Origins Of The Cold War 2022 PDF

Origins of the Cold War  Concepts to define 1. Bipolar Super Power World 2. Ideologies 3. Domino Theory 4. Satellite States - Iron Curtain 5. Espionage 6. Dollar Imperialism 7. Containment 8. Buffer Zones 9. Brinkmanship  In a Nutshell A Cold War...

Origins of the Cold War  Concepts to define 1. Bipolar Super Power World 2. Ideologies 3. Domino Theory 4. Satellite States - Iron Curtain 5. Espionage 6. Dollar Imperialism 7. Containment 8. Buffer Zones 9. Brinkmanship  In a Nutshell A Cold War is defined as a situation of tense relations and fierce competition between nations. There is however no direct confrontation as in an all-out war. Such a situation occurred between 1945 and 1991, involving the superpowers, the USA and the USSR. The superpowers divided Europe into two. Eastern Europe was led by Communist USSR while democratic USA controlled Western Europe. A ‘hot’ war is a conflict between the superpowers where there is direct, open or conventional warfare 3  Causes of the Cold War World War II itself – the rift widened between the USA and the USSR. Stalin encroached on Eastern Europe during the last months of the war and the Red Army reached Berlin first. Poland was occupied by the USSR and Germany was split into four zones of occupation as the Allies could not reach consensus. Nuclear weapons deepened the suspicion and rivalry. It led to an arms race and development of deadly weapons of destruction.  The Teheran Conference The Teheran Conference was a meeting between U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin in Teheran, Iran, between November 28 and December 1, 1943. It’s purpose was to coordinate their military strategy against Germany and Japan and they made a number of important decisions concerning the post World War II era. The main outcome of the Teheran Conference was the Western Allies’ commitment to open a second front against Nazi Germany allowing Stalin to attack Germany from the Eastern front. This made Stalin to believe than he had control of the East thus leading to conflict after the war.  Yalta Conference The Yalta Conference took place in a Russian resort town in the Crimea from February 4–11, 1945, during World War Two. At Yalta, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin made important decisions regarding the future progress of the war and the postwar world. The Americans and the British generally agreed that future governments of the Eastern European nations bordering the Soviet Union should be “friendly” to the Soviet regime while the Soviets pledged to allow free elections in all territories liberated from Nazi Germany. Germany and Berlin to be divided into four zones. Agreed to join the United Nations to facilitate the peace in Europe. Eastern Europe to be USSR’s sphere of influence. No agreement on the reparations and the Polish boarder.  Spheres of influence Two spheres of influence were established in Europe as Communist regimes were established in the occupied states – these were termed satellite states. Rival ideologies (Communism vs. Capitalism) led to increased suspicion. Leadership rivalry: Truman was a hardliner who did not want to concede to Stalin and despised Communism.  Misperception – no matter what the Russians did it would be misperceived and vice versa Mirror Imaging – Americans believed that what they did was right and good, and looked at the Soviets and what they did as bad and evil (same happened with USSR)  Bipolar Super Power World Competition quickly fractured the Grand Alliance. A by-product of this tension was the nuclear arms race. The traditional powers like Britain and France were broke and spent after the war - the USA and USSR emerged alone at the top.  Competing ideologies An ideology refers to a set of ideas about how a society should be run. In many ways, the Cold War confrontation between the USA and the USSR was a clash between their opposing ideologies. Democracy The USA Communism The USSR 10  The Ideological Struggle Soviet & US & the Eastern Bloc Western Nations Democracies [“Iron Curtain”] GOAL → spread world- GOAL → “Containment” wide Communism of Communism & the eventual collapse of the Communist world. METHODOLOGIES: [George Kennan]  Espionage [KGB vs. CIA]  Arms Race [nuclear escalation]  Ideological Competition for the minds and hearts of Third World peoples [Communist govt. & command economy vs. democratic govt. & capitalist economy] → “proxy wars”  Bi-Polarization of Europe [NATO vs. Warsaw Pact]  Communism VS Democracy Who controls the society? Communism Democracy The Communist Party rules the people. Only the Communist Party members can be People choose their government by in the government. This government is voting for the leaders they want. The considered a one-party dictatorship. leaders can belong to any party. 12  Communism VS Democracy How should people live? Communism Democracy The individual has more rights and some The community is more important than of these rights are more important than the individual. So the individual should the needs of the community. Such rights put the needs of the community before his own. include freedom of speech and the press. 13  Communism VS Democracy How should the wealth of the society be created and shared? The country’s wealth is owned Communism collectively by the society. The Communist Party creates wealth by deciding what to produce. This is called a centrally planned economy. Everyone should work and should get an equal share of the benefits of the society. 14  Communism VS Democracy How should the wealth of the society be created and shared? The country’s wealth is created by private enterprise and trade. Democracy Businessmen and entrepreneurs create wealth by deciding what to produce. This is called market economy. Some individuals may become wealthier than others. How wealthy one becomes depends on the individual’s skills as an entrepreneur or how well he invests his resources. 15  Communism VS Democracy Democracy Communism For supporters of Democracy Communists, on the other choosing between hand believed that the Democracy and Communism workers were not free in felt like choosing between democratic societies. freedom and slavery. To them the workers in a They believed that Communists democratic society, were had to accept the control of the slaves of the rich the Communist Party and give landowners, factory owners up all their freedom. and industrialists. 16  Feelings of mistrust When the Communists came to power in the 1917 October Revolution in Russia, they lost the trust of the USA and other Western nations. This was because the Communist government called for a world revolution. Could this mean the end of Capitalism and Democracy? The West begin to question the actions of the Communists. Poor relations existed also because of the involvement of the West in the Russian Civil War. They provided aid to the anti-Bolshevik White armies. Since then, there had always been tension between the Communists and supporters of Democracy. The USA and the USSR had more power to spread their ideologies around after they became superpowers at the end of World War II. 17  Wartime alliances broke down The Soviet Union joined the USA and Britain as one of the Allied Powers and joined in the fight against Japan, Italy and Germany. This alliance was only temporary. The feud was resumed after the war ended and when they found no common enemy to unite them against. The leaders of the USSR, the USA and Britain met at Yalta to discuss what to do with Germany once the war was over. It was decided that Germany was to be divided into four different zones. After the war ended, they met at Potsdam to resume the discussion that was stopped. Several misunderstandings arose out of the conferences which contributed to hostile relations. 18  The Potsdam Agreement What was agreed? Details of the zones of occupation of Germany were finalised. Reparations were to be collected in the form of industrial equipment from own zone. The USSR was to receive additional money from other zones as its zone was mainly agricultural and it had suffered the most during the war. The new borders of Poland were confirmed. 19  The Potsdam Agreement Stalin Truman What to do with Germany? We should cripple Germany We do not want to repeat the completely. mistakes of the Treaty of Versailles. Should Germany pay for the Yes. 20 million Russians were We do not want to repeat the reparations? killed in the war. mistakes of the Treaty of Versailles. What to do with Eastern We agreed at Yalta that these We have to cultivate a ‘get Europe? would be under the Soviet tough’ attitude towards Stalin. sphere of influence; with united Eastern Europe, no one will dare to move a finger against them. 20  The Potsdam Agreement Significance The USSR was suspicious of the West. Stalin imprisoned non-Communist Polish leaders and placed Communist leaders in the Polish government. Buffer zones were created to make Communism more powerful. The poor relations between the two superpowers at the Potsdam Conference were a sign that their wartime alliance had come to an end and that the Cold War had begun. 21  Cold War Goals for US Promote open markets for US goods to prevent another depression Promote democracy throughout the world, especially in Asia and Africa Stop the spread of communism “Domino Effect” 22  Cold War Goals for USSR Create greater security for itself lost tens of millions of people in WWII and Stalin’s purges feared a strong Germany Establish defensible borders Encourage friendly governments on its borders Spread communism around the world 23  Europe was divided Nato and Warsaw Pact were set up Germany was divided How did the Cold War affect Europe? Marshall Plan was put Truman Doctrine was into action announced 24  Europe was divided Europe was divided into two blocs between 1945 and 1948. The East comprised mainly of Communist governments and the West consisted of democratic countries. The USSR expanded its control over Eastern Europe by setting up Communist governments in these countries. The USSR could then influence these Communist governments to follow policies that were non-threatening to it. The countries with Communist governments were known as satellite states. The West criticised the USSR for setting up such governments without holding free elections and for their harsh tactics. Such actions further contributed to the bad blood between the two superpowers. 25  The “Iron Curtain” From Stettin in the Balkans, to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lies the ancient capitals of Central and Eastern Europe. -- Sir Winston Churchill, 1946 Soviet Satellite States Bulgaria, 1945 referendum Yugoslavia, (1945) Hungary, Romania, 1947 Poland, 1947 Czechoslovakia, 1948 Greece, Turkey, Finland ?  Domino Theory The USA feared the European countries would fall in turn to communism - Stalin’s Yalta promise of elections was not realized. Later this fear was applied to Asia and the Americas.  Truman Doctrine was announced 1947 British was expected to help the Greek government fight communist guerrillas. They appealed to America for aid and the response was the Truman Doctrine. Following Soviet expansion in Europe, President Truman decided that the USA must stop Communism from spreading. On 12 March 1947, he announced the Truman Doctrine. The Truman Doctrine provided American aid to Greece and Turkey in order to prevent the spread of Communism. Agreeing with Truman’s sentiments, Congress soon voted $400 million of aid to Greece and Turkey. Greece received large amounts of arms and supplies and by 1949 had defeated the communists. The Truman Doctrine was significant because it showed that America, the most powerful democratic country, was prepared to resist the spread of communism throughout the world. 30  Attempt to work together In early 1947, Britain, France, and the United States unsuccessfully attempted to reach an agreement with the Soviet Union for an economically self-sufficient Germany, including a detailed accounting of the industrial plants, goods, and infrastructure already removed by the Soviets. In June 1947, in accordance with the Truman Doctrine, the United States enacted the Marshall Plan, a pledge of economic assistance for all European countries willing to participate, including the Soviet Union.  The Marshall Plan was put into action on 5 June 1947 Following the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan was introduced. The Plan sought to make Europe rich and strong again and prosperous enough to resist Communism, by providing financial help. Between 1948 and 1952, 16 countries in Western Europe received a total of US$13 billion in aid, loans and goods. Soviet satellites were forbidden from accepting American financial aid. Stalin felt that the West was using this to expand its influence over Europe. 32  Marshall Plan The plan was in operation for four years beginning April 8, 1948. The goals of the United States were to rebuild war- devastated regions, remove trade barriers, modernize industry, make Europe prosperous again, and prevent the spread of communism. The Marshall Plan required a lessening of interstate barriers, saw a decrease in regulations, and encouraged an increase in productivity, labour union membership, and the adoption of modern business procedures. Secretary of State George Marshall. 33  Marshall Plan The years 1948 to 1952 saw the fastest period of growth in European history. Industrial production increased by 35%. Agricultural production substantially surpassed pre-war levels. The poverty and starvation of the immediate post-war years disappeared, and Western Europe embarked upon an unprecedented two decades of growth during which standards of living increased dramatically. 34 Dollar Imperialism  Stalin’s response to the Truman and Marshall Plan In response to the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan, which the Soviets saw as a concerted effort to encircle them, Stalin organized the Informational Bureau of Communist Parties (Cominform) in September 1947. This was an effort to unify communist parties around the world and to put up a united front against capitalist aggression. In 1949, The Soviet Union created the Molotov Plan (Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov), later expanded into the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON), a system of bilateral trade agreements and an economic alliance between socialist countries in the Eastern Bloc. This became a Russian version of the Marshall Plan designed to aid Eastern Europe in post- war reconstruction. It was also used to bind together the economies of the Soviet bloc, all under Moscow’s strict supervision.  Molotov Plan The Molotov plan was symbolic of the Soviet Union’s refusal to accept aid from the Marshall Plan or allow any of their satellite states to do so because of their belief that the Plan was an attempt to weaken Soviet interest in their satellite states through the conditions imposed and by making beneficiary countries economically dependent on the United States. he plan was a system of bilateral trade agreements that established COMECON to create an economic alliance of socialist countries. This aid allowed countries in Europe to stop relying on American aid, and therefore allowed Molotov Plan states to reorganize their trade to the USSR instead. The plan was in some ways contradictory, however, because at the same time the Soviets were giving aid to Eastern bloc countries, they were demanding that countries who were members of the Axis powers pay reparations to the USSR. COMECON: Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, est.1949  Germany was divided A crisis ensued among Britain, France, the USA and the USSR over how to administer Germany in 1948. Germany was to be divided into four parts and Berlin into four zones, according to peace talks in Britain. In 1948, Britain, France and the USA decided to join their separate zones in Germany. In order to help the West German economy recover, they agreed to create a new currency. Afraid that Germany would grow strong and threaten the USSR, Stalin planned to seize control of West Berlin through a blockade. He had hoped to force the Western powers to leave the city by blocking all supplies of food to West Berlin. 39  The Berlin Crisis: June 1948-May 1949 1948: three western controlled zones of Germany united; grew in prosperity due to the Marshall Plan West wanted East to rejoin; Stalin feared it would hurt Soviet security. June 1948: Stalin decided to gain control of West Berlin, which was deep inside the Eastern Sector Cuts road, rail and canal links with West Berlin, hoping to starve it into submission West responded by airlifting supplies to allow West Berlin to survive May 1949: USSR admitted defeat, lifted blockade 42  Currency Reform At first all zones had the Reichsmark. Next, the West introduced the US- minted Deutchmark *THIS CAUSED THE BERLIN CRISIS! Later, the USSR introduced its own Deutchmark - notice European format: if you can’t beat ’them…  Germany was divided The USA was determined to support West Berlin as it represented the democratic system. It was afraid that if it did so, the USSR would become bolder and invade West Germany. However keen to avoid war, President Truman ordered an airlift of food and other supplies into West Berlin. This lasted for ten months. Realising that the West was determined to support West Berlin, the USSR ended the Berlin Blockade after ten months. The blockade is important in helping us understand why Germany became two separate countries. 44 Berlin Blockade & Airlift (1948-49) FOOD & FUEL  Formation of NATO The Berlin Crisis led to the formation of NATO  NATO and Warsaw Pact were set up The division of Europe into two spheres of influence forced both sides to set up military alliances. In April 1949, the USA set up the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) for collective security against any Soviet attack. Similarly, the USSR set up an alliance known as the Warsaw Pact in 1955, uniting all Communist countries in Eastern Europe except Yugoslavia. 49 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (1949) ❖ United States ❖ Luxemburg ❖ Belgium ❖ Netherlands ❖ Britain ❖ Norway ❖ Canada ❖ Portugal ❖ Denmark ❖ 1952: Greece & Turkey ❖ France ❖ 1955: West Germany ❖ Iceland ❖ 1983: Spain ❖ Italy  Warsaw Pact (1955) } U. S. S. R. } East Germany } Albania } Hungary } Bulgaria } Poland } Czechoslovakia } Rumania