What was Cold War?

As the World War II drew to its end, the harmony that had existed
between the USSR and the USA and the British empire began to
evaporate and the old suspicions came to fore again. Relations between
Soviet Russia and the west soon became so difficult that although no
actual armed conflict took place directly between the two opposing
camps, the decade after 1945 saw the first phase of Cold War which
continued, inspite of several ‘Thaws’ into the 1980s. Cold war meant that
instead of allowing their mutual hostility to manifest in armed conflict,
the two sides attacked each other with propaganda and economic
measures and with a general policy of non-cooperation.
A state of military and political tension between the Western Bloc
comprising of the USA, its NATO allies and some others and the powers in
the Eastern Bloc comprising of the Soviet Union along with its allies from
the Warsaw Pact post World War II is known as the Cold War. The term
“cold” signifies absence of fighting on a large-scale directly between the
two opponents despite major regional wars, termed proxy wars,
supported by both the sides. The USSR and the USA were left as two
superpowers with political and economic differences as a result of the
Cold War that split the temporary wartime alliance against the Nazi
Germany.
The Cold War that took place between the Soviet Union and the United
States lasted for decades. The Cold War was at its peak in the period of
1948–53.The Cold War tensions relaxed somewhat between 1953 to
1957.The Warsaw Pact, which was a unified military organisation, was
formed in the year 1955. Then in the period of 1958-1962, again cold war
became intense. Intercontinental ballistic missiles were being made by
the Soviet Union as well as the United States. The Soviets began installing
their missiles in Cuba secretly and these could be used to launch nuclear
attacks on the cities of U.S. Throughout the entire cold war duration, the
Soviet Union and the United States avoided direct Military confrontation
in Europe.
 The world before cold war
The Cold War was the most important political and diplomatic issue of the
early postwar period. It grew out of longstanding disagreements between
the Soviet Union and the United States that developed after the Russian
Revolution of 1917. The Soviet Communist Party under V.I. Lenin
considered itself the spearhead of an international movement that would
replace the existing political orders in the West, and indeed throughout
the world. In 1918 American troops participated in the Allied intervention
in Russia on behalf of anti-Bolshevik forces. American diplomatic
recognition of the Soviet Union did not come until 1933. Even then,
suspicions persisted. During World War II, however, the two countries
found themselves allied and downplayed their differences to counter the
Nazi threat.
At the war’s end, antagonisms surfaced again. The United States hoped to
share with other countries its conception of liberty, equality, and
democracy. It sought also to learn from the perceived mistakes of the
post-WWI era, when American political disengagement and economic
protectionism were thought to have contributed to the rise of
dictatorships in Europe and elsewhere. Faced again with a postwar world
of civil wars and disintegrating empires, the nation hoped to provide the
stability to make peaceful reconstruction possible. Recalling the specter of
the Great Depression (1929-1940), America now advocated open trade
for two reasons: to create markets for American agricultural and industrial
products, and to ensure the ability of Western European nations to export
as a means of rebuilding their economies. Reduced trade barriers,
American policy makers believed, would promote economic growth at
home and abroad, bolstering U.S. friends and allies in the process.
The Soviet Union had its own agenda. The Russian historical tradition of
centralized, autocratic government contrasted with the American
emphasis on democracy. Marxist-Leninist ideology had been downplayed
during the war but still guided Soviet policy. Devastated by the struggle in
which 20 million Soviet citizens had died, the Soviet Union was intent on
rebuilding and on protecting itself from another such terrible conflict. The
Soviets were particularly concerned about another invasion of their
territory from the west. Having repelled Hitler’s thrust, they were
determined to preclude another such attack. They demanded
“defensible” borders and “friendly” regimes in Eastern Europe and
seemingly equated both with the spread of Communism, regardless of
the wishes of native populations. However, the United States had
declared that one of its war aims was the restoration of independence
and self-government to Poland, Czechoslovakia, and the other countries
of Central and Eastern Europe.
 IRON CURTAIN (1946)

The iron curtain was a term coined by Winston Churchill. Churchill was
referring to the division between western Europe and eastern Europe.
Western Europe was democratic while eastern Europe was communist.

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
 YALTA CONFRENCE (1945)

The Yalta Conference was a meeting that took place during World War
II. Churchill, Stalin, and Roosevelt in Yalta on the Crimean Peninsula.
Some of the agreements were that:
– Germany would be divided into 4 blocs.
– The USSR would join the UN, but each member of the security
council would have veto power.
– The USSR would join the allies in defeating Japan.
– The USSR took back lands that they lost during World War I.
 Truman Doctrine (1947)

• Containment – stopping the spread of Communism, but not

eliminating it from countries that already are communist
• 1947: Greece and Turkey under threat of communist parties
• The U. S. should support free peoples throughout the world who
were resisting takeovers by armed minorities or outside pressure.
• The U.S. gave Greece & Turkey $400 million in aid.
• Aid will be provided to other nations under threat from
communism.
 MARSHALL PLAN (1948)

• Western European nations threatened by Communism

because of instability
• The U. S. should provide
aid to all European nations
that need it.
• “This move is not against any country or doctrine, but
against hunger, poverty, desperation, and chaos.”
• $12.5 billion of US aid to Western Europe extended to
Eastern Europe & USSR, [but this was rejected].
 North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(1949)

The U.S. and other western nations forming a military alliance called the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization to provide collective security against
potential communist aggression.

-A defensive military alliance made up of US. Canada. & 10 other

countries meant to defend & protect against, Communism.
-An attack on any NATO member would be met with armed force by all
member nations.
-SU saw this as g threat created Warsaw pact.
 Warsaw Pact (1955)

 A communist alliance that was created in response to the Western

NATO.
 This led to the Berlin wall officially dividing the world into two rival
camps: COMMUNISM VS DEMOCRACY.
 U. S. S. R.
 Albania
 Bulgaria
 Czechoslovakia
 East Germany
 Hungary
 Poland
 Rumania
 Two Nuclear Powers

• The USA had shown its atomic power when it exploded the A-
bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War 2.
• The Soviet Union exploded its first A-bomb in 1949
• Now there were two nuclear powers in the wordl.
 The Korean war (1950-53)
Korea was divided at the 38th parallel of latitude.

• North Korea was communist and supported by the

Soviets, and South Korea was democratic and supported
by the U.S.

• In June of 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea.

• The U.N. sent an international force to Korea in order to

push the North Koreans out of South Korea.

• In July of 1953, the Korean War ended, in which over

54,000 Americans died.
-This rivalry resulted from a competition for
world power and influence between the two
superpowers
 THE SPACE RACE
• UA and SU also started to compete in the field of space.

• The Soviet Union was the 1st to win it,

• Soviet satellite launched into space

• Showed the U.S. falling behind technologically
• National Defense Education Act (NDEA): rigorous education
program
– Science
– Math
– Foreign Lang.
• 1958: U.S. launches satellite Explorer I
• NASA formed in 1958

• For or 20 years they 2 raced each other until they joined handsin
1975.
 BERLIN WALL (1961)

The Berlin Wall was a wall that divided East and

West Berlin. Nikita Khrushchev ordered the
building of the wall to prevent refugees from
fleeing Eastern Europe.
 THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS (1962)

• In 1959, Fidel Castro led a communist revolution in

Cuba, causing thousands of Cubans to flee to the United
States.

Fidel Castro, 1950’s Fidel Castro, 2006

Bay of Pigs Invasion
• · The U.S. became worried as Cuba received increased amounts of
aid from the Soviet Union.
• · In 1961, President John F. Kennedy approved of a plan to
overthrow Castro’s government with the help of Cuban exiles.
· The exiles landed at the Bay of Pigs in Southern Cuba where they were
easily defeated by Cuban forces, strengthening Fidel Castro and
embarrassing the United States.

Fidel Castro, parading through the streets of Havana after his victory
against Cuban expatriates in the Bay of Pigs invasion. (1961)
 THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS

• The Soviet Union began to build missile bases in Cuba, worrying

Americans that we were vulnerable to attack.

• Pres. Kennedy announced that American warships would stop any

Soviet ship carrying missiles

"That Tuesday the first of thirteen days of decision unlike any other in
the Kennedy years or, indeed, inasmuch as this was the first direct
nuclear confrontation, unlike any other in the history of our planet."
- Theodore Sorensen, aide to Pres. Kennedy

• Upon approaching Cuba, the Soviets turned back.

• Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev agreed to remove Soviet missiles

from Cuba, and the U.S. agreed not to invade Cuba.
"I found myself in the difficult position of having to decide on a course of
action which would answer the American threat but which would also
avoid war. Any fool can start a war, and once he's done so, even the
wisest of men are helpless to stop it-- especially if its a nuclear war.”
- Nikita Khrushchev
 USSR LOSING CONTROL
• Unfortunately for the Soviet regime, the economy did not grow.

• The government spent too much money on heavy industry, which

often caused food shortages.

• By the 1980s, most Soviet people had lost faith in the communist
system.

• They had no personal freedoms

• Soviet Union was spending tons of money putting down revolts,

protecting its borders, and keeping up with the US in the arms
race.

• In 1985, the economy was so unstable that Mikhail Gorbachev,

head of USSR, reduced government control of business and
increased the freedoms for all citizens.
 FALL OF BERLIN WALL

• Demonstrations by people prompted the government to remove

border-crossing restrictions.
• When the announcement was made, East and West Berliners
climbed the wall and celebrated.
• Citizens immediately began tearing down the wall.
• Nov. 9th 1989: the Berlin Wall, a symbol of communism, was
destroyed.
 COLD WAR ENDS
• Communism collapsed during the 1980s and 90s for many reasons.
Some of them were:
– Eastern Europeans were tired of being ruled by fear under
communism
– Growing nationalism in Eastern Europe
– A declining economy in the Soviet Union
• After Germany was reunified, the Soviet republics that had once
been separate countries began seeking their independence also.
• In 1991, Soviet Union was no more and the Cold War finally ends.
• Many countries were created; Russia was the largest.

· As a result, fifteen Soviet republics gained their

independence