The Cold War and the Mushroom The Cold War and the Mushroom CloudCloud

The Cold War and the The Cold War and the Mushroom CloudMushroom Cloud

Containment – Cold War policy of limiting Communism to areas already under Soviet control.

– Define “Containment”

The Foundations of the Cold WarThe Foundations of the Cold War

Following World War II, much of the world became embroiled in a decades-long struggle over the spread of communism. The main combatants were the Soviet Union, which sought to spread communism around the globe, and the United States, which sought to stop its growth.

For the next forty years, these two superpowers fought a “cold” war, in which they did not physically fight each other but instead supported opposing sides in civil wars around the world. The Cold War raged throughout Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East, as western democracies tried—sometimes with the use of their own troops—to keep nations from becoming Communist. The Cold War thawed briefly in the 1970s and then intensified again during the 1980s.

Postwar Conferences: YaltaPostwar Conferences: Yalta• Yalta - February, 1945. Big

Three attended.• Russia – Stalin• Great Britain – Churchill• United States – Franklin D.

Roosevelt• United Nations designed• Germany divided and

occupied by Big Three and France

• Germany to pay reparations and try Nazis as war criminals

• Russia will help to fight Japan in return for territory in China

Postwar Conferences: PotsdamPostwar Conferences: Potsdam• Potsdam – July and August, 1945. Big Three

attended.• Russia – Stalin• Great Britain – Atlee• United States –

Harry S. Truman• Berlin divided and

occupied by Big Three and France

• Truman was informed of successful atomic testing while at Potsdam.

• Truman warns Japan to surrender or face consequences.

In the Shadow of the Atomic Bomb.

• The consequences were the dropping of the Atomic Bomb on Japan in 1945.

• Japan surrendered.

The US After WWII. In the Shadow of the Atomic Bomb.

OCCUPATIONPurpose: * To establish a responsible and democratic self-government * To make sure that Japan was not a new threat to the U.S and its allies.* Rebuild Japanese economy / infrastructure.* Start to finish = an American operation.* Civil liberties emphasized.* Women given equality with men.

* Occupation lasted ten years.

In the Shadow of the Atomic Bomb.

• Germany divided into four zones.

OCCUPATIONPurpose: * To replace Nazi totalitarian regime.* Prevent civil war.* Nuremberg trials.* Rebuild German economy and infrastructure.* Occupation lasted ten years.

Germany is Divided and the Iron Germany is Divided and the Iron Curtain FallsCurtain Falls

List the NATO countries (purple) and the Warsaw Pact countries (orange).

The Cold War LineupThe Cold War LineupNATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Warsaw Pact Nations – Iron Curtain Countries

United StatesFranceGreat BritainBelgiumNetherlandsNorwayItalyGreeceTurkeyWest Germany

Soviet UnionPolandEast GermanyEstoniaLatviaLithuaniaCzechoslovakiaHungaryRomaniaBulgariaAlbania

Truman DoctrineTruman Doctrine• Russia refused to withdraw from the countries

it liberated from Germany.• In Greece, Stalin backed a Communist

revolution.• Stalin was also threatening to take over

Turkey• President Truman, in 1947, declared that

Communism must be contained.• Truman also pledged the United States to

support “free people who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed forces.”

Berlin Airlift Berlin Airlift • Stalin dismantled East German industries and

used them to rebuild Russia• Berlin, former capital of Germany is divided

into four zones, although it lies deep within the East German zone occupied by Russia.

• Stalin blockaded East Germany and Berlin, stopping Allied traffic and supplies.

• Allies airlift supplies to Berlin• In 1961, Russia built a wall around Berlin to

keep East Germans from escaping Soviet territory into freedom in West Berlin.

• THE WALL BECAME THE SYMBOL OF THE COLD WAR.

In the Shadow of the Atomic Bomb.• Founding of Israel• After WWII Jews poured

into Palestine from all over Europe.

• Palestine was occupied by Great Britain at the time.

• 1947 - UN divided Palestine into two states: one Arab, one Jewish.

• 1949 – State of Israel official

• Began continuing warfare between Israel and Palestinians.

The United States After WWII. In the Shadow of the Atomic Bomb.• Another Red Scare• 1949: Soviet Union

exploded its own atomic bomb.

• Led to nuclear arms race.

• Contributed to fears of Soviet spying at home.

The United States After WWII. In the Shadow of the Atomic Bomb.

• Another Red Scare• 1947 – CIA (Central

Intelligence Agency) created to keep tabs on threats to American security.

• 1952 – Eisenhower, supreme general of the European theater in WWII, was elected president.

The United States After WWII. In the Shadow of the Atomic Bomb.

The United States After WWII. In the Shadow of the Atomic Bomb.

• Another Red Scare• Congress cracked down on

the Communist Party in the United States.

• House Un-American Activities Committee created to investigate possible spies.

• Any group suspected of being anti American was investigated by Congress, even Hollywood stars .

The United States After WWII. In the Shadow of the Atomic Bomb.

• Another Red Scare• American US spy

plane shot down over USSR.

• Alger Hiss: convicted of perjury – five years in prison.

• Julius and Ethel Rosenberg: convicted of spying – death penalty.

The United States After WWII. In the Shadow of the Atomic Bomb.• Another Red Scare• McCarthyism. • Senator Joseph

McCarthy – zealous in his pursuit of “commies and communist sympathizers.”

• Fear of McCarthy’s popularity and ruthlessness kept many from opposing him.

• Lack of hard evidence and “witch hunt” tactics led to his downfall.

The United States After WWII. In the Shadow of the Atomic Bomb.

• Another Red Scare

• The BOMB and the Fallout Shelter – page 584.

• The threat of nuclear warfare colored our attitude toward national security.

The United States After WWII. In the Shadow of the Atomic Bomb.

• The Space Race• Another aspect of the

competition between the USA and the USSR was the race into space.

• The first satellite in orbit was Russian – Sputnik – in 1957.

• Sputnik II had a dog aboard – Leika. (1st animal in space!)

• The US sent Explorer I into space in 1958.

• The first man into space was also Russian in 1961 – Yuri Gagarin .

• The first American went into space in 1962 – Alan Shepard.

• The first woman into space was Russian - Valentina Tereshkova – in 1963.

The United States After WWII. In the Shadow of the Atomic Bomb.

• The Space Race• The United States “won”

the race for space by putting the first man on the moon – Neil Armstrong – in 1969.

• The first American woman did not go into space until well after the first moon landing – Sally Ride in 1983 – 20 years after Tereshkova.

Iron Curtain

• The former division between the communist nations of eastern Europe — the Eastern Bloc — and the noncommunist nations of western Europe. The term refers to the isolation that the Soviet Union imposed on its satellites in the Eastern Bloc and to the repressive measures of many Eastern Bloc governments.

Hot Wars in Asia: Korea and Vietnam

• 1950 – Korean War begins when Communist North Korean forces invade non Communist South Korea

• American and other UN forces aid South Korea

• Russia and Communist China aid North Korea.

• Korean War is a standoff. North Korea withdraws.

Hot Wars in Asia: Korea and Vietnam

• 1963 - Vietnam War draws American involvement when Communist North Vietnam tries a forced reunification of a divided country. South Vietnam wishes to remain non Communist.

• Vietnam War divides Americans

• 1974 – United States withdraws from Vietnam.

• Communists take over Saigon and Vietnam is currently Communist

Cold War Confrontation with CubaCold War Confrontation with Cuba• 1962 - Cuban Missile Crisis 1962 - Cuban Missile Crisis • Major confrontation between the Major confrontation between the

United States and the Union of Soviet United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) over Socialist Republics (USSR) over Soviet-supplied missile installations Soviet-supplied missile installations in Cuba.in Cuba.

• The world's closest approach to The world's closest approach to nuclear war. nuclear war.

• In 1960 Soviet Premier Nikita In 1960 Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev launched plans to supply Khrushchev launched plans to supply Cuba with medium- and intermediate-Cuba with medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles that would put range ballistic missiles that would put the eastern United States within range the eastern United States within range of nuclear missile attack. of nuclear missile attack.

• Khrushchev mistakenly assumed that Khrushchev mistakenly assumed that the United States would take no the United States would take no action and when questioned denied action and when questioned denied that any missiles were being supplied that any missiles were being supplied to Cuba.to Cuba.

• By the summer of 1962, U.S. spy By the summer of 1962, U.S. spy planes flying over Cuba had planes flying over Cuba had photographed Soviet-managed photographed Soviet-managed construction work and spotted the construction work and spotted the first ballistic missile on October 14.first ballistic missile on October 14.

Cold War Confrontation with CubaCold War Confrontation with Cuba

• President Kennedy blockaded Cuba until missiles were removed, despite Khruschev’s threats

• President Kennedy delivers a television speech outlining the blockade and the nuclear threat

• Sale of fallout shelters skyrockets in US.• Cuban missiles removed after 14 days of fear of nuclear

war

1991 – Soviet Union Collapses1991 – Soviet Union Collapses• 1991 – Communism

in Soviet Union proves unsupportable

• Soviet soldiers withdraw from Poland, Czechoslovakia and East Germany

• The Wall around Berlin is torn down as a symbolic end to the Cold War