global history 12 unit1

UNIT 1THE COLD WAR

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Correspondence Study Program

UNIT 1THE COLD WAR

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of history is to research,analyze and interpret documents andother important historical evidence tolearn why significant historicaldevelopments occurred. Often there isno absolute right or wrong becausehistory is opinion based on fact.Although evidence is often available, itis never complete. The fascinatingthing about history is that newevidence is always being uncovered.This means that history is constantlybeing interpreted and reinterpreted ashistorians try to understand whyimportant historical movements andevents took place.

To understand the present, it isimportant that we examine and try tounderstand the past. One of the mostimportant political and militarydevelopments since the end of WorldWar II was the Cold War.

Read Viewpoints,pages 27-42.

THE COLD WAR REMEMBERED:A PERSONAL ACCOUNT

“Growing up in the 1950s and 1960s inCanada meant living with the Cold War,especially if you lived near the borderbetween the United States and Canada. Ican remember the government erecting anair raid siren in the school yard as part ofan early warning system. I lived in fear ofthe Russians invading.

The precautions were frightening forchildren. Our mothers had to time howlong it took us to get home from school. Ifwe could reach our house in under fiveminutes, without running, we would beallowed to go home if there was a nuclearattack. Those poor children who livedfurther away had to stay at school, crouchedunder a desk. Each child was given a list ofall the things that our parents should havein the basement in the event of a nuclearattack—water, food, cooking supplies andplumbing facilities.

My parents, who had both fought inWorld War II, just laughed and said we’dnever hear the bomb that hit us so it didn’tmatter. I tried to explain how scared I was,but they didn’t take the whole thingseriously. So I went elsewhere to findsomeone who would share my fears. Twohouses up from my parents lived a crazywidow who actually built a real bomb shelter.My sisters and I raked her leaves, shovelledher snow, and picked her dandelions in thebelief that she would let us share her bombshelter.”

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GLOBAL HISTORY 12

WHAT WAS THE COLD WAR?The Cold War began in 1945 after theend of World War II. The term, ColdWar, described the intense rivalry thatpre-occupied the world’s twosuperpowers, the Soviet Union and theUnited States of America. Bothcountries wanted to be the mostpowerful and they spent more than 45years arguing, threatening each other,and supporting allied countries inskirmishes and local conflicts (fringewars) in almost every quarter of theglobe. It also led to an arms race, anintense competition between the twosuperpowers to accumulate advancedmilitary weapons. This policy ofpursuing a dangerous course of actionto the brink of catastrophe beforepulling back is called brinkmanship.But, because the two superpowersnever directly fought each other, it wascalled the Cold War.

HOW DID THE COLD WAR

START?IDEOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES

The two superpowers’ ideologies orbeliefs were totally different. TheSoviet Union was a communist statethat directly owned all land, labourand capital. Prices in the country werefixed by the state. Renting anapartment, for example, would ideallycost the same anywhere in the SovietUnion. Also, the production of goodswas predetermined by fixed quotas.

In contrast, the Americangovernment promoted capitalism

where prices were decided by supplyand demand. This meant that, whenthere were plenty of goods andservices, prices dropped but, whenthere weren’t enough goods andservices, prices increased. Governmentwas not supposed to interfere withindustrial production.

For more informationon the differencesbetween the twoeconomies, read the charton page 30 of Viewpoints.

PROPAGANDA AND CONSPIRACY THEORIES

Throughout the decades of theCold War, the leaders of bothsuperpowers let off steam by spoutingpropaganda in the media andinventing conspiracy theories. Whenthe Korean War broke out in 1950,Senator Joseph McCarthymanufactured a “witch hunt” againstsupposed communist infiltrators inAmerican society. He invented theexistence of a nation-wide communistconspiracy and accused anyone whodisagreed with his right-wing views ofbeing a communist. People who hadbeen to communist party meetings inthe 1930s were accused of beingcommunists. Some people, includingHollywood movie actors and directors,were asked to spy on their friends, tosee if they were participating in anycommunist activities.

McCarthy was backed by prominentgovernment officials in PresidentTruman’s administration. TheAttorney General at the time stated ina speech in 1950, “There are many

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UNIT 1 THE COLD WAR


communists in America. They areeverywhere, in factories, offices,butcher shops, on street corners, inprivate business, and each carries withhim the germs of death for society.”

During the Cuban Missile Crisis in1962, the Soviet newspaper, Pravda,accused the “American imperialists ofconfronting the world with the threatof a global thermonuclear war.” Afterthe Soviet Union invaded Afghanistanin 1979, American President RonaldReagan said that the Russians couldn’tbe trusted because “they reserve untothemselves the right to commit anycrime, to lie, to cheat,” in order toachieve world domination. Later, in aspeech in Orlando, Florida in 1983 hereferred to the Soviet Union as an “evilempire.” He also blamed the Sovietleadership for all the unrest in theworld.

Read anotherexample of propagandain Viewpoints, pages 14-15. These are twoversions of the same story, one from aNorth American perspective and onefrom the Soviet newspaper, Pravda.

POWER STRUGGLES

The Soviet Union and the UnitedStates each wanted to be the mostpowerful country in the world. Bothcountries came out of World War II asmajor victors. After the war, the SovietUnion invaded many of the countriesin Eastern Europe, annexed them, andbecame a colossal empire geographi-cally, economically and militarily. TheUnited States also profited from being

on the winning side of the war byeconomically controlling mostcapitalist countries. This was partlyaccomplished by the Marshall Planwhich lent war-torn countries capital torebuild their economies in return foran agreement to purchase Americangoods.

Both nations possessed the atomicbomb. In 1945 the United Statesdropped a uranium bomb called LittleBoy on Hiroshima, Japan. It instantlykilled 100,000 people. That explosionwas followed by a plutonium bomb thatwas detonated over Nagasaki, Japan.The destructive capacity of these twobombs effectively ended the warbetween the United States and Japan.In 1949 the Soviet Union tested theirfirst atomic bomb. The Soviets’ successchallenged the monopoly that theUnited States had enjoyed for fouryears. No longer was the United Statesthe only producer of atomic power.

Bikini atom bomb explosion, 1946

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GLOBAL HISTORY 12

The ability of these two countries tomass produce nuclear weapons gavethem military superiority in the earlypost-war period. Even when othercountries joined the nuclear club,notably Britain (1952), France (1960),and China (1964), no one was ever ableto challenge the technological lead ofthe USA and the Soviet Union. Duringthe next three decades the UnitedStates and the Soviet Union stockpilednuclear weapons and were aptly calledsuperpowers.

THE COLD WAR HEATS UP

NUCLEAR POWER

People were afraid that, if a directconflict occurred, it would havedevastating results. Not only did theUSA and the Soviet Union develophuge stockpiles of nuclear weapons,but they produced sophisticateddelivery systems in the form of guidedmissiles. Intercontinental BallisticMissiles (ICBMs) with nuclearwarheads could travel at supersonicspeeds, could be programmed to travelacross continents, and could land oncities with deadly accuracy. A nuclearconfrontation between the USA andthe Soviet Union would have beendevastating to both sides.

FRINGE WARS

While the superpowers neverdirectly went to war against each other,they both supported wars thatdeveloped on the fringes or outskirtsof their empires. Notable examples

were the Korean War, the Vietnam Warand the Afghanistan War. In each case,when one power was directly involved,the other power always supplied warmaterials to the opposition. BothAmerican and Soviet citizens becameworried that these limited wars couldeasily spread and develop into anuclear war.

ALLIANCE SYSTEMS

The Cold War was furthercomplicated by the development of twohostile alliance systems. One of theprimary causes of both World War Iand World War II was that countrieshad joined together to support eachother. When one country went to waragainst another, all its allies or friendscame to help. When similar alliancesstarted to form in the post-war period,it represented another threat to worldpeace. Two of the most importantalliances were the North AtlanticTreaty Organization (NATO), and theWarsaw Pact. These were defensivemilitary alliances based on theunderstanding that, if one member wasattacked, the others would join in toprotect its ally.

Twelve countries signed NATO in1949: United States, Canada, Britain,Norway, Belgium, France, Portugal,Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Denmarkand the Netherlands. The Warsaw Pactwas formed in 1955 and included theSoviet Union, Hungary, Czechoslova-kia, East Germany, Albania, Bulgaria,Poland and Romania.

These two heavily armed campsfaced one another across the barbed

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UNIT 1 THE COLD WAR


wire fence of the Iron Curtain. TheIron Curtain was a metaphor used byWinston Churchill, the British PrimeMinister, to describe the division ofEurope between the communist andcapitalist countries. It was an imaginaryline that extended from Stettin in theBaltic Sea to Trieste in the AdriaticSea. As time went on the Iron Curtainbecame a barbed wire border betweenEast and West Germany with restrictedaccess. The Berlin Wall was part of theIron Curtain.

HIGH ANXIETY LEVELS AND PROTEST

People lived in fear and anxiety asnuclear weapons stockpiled, fringewars and hostile confrontations brokeout around the world, and politicalleaders flung antagonistic propagandaat one another. In the 1950s, manyNorth Americanfamilies, particularlythose who lived nearmilitary installations,built bomb shelters intheir basements andstocked the shelveswith food. In the 60sand early 70s, peacerallies were held inthe United States andWestern Europe to“Ban the Bomb” andstop the war inVietnam.

In the SovietUnion protest was effectivelysuppressed. Critics of the governmentfled to Western Europe or were sent towork camps in Siberia. In Poland, asatellite of the Soviet Union, a strong

anti-government trade union calledSolidarity used strikes as a weapon ofprotest.

THAWS IN THE COLD WAR

To counteract the Cold Wartension, the two superpowers oftenmade genuine efforts to appearpeaceful. The Soviet Union grantedAustria independence in 1955. Thatsame year, US President Eisenhowerand Soviet Premier Khrushchev met inGeneva to discuss the possibility of an“open skies” agreement that wouldprevent a surprise attack by either side.This thaw in Soviet-US relations wascalled the “Spirit of Geneva.” Shortlyafter the meeting, Khrushchevannounced 640,000 soldiers would becut in his army; the next year he calledfor peaceful coexistence or

competition without war.

In the 1960s thesepeaceful intentions didnot continue because ofnumerous confrontationsbetween the Soviet Unionand the United States. Inthe 1970s, there was aperiod of detente, wherethe strained relations ortensions between the twosuperpowers againrelaxed. The StrategicArms Limitation Talks(SALT I) was signed in1972, limiting anti-

ballistic missile defence to one site foreach country, and SALT II was signedin 1979. Later that year, detente cameto a halt again when the Sovietsinvaded Afghanistan.

Anti-war protesters marchthrough the streets of SanFrancisco, Ca. 1968.

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In a gesture of unity, a joyous West Berlinerhands a flower to an East German soldier atopthe Berlin Wall, no longer a barrier between Eastand West.

THE END OF THE COLD WAR

The mid-1980s saw MikhailGorbachev emerge as Premier of theSoviet Union. Although Gorbachevremained a committed communist, hewanted to end the Cold War. Heintroduced glasnot (openness) andperistroika (economic reforms) thatprepared the country for democraticreforms and an easing of tensions withthe West. Gorbachev and U.S.President Reagan agreed to eliminatea whole class of their countries’ nuclearmissiles—those capable of strikingEurope and Asia from the USSR andvice versa. The Soviet governmentbegan to reduce its forces in EasternEurope and in 1989 it pulled its troopsout of Afghanistan. Also in 1989, theBerlin Wall, the symbol of East-Westanimosity since 1961, was torn down.Germany once again became a unifiedcountry. In 1991 the USSR dissolved,and Russia and some of the otherSoviet republics emerged asindependent states. The Cold War wasover.

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IMPORTANT COLD WAR CONFRONTATIONS

OF THE 1960S INCLUDED:Construction of the Berlin Wall

A concrete wall built in 1961 that divided theGerman city of Berlin into east and west. Theeastern part was controlled by the Soviet Unionand the western part was democratic.

Bay of Pigs Invasion

American-supported Cuban exiles attacked Cuba in1961 in an attempt to overthrow Castro.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A confrontation in 1962 thatbrought the Soviet Union and theUnited States to the edge ofnuclear war. It is discussed in detailin Unit 2.

Vietnam War

A war betweencommunist NorthVietnam and non-communist SouthVietnam began in1954. From 1961,South Vietnam washelped by the US.The communistforces won in 1975.

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GLOBAL HISTORY 12

Main Events of the Cold War Thaws in the Cold WarBerlin blockade complete 1948

Korean War occurs 1950 - 1953

1952 Stalin dies

1955 Spirit of Geneva thawsrelationship between USA andthe Soviet Union

Hungarian Revolution 1956is crushed by the Soviets

Russian satellite, Sputnik, is 1957launched

1959 Spirit of Camp Davidtalks between superpowers

Vietnam War occurs 1954-1975

U-2 incident angers Soviet Union 1960

Bay of Pigs invasion occurs 1961

Berlin Wall is built 1961

Cuban Missile Crisis occurs 1962

1963 Hot line, a direct telephonelink between the USA and theSoviet Union, is established

1964 First Bilateral Treaty is signed

1967 Direct flights between Moscowand NY are established

Soviets invade Czechoslovakia 1968 Soviets and Americans agree todiscuss peaceful uses of outerspace

1969 SALT talks begin

1970 Disarmament Treaty is ratified

1972 SALT I is signed

Soviets invade Afghanistan 1979 SALT II is signed

Star Wars is endorsed 1983

1989 Berlin Wall comes down

1990 Germany is reunited

1991 Soviet Union collapses

(Timelines are used throughout this course for reference only. No one is expected to memorize allthe dates and events.)

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P B H C U B A N D V

I O N A T O H E E I

G M K W T T T H C E

S B A E A E C D O T

P C S R N H W A R N

U I L T S N T V P A

T E E U A H E I B M

N O R S N L A D O D

I H U S A W I L Y A

K S 2 R B W I N L R

1. President of the United States assassinated in 1963 (7 letters) _ _ _ _ _ _ _

2. Russian leader who died in 1952 (6 letters) _ _ _ _ _ _

3. A period of peaceful coexistence (7 letters) _ _ _ _ _ _ _

4. The _ _ _ _ _ Missile Crisis (5 letters)

5. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (4 letters) _ _ _ _

6. Premier of the USSR during the Cold War (10 letters)_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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ACTIVITY 1: COLD WAR CRYPTOGRAM

There are 26 terms and names in the cryptogram that relate to theCold War. The words may be written horizontally, vertically, diagonally,forwards or backwards. Find the words in the puzzle that answer the statementsbelow. Circle or draw a line through the letters and write the words in the spacesprovided.The seven letters that remain at the end form two words that relate tothe unit.

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GLOBAL HISTORY 12

7. The Warsaw (4 letters) _ _ _ _

8. The first satellite in orbit (7 letters) _ _ _ _ _ _ _

9. A military reconnaissance plane (1 letter, 1 number) _ _

10. A superpower (3 letters) _ _ _

11. A superpower (4 letters) _ _ _ _

12. Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (4 letters) _ _ _ _

13. Khrushchev used this article of apparel in the United Nations(4 letters) _ _ _ _

14. An economic plan (8 letters) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

15. A shelter in your basement (4 letters) _ _ _ _

16. A relaxation of tension (4 letters) _ _ _ _

17. The Bay of _ _ _ _ (4 letters)

18. Camp _ _ _ _ _ , a retreat for presidents of the United States (5 letters)

19. Used to bomb Hiroshima (3 letters) _ _ _

20. Communication line, 1963 (3 letters) _ _ _

21. The opposite of love (4 letters) _ _ _ _

22. Protesters wanted to _ _ _ the bomb (3 letters)

23. What happened in Korea, 1950 (3 letters) _ _ _

24. The opposite of lose (3 letters) _ _ _

25. A war in Asia (7 letters) _ _ _ _ _ _ _

26. Two words formed from the letters left over _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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UNIT 1 THE COLD WAR


ACTIVITY 2:REVIEW QUESTIONS

Answer the following questions inparagraph form using the informationyou have read in this manual and yourtextbook, Viewpoints.

1. Define Cold War in your ownwords.

2. Why did the Cold War occur inthe aftermath of World War II?

3. Explain why the Cold War was astruggle between two opposingpolitical and economicideologies.

4. Explain why the United Statesand the Soviet Union were theonly two countries that becamesuperpowers during the ColdWar. Why were other countriesunwilling to challenge theirpolitical, economic and militarypower?

5. How strong was public oppositionto the Cold War in both the SovietUnion and the United States? Doyou think public opposition madeany difference to the leaders ofeither country during the ColdWar? Explain.

6. Explain why alliance systemsintensified the threat of nuclearwar.

ACTIVITY 3:DESIGNING A

BOMB SHELTER

In the post-war period many familiesin the West became terrified of thepossibility of a nuclear war. This fearwas reinforced when the US militaryreleased photographs showing thehorrible effects of radiation in thebombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.Many families, especially those in largecities and those near militaryinstallations, felt they were particularlyvulnerable. They thought that theymight be able to withstand a nuclearbombing more successfully if they hadone-foot thick concrete walls in theirbasements.

1. Draw a diagram of a bombshelter, including the walls andthe rooms, as it might haveexisted in the early 1960s. Labelyour diagram and give thedimensions of the rooms.

2. Prepare a list of food and othersupplies that a family of fourwould need to last one week.

3. Choose one of the followingactivities to complete.

EITHER

a) Explain how you would deal witheach of the following as theyoccurred:

Air system contaminated withradiation

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GLOBAL HISTORY 12

Waste disposalWater system contaminated withradiationMeasuring levels of radiationInadequate heating systemFailure of the lighting systemFailure of the communicationssystemNot enough food and waterBoredom, loneliness and lack ofentertainmentSickness and lack of medicalsuppliesRadiation burnsContaining fires

OR

b) The world was a different placeduring the Cold War. There werereal concerns about nuclear warand the effects it would have. Inabout 150 words, discuss thefollowing question.

Do you think Canada is in anydanger from nuclear war now? Why? Ifyou answer yes, discuss:Where does the dangercome from? Whatprecautions should eachperson, each family andeach city take? If youanswer no, discuss: Why isthere no danger? Why isCanada now safe fromnuclear war?

ACTIVITY 4:MAP WORK

Use the outline map on page 15 of thismanual to locate the original membersof the North Atlantic TreatyOrganization (NATO) and the WarsawPact. [Due to the changing politicalscene in Europe, the Warsaw Pact nolonger exists and other Europeancountries, including some whopreviously belonged to the WarsawPact, have now joined NATO.] Labelthe original NATO countries andcolour them BLUE. Label the originalWarsaw Pact countries and colour themRED. When you have finished yourmap, you will notice that the bluecountries tend to surround the redcountries.

“Doesn’t it seem kind of academic to be debating whether WEshould have nuclear weapons?”

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UNIT 1 THE COLD WAR


ACTIVITY 4T

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global history 12 unit1

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