Assigned blog topic: John F. Kennedy. Things to research- election results, major accomplishments, scandals, assassination attempts, civil rights issues, etc. (focus on non-cold war topics; bolded are my topics)
Cold War (1945-1990) Notes:
Communism (government control) vs. Democracy (people have a say)
Socialism vs. Capitalism
- Causes of the Cold War- 1. 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 thought capitalism would fail after WWII and that inevitably Great Britain and the US would go to war (not true); Stalin despised capitalism because it was based on money; 2. Stalin breaking his promise to allow free elections at the Yalta Conference; forced communist gov't in those countries; American fear of a communist attack (Red Scare; especially after China joined forces with Russia and we didn't think we could defeat both of them) and USSR's fear of a US attack; USSR's fear of the atomic bomb, USSR's actions in their German zone (first Berlin crisis), USSR's goal to spread communism around the world (the whole goal of the Cold War: to stop the spread of communism); this feeling of suspicion lead to mutual distrust and this did a great deal to deepen the Cold War, no one talked to each other or went to each others countries and many of the issues could have been solved if the leaders had just talked to each other; Sputnik was launched and we felt if they were ahead in the space race, they could be ahead in everything else too; didn't trust or like Stalin because he made a deal with Hitler; Yalta Conference Feb. 1945- leaders agreed of these points- 1. the establishment of the United Nations 2. Germany to be divided into 4 zones 3. Free elections allowed in the states of eastern Europe (this is what really irked us when they went back on it) 4. Russia promised to join the war against Japan (the day after the a-bomb was dropped)
- Post WWII/Cold War Goals for US- wanted to promote open markets for US goods to prevent another depression (this is why we helped rebuild so many countries after the war), promote democracy throughout the world (especially in Asia and Africa), and stop the spread of communism
- Post WWII/Cold War Goals for the USSR- wanted to create greater security for itself -because they 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
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