The Cold War, 1948
Post-War Tensions
2
Division of Germany
The Allies decided to divide Germany into 4 zones after the war.
Also, the capital of Berlin was divided into 4 sectors.
The Cold War Begins
During World War II, the US and the Soviet Union had been allies
However, they had little in common except for their opposition to Nazi Germany
Once the war was over, tensions between the two countries surfaced
At the heart of the conflict were differences in their political and economic systems
Europe After WWII
Reasons for Distrust
America Soviet Union
Free elections No elections or fixed/corrupt
Democratic Dictatorship
Capitalist Communist
‘Survival of the fittest’ Everybody helps everybody
Richest world power Poor economic base
Personal freedom Society controlled by the NKVD (secret police)
Freedom of the media Total censorship
Capitalism vs. Communism
2 superpowers had emerged from WWII: the United States & the Soviet Union
Both wanted to assert their dominance and superiority over the other
Distrust on both sides! The Soviet’s feared Western countries
would try and invade them The US/Canada feared the Soviets would
try and overthrow their societies with communism
The Iron Curtain
The boundary between Western & Eastern Europe is often called the Iron Curtain
The Western Bloc was under Soviet influence (communism)
The former allies (US, Canada, France & Britain) were concerned the Soviets planned to spread their influence over Eastern Europe
The Cold War, cont’d
No war was actually ever declared! The cold war was a war of words,
propaganda (print , radio and TV) where all those involved created “spy” notions and invasions fear to citizens
Hostilities between the 2 groups were expressed in arguments, threats and actions intended to frustrate one another
Think of it as a war of words!
From World War II to Cold War
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpYCplyBknI
Soviet Spies in Canada
1945: Soviet spies were found in Canada (and other Western capitals)
Igor Gouzenko: young Russian announced to Canadian RCMP he had proof of a widespread Soviet spy ring
Documents proved spies in various government departments and in the Canadian-British atomic bomb project!! Intentions of the Soviet’s seemed even
more suspicious!
Igor Gouzenko
Defected to Canada in 1945 once he learned that he was to be sent back to the Soviet Union
Exposed Soviet Spy system in return for residence and protection
Reported that Soviets had the secrets to the atomic bomb
Americans arrest Ethel and Julius Rosenberg…convict and execute them
McCarthyism…sweeping accusations claiming individuals to be communists
Gouzenko
Following this reveal, Gouzenko feared for his (and his family’s life)
Initially, Gouzenko would walk around with a hood to try and hide his identity from the KGB (Soviet Secret Service)
The RCMP provided them with new identities and moved them to secret camp (under constant police surveillance)
To many Canadians, Gouzenko was a brave figure who alerted the Western world to the threat of Soviet Communism
Preparation for War …
Following discovery of Soviet spies, many wondered what would happen in the event of another war!
Many believed they could survive another war, if they properly prepared for it (and had advance warning)
Defense #1: Civil Defense Plan Federal
government created civil defense plans (emergency plans)
Cities made plans for alarm sirens and mass evacuations
Defense #2: Duck and Cover Schools practiced
having students duck under their desks
Had drills for students to run immediately home for cover
Defense #3: Bomb Shelters With the threat of radio
active fall out, bomb shelters became the new fad
Ideal shelter needed supply of water & fresh air (outside sources would be contaminated)
Many Canadians built these in their basements
Stocked up on canned goods and bottled water
Defense #4: The Diefenbunker Where: Ottawa What: 4 storey,
300 room, 100,000 square foot underground bunker
Why: meant to house 535 government officials in nuclear war
Inside the Diefenbunker
The Vault
Top: CBC Emergency Broadcast Studio, Right: the Prime Minister suite
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization Formed in 1949 Defense pact to protect members from
Soviet aggression Economic advantage for Canada, as it
included major trading partners Belgium, Britain, Canada, Denmark,
France, Italy, Norway, The Netherlands, West Germany and the USA were included
Warsaw Pact
Founded in 1955 Soviets felt that NATO
was a real threat so they created their own defensive pact
Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Soviet Union involved
NORAD
NORth American Air Defense Canada and USA treaty of 1957 Goal to protect North America from Soviet
attack USA Headquarters is in a mountain in Colorado Canadian Headquarters in North Bay, Ontario Commander is American, deputy commander is
Canadian Both in direct contact with President and Prime
Minister and need both approvals for any counter attack
DEW (Distant Early Warning)
Threat of long range missile attack creates a need for DEW Line (Distance Early Warning)
Canada permitted USA to build installations in the N.W.T
50 Radar stations across Northern Canada Also created a “Pinetree Radar System”
(49th Parallel – Can/US Border) and a “Mid Canada Line” (55th Parallel)
The Americans paid all $250 Million to build the defense system
MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction)
A policy that simply stated that if a nuclear attack were ever launched, both countries would launch everything they have to make sure everything was destroyed on both sides
No survivors
Truman Doctrine
“I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures.”
Support free people who are resisting outside pressures(communism) through economic aid
Marshall Plan
Give money to help rebuild war damaged societiesMake alternatives to democracy less
attractivePrevent another WW3
Korean War
1950 – 1953 After WWII the USA andUSSR divided the KoreanPeninsula at the 38th parallelThe did not consult the Koreans The North adoptedCommunism as it’s government The North attacked the South UN and USA supported South China and USSR supportedNorth
Suez Crisis
1956 – 1957 : Israel vs. Egypt Britain/France support IsraelEgypt new ties with USSR Israel invades Egypt for control of
Suez CanalGoal was to control both sides of Suez
Canal and remove Egyptian president NasserUN and USSR pressureboth sides to withdraw
Canada and the Suez Crisis
Lester B. Pearson awarded Nobel Peace Prize for UN Recommendation of creating a Peacekeeping Force
Considered “Father of Modern Peacekeeping” Egypt objected to Canadian Peacekeepers as
the flag contained an enemy symbol (Union Jack)
New flag finally adopted in 1965, and proclaimed by Queen Elizabeth II
Cuban Missile Crisis
Occurred during JFK’s Presidency 1962 Fidel Castro, the communist leader of Cuba was installing nuclearmissiles These missiles could easily hit any American
city Kennedy demanded that they be removed
and blockaded shipments of the Soviet military to Cuba
It took 2 weeks for Soviet leader Krushchev to agree to dismantle them
Canada and the Cuban Missile Crisis
US asked Canada to put all military forces on alert
Canada hesitated causing tensionCanadian BOMARC missiles were not
nuclearDiefenbaker accused the US of
pressuring Canada to go nuclearPearson opposed them, but when
elected PM in 1963, the missiles were armed with nuclear warheads
John F. Kennedy AssassinationPresident John F Kennedy was
assassinated in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963.
Failing Soviet Union Soviet Union couldn’t
financially support military it was building
Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor Meltdown- 1986
Soviet leader Gorbachev orders end of financial support to Warsaw Pact countries
1986-1987 both US President Ronald Reagan and Gorbachev begin dismantling nuclear weapons
German Reunification
Berlin Wall begins to fall on November 9th, 1989
3rd October, 1990, Deutsche Einheit (German Unity)
East joins West and remains a democracy
The Fall of the Soviet Union
Much of Eastern Europe was left economically and politically tattered
Finalized 26th of December, 1991The Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics (USSR) divides into… Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus,
Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan