Western Society and Eastern Europe in the Decades of the Cold War

1
Western Society and Eastern Europe in the Decades
of the Cold War
2
Civilian Populations

• Germans also used female slave laborBlock 24,
  just beside the main gate of Auschwitz, became a
  brothel for German soldiers as well as their best
  workers
• I consider it necessary to provide in the most
  liberal way hard-working prisoners with women in
  brothels. Heinrich Himmler, SS
• 1943 Dr. Josef Mengele, an SS physician, arrived
  at Auschwitz. He conducted atrocious experiments
  on women, children, twins, infants, and others
• Japan and comfort women

• 50 of all deaths came from noncombatants -50
  million died
• Populations were terrorized beyond measure during
  WWII by both Allies and Axis powers
• From WWII emerged mass rapes. Soviets used
  sexual violence against German women and girls as
  they advanced into Germany
• Many of these women were capture, repeatedly rape
  (sometimes 20-40 times a day) then sent to work
  in Russian Gulags

3
What do we do now?

• The big three would decide (U.S., Great Britain,
  and Soviet Union) the future of Europe
• Met during war to discuss 1943-Teheran,
  1945-Yalta, 1945-Potsdam (governments of Germany
  and Japan restructured, disarmament, war crime
  trials)
• Germany split between four zones
• Japan emperor stepped down and U.S. installed
  democracy
• Nuremberg Trials 1945-1949 set of trials of
  officials involved in WWII and the Holocaust.
  Trials were held in Nuremberg, Germany and the
  more famous of these was the Trial of the Major
  War Criminals Before the International Military
  Tribunal (IMT) which tried 24 of the most
  important/captured leaders of Nazi Germany
• The second set of trials of lesser war criminals
  was conducted under Control Council Law No. 10 at
  the U.S. Nuremberg Military Tribunals (NMT),
  including the famous Doctors' Trial.

4
Introduction

• A developing world opinion against nuclear
  weapons testing. US, Soviets, French, and British
  were conducting above ground nuclear tests.
  People from around the world, especially the
  Japanese, opposed the testing and felt that it
  could harm and threatened peoples lives.
• 1958 President Eisenhower established a testing
  moratorium (halt) and a test ban treaty was
  established by 1963.
• US became increasingly involved in world affairs
  after WWII
• Western Europe became increasingly democratic
  with rising consumer prosperity while Eastern
  Europe was controlled by the Soviets.

5
Economic Challenges

• WWII left Europe in ruins and the Cold War
  threatened to finish the job of destruction
• War reduced European population, destroyed
  industry, created millions of displaced peoples,
  housing shortages, agricultural shortages, and no
  internal sources of capital for rebuilding

• European economies depended on capital from
  abroad
• The U.S. and Soviet Union provided solutions to
  these economic problems
• Soviets recovered its sizable economic losses by
  territorial gains in Eastern Europe

6

• Europe and its Colonies

• The Cold War

• Between the US and the Soviet Union (1945-47
  began)
• After war-vague boundaries so Soviet troops
  started occupying most eastern European countries
  and quickly installed communistic governments
  loyal to the USSR. It was called the Eastern
  Block Poland, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria,
  Romania, and Hungary. Soon Baltic states
  disappeared (reversed Treaty of Versailles)
• Soviets also occupied part of Germany (Eastern
  Block)
• Offended by USSRs heavy handed manipulation of
  the Eastern Block including eastern Germany, the
  US and British countered with rivalry.
• US-new president (Truman), the nuclear bomb, and
  feared communist aggression felt
• Iron Curtain- divided Europe between free and
  repressed societies

• Decolonization-much of the time it was smooth and
  fairly peaceful
• Exception-pretty much everything involving
  France-Vietnam (1954) and Algeria(1962)
• Exceptions to peaceful transition Kenya,
  Vietnam, and Algeria
• Colonies still held onto cultural elements of old
  mother countries and even sometimes the mother
  country provided administrative and military help
  (France Belgium).
• And of course, Western interested economically
  remained the same-wanted to continue to exploit
  mineral and agricultural resources
• 1956 Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal under
  efforts by Britain and France to attack the
  independent nation
• The West no longer dominated and controlled the
  world!

7
Cold War

• Marshall Plan (1947)US started giving loans to
  postwar nations desperate for aid-of course
  influencing them to stay capitalistic and
  democratic-aimed to defeat communist movements in
  western Europe.
• Early stages of Cold War over Germany-By 1946 US,
  F, and B started to collaborate on an effort to
  rebuild Germany politically and economically.
• In 1947 created a stable currency to aid in this
  recovery the Soviets responded with a blockade in
  Berlin. US-massive airlifts to supply the city.
  In 1948 blockade ended and Germany became 2
  separate blocks (East and West)

• NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) formed
  in 1949 was an alliance (western Europe, Canada,
  under US leadership) to check possible Soviet
  aggression. (SEATO and CENTO too)
• Rearmament in western Germany to withstand
  communism and had allied soldier presence
• Warsaw Pact 1955-Eastern European satellites
• 1949 Soviets developed nuclear capability!
• US more involved in Western European
  politics-provided much needed economic aid while
  Soviets funded and supported communist movements
  in Western Europe
• Center of cold war conflict shifted from Europe
  to Korea, Vietnam, Middle East, and Latin America
• US became the major peacetime military power

8
U.S. Solution

• Office of European Economic Cooperation (OEEC)
  coordinated the Marshall Plan
• Marshall Plan began the process of economic
  integration in Europe (economic alliances)
• Benelux, France, Italy, West Germany formed
  European Coal and Steel Community that
  established a common market for coal and steel
  among member countries
• Later created the European Economic Community
  known as the Common Market in 1958
• Great Britain joined the EEC in 1973
• Japan U.S supported economy by rapidly
  modernizing its industries. Without military
  budget capital was directed into industriesBy
  1960 Japan was an industrial giant

• U.S sought to establish new markets in both
  Europe and Japan
• U.S. acted to restore economies as potential
  consumers of American goods
• Truman Doctrine American aid would be
  forthcoming to nations resistant to Communism and
  also to places like Russia upon guidelines
  cooperation and open trade
• Soviets of course opposed plan and saw it as the
  U.S. attempt to spread capitalism
• Marshall Plan U.S. plan to restore economies
  regulation and state intervention of economies

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Marshall Plan

• The plan was in operation for four years
  beginning in July 1947. During that period some
  13 billion of economic and technical assistance
  equivalent to around 130 billion in 2006, when
  adjusted for inflation, was given to help the
  recovery of the European countries which had
  joined in the Organization for European Economic
  Cooperation

• By the time the plan had come to completion, the
  economy of every participant state had grown well
  past prewar levels
• Marshall Plan was also one of the first elements
  of European integration, as it erased tariff
  trade barriers and set up institutions to
  coordinate the economy on a continental level

10
Spread of Liberal Democracy

• Fascism and other rightist movements were on the
  losing side of WWII and as such they became
  discredited after the war. This allowed for
  increasing acceptance of parliamentary democracy.
  More support for government planning and welfare
  activities.
• New governments in Germany (divided-west Germany
  Federal Republic of Germany). A new constitution
  was created that banned extremist political
  movements.

• Italy established a constitutional democracy
• Even France established a new republic once
  German occupation ended
• Portugal and Spain in the 1970s moved from
  authoritarian, semi-fascist to democratic
  parliamentary rule
• Western Europe increasingly become more and more
  politically uniform

11
Creating the Welfare State

• After WWII states formed welfare programs to
  provide support for citizens, particularly
  children and families
• Tried to resolve economic issues surrounding
  birth, sickness, old age, and unemployment
• Welfare states did not treat all of their members
  equally (women)

• Per capital income was on the rise throughout all
  of western Europe
• Welfare programs provided security for using
  disposable wealth
• New consumption T.V., cars, refrigerators,
  washing machines, liquor, and vacations
• However, wealth was not redistributedstill
  remained in the hands of few

12
New Challenges to Political Stability

• Not everything could be handled through the
  parliamentary system-for example Civil Rights
  (African-Americans and other minorities), Vietnam
  war, materialism, and student rights. Many times
  there were riots and violence associated with
  these stands. Things got better in the US after
  the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964.
• Feminism and womens economic rights

• Green movement-environmentally aware
• Couple this with slow economic growth led to new
  parties taking power
• British Conservative party and in the US, the
  Republican party promised to reduce costs and
  coverage of the welfare state (does this sound
  like today?)
• 2 main figures tried to reduce the welfare state
  Margaret Thatcher (prime minister of GB) and
  Ronald Reagan (US president)

13
Diplomatic Context

• Problem in democracies has always been
  nationalistic rivalry. After war there was plea
  for harmony and for European states to work
  together as opposed to against one another
  (Christian Democratic party).
• 1947 US led recovery of Western Europe-Marshall
  Plan and the US wanted German rearmament and
  participation in NATO
• How do you allow Germany grow, but no overwhelm?

• Tie German economics to internat. framework to
  keep peace
• Institution established to link policies across
  Europe-faster growth
• 1958 Western Europe (west Germany, F, I, Belgium,
  L, and Netherlands) set up the European Economic
  Community or Common Marketlater called the
  European Union. It was to create a single
  economic entity across national political
  boundaries.
• Tariffs reduced then eliminated in European Union
  countries, single currency 2001 (euro), and
  overall much growth

14
Economic Expansion

• Time of large economic growth! Welfare state and
  European Union assisted in this growth.
• Better farming productivity and techniques more
  exports, textiles and metallurgical products
  increased, and consumer products (car/appliances)
  increased too
• National product surpassed rates since Industrial
  Revolution and also surpassed the US economy

• Technology was the backbone to this growth-with
  less people did more work! More people started
  working in leisure industry teachers, bank,
  medical etc.
• Immigration-needed more workers and many
  immigrated from other parts of Europe, Asia,
  Africa, and the Middle East.
• Unprecedented economic growth and low
  unemployment more people bought consumer
  goods (affluent society in Western society
  developed)
• TV, cars, shopping malls, supermarkets, vacations
• Was this good for all? Guest workers

15
Former Dominions

• After WWII Australia and New Zealand moved beyond
  British influence. In 1951 Defense Pact with US
  against communism in the Pacific-backed US in
  Korea and Vietnam wars
• 80s both began distancing itself from US policies
• Great Britain aligned with European Union-free
  colonies created their own alliances.
• Australia-high Asian immigration

• Canada-became a welfare state and had
  nationalized health care
• Relationship with US-US invested and traded
• 1988 North American Free Trade Agreement-between
  Canada and US
• Started to stand on their own and develop and
  Canadian identity
• Quebec question-French independence

16
U.S. Century?

• Direct confrontation in Korea between Communist
  China support North Korea and the U.S. supporting
  South Korea
• After 3 years of warfare, Korea was permanently
  divided in 1953
• US alliances-U.S. alliances NATO, SEATO
  (southeast Asia Treaty Organization), CENTO
  (Central Treaty Organization-Middle E)

• US defender of capitalism and democracy
• British couldnt police the world and Soviets
  quick growth into Eastern Europe caused U.S. to
  step up (Truman Doctrine-support for those
  against communism directed at Greece and Turkey)
• Cold War brought about in US fear-you could lose
  your job if you were suspected of being a
  communist. (conspiracies and spies-time of
  McCarthyism)

17
Cold War

• Latin America U.S. acted to prevent spread of
  communism with heavy-handed policiescaused
  anti-Americanism
• Erupted in Cuba with the successful communist
  revolution led by Fidel Castro in 1959
• Cuban Missile Crisis 1962 USSR and U.S.
  threatening war over the existence of missiles in
  Cuba.. Threat passed when Khrushchev order the
  dismantling of missile bases

• Middle East oil
• Both Soviets and U.S. fought for oil control
• U.S killed leader of Iran and put a puppet
  government in place
• Egypt and Syria looked toward Soviets-nationalized
  Suez Canal
• Creation of the state of Israel in 1948
  destabilized Middle East-Western aid

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19
Vietnam War

• US developed a containment policy to
  communism-contain growth. Considered communism to
  have a domino effect-wanted to see it contained!
• So US basically got involved anywhere there was a
  communist threat like Korea and Vietnam ?
• In 1965 US began bombing communist North Vietnam
  and later US troops sent in
• US spend 2 billion dollars a week on the war that
  produced no results

• By 1970 more bombs dropped on Vietnam than anyone
  else anywhere in the world in the entire 20th
  century???
• Pressures from home-many protests
• Nixon tried to put more pressure on Vietnam, but
  by 1973 both agreed to a cease-fire. 1975 war
  ended and Vietnam was in communist hands (Ho Chi
  Minh-Wilson)
• US continued Reagan-Middle East and terrorism
  and weapons, Bush-1st Gulf War (1991-Iraq), and
  Clinton in Kosovo.

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• Social Structure

• Womens Revolution

• Economic growth eased social conflicts as the
  standard of living increased for almost all.
  Social mobility increased and education became
  its tool for improvement. Size of peasantry cut
  while much unskilled work went to immigrants.
• Class distinctions remained and crime went up in
  Western societies. US also had racial riots and
  civil rights issues to deal with.

• Women went to work in very large numbers-44 by
  the 70s. Mostly entry level jobs and were paid
  less then men.
• Women gained right to vote-F/S
• Women gained more education-still male dominated
  fields (s)
• Divorces increased
• Birth control (pill) and abortion
• After WWII surge in births followed by a rapid
  decline-more stuff you can buy with less kids!
• Family pressures led to more divorces
• New Feminism-economic gap, focus on what women
  want, family less important and seen even as
  repressive

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Western Culture
                  Bernard Buffet, Portrait de
Maurice Combe, 1950, (c)Adagp,

• Shift towards US as center of Western culture
• US had after WWII and many intellectuals
  immigrated here to work. Francis Crick (B) and
  James Watson (US) DNA.
• New York replaced Paris as art center. Return to
  modern style seen prior to WWI (non
  representational techniques). Became increasingly
  accepted. Some artists even used popular items in
  their art.
• Artistic film-Europe
• Social Science changed-studied data looked at
  cycles. Developed Social history!

Bernard Buffet paintings
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Popular Culture

• US pop culture influenced western
  culture-Hollywood, coca-cola, jeans, gum,
  shaving, tv series. All this came to represent US
  to Europeans and others.
• British-popular music groups like the Beatles
• Interesting styles-punk
• Sexpersonal pleasure and tv relaxed its
  standards and shops developed
• Sexual behavior changed as pre-marital sex became
  more common and age decreased.

Cast of Dallas
23
Eastern Bloc and Recovery

• Stalin was able to make the USSR into an
  industrial giant steel, coal, and crude oil
• Post WWII, USSR also began to developed a nuclear
  arsenal and space exploration programvery
  expensive
• Able to achieve this by maintaining a war economy
• USSR citizens did not enjoy a consumer revolution

• Russian standard of living remained relatively
  low
• The nature of the planned Soviet economy, which
  focused on heavy industrial expansion, was at a
  cost to agriculture and consumer durables
• Although industrial output was significant,
  collectivization and high defense expenditures
  led to much social unrest

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Soviet Union

• Foreign policy directed by the aims to regain
  lands, expand lands, active role in diplomacy,
  and create a buffer to protect itself.
• Focus on heavy industry and weapons developments
• Warsaw Pact
• Soviets seized some islands north of Japan,
  protectorate of North Korea, aided China in
  becoming communist, and allied with Vietnam.
• They got more military bases
• By 1949 it was a world power

• Soviets kept pushing west after WWII and were
  unwilling to relax its grip on Eastern Europe.
  Small countries -new or revived and were weak.
  Taken over by Nazis for years. Democratic
  government failed.
• Dominant force in EE was Soviet army. They worked
  with local communist movements. By 1948
  opposition parties crushed.
• (exceptions Greece/ Yugoslavia)

25
Soviet Union

• Soviet and east European trade zones separated
  from international commerce
• Soldiers stationed in eastern European countries
  to keep out west and keep communism
• In 1953 Stalin died leaving a struggle for power
  in the Communist party Nikita Khrushchev became
  premier in 1958 ousted in 1964
• He denounced Stalin and many felt reforms were
  sure to come and began movements in homelands.
  They were repressed with violence by the Russian
  military

• East Berlin posed problems for communist rule due
  to the western portion having better living
  conditions. Many would immigrate over to the
  west
• In 1961 Soviets responded to this problem by
  constructing the Berlin Wall. It was heavily
  policed and violence was used to maintain control
• Berlin wall symbolized the divide in during the
  Cold War
• Soviets did allow for some more popular leaders
  to take power (Poland). Halted collectivism and
  moved towards ownership of land and Catholic
  Church allowed back in.
• New regime in Hungary crushed

26
Soviet Union

• Prague Spring 1968 reform movement in
  Czechoslovakia which had a goal of bringing about
  a more humanistic socialism with limits (such as
  remaining in the Soviet Bloc)-violently repressed
  by Soviets
• Poland 1970s Solidarity movement-Polish army took
  over state under Soviet supervision.
• Eastern Europe changed due to communism classes,
  education, industry, and collectivization.
• Soviets got-protection against Germany, allies to
  help them, an supplies

• Soviets maintained war economy!
• Fear of the US and its distorted society caused
  many Russians to support a continued strong
  government presence-allowing for rapid postwar
  recovery.
• Stalin tried to keep contact with foreigners
  limited-limits on travel and media.
• Government-importance of bureaucracy ed.,
  welfare, police
• Education allowed talented people to rise up to
  work for government.
• New candidates had to be nominated by 3 party
  members and membership was very low

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Soviet Culture Promoting New Beliefs and
Institutions

• Soviet government was successful at created
  direct loyalties with citizens due to its
  cultural agenda. Regime declared war on Orthodox
  Church and other religions soon after 1917 b/c it
  wanted a secular population loyal to Marxism and
  a scientific orthodoxy. Church did remain, but
  under tight controls
• Art/ literature monitored to reflect communist
  values
• Education-used to created loyal and right
  thinking citizens
• Ceremonies and parades to stimulate devotion to
  communism and state

• Orthodox church not banned, but limited-couldnt
  preach to anyone under 18, taught in school that
  religion was superstition, limited freedom of
  Jews yet gave more to Muslims.
• Attacked western culture-including art and
  literature
• Literature remained diverse despite official
  controls
• Scientists enjoyed great prestige-discoveries in
  physics, chemistry, and math. Helped improve
  technology for society and military. Biology-had
  to reject evolution-could be jailed for that.

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Economy and Society-USSR

• Life-rapid pace of work-rewarded through
  incentives, leisure activities-vacations, sports,
  films, TV
• Class emerges (workers vs. middle class-ed).
  Different standard of living.
• Soviet family-lower amount of children
• Focus on child education, but still emphasis on
  authority

• Fully industrialized society, rapid manufacturing
  and urban growth
• State controlled economy so focus was on heavy
  industry not on consumer goods-lagged behind west
  
• Over time living standards improved and welfare
  helped, but still limited consumer products
• Industry caused environmental damage-waste dumped
• Problem in agriculture-capital diverted to
  industry and not to purchase farm equipment. Many
  workers not motivated. More workers retained on
  farms while food supply was at time problematic

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De-Stalinization

• Stalin died in 1953-USSR ruled by committee
• 1956 Nikita Khrushchev. He denounced Stalin and
  many felt reforms were sure to come and began
  movements in homelands. These were repressed
  with violence by the Russian military. Little
  reform ever actually happened. He tried to open
  up Siberian lands for farming but failed and
  offended many Stalin loyalists. He was ousted in
  1964.
• Cuban Missile Crisis 1962
• Soviets ahead of US in space race Sputnik first
  space satellite in 1957 and in 80s led in manned
  space flights

• China rift with China b/c of new alliances
• In 1979 USSR invaded Afghanistan to put in a
  friendly puppet gov.-ended in a long drawn out
  guerrilla war lasting to end of 80s.
• Low worker motivation and discipline led to lower
  productivity (alcoholism got so bad it actually
  increased death rates in adult males)-wanted
  consumer goods and western culture!
• In 80s economic conditions started to deteriorate
  rapidly in Russia fall of USSR was shocking to
  some and the question arose of how to replace it?

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Global Connections

• Massive competition between West and Soviets
  dominated between 1945-1992
• Communism vs. Capitalism
• Key role in decolonization both urged by US and
  Soviets
• Played roles in nationalism
• Gave ability of other countries to pit 2
  superpowers against each other

• Western and Soviet ideas not completely
  contradictory-both largely secular and both
  societies emphasized science. Both societies
  challenged social traditions like womens roles.
  Both sold weapons on world market. Both could
  influence and pressure changes across the globe.

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Works Cited

• http//www.amorosart.com/prints-buffet-175-1-en.ht
  ml Buffet paintings
• http//www.ultimatedallas.com/dallas/ Dallas