Week of April 23rd - April 27th

Monday - 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 from 1945-1990 
  • Spread throughout the world-Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America 

Communism - Government controlled, harcore socialism; Founded by Karl Marx  vs. Democracy - Government where people can vote and have a say

Socialism - Government owns; "Spread the Wealth" vs. Capitalism -  How the economy is ran; People own businesses 

Tuesday - Work Day! 

Wednesday - Communism provides the most basic needs. 

Breif Histrory of the Soviet Union 

  • Bolshevik Revolution - Revolution that brought communism to the Soviet Union
  • Lenin - Brought Communism to the country 
  • Stalin - Takes over after Lenin dies.

- Purges, - Collectivization - government takes over farms , - Nationalization - government takes over bussinesses, - Five Year Plans - The SU wants to increase their industrial output every 5 years 

  • Soviet-German Non-Aggression Pact 
  • War with Germany 
  • Battle of Berlin - April-May, 1945 

Causes of the Cold War 

  • Different political systems - US is based on democracy, capitalism, freedom, opportunity and hard work; - USSR is based on dictarship, communism, control and equality 
  • The Red Scare - 1919 - Fear that communism was going to take over the United States 
  • Both thought their system was better and distrusted the others intentions
  • Stalin despised capitalism 
  • Distrust during WWll 
  • Stalin breaking his promise to allow free election in Eastern Europe at the Yalta Conference
  • American fear of a communist attack(2nd 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 

The "West" 

The "East" 

Post WWll/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 commuism - Policy of Containment
  • Wanted to create greater security for itself - lost tens of millions people in WWll and Stalins purge, - feared a strong Germany 
  • Establish defensible borders 
  • Spread communism around the world 

Winston Churchill "Iron Curtain" Speech 1946 - Gave speech in the US. He said that there is an "iron curtain" that has split Europe in 2. 

Domino Effect-Eisenhower-1954 - If one country falls into communism then so do the rest of them 

Thursday - Policy of Containment-1946

Truman Doctrine 

  • In 1947, the British were helping the Greek government fight against communists
  • They appealed to America for aid 
  • Greece received large amounts of weapons and supplies from US
  • By 1949, the communists were defeated 

Marshall Plan 

  • In 1947, the US announced the Marshall Plan 
  • This was a massive economic aid plan for Europe to help it recover from WWll
  • Two Goals: - Helping Europe to recover economically would provide markets for American goods, helping American industry; - A prosperous Europe would be better able to resist the spread of communism 

Brinkmanship-1950s -1960s - Being willing to go to the brink of the war without actually going to the war '

Massive Retaliation - One strikes, then the other will strike/Mutual Deterrence/Mutal Assured Destruction 

NATO (Non Communist) - North Alantic Treaty Organizaiton 

  • Defensive alliance 
  • This was the first peacetime alliance in US history 
  • It consisted of: America, Canada, Britain, France, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal, Denmark, Norway and Italy 

Warsaw Pact-1955-1991 - (Communist)

CIA vs KGB 

  • Central Intelligence Agency-1947-Present
  • Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti - Committee for State Security - 1954-1991

Friday - Work Day! 

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