Title: The Cold War
1The Cold War
2Yalta Conference A Postwar Plan
- In February 1945 leaders of the US, Britain, and
the Soviet Union met. - Place Soviet Black Sea resort of Yalta.
- Germany would be divided in to zones of
occupation - Controlled by the Allied military forces.
- Germany would have to pay the Soviet Union for
loss of life and property.
3Yalta Conference
- Stalin agreed to join war against Japan.
- Stalin promised that Eastern Europeans would have
free elections. - Winston Churchill predicted Stalin would only
keep his pledge if the Eastern Europeans followed
a policy friendly to Russia.
4Eastern Europes Iron Curtain
- Major goal of Soviet Union was to shield it self
from another invasion from the west. - Soviets build a buffer
- At wars end Soviet troops occupied a strip of
countries along their western border. - Stalin regarded these countries as a necessary
buffer or wall of protection.
5Soviets Build a Buffer
- Stalin ignored his agreement at Yalta.
- He installed or secured Communist governments in
Eastern Europe - Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia,
Romania, Poland and Yugoslavia. - Truman saw this was clear violation of these
nations rights.
6Soviets Build a Buffer (cont.)
- Truman, Stalin, and Churchill met at Potsdam,
Germany, in July 1945. - There Truman pressed Stalin to permit free
elections in Eastern Europe. - Stalin refused.
- In a speech in 1946 Stalin declared communism and
capitalism could not exist in the same world.
7The Cold War Begins
- What is a cold war?
- Conflicting ideologies and mutual distrust led to
the Cold War - Fighting without armed conflict
- Used weapons, politics, and propaganda
- Both sides used propaganda
- Try to gain as many allies as possible
- Try to paint the other side as evil
8United States Policy
- The Truman Doctrine
- Containment
- US policy was to stop the spread of communism
- The Marshall Plan
- US aid to help rebuild Europe
- 13 Billion
9Clash over Germany
- US and its Allies clashed with Soviet Union over
Germany. - Soviets wanted to keep Germany weak and divided.
- In 1948, France Britain and the United States
withdrew their forces from Germany. - Allowed their occupation zones to form one nation.
10The Split of Germany
- West Germany became democratic
- East Germany became communist
- Officially 2 countries as of 1949
- Berlin was split as well into West Berlin and
East Berlin. - Berlin lay deep within East Germany.
11Two Germanys
12The Berlin Airlift
- June 1948-May 1949
- All roads, waterways, railways closed in East
Germany to Berlin - Response to unification of West Germany.
- US and UK
- Over 277,000 flights to Berlin
- Over 2 million tons of supplies
- Landing, unloading and taking off took about 15
minutes
13The Berlin Airlift
14Military Alliances
- 1949 NATO was formed European defense alliance
- U.S. and eleven other countries
- 1955 Warsaw Pact
- USSR and seven European Communist nations
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16The Arms Race
- The most frightening aspect of the Cold War was
the constant threat of nuclear war. - US was the only atomic power in 1945
- Soviet Union gained atomic weapons in 1949
- Began an arms race who had the most
- Truman ordered construction of the hydrogen bomb.
- Call for buildup of conventional forces to
provide alternative to nuclear war.
17Global Nuclear Confrontation
- Soviet army stayed strong after war.
- US had reduced forces by half by 1947.
- American military planners were forced to adopt a
nuclear strategy in face of the overwhelmingly
superiority of Soviet forces. - They would deter any Soviet attack by setting in
place a devastating atomic counterattack.
18Global Nuclear Confrontation (cont.)
- For the next quarter century, the U.S. and the
USSR would engage in a nuclear arms race that
constantly increased the destructive capability
of both sides.
19China
20Chinese Flag
21Communist Control of China
- Forces led by Mao Zedong won a civil war and
formed the Peoples Republic of China - Communists gained the support of peasant
population - Gained support of women Women hold up half the
sky - Educated Chinese hoped that the communists would
build a new China end foreign domination
22Mao Zedong
23Changes made in China
- With Soviet help, the Chinese built hydroelectric
plants, railroads and canals - Mao built a one party totalitarian state with the
Communist party in control - Education and healthcare were improved
- Maos programs crippled Chinas economy
24China the Cold War
- By 1960 China the USSR were in disagreement
- 1971 China joins the UN, 1979 US repairs
relations - Mao died in 1976 and Deng took over.
- Dengs economic reforms brought a surge of growth
and a better standard of living
25The Two Koreas
- South Korea emerged during the Cold War
- After WWII Japanese control of Korea ended
- US Soviet Union divided the two Koreas along
the 38th line of latitude - North Korea became a communist Soviet ally
- South Korea was backed by the US
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27The Korean War
- June 1950 to July 1953
- Began when the communist North invaded the South,
the goal was reunification - Was a byproduct of the Cold War US paranoia
about communism - June 25th 1950 North Koreans equipped by
Soviets and aided by China - US led UN forces in defense of South Korea
General Macarthur led the forces
28More Korean War Information
- First ever aggression by UN forces
- Control of the 38th parallel shifted sides
throughout the war ended in a stalemate - Air power played a key role in the war
- July 1953 truce agreement was signed countries
remain separate today along the 38th parallel
29Korean War statistics
- 3 years of conflict
- 36,516 US deaths 140,000 total injured or
killed - South Korea 415,000 dead
- Communists suffered 2 million casualties
(killed or injured) - US forces remained in South Korea until 1990s to
keep peace
30Vietnam after WWII
- Was controlled by the French before the war and
Japan during the war - 1946 France set out to regain control of Vietnam
- Vietnam guerillas resisted led by Ho Chi Minh
- Guerilla warfare - fighting carried out through
hit and run tactics - Vietnam wore down the French and forced them to
surrender in 1954 (Dien Bien Phu, 55 day battle)
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32Ho Chi Minh
33Vietnam Divided
- Agreement was reached to temporarily divide the
country along the 17th parallel - Elections were supposed to be held in 1956 for
reunification never occurred - Communist North (led by Ho Chi Minh) and
non-communist South - US feared domino effect if North took South it
would trigger the further spread of communism
34Vietnam War
- Ho Chi Minh and Vietcong (communist rebels)
wanted to unite Vietnam under communist rule. - North Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh) with the North
Vietnamese Army Vietcong aided by USSR
China - South Vietnam US military (Non- Communist)
35Important Events of the War in Vietnam
- 1968 Tet Offensive North guerillas launch
massive surprise attack - Unexpected b/c it took place on Vietnamese New
Year - Anti war sentiment grew in the US / the
realization that the North would fight at any
cost - Nixon arranged a cease fire began withdrawing
in 1973 - 2 Years later the North captured the South
36Vietnam War Stats
- Turning point in history of modern war b/c of new
battle tactics (guerilla) - 2 million Vietnamese killed, 3 million wounded
- US casualties 57,685 killed 153,303 wounded
- 587 POW were released from POW camps and 2500
personnel are still unaccounted for
37Cold War in the1950s USSR
- Nikita Khrushchev takes over after Stalins death
in 1953. - He repudiates Stalins use of the vast Gulag (or
labor camp complex) and attempts to separate
Stalins crimes from true communism.
38Cold War in the1950s USSR (cont.)
- Repression and Dissent
- Polish and Hungarian intellectuals and students
held demonstrations calling for free elections,
withdrawal of Soviet troops, etc. - 1956 Soviet Crackdown in Hungary
- Soviet tanks were sent in to crush dissent.
- Eastern Europe remained under Soviet control.
39Cold War in the1950s USSR (cont.)
- October 4, 1957 USSR launched the first
satellite, Sputnik, into orbit. - The Sputnik launch confirmed the Soviet Unions
superpower status. - Two months earlier they had tested an
intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). - Khrushchev We will bury you
40The Cold War in the 1950s U.S.
- Dwight Eisenhower takes over from Truman in 1953.
- Democrats charged Republicans for missile gap
- Eisenhower responded.
41The Cold War in the 1950s U.S
- Eisenhower enlarged defense spending National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) - By 1963, the U.S. had more missiles and bombers
capable of striking the Soviet Union, compared to
what could reach the U.S by the Soviet Union.
42The Third World
- In the 1950s, French intellectuals coined the
term Third World. - This describes the efforts of countries seeking a
third way that was neither Western capitalism
or Soviet communism. - By the early 1960s, the term had come to identify
a large bloc of countries from Asia, Africa, and
Latin America. - By the middle of the 1960s many Third World
Nations found themselves in debt and dependency,
many nations fell into dictatorship and
authoritarian rule.
43The Cold War in the 1960s
- Khrushchev peaceful coexistence
- American U-2 spy plane shot down by Soviets in
1960. - In 1961, the Soviet begun construction of the
Berlin Wall, which cut off movement between East
and West Berlin and became a symbol of the
eroding relations between the Soviet Union and
the United States.
44Berlin Wall
45Cuban Missile Crisis
- Cuban Missile Crisis (October of 1962)
- The Soviet Union formed an alliance with Fidel
Castro-led Cuba after the Cuban Revolution in
1959. - In 1962 JFK responded to the installation of
nuclear missiles in Cuba with a naval blockade. - Brought world closer to nuclear war the ever
before.
46Détente
- A lessening of tensions in the Cold War
- After the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1963, many
countries pulled back from confrontation to
reduce the chances of nuclear war - Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (1963)
- Prohibited testing in outer space, in the
atmosphere, and underwater - Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (1964)
- Nations agreed not to develop nuclear weapons
- Nations such as France, China, India, Pakistan,
and other nations refused to sign
47Better U.S./Soviet Relations
- 1963 a hot line was installed so that the U.S.
president and Soviet premier could defuse a
potential crisis - In 1963, the U.S. agreed to sell large quantities
of wheat to the Soviet Union. - This new trade relation would expand to include
other goods. - Tourism was encouraged.
- Culture exchanges.
- (Ex. Bolshoi Ballet Louis Armstrong)
48Soviet Union The Brezhnev Era
- Khrushchev was ousted from power in 1964 and
replaced by Leonid Brezhnev - The Brezhnev Era, 1964-82
- Military spending remained top priority
- Put an end to Khrushchevs de-Stalinization
campaign - Had a stroke in 1976
- Economic and political decline corruption,
favoritism, and alcoholism increase - Between 1982-85, Yuri Andropov and Konstantin
Chernenko both die in office
49Eastern Europe
- Many Eastern European countries attempted to gain
some level of autonomy during the 1960s - Czechoslovakia tried to adopt liberal reforms
- The Prague Spring of 1968 hoped to produce a
more humane socialism
50Czechoslovakia
- The Soviet Union invaded and Alexander Dubcek
resigned. - Involved about 500,000 Warsaw Pact troops
- Only a handful of soldiers died.
- More than 80 Czechoslovak citizens were killed.
- Several hundred wounded
51Germany and Détente
- Willy Brandt
- Chancellor of West Germany (1969-74)
- Proposed Ostpolitik (A hand offered to the East)
- In 1972, East and West Germany recognized each
other and were both admitted to the U.N.
52Détente Agreements
- Nixon and Brezhnev signed a series of agreements
- Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT)
- ABM Treaty
- Helsinki Agreements (1975)
53Collapse of Détente
- By the late 1970s, the optimism that the Cold War
had virtually ended had faded. - The continued Soviet military buildup and the
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 soured
relations with the U.S.
54Collapse of Détente (cont.)
- As a result the U.S.
- Failed to ratify the 1979 SALT II Treaty.
- Boycotted the Olympics in Moscow in 1980.
- Placed an embargo on U.S. grain shipments to the
Soviet Union.
55Regan Takes An Anti-Communist Stance
- Ronald Regan takes office in 1981
- Continued to move away from détente.
- Increased US defense spending
- Put economic and military pressure on Soviets.
- Announces the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)
- A program to protect against enemy missiles.
- Never put into effect.
56Gorbachev Moves Towards Democracy
- By time Mikhail Gorbachev became partys new
General Secretary in 1985 of the Soviet economy
became stagnant. - Looked into measures to revive the ailing state.
- An ineffectual start led to deeper structural
changes becoming necessary.
57Gorbachev Reforms
- In June 1987 Gobachev announced an agenda of
economic reform called perestroika, or
restructuring. - Relaxed production quota system.
- Allowed private ownership of business.
- Simultaneously introduced glasnost, or openness,
which increased freedom of the press and the
transparency of state institutions.
58Gorbachev Reforms (cont.)
- Glasnot was intended to reduce the corruption at
the top of the Communist Party and moderate the
abuse of power in the Central Committee. - This also enabled contact between Soviet citizens
and the western world.
59Thaw in Relations
- Third Reykjavik Summit led to a breakthrough.
- Signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces
Treaty (INF) - Eliminated all nuclear armed, ground-launched
ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges between
500 and 5,500 kilometers.
60East-West Tension subside
- First summit in Moscow in 1989
- Gorbachev and George H. W. Bush signed START I
arms control treaty - Soviets declared that they would no longer
intervene in the affairs of Eastern Europe. - In 1989, Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan.
- By 1990 Gorbachev consented to the reunification
of Germany.
61Berlin Wall
- 1989 Berlin Wall comes down
- November 9 is considered the date the Wall fell,
but the Wall in its entirety was not torn down
immediately. - December 3, 1989 Gorbachev and Reagan declared
the Cold War over at the Malta Summit.
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63The Soviet Union Faces Turmoil
- Powerful forces for democracy were building and
Gorbachev decided not to oppose reform. - Various nationalities in the Soviet Union called
for their freedom. - As reforms loosened central control Nationalist
groups demanded self-rule. - Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldavia.
- Muslim peoples of Soviet Central Asia called for
religious freedom.
64Lithuania Defies Gorbachev
- In March 1990, Lithuania declared its
independence. - To force it back into the Soviet Union, Gorbachev
ordered an economic blockade on the republic. - In January 1991, Soviet troops attacked unarmed
civilians in Lithuanias capital. - 14 killed
- Hundreds wounded.
65Yeltsin Denounces Gorbachev
- Lack of economic progress is and the assault in
Lithuania damage Gorbachevs popularity. - People looked for leadership.
- Boris Yeltsin - Criticized crackdown on Lithuania
and slow pace of reforms. - In June 1991, voters chose Yeltsin to become the
Russian Federations first directly elected
President.
66Opposition to Reform
- In spite of rivalry Yeltsin and Gorbachev faced a
common enemy in the old guard of Communist
officials. - Hardliners and Conservatives
- Opposed reforms.
- These officials vowed to overthrow Gorbachev
67The August Coup
- On August 18th, 1991 Gorbachev was detained at
his vacation home on the Black Sea by the
Hardliners. - They demanded his resignation as Soviet President
- Early next day hundred of tanks and armored
vehicles rolled into Moscow.
68The August Coup (cont.)
- Protesters gathered at the Russian parliament
building. - Around mid-day Yeltsin emerged and stood atop one
of the tanks. - Said the decisions of the committee was illegal
- On August 20, the hardliners ordered troops to
attack the parliament building. - The troops refused.
- Their refusal turned the tide.
69End of the Soviet Union
- Coup attempt sparked anger against Communist
Party. - Gorbachev resigned as general secretary of the
party. - The Soviet parliament voted to stop all party
activities. - Having seized power by a coup in 1917 the
communist party collapsed now due to failed one.
70End of the Soviet Union (cont.)
- Coup played decisive role in accelerating the
break up of the Soviet Union. - Estonia and Latvia quickly declared independence.
- Other republics soon followed.
- Gorbachev pleaded for unity, but not one was
listening. - By early December, all 15 republics had declared
independence.
71CIS and the End of the Soviet Union
- Yeltsin met with the leaders of the other
republics to chart a new course. - They agreed to form the Commonwealth for
Independent States (CIS), a loose federation of
former Soviet territories. - Only Baltic republics and Georgia declined to
join. - The formation of the CIS meant the death of the
Soviet Union. - On Christmas Day 1991, Gorbachev announced his
resignation as president of the Soviet Union, a
country that ceased to exist.
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