An overview of the Cold War

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An overview of the Cold War

• How can a war be cold?
• What were the Hotspots of the Cold War?

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Post-War Germany
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Berlin Blockade Airlift (1948-49)
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1) Germany - divided

• Germany, which had been ruled by the Hitler and
  the Nazis until their defeat in 1945 was split in
  two.
• The western side became West Germany and the
  eastern side became East Germany.
• East Germany became another communist country.

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Marshall Plan 1948

1. European Recovery Program.
2. Secretary of State, George Marshall
3. The U. S. should provide aid to all European
   nations that need it. This move is not against
   any country or doctrine, but against hunger,
   poverty, desperation, and chaos.
4. 12.5 billion of US aid to Western Europe
   extended to Eastern Europe USSR, but this was
   rejected.

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World TensionsAfter World War 2 the Cold War
began and caused tension throughout the world.

• The USA and the USSR were the two world
  Superpowers.
• The USA was a capitalist society with a
  democracy.
• The USSR was a communist country with a
  dictatorship.
• Both wanted to be the most powerful nation in the
  world.

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After World War 2, the world changed!

• Many countries became communist after World War 2
  including
• Czechoslovakia (1948)
• Poland (1947)
• Hungary (1947)
• China (1949)
• Cuba (1959)
• North Korea (1945)

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World Tensions- Nuclear

• The USA had shown its atomic power when it
  exploded the A-bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at
  the end of World War 2.
• The USSR was also developing atomic
  weapons/bombs.
• The USA and the USSR were in competition with
  each other to have the best, most powerful
  weapons in the world this was called the Arms
  Race.

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The Arms RaceA Missile Gap?

• The Soviet Union exploded its first A-bomb in
  1949.
• Now there were two nuclear superpowers!

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Sputnik I (1957)
The Russians have beaten America in spacethey
have the technological edge!
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Cold War?

• The tension and rivalry between the USA and the
  USSR was described as the Cold War (1945-1990).
• There was never a real war between the two sides
  between 1945 and 1990, but they were often very
  close to war (Hotspots). Both sides got involved
  in other conflicts in the world to either stop
  the spread of communism (USA) or help the spread
  (USSR).

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The domino effect

• The USSR had a lot of influence over many of the
  new communist countries (especially those in
  Europe).
• The USA was very worried that the USSRs
  influence over these countries was making the
  USSR and communism more powerful.
• The USA did not want communism to spread any
  further they were worried about the domino
  effect (one country becomes communist, then
  another, then another etc)

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The Korean War 1950-1953
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Khruschev Embraces Castro,1961
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The Cuban Missile Crisis 1962
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The Vietnam War c.1963-1975
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The Dare- Premier Nikita Khrushchev
About the capitalist states, it doesn't depend
on you whether we (Soviet Union) exist.If you
don't like us, don't accept our invitations,
and don'tinvite us to come to see you. Whether
you like it our not, history is on our side. We
will bury you. -- 1956
De-Stalinization Program
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The Berlin Wall 1961
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The Winner- Collapse of Communism

• Rulers ruled with absolute power. Workers were
  not motivated and unrest worsened.
• Soviet Unions economy worsened. Not enough food
  and products.
• Mikhail Gorbachevs policies failed. 1) Glasnost
  (openness) 2) Perestroika (free speech)
• Ronald Reagans speech at the Berlin Wall dared
  the Soviet Union on a space race.

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