Cold War

Origins of the Cold War (1945-49)

A. Early Hostilities during WWII (tension between US and USSR)
i. Different ideologies/civil war

Communism Capitalism
Business Govt, spreading wealth Private, making as much $$ as
they want
Religion Not allowed Allowed
Media Censored, govt-run radios and tv Personal freedom
Elections Only communist party Different parties
Social life Govt is involved in every aspect People have freedom in life – to
of life compete, succeed

 Conflicting ideologies started competing for followers

 1918-21 : Civil War ravaged Russia
o Lenin doesn’t have control over USSR
o Allied power (BR and US) not happy
o GE turned to western front to fight
o Allied powers felt betrayed by communist Russians
 Tried to get rid of comm right after ww1
 Ever since comm began, allied powers did not like comm.  distrust

ii. Shifting Alliances/appeasement/league of nations

 Stalin allies with Hitler

o US and Western EU did not trust him then
 RU doesn’t trust west
o Because of relations of allied powers with H
 RU felt west had prejudice towards Communist Soviet
o Blocked them from joining LON
 Thus, no faith in alliances

iii. Delayed assistance

 3 years before D-Day (27 mil die in USSR while US & BR doesn’t do anything)

US & USSR Superpowers

 Due to military strength – atomic bomb/ economically strongest/ politically strongest (many allies)

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Conferences
1. Tehran Conference, 1943

2. Yalta Conference, Feb 1945

o Happened in USSR
o BIG THREE = CHURCHILL, ROOSEVELT AND STALIN
 Experienced veterans
 Roosevelt –very sick, died soon after
 Wanted democracy and liberty
 Trusted Stalin
 Churchill – strong-anticommunist
 Doesn’t trust Stalin
 Worried about future EU and doesn’t want expansionist USSR
 Stalin – strong racist against GE
 Punish and destroy GE
 Discussions
o Germany
 To be run as one
 Policies collectively decided by allies
 ‘temporary’ governing
o State of War
 GE on verge of being defeated
 2nd front opened
o Poland
 USSR took ½ of Poland  in exchange for ‘free elections’
 Poland’s borders move West and take territory from GE
 ‘London Poles’ – Polish members who ran to London to be safe
 Tried to oversee matters from far
 Some Poles wanted them to govern again
 However, there are the comm Lublin Poles
o Causing internal struggle
 Fought amongst themselves
 USSR did not help because if they did, Warsaw would be
liberated and become democratic
 Thus, 300 000 died while Stalin did nothing to stop
it

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o Eastern EU
 ‘free elections’ everywhere and Stalin agrees to this
o Japan
 Stalin agreed to go to war with Japan
 As ‘reward’, demanded territory
o United Nations
 US, Br and USSR members
 Ensure security
 Conclusion!
o Agreement on UN
o Soviet agreement to join war against JP
o Signed ‘Declaration of Liberated Europe’ – free elections

Developments between Yalta and Potsdam

 Roosevelt died, Truman takes over

o Inexperienced
o More aggressive and tough
 Churchill not re-elected, Clement Atlee takes over
 War in EU over
 USSR still all over Eastern EU
 Day after Potsdam, USA successfully tested its first atomic bomb
o BR being told about it but didn’t tell Stalin (Stalin, however, already knew)

3. Potsdam Conference, July 1945

 Generally bad-tempered conference, no compromise
 Stalin, Clement Atlee and Truman
 Held in GE

Discussions

 Germany
o Agreed to disarm, demilitarize, de-Nazify
 Couldn’t agree how
o Soviets took reparations from other zones
 West – 25% of industrial
 East – agriculture/ got food
 Poland:
o Truman doesn’t agree with borders established at Yalta
o Also doesn’t agree the ‘Lublin Poles’ running govt
o Everyone thinks Stalin just wants more terrirtory
 Stalin insists it’s for security - protection from GE like WW1 and WW2

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 Eastern EU
o Red army stays there
 Truman worries Stalin takes over them
o ‘Percentage Agreement’
 Between C & S – on their influence on Eastern EU
o Japan
 Did not encourage Soviets to join war
 USA bombs JP – Hiroshima & Nagasaki
o United Nations
 Power of veto for all

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1945-47: Soviet Takeover of Eastern EU

1946: Long Telegram
1946: Iron Curtain Speech
1947: Truman Doctrine
1948: Marshall Plan/Comecon (1949)
1948-49: Berlin Blockade and Airlift
1949: Formation of NATO
1955: Warsaw Pact

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Policy of Containment (POC) in Asia

 Korean War
 China
 Japan
 Taiwan
 Vietnam War

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Korean War (1950-53)

Background

 Russo-JP war in 1905

o JP won
o Humiliating for USSR
 Gained territory = KOREA!
 Kept it as their bread basket and took all raw materials from them
 Koreans RAWWRRR!!!
 But they remain under JP until end of WW2
 After WW2, Korea free
o Because of USSR and US
o Stalin then tried to take Korea

Aug 6, 1945 – First A-bomb dropped

Aug 8, 1945 – RU soldier sent to fight

Aug 9, 1945 – Second A-bomb dropped

 Red Army soldiers went into the North Korea and Americans come in by boat – taking South
o Liberating Korea – making JP surrender
 Americans then decided to divide Korea into two
o 38th parallel – line dividing Korea
o Stalin agrees with this
o Reasons
 Korea needed help after being occupied for so long
 US & USSR occupies it
 ‘temporary’
o Problem?
 South – agriculture
 North – industry
 Less likely to work together

Aug 14, 1945 – JP Surrender

 North Korea
o Happy to be liberated by RU
o Liked Comm

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o Stalin nationalises industry  Korean-state owned industries

o Land reforms – equal for everyone
o Elections – Comm Koreans in power and ALL JP eliminated
o Leader? KIM IL SUNG
 South Korea
o US poorly prepared
 Leaves JP there
 Military units took charge – unpopular amongst people
 US did not want to be there long – get UN to take over
 This keeps Korea divided
 US have puppet leader: RHEE

1948 – 2 countries officially created

 Democratic Republic of Korea (North)

 Republic of Korea (South)

Americans and Russians leave. Kim then wants to take power of the whole country.

1949:

 Berlin blockade done

 China becomes comm
 USSR develops A-bomb
 US not interested in Korea
o This makes Stalin feel confident

1950:

 N Korea attacks S Korea

 Kim has Stalin’s support (provide weapons)
 But Stalin doesn’t publicly get involved

NSC-68:

 Report written by an American

 Purpose: increase military spending in US
 Saying USSR very well-armed
 Beginnings of Arms Race
o Report ignored at first
o Soon realised comm takeover
 Report = extremely exaggerated

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 Nonetheless, report passed

o Increased military spending
o Became more aggressive
 Next level of POLICY OF CONTAINMENT

America develops tactic – goes to UN for help

 UN countries agreed to get involved in Korea

 16 nations create coalition to fight
 BUT majority of soldiers were American, led by general Douglas McArthur

Stages

1. N Korea invade S Korea

 Takes almost all over
2. Americans come in, close to 38th parallel and enters enemy’s territory
3. US strong – push N Korea past 38th parallel
 McArthur then becomes confident about winning
4. Chinese come to Korea to help N Korea, pushing S Korea back

McArthur then insists on dropping A-bomb on China – this causes everyone to be worried.

Truman disagrees and said use DIPLOMATIC PRESSURE. McArthur said Truman weak.

1951: Truman fires McArthur

1952-3: Fighting continues

 Americans fighting a stalemate

 N and S Korea both militarised their borders at 38th parallel

1953: UN proposes an armistice

 Negotiates peace treaty

 Problem? Both sides very difficult to negotiate with and didn’t sign peace treaty

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 In the end,

o US felt like they won with Policy of Containment but failed to push back communism
o Koreans :/
o USSR – lost some prestige
o China and N Korea felt that Stalin could’ve done more
o Unknown war: no one really knew the purpose of war
 However!
 JP benefitted from war
o US helped rebuild JP as they used it as base
o BUT 10 million died and Korea destroyed!!!!!!

Extra notes:

 DOMINO THEORY – refers to communism spreading in Asia

 SEATO formed - to fight communism in Asia
o Caused China to be diplomatically isolated
o Taiwan well-protected
 Korean War
o US stopped policy of containment
o INSTEAD, uses Eisenhower’s policy of ‘massive retaliation’ – use of nuclear arms
o Proved UN capable to taking action
 US military expenditure – from 13 billion to 50 billion per year

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Korea (success + failure in POC)

 Success in P.O.C.
 Failure in “roll back” of communism
 Cost US alot
o $$
o Deaths
 Thus, not popular back home
 Military spending UP! = beginnings of arms race

Japan (success in POC)

 US wanted to destroy JP after WW2
o Changed mind
o Scared if JP weak, they’d fall to communism
o Thus, made JP allies
 US actions
o Punished military leaders of country
o Created new constitution – increased democracy
o Made JP anti-comm, as a threat to China
 ‘red purge’ = eliminated all comm from govt
o Used JP as base
 Thus, helped JP rebuild – economically and militarily
 Successful!!!!!!
o Strong military
o Strong economy – ‘economic miracle’
o JP traditionally more conservative
o JP allowed US to do anything to help

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Taiwan (success in POC)

 When Mao takes over China, Comm defeated nationalists
o Nationalist escape to Taiwan
o Fortify island from China
o US did not really care
 Realised Taiwan not comm
o Taiwan = only official Chinese state (acknowledged by west)
o Sent US fleet to protect them
 Eisenhower threatened China to use nuclear power if China attacked Taiwan
o China backed down
o Thus, ‘brinkmanship’ = scaring them= worked
 Success in P.O.C.

Vietnam (failure) – 1955-75

 Cambodia + Laos + N Vietnam = Indo China (under FR)
o JP went here and took over in WW2
o After ww2, Indo China liberated and JP left
 Thought they were free but FR wanted them back
 Indo Chinese people :/ cause they fought for their freedom

Ho Chi Minh – set up Viet Minh (fought against colonialism + JP)

1946-54: Vietnamese continued to fight against FR

 Communism appealed to these countries as they were anti-colonialism

 US tried to help FR get Vietnam back – give $$
 Viet Cong (fought against America, were pro-Communist and hated Diem)

At the beginning,

 Kennedy sent 400 US advisors to Vietnam and increased to 1600

o E.g. of POC
 Ho Chi Minh – turned to communism
 Military aid sent to FR to defeat Viet Minh

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o E.g. of POC

Geneva Accords (1954)

 Ends war between Vietnam and FR

o FR withdraws from Indo China
o Temporarily divides Vietnam = 17th parallel
o Ho controls north (comm)

1955 – BEGINNINGS OF WAR (unite north and south)

 US attempts at stopping comm

o Established SEATO
 Met together if there’s an armed attack
 Laos and Cambodia included, despite defying geneva accords
o US sent aid of million dollars to Diem (south leader)
o More US advisors sent
o Democratic leader in south
o Gave training to Vietnamese armies to prevent war
 BUT despite all this...
o Diem – unpopular, corrupted, refused to give ‘free elections’
o US agreed not to hold elections
 Confirm Ho Chi Minh would win
 Ensure comm did not spread
 Kennedy = ‘flexible response to Communism’
 Strategic Hamlets Program – get rid of Vietcongs in South
 Encourage Diem to intro unpopular reforms
 Introduces ‘green berets’ – special US fighters

o Did all this to prevent war and hope people would be won over by Diem

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Uprisings in Eastern EU
 When Stalin takes over Eastern EU, he:
o Established one-party rule
o Nationalisation of enterprise
o Established 5-yr plans
o Collectivization’
o Intergration of economy
o Social and ideological control
o Censorhip
o Suppression of religious freedom
o Political purges

Uprising in GE (1953)

 1953, Stalin dies

 First uprising behind Iron Curtain
 Difficultly in USSR finding leader  power vacuum
 1956, Khrushchev becomes leader
o Total opp of Stalin
o De-Stalinized the country
o Gave secret speech in Politburo
 Denounced Stalin – reveal truth
o “There are different roads to communism”
 Shows his flexibility + openness + less radical
 GE starts going on strike against East GE leader
 Problems in E GE
o Mass exodus to West
o USSr told Ulbricht to be more lenient
 Red Army comes in and suppresses strike
o Embarrassing – showed people didn’t want communism

Uprising in Poland (1956)

 Began with a strike

 Gomulka: preferred by Polish, wanted to come to power
 Red army about to attack BUT Gomulka talked him into letting him be in power
o 1st time USSR compromise
 Successful for both side

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Uprising in Hungary (1956)

 Similar to Poland
 I. Nagy wanted to come to power
o Becomes more radical by
 Allowing diff political parties
 Withdraw red army
 Defy warsaw pact
o Red army comes in and put down this uprising
o I. Nagy executed
 US doesn’t do anything to help = failure of POC

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Berlin Wall
Background

 Mainly young and skilled E Berliners left

 West Berlin – propaganda & spies
o US flaunting capitalism
o US spies in East Berlin
 Khrushchev
o Wants to take over all of Berlin
o Keeps insisting and threatens to do various things
o Berlin = source of tension
o No one wanted to start a war OR appear weak
 Reasons Khrushchev did this:
o Fear that W. GE rearms with nuclear weapons
o Failures of E GE economy
o Pressure from Ulbricht
 Khrushchev dropped ultimatum

Geneva Summit (1959) – no agreement on GE

Parris Summit (1960) – cancelled because USSR shot American U2 spy plane. No agreement

Khrushchev tires to meet with JFK after Einsenhower

 JFK – young and inexperienced

 Believed he could then get Berlin

 JFK = ‘Flexible Response”

o Spending more $$ on conventional forces
o Build more nuclear bombs
o Continue with CIA
o Give economic acid
o Continue negotiation with USSR

Vienna Summit (1961) - Kennedy and Khrushchev meet for first time

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 Kennedy:
o Bay of pigs invasion – failed to overthrow comm leader in Cuba
 Khrushchev renewed his ultimatum on Berlin
o Kennedy turns it down

o “Berlin is an island of freedom in a Communist sea”

o “...a beacon of hope behind the Iron Curtain”
o US military spending UP!

THE WALL

 In one day, 40 000 people leave E Berlin

 So 13th Aug 1961, border of Berlin, barbed wire erected
 Wall – all around W Berlin enclose

Meaning of wall

 For Khrushchev
o Comm propaganda fail
o Managed to regain control over situation & Ulbricht
 For Ulbricht
o Helped him consolidate Comm control in GDR
 Berliners

o “front line of Cold War”

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Arms Race
 Massive retaliation
o Idea by US govt when they had A-bombs + H-bombs
o Used these to threaten other countries
o Extreme solutions to small problems

 Space race
o Tech developing for space

 Missile gap
o US and USSR felt like there was a huge gap in weaponary
o Basically, feat of being behind
 So both continuously built more

 Deterrent
o Stop violence and avoid war

 Mutually assured destruction (MAD)

o Threaten in extreme measures
o Both destroyed

Arms Race of who had it first:

US A-bomb
US H-bomb
USSR ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missiles)
USSR Satellites (sputnik)
USSR 1st man in space
US ABMs (anti-ballistic missiles)
US MIRVs (multiple independent re-entry vehicle)

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U2 Incident
 1960
 Under Einsenhower, he wanted to spy on USSR
o US wanted “open skies” over USSR
o Illegal to fly over other countries to spy
 About 4 years before, CIA sent U2 planes to take close-up pictures
o USSR left them as they had no missiles
 Gary Powers
o USSR managed to shoot him down
 US lied about GP but Khrushchev exposed him
o Big embarrassment
 TENSION!!!!
 Another characteristic of CW = spying!

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Cold War Historiography

In accordance with the _____________ view,

 Orthodox:
o Stalin and Communism were responsible to Cold War
o It was expansionist
 Revisionist:
o Emerged from Americans
o US didn’t realise how weak USSR was and how much stronger they were
o Americans had economic boom AND nuclear monopoly
o Stalin was just being defensive
 Post-revisionist:
o Cold war = result of mutual misunderstanding and overreactions due to fear from both
sides
o USSR’s need for security
o Defensive measures by one power were often seen as offensive by the other

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