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Soviet Union = U.S.S.R. = Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Do Now: What does “U.S.S.R. stand for? What does it mean?
Soviet Union = U.S.S.R. = Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Do Now: What does “U.S.S.R. stand for? What does it
mean?
Objectives
• Debrief yesterday’s activity
• Make connections to current unit
EQ: What is the proper role of gov’t in people’s lives?
Agenda • Debrief
• Notes
• Assignment
Origins of the Cold War
“The Cold War was
a war of
perception.”
VS.
Cold War = The period of conflict between the U.S. and
USSR, that was built around competition of ideas—capitalism
(U.S.) vs Communism (Soviet Union); lasted over 40 years!
We WANT… because We WANT…because
•Why was it “cold”?
•No shots fired; never a direct military engagement
Who Started the Cold War?
Conservative historians have
blamed the Soviet Union.
aggressive attempts to spread
communism
commitment to world revolution
hostility towards capitalism.
Who Started the Cold War?
Liberals have argued that
Soviet actions were
a defensive response to U.S.
actions
driven by fears of American intentions.
Most historians today emphasize that both countries were responsible.
Development of the Cold War
• The Cold War (1945-91) – neither side fully understood the intentions/ambitions of
the other
– mistrust & military build-ups.
• United States
– thought Soviet expansion would continue and spread throughout the world.
– saw Soviet Union as a threat to their way of life (democracy, universal rights, capitalism)
Stalin wanted to keep
a sphere of influence in
Eastern Europe.
› Soviets controlled
Eastern Europe. In a position
to enforce their will by force.
U.S. could not control
events there.
Development of the Cold
War • Soviet Union
– felt that they had won World War II • sacrificed the most (25 million vs. 300,000 total dead)
• deserved the “spoils of war.”
• had lost land after WWI because they left the winning side; now they wanted to gain land because they had won.
– They wanted to economically raid Eastern Europe to recoup their expenses during the war.
– They saw the U.S. as a threat to their way of life; especially after the U.S. development of atomic weapons.
Objectives
• Understand conflicting goals of U.S./USSR
• Decide on a Cold War policy
EQ: What is the proper role of gov’t in people’s lives?
Agenda • Notes
• Assignment
Truman vs. Stalin
Rocky vs. Drago???
U.S. Response
U.S. feared this was the first step
of a larger plan of global conquest.
Truman demanded Stalin honor
Yalta agreements. Called for “free
elections” and self-determination
in Eastern Europe.
Truman adopted tough, combative
policy towards Soviets.
Stalin Cracks Down
Tightened grip on Eastern
Europe and denied Western
observers promised access.
Gave belligerent 1946
speech in which he declared
that capitalism and
communism were
“fundamentally incompatible.”
