The Cold War 1945-1990
- US vs Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
- A political,strategic and ideological struggle between the US and the Soviet Union
- Communism vs. Democracy
- Socialism vs. Capitalism
- Capitalism: people owned business
Causes of the Cold War
- Different Political System
- US is based on democracy, capitalism and freedom
- USSR is based on dictatorship, communism, and control
- Both thought their system was better and distrusted the other intentions
- Stalin despised capitalism
- Stalin breaking his promise to allow free elections at the Yalta Conference
- American fear of a communist attach and USSR's fear of a US attack
- USSR's fear of the atomic bomb
- USSR's goal to spread communism around the world
- USSR's actions in their German zone
- This feeling of suspicion lead to mutual distrust and this did a great deal to deepen the Cold War
Post WWII/Cold War Goals for US
- Wanted to promote open markets for US goods to prevent another depression
- Promote democracy thorough out the world, especially in Asia and Africa
- Stop the spread of communism
- Wanted to create greater security for itself
- lost tens of millions of people in WWII and Stalin's purges
- feared a strong Germany
- Establish defensible borders
- encourage friendly governments on its borders
- spread communism around the world
Yalta Conference Feb. 1945
- Before the end of the World War II, Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt met at Yalta to plan what should happen when the war ended. They agreed on many points:
- The establishment of the United Nations
- Germany to be divided into four zones
- Free elections allowed in the states of eastern Europe
- Russia promised to join the war against Japan.
Key Terms
- Iron Curtain Speech- Winston Churchill; speech that describes western powers and the controlled area by the Soviet Union
- Domino Theory (effect)- just what it says overall goal to stop communist
- Policy of Containment - policy to prevent the spread of communist
- Truman Doctrine-
- Marshall Plan- Europe finances.
- Brinkmanship-You force and threat
- Massive retaliation/ Mutual Deterrence/ Mutual Assured Destruction- when you get attack by someone and retaliate.
- NATO vs. Warsaw Pact-axis and allies of cold war
- CIA vs KGB-one of principles that gathers intelligence, spying. The police of spies
- Peaceful coexistence- Competition of wars
- De-Stalinization-a process of political reform in the USSR that took place after the death of its de facto leader in 1953. The reforms consisted of changing or removing key institutions that helped Stalin hold power.
- Detente-easing of tensions
- Perestroika- allowing to open
- Glasnost-change openness
- Nuclear Test Ban Treaty 1963-Ban nuclear test on ground
- Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty 1968-Prevent the spread of nuclear spread of weapons
- Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (Treaty) 1972-reduction of nuclear weapons
- Anti- Ballistic Missile Treaty 1972-Both counties agreed not to create a weapon that would destroy any nuclear weapon shot at them.
Berlin Wall was our topic for The Cold War Project
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