1945 to 1950

Origins of the Cold War(1945 to 1950)

I.) Conflicts BeginA. WWII alliance dissolves due to differences

1. Great Britain power falls (third place)2. France rebuilding from the war

B. WWII leaves two “Super Powers”1. Soviet Union = Communist2. United States = Democracy

Definition of Cold War:political tension and military rivalry between

nations that stops short of full-scale war

Outcome:struggle between Communism and Democracycalled the Cold War

The Ideological StruggleThe Ideological Struggle

(Beliefs)(Beliefs)

Soviet & Eastern Bloc

Nations[“Iron

Curtain”]

US & the Western

Democracies

GOAL spread world-wide Communism

GOAL “Containment” of Communism & the eventual collapse of the Communist world.

The Bipolarization of Europe

II.) The Iron Curtain EmergesA. Soviet Union wanted to protect itself from any future attacks Result: Stalin creates the Iron Curtain (communist nations along western border of the Soviet Union)

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III.) Truman DoctrineA. Civil War breaks out in Greece

1. Communists vs. ConservativesB. March 2, 1947 President Truman issues the

Truman Doctrine (communism a threat and must support free peoples resisting threat)

Outcome: Congress provides money & assistance to Greece to stop rebellion

• Cause: Truman had been horrified at the pre-war Allied policy of appeasement and was determined to stand up to any Soviet intimidation.

Effect: The Truman Doctrine in March 1947 promised that the USA “would support free peoples who are resisting subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures”.

• Triggered by British inability to hold the line in Greece, it was followed by aid to Greece and Turkey, and also money to help capitalists to stop communists in Italy and France.

Impact: Signalled end of “isolationist” policies

IV.) Marshall PlanA. Western leaders fear poverty & destruction of WWII might lead to communismB. Marshall Plan (Economic Assistance plan by

U.S. that provided money to nations in Europe to rebuild & foster cooperation)

Outcome: Western Europe recovers(The Soviet Union (USSR) prevented Eastern European countries

from receiving American money.)

C. Policy of Containment: prevent the further spread of communism

D. In 1949 Soviets develop COMECON (economic cooperation in East)

Outcome: fails due to lack of funding

V.) Cold War in EuropeA. In 1947 Soviets create Cominform (unify all European communist parties)B. Communism spreads: 1. 1948: Czechoslovakia 2. 1948: Yugoslavia

Iron CurtainIron Curtain – – A term used by A term used by Winston Winston

Churchill Churchill to describe the to describe the separating of separating of Those Those

communistcommunistlands of East lands of East Europe from Europe from

the the West. West.

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• The Russians took very high casualties to capture Berlin in May 1945. They spent the early occupation trying to take over all zones of the city but were stopped by German democrats such as Willy Brandt and Konrad Adenauer. Reluctantly the Russians had to admit the Americans, French and British to their respective zones.

A. June 1948: Soviets blockade Berlin Result: Berlin Airlift: U.S. and Britain provide

food and supplies by air drops to West Berlin

Outcome: Soviets lift blockade May 1949

VI.) Division of Germany

B. May 1949: Federal Republic of Germany created (West Germany)

C. October 1949: German Democratic Republic created (East Germany)

VII.) Cold War AlliancesA. Need for alliances begin:

1. 1949= Mao Zedong defeats Chiang Kai-shek in Chinese Civil War

Outcome: China is now Communist!!

} 2. The Soviet Union 2. The Soviet Union explodes its first A-explodes its first A-bomb in 1949.bomb in 1949.

} Outcome: Now Outcome: Now there are two there are two nations with nuclear nations with nuclear weapons!weapons!

Nuclear tensions• The USA had shown its atomic power

when it exploded the A-bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War 2.

• The USSR was also developing atomic weapons/bombs.

• The USA and the USSR were in competition with each other to have the best, most powerful weapons in the world – this was called the Arms Race.

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• The nuclear bomb gave America a lead which was expected to last at least 5 years. The rapid Russian development of nuclear technology, helped by the work of the “atom spies” was a shock.

Significantly, Russia hurriedly declared war against Japan at the beginning of August 1945 and rushed to advance into Asia to stake out a position for the post-war settlement. This helped make both the Korean and Vietnamese conflicts more likely.

NATO: 12 Western nations sign a political and military alliance1. if one nation is attacked then all

members will respond

Warsaw Pact: Eastern Bloc nations form a mutual defense alliance