The Cold War, 1946-1991

The Cold War, 1946-1991

OriginsOrigins

Originally centered around Europe, especially concerning the fate of Germany (which was split into four zones of occupation after the 1945 German surrender)

Two SuperpowersTwo Superpowers

The United States of American and the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics (U.S.S.R. or Soviet Union)

What is a ‘cold war’?What is a ‘cold war’?

Regular forces do not face off against one another

Instead, each side attempts to undermine the other through different means:

propaganda, espionage, infiltration, & proxy wars

East vs West Mistrust

East vs West MistrustHas a history that goes back as far as

WW1

America mistrust of the USSR can be traced to:

Bolsheviks (a.k.a. Communists) and the 1918 Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

The Communist International (a.k.a. Comintern) sought worldwide revolution

The Red Scare (1919-1920)

Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact (1939)

Soviet mistrust can be traced back to:

USSR not invited to the 1919 Paris Peace Conference

Allied intervention in Russian Civil War (1919-1920)

No official recognition of the USSR until 1930s

Allies not opening up a second front against Germany (1941-June 1944)

First leader of USSRFirst leader of USSRVladimir Ilyich (Codename Lenin)

(Born 1870 - Died 1923)

Leader of the Bolshevik Party & of October Revolution in 1917. Chairman of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

What did Lenin want?

What did Lenin want?

the overthrow of capitalism through communist revolution, to be followed by a “dictatorship of the proletariat...” in the place of a bourgeois democracy.

A New Leader of the USSR

A New Leader of the USSR

Joseph Vissarionovich (Codename: Stalin)

Born 1878 - Died 1953

By 1927 the leader of the USSR

Wanted to consolidate Soviet power and control over Eastern Europe to protect the Motherland from future attacks

MistrustMistrustStalin was angered because the Allies took too long to open up a second front against Germany (D-Day, June 6, 1944)

The Red Army bore the brunt of the fighting.

Russian civilian death total: 20 million

Russian military death total: 10 million

Post-WW2 EuropePost-WW2 EuropeAt the Yalta Conference, 1944, Stalin promised a free, democratic election in Poland.

When the election was eventually held, only communists were allowed to run for office.

The same pattern of “free elections” was repeated in other Eastern European nations.

A new president in the house

A new president in the house

Harry S. Truman

Born 1884 - Died 1972

Democrat

V.P. 1945

President, 1945-1953

U.S. Foreign PolicyU.S. Foreign Policy

The Truman Doctrine is a set of principles with which to guide American foreign policy in the aftermath of WW2. In a speech to Congress, Truman declared that the U.S., as “leader of the free world,” must support democracy worldwide and fight against the spread of communism.

Truman went on to propose “...a policy of firm containment, designed to confront the Russians with counter-force at every point where they show signs of encroaching upon the interests of a peaceful and stable world.”

Where did “containment theory” come from?

Where did “containment theory” come from?

American embassy worker stationed in Moscow, George F. Kennan (1904-2005).

A 1947 Foreign Affairs article he wrote under the title “The Sources of Soviet Conduct”

“[I believe] Soviet power bears within it the seeds of its own decay... and that the sprouting of these seeds are well advanced.”

Containment in Practice: Case #1Containment in

Practice: Case #1Greek Civil War (1946-49)

Greek Communist Party (supported by the USSR, Albania, Bulgaria & Yugoslavia) attempted to overthrow the democratic Greek government

At first Britain, then the USA, supported the Greek gov’t. After over 3 years of fighting, the communists forces lost.

The West saw this as a victory over the USSR, whereas the East said they never actually supported the Greek communists.

Containment in Practice: Case #2Containment in

Practice: Case #2Truman authorized the American investment in European post-WW2 recovery. However, Stalin refused to allow Eastern European countries behind the “Iron Curtain” from accepting U.S. money.

The Marshall Plan allocated $13 billion.

It was named after U.S. Secretary of State, General George C. Marshall (1880-1959)

Containment in Practice: Case #3Containment in

Practice: Case #3

The 1948-49 Berlin Blockade & Airlift

Containment in Practice: Case #3Containment in

Practice: Case #3

Korea

Containment in Practice: Case #4Containment in

Practice: Case #4

Cuba

Containment in Practice: Case #5Containment in

Practice: Case #5

Vietnam

Containment in Practice: Case #6Containment in

Practice: Case #6

Afghanistan

Containment in Practice: Case #7Containment in

Practice: Case #7

Iranian & Nicaraguan Revolutions