THE COLD WAR

The Iron Curtain  Eastern Europe is the first area where the communist/capitalist conflict arose  The creation of satellite nations forced Truman and Churchill to act  Churchill uses the phrase “iron curtain” to describe the barrier between Western Europe (non-communist) and Eastern Europe (communist)

Policy of Containment  US policy  Restricts communism into its current borders  Issued in 1940s

Truman Doctrine  President Truman says the US will help any non-communist country combat communism  i.e. Turkey and Greece

Marshall Plan  Economic plan to rebuild western Europe  Developed by US Sec. of State George Marshall  Will win the Nobel Peace Prize for this action

A Germany Divided…  Germany and Berlin divided between: US, Soviet Union, France, GB  When GB and FR entered into Marshall Plan and began to join democratic forces, Stalin got angry  THUS….

Berlin Blockade and Berlin Airlift (1948)  The Soviets want all of Berlin (since it is in their zone) so they blockaded the western portion  They did this hoping to make the Allies give up this section  In response, supplies, food, medicine, etc were sent in by air for over 11 months  In 1949 Stalin lifts the blockade

NATO vs. Warsaw Pact  North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) developed in 1949  It is designed as a military alliance to defend US, Western Europe and Canada from outside attack  In response, communist nations develop the Warsaw Pact

Arms Race  Also in 1949 the Soviets successfully tested their own atomic bomb  Now it was a race between the USSR and the US to see who could develop and strengthen weapon systems

Khrushchev  Becomes leader after Stalin dies in 1953  He wants to “destalinize” the Soviet Union (reverse some polices that Stalin started)

A Peaceful Coexistence  Khrushchev calls for this policy to avoid war with the west  Encourages nations to follow communism and improves society  A special emphasis is put on technological research

Sputnik, ICBM and a Space Race  The Soviets launch Sputnik I, world’s first space satellite  Both USSR and US test Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) which are long range rockets  The need to be one step ahead of the other country with space technology development is known as the space race

Sputnik

ICBM

Soured Relations Lead to Problems in Cuba  Relations are good for a while between US and USSR until the USSR shoots down a US spy plane  USSR denounces US and America retaliates by cutting off trade w/ Cuba, as they are harboring Soviet nuclear missiles  Cuba turns to USSR for help  Cuba already communist due to Castro coming to power in 1959

Bay of Pigs 1961  The US decides to get Castro out of power by taking Cuban exiles in America, having the CIA train them, put them back in Cuba, have them start a revolt and overthrow Castro  This was a HUGE failure and an embarrassment to JFK

Cuban Missile Crisis 1962  Since the US found Soviet missiles pointed at America in Cuba they needed to act  The Soviets put their missiles in Cuba to offset US missiles in Turkey pointed at the USSR  In response, the US blockaded Cuba and Khrushchev agreed to remove missiles if the US did not invade Cuba

Results of Cuban Missile Crisis  This crisis is one of the most important events of Cold War…Why????  Each side knew better relations were key and set up a “hotline” so they could talk before missiles were launched  The US removes its missiles from Turkey  Leads to policy of détente, or relaxing of tensions between US and USSR

SALT  SALT: Strategic Arms Limitation Talks  Nixon was the first to meet with the Soviets and they basically agreed to limit their nuclear weapons  This also is an example of détente or the beginning of the end of the Cold War

Soviet Satellite Nations  The USSR kept a close guard on its satellite nations  The people resented this, though could not do much against the powerful Soviet forces  Some countries include:  Poland  Czechoslovakia  Hungary  East Germany and East Berlin (city)

IRAN HOSTAGE CRISIS  The US tried to keep the Shah of Iran in power as he wanted to westernize Iran and also wished to get rid of religious influence in the government  Another political group had the support of the people, who wished to see religion remain in government  This group used their power to take over Iran and wanted the Shah to be tried for treason  The Shah (supported by the US) would not return from exile.

IRAN HOSTAGE CRISIS CONT’D  In 1979, a group of militants stormed the US embassy and held hostage all of the embassy workers for almost two years with the permission of the new Iranian gov’t  They demanded return of the Shah for trial in exchange for the hostages, but the US would not comply  The hostages were eventually let go (1981), but the relationship between Iran and US remains strained even today

Berlin Wall  Many people had begun to migrate over to West Berlin in search for better jobs, economy, or to get away from communism  This was an embarrassment to the Soviet Union so they began to build a massive wall  This wall was to keep westerners out and easterners in  People faced dogs, electric wire, etc trying to get across  It was the most visible and powerful symbol representing the iron curtain

Fall of Berlin Wall  In November 1989 the government of East Berlin announced that crossing the border (wall) would be permitted  In the next few weeks that followed, the wall was dismantled  German unification (east and west united) was finally completed on October 3, 1990

Tiananmen Square  Series of demonstrations led by students in China in the summer of 1989  These students were protesting the communist government  The military cracked down on the protesters, leaving many dead and wounded  The violence the protesters met was broadcasted around the world and angered many democratic nations