Transcript The Cold War (1945 – 1991)

The Cold War
(1945 – 1991)
What was the Cold War?
• The Cold War: a period of tension, threats, and
competition between communist nations led by
the Soviet Union and anti-communist nations
led by the U.S.
– The Cold war began at the end of WWII in 1945 and
ended with the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991
– The U.S. and the Soviet Union never attacked each
other
The Superpowers
• The United States
– Government: democratic republic
– Economic System: capitalism (freeenterprise)
– Cold War Goal: wanted to stop the spread
of communism
• The Soviet Union (U.S.S.R.)
– Government: totalitarian dictatorship
– Economic System: communism
– Cold War Goal: wanted to spread
communism throughout the world
Communism
• Classless society
– No rich, middle class, or poor
• All wealth is distributed evenly among the people
– No ownership of private property
• All property is owned by the government
• Economy is strictly controlled by the
government
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All farms, factories, mines, etc. are run by the government
Individuals cannot earn profit from businesses
Prices and wages are set by the government
Government decides what and how much to produce
Capitalism
• Free-enterprise: economy is free from government
control
– Individuals are allowed to own property
– Businesses are privately owned and operated for profit
• Economy is driven by competition
– Businesses compete for profits
– Workers compete for wages
• Pay is usually based on productivity and skill level
• A market economy
– Wages are negotiated at the workplace
– Prices are negotiated in the marketplace
• Society is divided into classes
– Rich, middle class, poor
Cold War Alliances
Europe After WWII
Communism in Europe
• Soviet military occupied countries of Eastern and
Central Europe during WWII
– Stalin refused to hold free elections and instead set up
communist governments
– This created a “buffer zone” that protected the Soviet
Union from invasion
• Iron Curtain: cold war dividing line
between communist Eastern Europe
and non-communist Western Europe
– Western Europe
• Anti-communist
• Democratic governments
• Influenced by the United States
– Eastern Europe
• Communist
• Totalitarian governments
• Dominated by the Soviet Union
Division of Germany
• After WWII, Germany was divided by
Great Britain, France, the United States,
and the Soviet Union (USSR)
– Each nation was supposed to run its “zone”
until free elections could be held
• Berlin – the capital of Germany
– Located in Soviet zone (East Germany)
– Also divided into zones run by G.B, France,
U.S., USSR
Conflict over Germany
• U.S. and Soviets disagreed about
Germany
reuniting
– President Truman (U.S.) wanted to reunite Germany and
allow free elections
• British, French, and American zones united to form
Germany
West
– Included West Berlin (even though it was located in East Germany)
– Stalin feared united Germany could attack the USSR
• The Soviets refused to allow their zone to become part of a
united Germany
– Soviet zone became East Germany
– Included East Berlin
Berlin
• The Blockade
– Soviets blockaded West Berlin in effort to end plans
to unify Germany
• The Berlin Airlift
– Airplanes were used by Allies to deliver food and
supplies to West Berlin
– Soviets eventually lifted blockade
• The Berlin Wall
– Built around West Berlin by the communists
• Kept people from Communist East Germany from leaving
• Anyone who tried to climb over was shot
• Became a symbol for the division between Communist
and anti-Communist nations of the World
The Cold War
Heats Up!
U.S. Fights Communism
• Containment: plan to stop the spread of communism
– The Truman Doctrine: U.S. policy to help weaker
nations prevent communist takeover
• Money and weapons were given to countries that were
fighting against communist rebels
– Ex. Greece and Turkey
• Introduced containment policy
– The Marshall Plan: U.S. plan to give aid to nations
of Western Europe to prevent communist takeovers
• Gave $13 billion to help rebuild economies damaged by
WWII
• Western Europeans were no longer desperate and most
weren’t interested in turning to communism
The North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO)
• NATO: anti-communist military alliance
created to protect member nations from
threats by communist forces
– Led by the United States
– Included anti-communist nations from all over
the world
– Helped fight the spread of communism
The Warsaw Pact
• The Warsaw Pact: communist military
alliance created to protect member
nations from anti-communist forces
– Created in response to the creation of NATO
– Led by the Soviet Union
– Included communist nations from Central and
Eastern Europe
A Divided World
The Spread of
Communism
Communism Spreads
China
to
• China during WWII
– Ruled by Nationalist Party (KMT)
– Led by Chiang Kai-shek
– Anti-communist ally of the United States
• Communist Revolution
– Communist rebels fight Nationalists for power
– Nationalists flee to Taiwan
– Communists take control of China (1949)
• People’s Republic of China is established
• Mao Zedong becomes dictator
Communist China
• Great Leap Forward (1958): Chairman Mao’s five-year
economic plan to modernize China
– Rapid shift from farming to industry
• Privately-owned farms were seized and combined to form
large government-run farms
• Many peasants were taken from farms and forced to work in
factories
• Very harsh treatment of those who resisted
– Results
• Production of low-quality manufactured goods
• Food shortages: 15-20 million people died of starvation
• Many Chinese began rebelling against Mao’s harsh form of
communism
Communist China
• Cultural Revolution (1966-1976): Chairman Mao’s
effort to increase control of China and create a more
“pure” communist state
– Red Guards: gangs of young people ordered by Chairman
Mao to destroy “old” ideas and attack anyone who opposed
communist views
– Mao’s enemies were purged from Communist Party
– Led to years of chaos
Korea
• After WWII, Korea was divided
– North Korea was communist
– South Korea was anti-communist
• Korean War (1950-1953)
– North Koreans invaded South Korea
• Supplied by USSR and China
• Wanted to unite the two Koreas under a communist government
– The United Nations (UN) sent troops (mostly Americans) to protect
South Korea and to stop the spread of communism
– The Chinese sent troops into North Korea to fight the UN
– Armistice (ceasefire) signed (1953)
• The border between North and South Korea was set at the
38th Parallel (38 ۫۫ N latitude)
• Communism was contained
– South Korea remained non-communist
Vietnam
• Vietnam was divided (1955)
– North Vietnam was communist
• Led by Ho Chi Minh
• Supported by China and the Soviet Union
– South Vietnam was anti-communist
• Supported by the U.S. and France
Vietnam War (1957-1975)
• Vietnam War (1957-1975)
– Viet Cong communist guerrillas tried to take over
South Vietnam
• Backed by North Vietnam, China, and USSR
– U.S. involvement in Vietnam (1960s - 1973)
• U.S. sent aid to South Vietnam
– Money, weapons, and military advisors
• U.S. began sending troops to Vietnam (1964)
– 1.5 million Vietnamese and 58,000 Americans died
– Americans were bitterly divided over war
» Anti-war protests push U.S. to end war
• U.S. withdrew troops from Vietnam (1969-1973)
– Communists took over South Vietnam (1975)
• Vietnam reunited as communist nation
• U.S. failed to contain communism
• Cuba was communist
Cuba
– Led by Fidel Castro
– Supported by the Soviet Union
• The Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
– Soviet Union brought nuclear missiles to Cuba
• American spy planes took photos of the missile sites
• Huge threat to U.S. security!
– Cuba is only 90 miles away from the U.S.
– Missiles could easily reach major U.S. cities
– The U.S. and the Soviets came very close to nuclear war
• U.S. President John F. Kennedy demanded that the Soviets remove the
missiles from Cuba
– Cuba was blockaded by the U.S. navy until the Soviets agreed to remove
the missiles
• Nikita Khrushchev, the Soviet leader, agreed to remove the missiles as
long as the U.S. agreed not to invade Cuba
– Nuclear war was avoided!
Struggle for Influence in
Africa
• After WWII, African nations began fighting
for independence
– The United States and the Soviet Union
competed for influence in the African countries
• Gave money and military aid
• Tried to spread their ideas
• Some African nations chose not to take sides
The Race For
Technology
Nuclear and Military
Technology
• Nuclear power
• Nuclear weapons
– The United States and the Soviet Union
had nuclear weapons
– Both nations feared a nuclear war
• nuclear annihilation: total destruction by
nuclear weapons
• Arms Race
– U.S. President Ronald Reagan challenged
the USSR to an arms race by building up
the American military
– USSR couldn’t keep up!
Space Technology
• The Space Race: competition between the
U.S. and Soviet Union to control outer space
– Soviets
• put first man-made satellite (Sputnik) into orbit
• put first man in space
– Americans
• put first men on the moon
– US took lead in space technology/exploration
– Eventually, both countries began to cooperate in
space exploration
The End of
The Cold War
Communism Fails
• Failures of Communism
– Most Communist countries
were struggling by the 1980’s
• Economic failures
– Extreme poverty
– Food shortages
• Political (government) failures
– Corruption
– Harsh treatment of people
» Very few freedoms
Reform in the
Soviet Union (1985-1991)
• Mikhail Gorbachev: leader who reformed the Soviet
Union
– Perestroika: restructuring of Soviet economy and
government
• Allowed some private ownership and profit
• Created a Soviet Parliament
– Glasnost: openness of government and freedom of
speech
• Allowed people to openly criticize or disagree with
the government
– Self-determination: people of Eastern Europe could
choose their own governments
• The Soviet military would no longer be used to keep
Communist governments of other nations in power
The Collapse of Communist
Governments
• Changes in Europe
– Anti-Communist Revolutions begin in
Eastern Europe (1989)
– The Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989)
– Germany is reunified under a
democratic government (1990)
– The Breakup of the Soviet Union
(1991)
• The Soviet Union split into 15 countries
(Russia is the largest)
Changes in China
• By the 1980s, many people in China were
unhappy with the ruling Communist
government
– Tiananmen Square Massacre (1989)
• Hundreds of pro-democracy demonstrators were
massacred by Chinese military
• China has relaxed its communist economic
policies but it remains a totalitarian nation
Special Thanks to:
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