The Cold War
The end of WWII caused major changes:
1. Europe is no longer the world s dominant power
The USA and the USSR have become superpowers.
2. The world has entered...the nuclear age
Tension was caused by...
1. Fear of the other
2. Mistrust of the other
3. Rivalry
Despite his promise of free elections in the occupied countries, Stalin imposed Communist governments.
Poland Czechos... Hungary Yugoslavia Albania Romania? Bulgaria
The Soviet Zone of Germany became East Germany.
West Berlin remained part of West Germany.
Berlin at the Start of the Cold War
A City Divided
In 1946, there were 2 famous speeches which proclaimed the existence of the Cold War.
1. Stalin predicted WW3 between the rich capitalists and the working class two hostile camps.
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2puiqpaeaq&safety_mode=true&persist _safety_mode=1&safe=active "A shadow has fallen upon the scene so lately lighted by the Allied victory. From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an Iron Curtain has descended across the continent. the iron curtain.
Both speeches increased tensions between the 2 super powers.
The following year, Harry S. Truman declared The Truman Doctrine
At the present moment in world history nearly every nation must choose between alternative ways of life. The choice is too often not a free one. One way of life is based upon the will of the majority, and is distinguished by free institutions, representative government, free elections, guarantees of individual liberty, freedom of speech and religion, and freedom from political oppression.
The second way of life is based upon the will of a minority forcibly imposed upon the majority. It relies upon terror and oppression, a controlled press and radio, fixed elections, and the suppression of personal freedoms.
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.
I believe that we must assist free peoples to work out their own destinies in their own way.
I believe that our help should be primarily through economic and financial aid which is essential to economic stability and orderly political processes.
The US should offer financial and military aid to stop communist expansion around the world
This is the policy of containment
...a policy adopted by the US to stop the spread of communism from outside the USSR s borders
Peace Freedom Wealth
In 1947, US Secretary of State George Marshall announced The Marshall Plan a program of financial assistance to European countries devastated by WW2
But these loans had conditions. The US demanded. To see the economic records so the US could see their needs To see the plan the countries have for using the money
WHY such generosity?
1. To help European reconstruction
2. To encourage democracy
3.
4. Create new markets for American products
5. Avoid global economic recession
6. Stimulate the American economy
The US injects money into Europe which in turn buys goods from the US $$$$ $$$$$$$$$$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $
The Soviets are threatened by this American money and their expansion of capitalism
Down with international capitalism
Molotov the same Soviet foreign minister who made a pact with the Nazis
...created the Molotov Plan for the communist countries of eastern Europe
The USSR doesn t provide money like the US, but it guarantees trade between nations
The Berlin Blockade
In 1948, GB, France and the US agree to economic and political reforms in their respective zones in West Germany
In other words A) Economic = Capitalism B) Political = Democracy
Stalin is furious
He orders a blockade around all of West Berlin s access points
1. River
2. Road autobahn
3. Rail
Stalin cuts off the 2.1 million inhabitants of West Berlin to stop the creation of West Germany
In turn, the Allies imposed a blockade on exports of goods to the Soviet sector.
The US and GB organized an air lift. Thousands of tons of supplies are flown in around the clock for 11 months
Contrary to the predictions of Stalin, the blockade strengthens the connection between West Berlin and the Allies.
In May1949, the three Allied sectors form (German Federal Republic) West Germany with Bonn as its capital
In October 1949, the Soviet sector became (German Democratic Republic) East Germany with Berlin as its capital
Now there are TWO Germanys
International Organizations
1.
At Yalta the three great powers organized the new world order
In creating the United Nations, Roosevelt wanted to avoid the mistakes of the League of Nations. World powers must be members.
To ensure the membership of the US...
John D. Rockefeller donated land in NYC for the construction of UN headquarters
How can all countries, from the most to the least powerful, benefit from the UN?
General Assembly Each country has a representative on the GA. They choose a Secretary General. Today this is António Guterres from Portugal
Security Council The real power of the UN here is divided into two groups:
The permanent members 1. France GB US USSR Each one has a veto right China
The non-permanent members 2. 10 other countries are elected every two years
They decide upon sanctions... economic and military
2. NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization
In 1949, 12 countries formed an alliance against the Soviet Threat
The Parties of NATO agreed that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all. Consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence will assist the Party or Parties being attacked, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.
France GB US Canada Belgium Holland Denmark Norway Iceland Italy Portugal Lux.
Lord Ismay, the first Secretary General of NATO, said the purpose of the organization was... "to keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down"
3. Warsaw The Warsaw Pact
In 1955, West Germany became a member of NATO. In response to this the Soviets formed the Warsaw Pact alliance
Warsaw Pact Membership Albania Bulgaria Czechoslovakia East Germany Hungary Poland Romania USSR
The Korean War
1. Flashpoint
1946
1948
1949
1950
In 1949, China became communist under the leadership of Mao Zedong
The anticommunist forces, the Kuomintang, led by Chiang Kai-shek retreated to the island of Taiwan.
In 1945, Korea was liberated from Japan by the USSR from the north, and the US from the south The 38 th Parallel was the dividing line
As in Germany, the country is divided into two zones of occupation.
The north is communist and led by Kim Il Sung.
The capitalist south is led by Syngman Rhee.
In June 1950, the north invades the south
The Security Council of the UN approved military intervention to defend the south But the USSR has a veto, so how could this have happened?
The Security Council in 1950 Taiwan Boycotting
The international community recognized Taiwan (capitalist) as the official government of China. In protest the Soviets boycotted the UN
In October, a coalition of troops from the south and from the UN push the northern communist forces back
US general Douglas MacArthur wanted to continue the offensive and wipe the Chinese communists out of Korea
He proposes using total war by using atomic weapons.
Fearing WW3, Truman says NO.
Taking advantage of the hesitation of the U.S. and the UN, the northern Chinese regain the territory.
In secret negotiations the US and USSR decide to keep Korea divided along the 38 th Parallel
The result?
94 000 military deaths
3 000 000 to 4 000 000 civilian deaths
Intervention of the UN and the US in Korea
Air Naval Land South Korea Other countries US 93 % 86 % 50 %
Korea: US Containment OR UN Peacemaking? Peacemaking is the diplomatic effort intended to move a violent conflict to nonviolence usually through negotiation and mediation. Does what happened in Korea seem like peacemaking?
It was convenient for the US to enter Korea under the UN banner as peacekeepers, but the US would have sent troops in anyway to prevent the spread of communism. Asia was key for the USA to halting the spread of Communism. US felt they had to take a stand and this is what they did in Korea.
What effect did Korea have on the UN? The Uniting for Peace resolution
The Uniting for Peace resolution It allowed the General Assembly to make decisions whenever the SC is deadlocked. With USSR boycotting the Security Council, this resolution was passed to prevent stalemate caused by future Russian vetoes.
The Cuban Missile Crisis
Flash point #2
Before the Cuban revolution American Companies controlled
1. 90% of Cuba s mineral wealth
2. 80% of the public services
3. 40% of the sugar cane industry
The US supports the dictator... Fulgencio Batista
who does not share the wealth with the poor.
Batista US President Eisenhower
In 1959, a young socialist revolutionary comes to power by force. Fidel Castro
His friend, an Argentinean physician helps in the revolution. Ernesto Che Guevara
Castro improves the lives of the poor Cuban people.
1. $1 000 000 000 He confiscates American private property for the use of all Cubans
2. He nationalises all main industries Nationalization = government takes over ownership of industry from private owners
3. He redistributes land to the poor
4. He constructs housing for the poor
5. He provides free universal health care
6. Education is universal and free
But
there is a loss of freedom
Castro controls
1. The media
the unions 2.
3. The economy
4. The army
During the revolution, the rich Cubans...
Went into exile in the U.S.... especially in Miami.
Dwight D. Eisenhower is furious and imposes an embargo on Cuba.
Castro asks for help from Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev.
The Soviets buy a lot of Cuba s sugar and provide Castro with arms.
In 1961, John F. Kennedy asks the CIA to organize an invasion of Cuba with the help of an army of Cuban exiles.
The Bay of Pigs was a disaster. The Cuban people defended their island with the help of Soviet weapons and the invasion failed. This was a great success for Castro, great embarrassment for JFK.
many soldiers were captured
Citing the US threat to Cuba, the USSR secretly ships missiles to Cuba
and secretly builds missile bases.
The estimated range of missiles in Cuba
But the US finds out so JFK announces a naval blockade of all shipping around Cuba
Timeline 14 Oct, 1962 U2 spy plane gets photos of missile site in Cuba 22 Oct US announces it will stop and search all ships bound for Cuba in 48 hours 23 Oct USSR calls this an act of war and says their ships will not respect blockade 24 Oct 18 Soviet ships turn around just before reaching limit set by US (phew!) US then announced it would invade Cuba if all missiles not removed at once 25 Oct US planned air strike for 29 th or 30. THIS WOULD START WWIII!!!
In secret negotiations, Kennedy agreed to remove US missiles from Turkey if Khrushchev withdrew Soviet missiles from Cuba.
2400 km
End of the Crisis In a secret deal the Soviets agreed to withdraw the missiles in exchange for: US promise never to invade Cuba Immediate end to the naval blockade US must withdraw its missiles from Turkey The American public didn t know about the missiles in Turkey so Kennedy wanted to do that in secret at a later date
They agree to install a hotline for direct communication between the two superpowers so as to avoid brinkmanship in future