Origins of the Cold War

1
Origins of the Cold War

• The Cold War 1945-1960
• Chapter 16, Section One
• Pages 484-490

2
(No Transcript)
3
Bell Ringer

• What is a cold war?
• Why is the Cold War considered a cold war and
  not hot?
• What made it a war?

4
Satellite nation

• Countries that were subject to Soviet domination.
  They are located on the WESTERN border of the
  Soviet Union.

5
Iron curtain

• The term Winston Churchill (Prime Minister of
  Great Britain) used to describe the extension of
  Communist control over Eastern Europe.

6
Cold War

• The state of hostility, without actual warfare,
  that existed between the United States and the
  Soviet Union after WWII until the collapse of the
  Soviet Union (in 1991).

7
containment

• American policy of resisting further expansion of
  communism around the world.

8
Truman Doctrine

• In 1947 President Truman declared that the United
  States would support nations that were being
  threatened by communism.

9
Main Idea

• At the end of World War II, conflicting goals for
  Europe led to growing hostility between the
  United States and the Soviet Union.

10
1945 A Critical Year

• The U.S. and Soviet Union cooperated during WWII
  but that was temporary.
• Soviets allied with the U.S. and Great Britain
  during the war
• Tensions continued to rise.

11
Differences at Yalta

• February 1945 Roosevelt met with Stalin and
  Churchill at Yalta to discuss the future of
  Germany and Poland.

12

• Agreed to divide Germany into zones
• ZONES
• American
• British
• French
• formed West Germany
• Soviet zone formed East Germany

13
(No Transcript)
14

• Roosevelt pressed Stalin to declare war on Japan
• Roosevelt and Churchill denied Stalins demand
  for 10 billion from Germany in damages
• Stalin refused the return to Polands prewar
  government

15
The United Nations

• Created at Yalta
• A new international peacekeeping organization.
• (League of Nations after WWI had failed)
• April 1945 50 nations met and vowed they would
  settle problems peacefully

16
Truman takes Command

• FDR died 4/12/45
• Vice President Truman became President

17
The Potsdam Conference

• Trumans first meeting with Stalin (July 1945) in
  Berlin
• Continued to debate the future of Germany and
  Poland
• Truman told Stalin that the U.S. had an atomic
  bomb.

18
Conflicting Postwar Goals

• The American View
• Fought for democracy and economic opportunity to
  conquered European nations
• This served American interests in the postwar
  world

19
The Soviet View

• Lost 20 million people during WWII and suffered
  widespread destruction
• Determined to rebuild to protect their interests
• Wanted to establish satellite nations(countries
  subject to Soviet domination) on the western
  borders of the Soviet Union.
• Friendly to Communist goals

20
Soviets Tighten Their Hold

• Albania and Bulgaria
• Anti-Communist leaders silenced in 1945 in
  Albania.
• Soviets took control of Bulgaria by 1948.

21
Czechoslovakia

• Tried to hold onto democratic system
• All non-Communist police officers replaced with
  party members
• Czechoslovakia was a Soviet satellite nation by
  1948.

22
Hungary and Romania

• Soviets demanded control of the police
• Anti-Communist leaders arrested
• Red Army (Soviets) stayed in Romania

23
East Germany

• Stalin established control of all East German
  resources
• Installed a brutal totalitarian government
• 1949 became known as the German Democratic
  Republic

24
Finland and Yugoslavia

• Finland signed a treaty of cooperation with
  Soviets in 1948.
• Communists gained control in Yugoslavia in 1945
• Tito (Josip Broz) fierce dictator
• Tito refused to take orders from Stalin

25
The Iron Curtain

• February 1946 Stalin predicted the triumph of
  communism over capitalism
• Established Cominform, a Soviet agency to direct
  the activities of worldwide Communist parties

26

• Churchill responded to Stalin with his Iron
  Curtain Speech 3/5/1946
• Called on Americans to help keep Stalin from
  closing the iron curtain of Communist domination
  and oppression.

27

• Tone was set for the Cold War
• Competition that developed between the U.S. and
  the Soviet Union for power and influence in the
  world.
• Lasted for almost 50 years until the collapse of
  the Soviet Union in 1991

28

• A cold war was characterized by political and
  economic conflict and military tensions
• A hot war would have meant direct military
  engagement.

29
Containment

• George Kennan (top American diplomat in Moscow)
  stated that Soviet policies show no real faith
  in the possibility of a permanently happy
  coexistence of the Socialist and capitalist
  worlds.
• The triumph of communism was inevitable

30

• Policy of containment called for the United
  States to resist Soviet attempts to form
  Communist governments in other parts of the world
• Policy was controversial by became the
  cornerstone of Americas cold war foreign policy.

31
The Truman Doctrine

• State department officials developed a plan to
  provide American aid to Greece and Turkey after
  the British could no longer help keep Soviets out
• March 1947, Truman called on the U.S. to take a
  leadership role in a statement of principles
  known as the Truman Doctrine.
• Congress approved 400 million in aid for Greece
  and Turkey
• U.S. established military bases in both countries

32
Questions for consideration

• 1. How did American and Soviet goals for postwar
  Europe differ?
• 2. How does the map on p. 487 illustrate the
  policy pursued by the Soviet Union to protect
  itself from its non-Communist rivals in Europe?
•  
• 3. What effect did the Cold War have on United
  States foreign policy?