The Cold War

The Highlights

Outcomes of WWII

• Potsdam Conference (1945)
• Germany split into 4 zones of occupation
• Unconditional surrender of Japan
• Stalin knew about the atomic bomb
• Negotiations over the post-war world
• Creation of the United Nations
• Disagreement over the future of Eastern Europe – Stalin wanted control while Truman wanted return of democracy.
• A state of mutual distrust between the US and USSR

Public Opinion Polls in the US

May 1948: Do you think the United States is too soft or too tough . . . in its policy toward Russia?

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• Too Soft……........69%
• Too tough…….....6%
• About right….…..14%
• No opinion……....11%

Decision 1: What should Truman do?

Europe has been absolutely devastated by WWII. Entire countries and their economies are in ruins. There is a particular need to rebuild Germany, but the Soviet Foreign Affairs Minister Molotov walked out of negotiations for building a unified German economy. Communism has already threatened Greece and Turkey, and there is a fairly strong communist influence in France and Italy. Some advisors fear that economically weak countries will be more vulnerable to communism. What should be done?

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Option 1

Send millions in aid money to European countries, no strings attached. As a show of good faith, offer aid to the Soviets & their satellites as well.

Option 2

Send millions in aid money to European countries with the provision that they must disclose how they will spend the money. Offer the deal to Soviets & their satellites, too.

Option 3

Send millions in aid money to European countries with the provision that they must disclose how they will spend the money. Offer the deal to Soviets & their satellites only if they will agree to a unified Germany.

Option 4

Send aid only to countries with communist influence. Have troops ready to mobilize if communists seize power. Move forward on German unification without the Soviets.

The US Plan

• Marshall Plan – US spent 15 billion rebuilding western Europe to help support them against the communist threat. Soviets rejected this aid when it was offered to Eastern Europe.
• Containment – US and President Truman sought to contain communism wherever it was through diplomatic, economic, and military strategies.
• Communism’s spread limited beyond the “iron curtain.”
• Satellite States – Eastern European states that were technically independent, but in reality were controlled by Moscow.

Decision 2: Berlin, 1948

In moving forward with plans for German reunification, Truman and the other Allies have really angered Stalin. Most significantly, they have created a new currency, the Deutsche Mark, to be used to help stabilize and unite the German economy. Stalin considers this an unnecessary western reform and a threat: a unified Germany had twice invaded Russia, and the new currency would devalue the Reichsmarks currency of East Germany, which was already hyperinflated due to overprinting. He has blockaded Berlin, cutting of all roads and railways into both East and West Berlin, hoping to force the Western powers to abandon Berlin. How should Truman respond?

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Decision #2: Berlin

Option 1

Send in military force if Stalin refuses to lift the blockade.

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Considerations: this could escalate to war

Option 2

Abandon Berlin to East Germany and focus on rebuilding West Germany.

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Considerations: this could show weakness and communism may run rampant

Option 3

Fly supplies into the Western zone of Berlin. They won’t start a war when the US has the atomic bomb.

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Consideration: could the Soviets have developed more powerful weapons without the US knowing?

Option 4

Agree not to introduce the new currency and see if you can bring Stalin back to the negotiating table.

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Considerations: the Soviets might think they now have the upper hand & act as bullies

Berlin Outcome

Stalin lifted the blockade after 323 days and 2.3 million tons of cargo.

Soviet Nuclear Capability

• In 1949 the Soviets get their first atomic bomb. Some believed it was the result of spy activities in the US.
• The US responds by creating NATO as a military alliance.
• A nuclear arms race ensues.

The Space Race

• USSR paunched Sputnik in 1957. First satellite put into Earth’s orbit.
• Space Race begins.
• Pushes technological abilities of both countries.
• Apollo Missions take the United States to the moon in 1969.

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The Cold War Goes Global

A Matter of Perspective

“Transnational” movements tried to unite people across national boundaries

Communism

• Stalin and the Warsaw Pact
• Soviet Relations with China under Mao
• Soviet support of North Korea
• Soviet support of Cuba under Fidel Castro

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Part of the search for ideas and IDENTITIES that transcend nationalism.

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Varying levels of success. Nationalism and unique context always present in different communist countries.

The Cold War grew to become an IDEOLOGICAL struggle

New Military alliance and conflicts resulted from the Cold War standoff

• NATO vs Warsaw Pact
• Proxy Wars
• Latin America (Che Guevera, Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba)
• Africa (Mau Mau Rebellion in Kenya, Algeria, Angolan Civil War)
• Asia (Indo China War, Malaysian Insurgency)
• Domino Theory – if one nation falls to communism, other will follow.
• Brinksmanship – pushing events dangerously close to the edge of war to gain an advantage.

Key Events

Korean War / United Nations “Police Action”

Nikita Khrushchev and Destalinization

• Political reform launched in 1956 that condemned the crimes of Stalin.
• Promised a return to socialist legality and Party rule instead of one-man rule.
• Damaged prestige of Soviet Union among communists taught to admire Stalin. Contributed to 1956 rebellions against Soviets in Hungary and Poland.

Cuban Missile Crisis

Decision 3: Cuba, 1962

It’s 1962 and you are a government official working with classified information. You need to make a recommendation to the President about what to do regarding developments in Cuba.

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• Cuba’s communist leader is Fidel Castro. He came to power in a revolution and aligned with the Soviets. The United States supported a failed rebellion against him in 1961, called the Bay of Pigs invasion.
• Cuba reached out to the Soviets for economic and military help. The Soviet Union decided to move nuclear missiles to Cuba. These missiles are 90 miels from Florida.
• An American spy plane took images of these missiles being assembled on October 14, 1962. These images were sent immediately to President Kennedy.

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(OER Project Cuba Missile Crisis Simulation)

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Vietnam War

• After WWII the French wanted to return to control of Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh declared independence in 1945.
• French defeated in 1954. Two states are created with the Peace Process.
• US worried that election agreement might lead to communist victory. Began supporting south’s government.
• South Vietnam’s government was unpopular, eventually President Diem was assassinated (possible help from US).
• Escalation into war 1963-1975 after Gulf of Tonkin incident.

Non-Aligned Movement

• 1955 Bandung Conference led to formal establishment of the bloc in 1961
• Attempt to counter the increasing bi-polarization of the world within NATO and Warsaw Pact alliance.
• Grew to also be a force in opposing imperialism, neo-colonialism, racism, and aggression.

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Detente & the Global Cold War

The China Card

• Through the 1950s and 60s the US and China had no official relations. Taiwan was recognized by the US and in the UN as the Chinese government.
• In the late 60s, the context changed and China and the US opened talks to change the status quo.
• 1972 – US and China begin formal diplomatic relations. Beginning of the One-China policy.

Détente with the USSR

• After the Cuban Missile Crisis, leaders recognized the need to manage competition.
• In 1972 and 1979 the US and USSR signed the SALT treaties, which were intended to limit the nuclear arms race. Treaties limited new and existing offensive and defensive weapons.
• Détente ended after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1980, which coincided with the election of Ronald Reagan as US President who took a hardline stance on the Soviet Union.

Soviets invade Afghanistan

• In 1978 a Soviet backed government came to power in Afghanistan in the Saur Revolution. The former President was executed and his supporters purged from government.
• Much of Afghanistan rebelled against the new government, which was also divided between rival factions.
• In 1979 the Soviets invaded to support their preferred leader.
• For 7 years the Soviet army fought a guerilla-style war against Afghan fighters who were supported by the USA. The Soviets left in 1987.

Iran & Responses to the Global Cold War

• Islamic Revolution in 1979 overthrew the western-backed Shah (dictator)
• Rise of Islamic Nationalism as a new path during the Cold War and a response to globalization.
• Difficulty of establishing democracy in the Middle East – Western and USSR support of authoritarian allies often undermined their efforts of nation-building.

Cold War around the World

• Developing countries used the Cold War to protect their individual interests.
• The US and USSR competed for influence in developing countries, sometimes supporting rebel groups, guerillas, or spy operations to topple governments.

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Read your assigned section of the ”Cold War around the World” and be prepared to discuss it.

Who is “winning” the Cold War?

Timeline Activity

OER Project

To what extent did anyone “win” the Cold War?