Cold War in Cold War in EuropeEurope

The Cold War – An Ideological Struggle

• Soviet and Eastern Bloc Nations – “Iron Curtain”– Goal – spread communism

world-wide

• US & Western Democracies– Goal – “Containment” of

communism & the eventual collapse of the communist world

Methodologies

1. Espionage (KGB vs. CIA)

2. Arms Race (nuclear escalation)

3. Ideological competition for the minds and hearts of Third World peoples (Communist Gov’t and command economy vs. Democratic Gov’t and capitalist economy)

4. Bi-polarization of Europe (NATO vs. Warsaw Pact)

Differing Viewpoints• Stalin was a dictator who ruled

the Soviet Union from the 1920s to the 1950s. His collectivization of land led to famine and to the death of millions. He also had thousands of communist officials executed. – “To choose one’s victims, to

prepare one’s plan minutely, to take an implacable vengeance, and then to go to bed…there is nothing sweeter in this world.”

– “This war is different from all earlier ones; the conqueror of a region imposes his own social system on it.”

• Truman, President from 1945-1953, tried to stop the spread of communism.– “I would rather have peace in

the world than be President.”

– “The American people desire, and are determined to work for, a world in which all nations and all peoples are free to govern themselves as they see fit, and to achieve a decent and satisfying life.”

Potsdam Conference• July-August 1945, the big three countries of Great Britain, the

U.S. and the Soviet Union met in Potsdam to decide on how to deal with post-war Germany, and how to make peace again in Europe.

• The decisions at Potsdam were:– to divide Germany into four occupied zones (occupied by the U.S.,

Britain, France, and the USSR), and the capital Berlin, was divided into four zones as well.

– Have Germany give back all annexed territory, and all Germans within the outer borders were to return home

– Keep Germany economically stable, but not wealthier than any other European country, they would pay overages as reparations to the USSR

• This would be the last conference among the allies, as tensions would quickly spring up among them.

Beginning of Hostilities• By the Potsdam Conference, Stalin had already

installed communist governments in Eastern European nations “as protection”, trading Nazi rule for communist. He then made some of those nations “satellite” nations of the Soviet Union.

• Truman, more anti-communist than FDR, saw this action as the beginning of Soviet domination of Eastern Europe.

• The U.S. had already tested the atom bomb, a fact which the Soviets knew about from their spies – leading them to work on constructing their own.

"We must take immediate and resolute "We must take immediate and resolute action.“ Haction.“ Harry Truman, March 12, 1947,  arry Truman, March 12, 1947,  "The Truman Doctrine""The Truman Doctrine"

So, how did the U.S. So, how did the U.S. propose to respond to propose to respond to the Soviet threat?the Soviet threat?

Truman Doctrine

• According to Truman – “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.”

• At the time, he was trying to get $400 million in aid for Greece and Turkey, two countries struggling economically, and easy targets for Soviet takeover.

Our Next Hurdle - Post Our Next Hurdle - Post War Destruction in War Destruction in

EuropeEurope

FrankfurtFrankfurt

Post War DestructionPost War Destruction

LondonLondon

Post War DestructionPost War Destruction

RussiaRussia

Post War DestructionPost War DestructionHamburgHamburg

Post War Destruction Post War Destruction – How Can We Help??– How Can We Help??

Ask this Ask this man – man –

George George MarshalMarshal

l, US l, US SecretaSecreta

ry of ry of StateState

He He proposed proposed

giving giving financial financial

aid to war-aid to war-torn torn

countries countries so they so they could could

rebuild rebuild their land, their land, and then and then

their their economies.economies.

European countries that accepted Marshall Plan aid – the red columns are the relative amounts of aid each country received.

Hamburg Before the Hamburg Before the Marshall PlanMarshall Plan

Hamburg only a few Hamburg only a few years after…years after…

Iron Curtain• Stalin forbids any nation

under his control to take Marshall Plan aid.

• Winston Churchill travels to Fulton, Missouri and gives a speech about the division between East and West. He coins the term “Iron Curtain,” which describes the separation of Europe.

The The StruggleStruggle over over GermanyGermany

Differing Ideologies - Again• Stalin viewed his Soviet Stalin viewed his Soviet

occupied zone of occupied zone of Germany as a Germany as a reparation, to be used reparation, to be used for financial means, and for financial means, and prevent further German prevent further German threat to the Soviet threat to the Soviet Union. His zone Union. His zone remained under Soviet remained under Soviet control until 1989, and control until 1989, and was called East was called East Germany.Germany.

• The other three The other three occupants believed that occupants believed that Germany should be Germany should be unified so they could unified so they could build an economically build an economically sound and peaceful sound and peaceful nation again. These three nation again. These three united their territories united their territories into one, creating West into one, creating West Germany. The capital, Germany. The capital, Berlin, was also unified Berlin, was also unified on the western side only.on the western side only.

Stalin believed Stalin believed he could at least he could at least

control all of control all of Berlin by holding Berlin by holding Berlin hostage, Berlin hostage,

not allowing any not allowing any travel to or from, travel to or from, which basically which basically

left those people left those people in West Berlin to in West Berlin to starve – How Do starve – How Do

We Respond?We Respond?

With the Berlin Airlift. At the With the Berlin Airlift. At the height of the Berlin Airlift, two height of the Berlin Airlift, two groups of aircraft flew in four-groups of aircraft flew in four-hour blocks around the clock. hour blocks around the clock. While one group of aircraft was While one group of aircraft was loaded and serviced, the other loaded and serviced, the other group was in the air. On the 264-group was in the air. On the 264-mile route, 32 aircraft were in the mile route, 32 aircraft were in the air simultaneously. Activity from air simultaneously. Activity from West Germany supported a plane West Germany supported a plane taking off and landing every 90 taking off and landing every 90 seconds in Berlin.seconds in Berlin.

The Berlin AirliftThe Berlin Airlift

The Soviet Plan fails – the US gains The Soviet Plan fails – the US gains prestigeprestige

Improve your knowledge

• The Russians took very high casualties to capture Berlin in May 1945. They spent the early occupation trying to take over all zones of the city but were stopped by German democrats such as Willy Brandt and Konrad Adenauer. Reluctantly the Russians had to admit the Americans, French and British to their respective zones.

Iron CurtainIron Curtain – – A term used by A term used by Winston Winston

Churchill Churchill to describe the to describe the separating of separating of Those Those

communistcommunistlands of East lands of East Europe from Europe from

the the West. West.

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• The nuclear bomb gave America a lead which was expected to last at least 5 years. The rapid Russian development of nuclear technology, helped by the work of the “atom spies” was a shock.

Significantly, Russia hurriedly declared war against Japan at the beginning of August 1945 and rushed to advance into Asia to stake out a position for the post-war settlement. This helped make both the Korean and Vietnamese conflicts more likely.

How Can We Prevent How Can We Prevent Soviet Aggression and Soviet Aggression and

Expansion??Expansion??

By Banding By Banding TogetherTogether

In the North Atlantic In the North Atlantic Treaty Organization - Treaty Organization -

NATONATO

10 Western European 10 Western European Nations, the US, and Nations, the US, and Canada Join TogetherCanada Join Together

Soviet Response

• In response to the obvious threat that NATO proposed to their ideologies, the Soviets responded by creating a military defense league of their own – the Warsaw Pact. The alliances of NATO and the Warsaw Pact would be ultimately the two big participants in the Cold War, but this war ended up heating up in an entirely different venue.

The Struggle for The Struggle for ChinaChina

Mao Zedong Leads the Mao Zedong Leads the Communists in the Communists in the

NorthNorth

Chiang Kai-shek Leads Chiang Kai-shek Leads the Nationalists, the Nationalists, Funded by $USFunded by $US

A Bloody Battle for the A Bloody Battle for the Fate of ChinaFate of China

Guess Who Guess Who Won??Won??

Can We Let It Can We Let It Happen Again Happen Again

Here??Here??

NOT THIS TIME!NOT THIS TIME!

Our Famous Hero Takes the Reigns Again…