Cold War in the 1950s PDF

6: A world divided: Superpower Relations, 1943-72 Unit 3: The Cold War in the 1950s Arms Race: 1949 Successful Atom Bomb Test by USSR 1952 Development of Hydrogen Bomb by USA 1953 Successful Hydrogen Bomb Test by USSR Effe...

6: A world divided: Superpower Relations, 1943-72 Unit 3: The Cold War in the 1950s Arms Race: 1949 Successful Atom Bomb Test by USSR 1952 Development of Hydrogen Bomb by USA 1953 Successful Hydrogen Bomb Test by USSR Effects 1. The USSR developing the atom bomb triggered a nuclear arms race that lasted until the 1980s 2. It gave the USSR equality in the Cold War and prevented the US using the atom bomb in Korea 3. The nuclear deterrent prevented conflict between the powers, though, as the costs were too high 4. By the 1960s, both powers had enough weapons to ensure Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) 5. Nuclear weapons, however, led to the risk of accidents and brinksmanship causing calamity Space Race: October 1957 Launching of Sputnik Satellite by USSR April 1961 Yuri Gagarin became 1 st man in Space July 1969 Neil Armstrong became 1st man on moon Domino Theory: 1. The USA believed there was a Soviet backed conspiracy to spread communist revolution 2. The Communist Revolution in China in 1949 led to fears of communism spreading through Asia 3. In this ‘domino theory’ communism would spread to Korea, Vietnam, Malaya and even India 4. The USA was determined to contain communism and prevent it spreading further The Korean War: 1945 Temporary Division of Korea at 38th Parallel Agreed at Potsdam: Soviets had liberated the North, the USA the South 1948 Establishment of Republic of Korea under Syngman Rhee Establishment of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea under Kim Il Sung US and Soviet forces left but the North boycotted elections planned by the UN Rhee was anti-communist but tyrannical: upto 100,000 dissidents were arrested June 1950 North Korean Invasion of South Korea They had occupied all the South apart from the area around Pusan by September September 1950 US Landing at Inchon Amphibious landing behind Northern lines rescued Pusan and routed N Koreans Crossed 38th Parallel, ignoring Chinese warnings this would force them to intervene MacArthur disobeyed Truman and approached the Chinese border on the Yalu river November 1950 Chinese Counter-Attack 200,000 Chinese troops forced the US back beyond the 38th Parallel January 1951 Furthest Chinese Advance US forces recovered and a stalemate was reached around the 38th Parallel April 1951 Dismissal of MacArthur Truman had refused to allow MacArthur to use nuclear weapons against China MacArthur had ignored orders and openly threatened to attack China July 1953 Ceasefire Stalin’s death persuaded the North to agree armistice, but no peace was signed Causes of Intervention 1. North Korean Invasion: Communist North Korea had invaded US-backed South Korea in June 1950 Seoul was overrun and it was clear that the South could not survive without outside help 2. Containment: Truman was determined to intervene to contain the spread of communism in Asia He worried that if communism spread to S Korea, it would spread further: the Domino Theory He was desperate to avoid a further humiliation after the Communist victory in China 3. Role of UN: USSR had stormed out of UN in protest at refusal to recognise new government in China They were therefore unable to use their veto to prevent UN intervention USA was the main force in the UN and were able to pressure it into passing resolution It was exactly the type of aggressive act that the UN had been set up to stop Role of United Nations 1. The UN passed a resolution to assist South Korea but this was due to US pressure 2. 18 countries provided troops but USA provided over half UN land forces and 93% of air forces 3. General MacArthur reported to Washington not the UN and his reports were censored Consequences 1. Cold War: USA had stood up to ‘Soviet’ aggression and contained the spread of communism to S Korea North Korea remained Communist; USA missed an opportunity to fight back against communism China emerged as a significant power in the Cold War 33,000 Americans were killed; US suffered one of its greatest military defeats in November 1950 USA invested more money in its army: defence spending increased400% after the war 2. Korea: Korea was devastated: over 2m Koreans killed and 4m wounded Korea remains divided and North Korea remains a threat to world peace South Korea now has the 15th largest economy in the world today; North Korea regular famines The Thaw: March 1953 Death of Stalin Raised hopes of improving relations between the USA & USSR New leader Khrushchev relaxed censorship and released millions of political prisoners He proposed ‘peaceful coexistence’ with the West to reduce the risk of war May 1955 Establishment of Warsaw Pact Soviet Bloc military alliance established after West Germany joined NATO Superceded Cominform, which was disbanded in 1956 July 1955 Geneva Summit 1st meeting of US-Soviet leaders since Potsdam heralded an era of more open relations USSR opened its borders, hosting the World Youth Festival in 1957 February 1956 Khrushchev’s ‘Secret Speech’ to Communist Party Congress Denounced Stalin, attacked his Cult of Personality and blamed him for the Purges Destalinisation encouraged reformers in Poland, Hungary to challenge Soviet control 1959 Khrushchev Visit to USA Hungary: Causes 1. Opposition to Soviet Domination: Hungarians opposed the presence of thousands of Soviet troops and officials in Hungary The Communist version of History taught in schools ignored the traditions they were proud of Russian was taught in schools and there were even Russian schools, shops and street signs Hungary even had to pay the USSR for the cost of these forces as well as export industrial goods 2. Opposition to Communist Dictatorship: Mátyás Rákosi’s hard-line regime was extremely unpopular; he was called the ‘Bald Butcher’ Many Hungarians opposed the lack of freedom of speech and the repression of the secret police Thousands of dissidents and intellectuals had been imprisoned, deported or executed The Catholic Church was persecuted and its popular leader, Cardinal Minszenty, imprisoned Living standards fell due to food shortages, low wages and reparation payments to USSR 3. Support for Imre Nagy: Nagy introduced a ‘New Course’ of reform as PM in 1953 e.g. amnesty for political prisoners He was removed in 1955 and expelled from the Communist Party as a ‘right wing deviationist’ 4. Khrushchev Thaw: Nagy and Hungarian dissidents were encouraged by Khrushchev’s ‘Secret Speech’ and Thaw Khrushchev refused to support Rákosi’s repression and was though to favour reform He had allowed a reformer, Gomulka, to become PM in October after protests in Poland Chronology June 1956 Replacement of Rákosi by Ernö Gerö Opposition within the party had led Rákosi to appeal for help from Moscow His request to arrest 400 opponents led to his forced retirement to the USSR 23rd October Student Demonstration 200,000 people joined protest; toppled 30 foot statue of Stalin after demands rejected Hungarian troops joined the uprising after the State Security Police fired on the people 24th October Soviet Military Intervention Soviet tanks entered Budapest after request for help suppressing protest by Grerö They did little though to stop the fighting between the people and secret police Appointment of Imre Nagy as Prime Minister The government soon collapsed and Gerö fled to the USSR The respected Nagy called for an end to the violence and promised political reforms Revolutionary councils assumed power; Soviet forces were fought to a standstill 27th October Establishment of National Government Nagy included non-communist ministers and released political prisoners The State Security Police and one-party state were abolished 28th October Ceasefire A ceasefire led to most Soviet troops leaving Budapest and fighting ceasing Soviet Politburo was divided: initially decided not to oppose Nagy’s new government 1st November Hungarian Withdrawal from Warsaw Pact Declared Hungarian neutrality and requested immediate withdrawal of Soviet troops Appealed to UN and West to help defend its neutrality 4th November Soviet Occupation of Budapest Over 2,500 Hungarians were killed by artillery, air strikes and indiscriminate tank fire János Kádár was appointed to head a new government and Soviet control reimposed Causes of Soviet Intervention 1. Withdrawal from Warsaw Pact: Nagy’s decision to withdraw from the Warsaw Pact threatened the stability of the Soviet bloc His appeal for US support raised fears of a major Soviet loss and the breach of its buffer zone It was probably decisive in causing Khrushchev to change his mind and intervene 2. Role of Hardliners: Khrushchev needed to avoid looking weak to appease his hardline Stalinist opponents Mao and other Communist leaders urged intervention to prevent the risings from spreading 3. Display of Soviet Strength: Khrushchev wanted to stand-up to the West and avoid losing Cold War prestige and influence He needed to send a strong message to the rest of the Soviet Bloc to prevent protest spreading He was confident the West would not intervene and emboldened by this GB and France were preoccupied with the Suez Crisis and the USA with Presidential elections Consequences 1. Reprisals: 35,000 Hungarians were arrested; over 300 executed including Nagy; hundreds deported to USSR 200,000 Hungarians fled across the ‘Bridge of Freedom’ to Austria to escape the Soviets 2. Loss of Support for Communism: Membership of the Communist Party in Hungary declined from 800,000 to 100,000 The evidence of Soviet repression led to Communist Parties in the West losing a lot of support 3. Strengthening of Soviet Bloc: Soviet control of Eastern Europe was reinforced and there were no further protests for reform Hungary showed that Khrushchev’s Thaw would not lead to a rapid end to the Cold War 4. Setback for Dissidents in Eastern Europe: Hungary had looked to the US and UN for aid but neither came to their rescue Eastern Europeans who had hoped for change saw that they could not rely on US intervention The U2 Crisis: 1. The US had invented the U2 spy plane in 1956 that flew too high to be shot down 2. Improved Soviet defences led to a U2 with its pilot Gary Powers being shot down in May 1960 3. Eisenhower denied the plane was spying but the Soviets produced Powers and the wreckage 4. Despite the embarrassment of being shown to have lied, he still refused to apologise 5. Powers pleaded guilty in a trial but was swapped for a Soviet spy in 1962 Effects: 1. The first summit since Geneva, the Paris Conference, collapsed, two weeks later, ending the Thaw 2. The decline in relations led Khrushchev to rescind his invitation for Eisenhower to visit the USSR 3. Khrushchev took a more aggressive stance to the US, leading to the Berlin & Cuban Missile Crises