Cold War

US History

Cold War Explained

The Dates
1. 1945 through 1990
2. 1950s beginnings of the Arms Race
3. 1950s Korean War
4. 1960s beginnings of the Space Race
5. 1960s Vietnam War
6. 1970s Detente -- two sides coexist
7. 1980s Renewed Arms Race

Definition of Cold War

It is a period of tension between the 2
superpowers, it is political and ideological. It is
a struggle to show superiority. It is not a hot
war (direct war).

Yalta Conference
1. Free Elections in Poland
2. Creation of the UN
1. Trying to avoid what happened during WWII
2. Leaders of the Axis Powers would be put on trial at the
Nuremberg Trials for Crimes against humanity

3. Division of Germany

2 Superpowers
1. US
Democratic
2. Free Enterprise -- Capitalism
3. More Individual Rights
1.

2. USSR
1.
2.
3.

Communist 1 party dictatorship

Command Economy
Few Individual Rights

United States
1. Become the worlds wealthiest economy
2. Adopt a policy of CONTAINMENT, where we
try to contain Communism where it already
exist.
3. The US begins to rebuild Western Europe
(Marshall Plan) and rebuild Japan
4. To stop the spread of Communism, the US
fought wars in Korea and then Vietnam

Korean War for Dummies

United States
1. Once the Soviets gain atomic capability the
US will engage in an Arms Race
2. Alliances form and the US leads the NATO
alliance.
3. In the early 1960s, the US avoids potential
war with the Soviet in the Cuban Missile
Crisis (JFK)

Cuban Missile Crisis

Western Europe
1. Capitalist and Democratic
2. Was rebuilt by the Marshall Plan
3. Part of NATO
4. Divide between Eastern Europe and
Western Europe is called the Iron Curtain

Germany
1. It is divided between Communist East
Germany and Democratic West Germany
2. Its capital, Berlin, is also divided
3. To keep Berlin from falling the Allies after
WWII airlift supplies into Berlin (Berlin
Airlift)
4. Eventually, they will build the Berlin Wall to
keep East Germans in

USSR
1. Stalin conducted several 5 years plans in an
attempt to industrialize his nation
2. Stalin seized control of farmland forming
large collectives
3. Stalin eliminated all political enemies during
his Great Purge
4. In 1949 the soviets tested their first atomic
bomb

Eastern Europe
1. These countries have Communist
dictatorships under the influence of the
Soviet Union
2. Eastern Block or Soviet Satellites
3. They will fall behind Western Europe
Economically
4. The Soviets and Eastern Europe form the
Warsaw Pact

The World Largest Bomb

How does Cold War Europe affect US

1. Western Europe and Nato remains alliances
to the US today.
2. Western Europe and Eastern Europe
provided a real life example of how
democracy and free enterprise works better
than Communism and Command
Economies.

Khan Academy Vietnam War

Vietnam @ Home
1.

Because of the high casualties, the US instituted a draft. By

1965 most American soldiers had been drafted.
2. The draft was very unpopular. Some people avoided the
draft by exemptions for education or religion, other people
fled to Canada.
3. This led to many protest. Some people would burn their
draft cards. Make love not war (Counter Culture)
4. The Silent Majority of white collar and blue collar workers
who were not protesting help Nixon win the election of 1968

Japan
1. US will rebuild Japan following WWII
2. Japan will be protected by the US military and will not
rebuild their military
3. Japan will become democratic
4. Japan will become an economic power
5. Japan will begin to export many high quality consumer
goods.
6. Japan also protected its industries against competition

How does this pertain to US

1. Japan today is a major trading partner.
2. Japan is an Allie in the Pacific and America
has troops stationed there today

China and US
1. Had no relations before Nixon visited
2. Since restoring relations and trade, US and China are
now trading partners and are connected Economically.
3. China becomes a mixed economy and not just a
command economy. China allows free enterprize into
country
4. Growing economy with growing Middle Class, but
prosperity in cities only, still much poverty.

Dtente: Cooling Off

End of the Cold War

1. Decline of the Soviet Union
1. Soviet people never really benefited from the Soviet
win in WWII
2. Under Khrushchev, Soviets enjoyed more freedoms
and consumer goods, but still a command
economy controlled peoples lives
3. When Eastern European nations tried to break
away, the Soviets crushed the rebellions.
4. Command economy and collectivization failed, there
was very low productivity and products were poor

Soviet Union Declines

1. The US economy was better suited for an
arms race than the Soviets. The Soviets
could not keep up the cost of the arms race.
2. Soviet War in Afghanistan drained the
economy and morale of the Soviet Union

Mikhail Gorbachev
1. New Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, began a
series of reforms to try to bring the Soviet
Economy/Culture to life
1.
2.

3.

Glasnost -- Openness -- he allowed people to

openly discuss the issues of the country
Perestroika -- restructuring -- restructure the Soviet
Economy and government -- he will for limited free
market economy
He willing worked with Reagan and British Prime
Minister Margaret Thatcher

Soviet Union Collapses

1. Reforms failed because of the void of government
control
2. The Russian empire breaks apart
3. Eastern Europe breaks away from the Soviet Union
4. Communist try to overthrow Gorbachev but fail
5. Gorbachev eventually resigns and makes a nice living
speaking in US

Review John Greene Style