Journal 5/4/18 Compare and contrast Lenin and Stalin
Table of Contents: Unit 7 Communism 1. Title Page (extra credit for decorating) 2. Table of Contents 3. Prelude to the Russian Revolution 4. 14.1 Assessment pg 439 #1 8 5. Russian Revolution Primary Documents 6. The Russian Revolution 7. 14.2 Assessment pg 445 #1 8 8. Stalin: Man of Steel 9. Roots of the Cold War 10. 17.1 Assessment pg 536 #1-8
The Cold War An era of political tension in which the U.S. and U.S.S.R competed for world influence without actual armed conflict. (1945-1989)
The alliance which won WWII was a shaky one at best Many of the nations had a long history of conflict but were brought together by a common enemy in the Axis powers
After WWII there were two remaining superpowers:
The U.S.A. and U.S.S.R. found themselves in conflict for a variety of reasons
Remember how you tried to stop the Russian Revolution in 1917? That wasn t nice!
Remember how you didn t recognize our government until 1933? That wasn t nice!
Remember how it took you three years to actually attack Germany!
Remember how you didn t tell me all your military information during the war?!
Two Words: Atomic Bomb!
U.S.S.R Distrust U.S. fought against the communists in the Russian Revolution (1918 Reds v White) U.S. waited until 1933 to recognize the government of the Soviet Union U.S. didn t support U.S.S.R. in WWII U.S. withheld military information from the U.S.S.R. in WWII (specifically the atomic bomb)
What about all this stuff?
Anti- American Propaganda you released during WWII! That wasn t nice!
Remember how you didn t tell us all your military information during WWII?
Your system of government teaches constant revolution! That is scary!
During WWI you signed a separate (early) peace with Germany that hurt our feelings
Before WWII you signed a nonaggression pact with Hitler!
You ve killed millions of your own people in the Gulags! What might you do to us?
U.S.A. Distrust U.S.S.R released Anti-American propaganda U.S.S.R. withheld military information Communism teaches constant revolution Stalin teamed up with Hitler during WWII Stalin has murdered millions of his own citizens in the gulags
Our country has been destroyed by war!
We really need to protect our country from Germany and other noncommunist nations!
Our economy is in shambles Hitler destroyed our country!
We need to have a cluster of Communist buffer nations in the West.
U.S.S.R. View of the World We have suffered more than any other country in this war We need to protect our country from other non-communist nations Our economy is in shambles We need communist buffer nations in the west
We dominated in WWII! We are way stronger than anyone else!
But we are a little afraid of you we need to rearm and rebuild Europe just in case
Looks like the depression is over! We now control 50% of the world s wealth!
Communism is different and therefore scary we need to contain its spread!
We need to build a world full of democracies which talk out their problems!
Everyone should be just like us We know what s best for everyone
U.S.A. View of the World We are stronger than everyone else We have proven that our system of government is superior We are afraid of communism We need to rearm and rebuild Europe to prevent the spread of communism More countries should model themselves after us
The Big Three (Churchill, Stalin, FDR) had tried to come up with a course of action to resolve these issues at the Yalta Conference (Feb 1945)
- The U.S.S.R. would get territory in Asia - The U.S.S.R. would support the United Nations
In Eastern Europe the Soviet Union began installing communist governments
At Potsdam, with Truman as president, the decision was made to divide Germany (July-Aug 1945)
Four Sectors
The West adopted a policy of containment to control the spread of Communism
As Stalin continued his expansion, Churchill famously said an iron curtain has descended across the continent as he encouraged all English speaking nations to bond together and fight communism