Today we started the Cold War Unit.
Cold War - A political, strategic and ideological struggle between the US and Soviet Union. Spread throughout the world-Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Democracy - The citizens vote for the leaders.
Communism - Military ruling with one leader.
Capitalism - People own the businesses. Free enterprise.
Socialism - Government controls the businesses.
Causes of the Cold War:
- 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 others intentions
- Stalin despised capitalism
Causes of the Cold War:
- Stalin breaking his promise to allow free elections at the Yalta Conference
- American fear of a communist attack (Red Scare) and 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
Post WW2/Cold War Goals for 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 of communism
Post WW2/Cold War Goals for the USSR
- Wanted to create greater security for itself
- Lost tens of millions of people in WW2 and Stalin's purges
- Feared a strong Germany
- Established defensible borders
- Encourage friendly governments on its borders
- Spread communism around the world
Yalta Conference, 1945
It was the last time Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill.
- Agreed on establishment of the United Nations
- Germany divided into 4 zones
- Free elections allowed in the states of eastern Europe
- Russia promised to join the war against Japan
Key Terms:
Iron Curtain Speech - Gave by Churchill in 1946, description of the western powers and the controlled area of the Soviet Union, Europe is split in two my communist east and democratic west by "iron curtain"
Domino Theory (Effect) - 50's-80's, If one country falls to communism, neighboring countries soon follow to be communism.
Policy of Containment - 1946, George F. Kennan, Policy to stop the spreading of communism without nuclear war.
Truman Doctrine - Truman, 1947, saying U.S. would back Turkey and Greece with money and military supplies to make sure they didn't go communist.
Marshall Plan - a.k.a. the European Recovery Program, channeled over $13 billion to finance the economic recovery of Europe between 1948 and 1951. The Marshall Plan sparked economic recovery, it restored the confidence of the European people in the economic future of their own countries and of Europe as a whole. The plan is named for Secretary of State George C. Marshall, who announced it at Harvard University on June 5, 1947.
Brinkmanship - Going to the brink of war without actually going to war
Massive Retaliation - Where one side attacks one country and the other country attacks with all force back
Mutual Deterrence - Both sides mutually agree not to fight because of the consequences
Mutual Assured Destruction - Both have nuclear weapons so we both know we would be destroyed.
NATO vs. Warsaw Pact - 1949, the axis and allies of the Cold War. Defensive alliance. Protection against enemies
CIA vs. KGB - spies
Peaceful Coexistence - competition without war, get along enough not for war.
De-Stalinization - getting away from Stalin's ways and the wrongs he did.
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