CAUSES OF THE COLD WAR

Ideological differences
The US (capitalism) The USSR (communism)
Political aspect • Multi-party politics • One-party dictatorship
• Diplomatic government elected • Elections under state supervision
through free elections
Economic aspect • Adopted free market economy • State planned economy
• Recognized private ownership of • Only recognized state ownership of
properties properties
• Emphasis on pay for more work • Emphasis on share of resources
Social aspect • Emphasis on freedom, human rights, • Adopt collectivism
liberty • Government controls people’s life
• Minimum government interference on
people’s life
• Often criticized and rejected each other and caused conflicts

Results of the 2nd World War

Western policy Soviet policy
Germany Wanted a unified and democratic Wanted a weak and divided
Germany Germany
Poland Wanted a democratic Poland Wanted a communist Poland
Japan
• Neither of them willing to backed down, the two blocs resulting in a long-term split and rivalry

Distrust between the US and USSR

WWI WWII
• The USSR was not invited to Paris Peace Conference
• The League of Nations reject USSR for a period of time
• Delay of allies, left USSR to fight with Germany alone, and suffered heavy casualties
à Caused conflicts

Struggle for the world leadership

• The US and USSR emerged into two superpowers and. Struggling for the leader position of the world in
order to build a world according to theirs interests, principles and ideals.
• To expand their control of economies of the Western and Eastern Europe by helping the European
countries to recover.

FEATURES OF THE COLD WAR

1. Economic rivalry (the Marshall Plan, the Molotov Plan)
2. Forming opposing military organizations (North Atlantic Treaty Organizations, Warsaw Pact Alliance)
3. Building armaments
4. Space race
5. Competing for the support from neutral parties/intervening in conflicts (Korean War, Vietnam War)
6. Use of propaganda
7. Spying activities (CIA, KGB)
8. Cutting off all the communications (Moscow Olympics, Los Angles Olympics)
 MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS OF THE COLD WAR
Churchill’s Iron Curtain Speech (1946)
• Eastern European countries became its satellites states and formed a communist line-up
• Churchill blamed the USSR by using the “Iron Curtain” to block the exchange and communication between
Central as well as Eastern Europe and the Western Europe
• Marked the beginning of the Cold War

Truman Doctrine (1947)

• The communist party in Greece try to overthrow the government with the help of Soviet
• Truman addressed the US Congress to provide aid for Greek and Turkey
• It shows that US has given us it’s tradition isolationist policy, but adopted containment policy

Marshall Plan and Molotov Plan (1947)

• Marshall suggested offering Marshall Plan (full-scale economic aid) to European countries and help with
their recovery
• Soviet does not allow their satellites states to join the Plan and proposed the Molotov Plan
• Molotov Plan is smaller scale and less effective than Marshall Plan
• Successfully strengthened people’s trust in democracy, stopped the spread of communism in Europe

Berlin Blockade (1948-1949) (321 days Blockade)

• The US, Britain and France announced the Western Germany would join the Marshall Plan
• Soviet strongly react, cut all the land routes to Berlin and put a total blockade on it
• The US transport supplies through massive airlift
• Soviet backdown
• Berlin Blockade split the Germany (Federal Republic of Germany in West Germany, German Democratic
Republic in East Germany)
• First open confrontation

Establishment of the NATO (1949)

• US and 11 European countries signed the North Atlantic Treaty
• Once a member state was being attacked, other member states have to provide military support
• US can build military bases and missiles on the territory of member states

Founding of PRC (1949)

• Kuomintang led by Jiang Jieshi was defeated by Communist Party of China (CPC) led by Mao Zedong
• Formed the People’s Republic of China
• Jiang Jieshi retreated to Taiwan US support worsened the Sino-American relationship
• Shows that the US-Soviet rivalry has risen from economic to military level
• Marked the willingness of US for defending Europe on checking and balancing USSR
• Shows that the Cold War was spread from Europe to Asia

Korean War (1950-1953)

• Korean Peninsula was divided in to North and South along the 38th parallel
• Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North) led by Kim II-sung
• Republic of Korea (South) led by Syngman Rhee
• The North Korea tried to unify the Korean Peninsula
• United Nations formed troops led by the US to support South Korea
• China sent Chinese People’s Voluntary Army to support North Korea
• They signed an armistice
Warsaw Pact alliance (1955)
• West Germany joined NATO
• Khrushchev formed Warsaw Alliance Pact
• Marked the split of Western and Eastern Europe into two military camps

Berlin Wall (1961)

• USSR built a Berlin Wall around West Germany
• Stopping the people form East Germany escaping to West Germany

Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

• Castro built a communist regime in Cuba
• A US spy plane discovered USSR built a missile bases in Cuba and secretly sending missiles
• Kennedy proposed ultimatum and threatened to take military actions
• Khrushchev backed down, removed the missile bases
• Moscow-Washington hotline was established, allow direct communication between two leaders for future
crisis to reduce misunderstanding and conflicts

Vietnam War (1965-1975)

• Split into North and South Vietnam through the 17th parallel
• Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North) led by Ho Chi Minh
• Republic of Vietnam (South) led by Ngo Dinh Diem
• US false to help South Vietnam to fight against north Vietnam
• Vietnam was unified and became Socialist Republic of Vietnam
• Domino Theory: the near Asia country also became communist

Détente between the US and the USSR (1969-1979)

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (1969-1979): Agree on the limitations of missile systems and nuclear weapons

Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (1973-1975)

• Held the Conference on Security and Co-operation (CSCE) in Helsinki, Finland
• Signed the Helsinki Agreement
• Improve the conditions of human rights and liberty

Normalisation of Sino-American relations (1979): Nixon visited China

End of the détente (1979-1985)

Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (1979)
• USSR sent troops to Afghanistan to help the pro-Soviet government fight against the guerrilla troops
• US asked USSR to withdraw its army, USSR ignored

Suppression of Polish Solidarity (1981)

• Solidarity organised a national strike, urging the Polish government to reform
• USSR asked the Polish government to supress the Solidarity by force and ban it
• Ronald Reagan called the USSR an ‘evil empire’
• Solidarity inspired Soviet satellite states to fight against Soviet control

Introduction of the Star Wars (1983)

• Regan introduced the Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI) – Star Wars
• Build a defence system in the space to shoot down missiles with laser
 The end of Cold War
Reforms of Gorbachev
Background
• Insufficient and corrupt government
• Rising of nationalism among Soviet Republics
• Shortage of food and materials à declining living standards

Course
• Gorbachev the new leader of USSR conduct a series of economic and political reform
• Aiming at restructuring (rebuilding the national economy) and openness (political reforms)
‘Restructuring’ ‘Openness’
• Stopping planned economy • Reducing control over election results
• Allow individual labour and free trade • Congress of People’s Deputies the highest
• Allowing private enterprises legislative body of the state
• State enterprises can set prices and wages • Replacing one-party dictatorship with multi-
• Reducing army size, giving up armaments party system
race, cut down military expenses • Allow freedom of speech and of the press
• Diplomacy
o Meetings with US and British leaders
o Malta Summit with George Bush: stated their willingness to end the Cold War

Impact
• Split within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU)

End of Eastern European communist regimes: Poland à Hungary à East Germany à Czechoslovakia à
Romania à Bulgaria

August Coup
• Conservative of the CPSU started a coup to put Gorbachev under house arrest
• Ended in failure, Gorbachev backed in office but lost much influence
• Gorbachev lost control over the political situation

Collapse of the USSR

• Soviet republics form the Commonwealth of Independent States