Vietnam communist took over South Vietnam.

Asian Leaders  Mao – China  Ho Chi Minh – Vietnam  Fidel Castro – Cuba  India -- Nehru

Chairman Mao Zedong -- China

Ho Chi Minh – Vietnam

Nehru -- India

Confrontations in Berlin, Germany  1948 – the Soviets attempt to oust the U.S. who controls West Berlin.  The Soviets control East Berlin.  The Soviets attempt to prevent the U.S. from bringing in supplies to the west.  This is called the Berlin Blockade – JFK simply used airplanes to drop supplies to the West Berliners. We win.  1961 – the Soviets build a wall around East Berlin.  It was the symbol of the Cold War.

Berlin Wall – Symbol of the Cold War

Confrontations in Cuba  1959 – Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro, Cuba goes communist.  1961 – Bay of Pigs invasion. The CIA tried to overthrow Castro’s government. It failed.  1962 – Cuban Missile Crisis – the Soviet Union put nuclear missiles in Cuba, aimed at the U.S.! This was the most dangerous and scary moment of the Cold War.

Africa & Middle East leaders  Nasser – Egypt  Lumumba – Congo  Shah of Iran  Ayatollah Khomeini – Iran  Sadat – Egypt  Begin -- Israel

Gamal Nasser -- Egypt

Lumumba -- Congo

Shah of Iran

Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran

Anwar Sadat -- Egypt

Menacham Begin -- Israel

The CIA vs. the KGB  Whenever it looked like a country was going communist, the CIA overthrew their government.  1954 – Iran, Guatemala  1973 – Chile

Revolts in Eastern Europe  Called “the Eastern Block”.  1956 – Hungary – crushed by Soviet troops and tanks.  1968 – Czechoslovakia – crushed by Soviet troops and tanks. Nicknamed “Prague Spring.”  1981 – Poland – Gorbachev did not crush the uprising! It was led by Lech Walesa and the Solidarity Party.

Prague Spring

The Middle East (Southwest Asia)  1948 – Israel – The U.S. backed Israel.  The USSR supported the Arab nations that attacked Israel.  1979 – Iran – The U.S. backed the Shah of Iran. USSR supported Ayatollah Khomeini

Who Ended the War?  President Ronald Reagan – the Soviet Union is “The Evil Empire.”  “Star Wars”  Pope John Paul II – he was Polish and the first non- Italian pope in 500 years.  The pope encouraged Poland to rise up. It did and the Soviets did nothing.  In Germany the people tore down the Berlin Wall.  Gorbachev – the Soviet leader allowed freedom of speech. Their economy crumbled as did communism.

Pope John Paul II

Is it really over?  By 1989 the Berlin Wall fell.  By 1990 all of Eastern Europe was free.  By 1991 the Soviet Union collapsed.