Cold War
- Definition of the Cold War
- A political, strategic and ideological struggle between the US and the Soviet Union.
- Spread throughout the world - Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
- Discussion
- Communism vs democracy.
- Socialism vs capitalism.
- Causes
- Different political systems.
- 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's intentions.
- Stalin despised capitalism.
- Stalin breaking his promise to allow free elections at the Yalta Conference.
- American fear of a communist attack (Red Scare).
- USSR's fear of a US attack.
- USSR's fear of the atomic bomb.
- USSR's actions in their German zone.
- USSR's goal to spread communism around the world.
- This feeling of suspicion lead to mutual distrust and this did a great deal to deepen the cold war.
- Different political systems.
- Yalta Conference: February 1945.
- The big three agree to
- 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.
- The big three agree to
- Post WWII/Cold War Goals for the US
- Wanted to promote open markets for US goods to prevent another depression.
- Promote democracy throughout the world, especially in Asia and Africa.
- Stop the spread/threat of communism.
- Open trading so we could sell our goods so that the US would not fall into another depression.
- Post WWII/Cold War Goals for USSR
- 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 it's borders.
- Spread communism around the world.
- Wanted to create greater security for itself.
- Berlin Crisis
- In 1948, the three Western controlled zones of Germany's (US, France, UK), were united, and grew in prosperity due to Marshal Aid.
- The west wanted the east to rejoin, but Stalin feared it would hurt Soviet security.
- In June 1948, Stalin decided to try to gain control of West Berlin which was deep inside the eastern sector.
- He cut road, rail, and canal links with West Berlin, hoping to starve it into submission.
- The west responded by airlifting in the necessary supplies to allow West Berlin to survive.
- In May 1948, S.U. admitted east and lifted the blockade.
- Stalin Dies
- 1953.
- Not well liked, really at all.
- Nikita Khrushchev Takes Over
- Talks of peaceful co=existence and de-stalinization.
- USSR Launches Sputnik
- Space ship/satellite
- Space Race
- USSR was the first to put a satellite/space ship into space.
- US was first to land on the moon on 1969.
- USSR would also put animals into space.
- Conspiracies about the moon landing?
- Fidel Castro overthrows Batista.
- Wall
- Put up to divide Berlin, Germany.
- East side was communistic.
- West side was non-communistic.
- B.o.P.
- It was the US's secret attempt to overthrow Castro.
- JFK was the President at the time.
- Failed miserably.
- Arguably lead to the Cuban Missile Crisis.
- Crisis
- USSR put missiles into Cuba.
- They said it was for defensive purposes so that the US would not invade communistic Cuba.
- Most intense time of the Cold War.
- The United States wanted the missiles out of Cuba.
- The resolution: take US's secret missile out of Turkey secretly in exchange for the missile in Cuba.
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