Cold War
-a political, strategic, and ideological struggle between the US and the Soviet Union
-spread throughout the world-- Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America
Causes
-US based on democracy, USSR based on dictatorship/communism
-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 and vice versa
-USSR’s fear of the atomic bomb
-USSR’s actions in their German zone
-USSR’s goal to spread communism
-this feeling of suspicion led to mutual distrust and this deepened the Cold War
Big 3: Churchill, FDR, Stalin
Yalta Conference
-agreed to:
-establish the United Nations
-divide Germany into four zones
-allow free elections in the eastern Europe states
-USSR promised to join the war against Japan
Post WWII Goals for US
1. Promote open markets for US goods
2. Promote democracy, especially in Asia and Africa
3. Stop the spread of communism
Post WWII Goals for USSR
1. Create greater security for itself
2. Establish defensible borders
3. Encourage friendly governments on its borders
4. Spread communism
Berlin Blockade and Airlift
-in 1948, the three western controlled zones of Germany were united
-the west wanted the east to rejoin, but Stalin thought it would hurt Soviet security
-he cut road, rail, and canal links with West Berlin
-the west responded by airlifting necessary supplies to help them survive
-in May 1949, USSR admitted defeat and lifted the blockade
Stalin died in 1953
-Khrushchev takes over and wants peaceful co-existence and de-Stalinization
Berlin Wall
East= communistic
West= non-communistic
Bay of Pigs (attempt to overthrow Castro) is what lead to the Cuban missile crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
-USSR put missiles in Cuba
-they said it was for defensive purposes
-US wanted missiles out
-Resolution: take US missiles out of Turkey, take USSR missiles out of Cuba
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