What was it? Hostility between the Superpowers - the USA (America)
and the USSR (Russia) from 1945 to 1990.
Never became a “hot” or shooting war.
What were the differences between the two sides? USA was a Capitalist Democracy
USSR was a Communist Dictatorship
Both sides disagreed on what should happen in Europe after World War 2
Stalin – Soviet (Russian) Dictator, Communist. Believed Germany should be kept weak after WW2 and that Russia needed Communist allies in Europe
World leaders in 1945
Churchill – British Prime Minister, Democrat, Capitalist. Believed Russian attempts to control Europe should be resisted at all costs.
World leaders in 1945
Truman – American President, Democrat, Capitalist. Took over after Roosevelt died. Believed Russian attempts to control Europe should be resisted at all costs.
One advantage – Nuclear weapons
World leaders in 1945
Germany Divided after the War This was meant to be temporary, however Stalin wanted
Germany to be kept permanently divided and weak.
Berlin (German Capital) was also divided
Eastern Europe becomes Communist
Eastern Europe becomes Communist
To defeat Germany Russia had to pass through many countries in Eastern Europe.
After the war, Russia occupied these countries and forced them to have pro-Russian Communist Governments in order to create a “buffer” between itself and Germany
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The “Iron Curtain” Churchill called the heavily guarded boundary between
Communist Eastern Europe and Capitalist Western Europe the “Iron Curtain”
Churchill peeking through the Iron Curtain
Europe in Ruins – Communism becomes more popular
Communism grows – American Response
Lack of Jobs, food and housing meant that people in Europe began to support Communism more.
America’s response was:
The Truman Doctrine – America would give military help to countries facing a communist takeover
The Marshall Plan – America would give money to Capitalist, Democratic countries to help them rebuild after the war
This helped stop Communism spreading in Europe
Berlin – Containment in Action The Americans wanted to keep Communism from
spreading – this was known as Containment
Berlin was divided between the Britain, USA, France and Russia despite being inside the Russian controlled part of Germany
In 1947, Stalin attempted to force the US, Britain and France to abandon Berlin – this was known as the “Berlin Blockade”
Berlin, located inside the Russian controlled part of Germany
The Berlin Blockade Stalin closed all land routes into Berlin, hoping to force
the Western Allies (Britain, France and USA) to abandon the city
The Allies used Planes to bring in supplies to Berlin, this was known as the Berlin Airlift or Operation Vittles
Eventually Stalin gave up the blockade and reopened the roads from West Germany to Berlin
Milk being delivered to Berlin by air
Berlin supplied by air
Consequences of the Berlin Blockade
Deep hostility between the USA and USSR
“Arms race” as both sides built up their military
Western European countries and USA formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) to oppose Russian aggression
In Response the Russians formed the Warsaw Pact alliance (Russia and Eastern European Communist countries)
Germany (and Berlin) stayed divided
2013 Junior Cert (Higher)
The Cold War Goes Global When Communists gained control of China, it became a
new front in the Cold War
New Chinese leader was Mao Tse-Tung.
This frightened America as it seemed the Communists were winning the Cold War
Mao in Chinese Communist Propaganda
The Korean War
The Korean War Korea was one country until after World War 2, when the
North became Communist Dictatorship and the South became a Capitalist Democracy
Kim il Sung, the North Korean dictator, wanted to gain control of all of Korea and invaded the south, starting the Korean War
Russia and China supported the Communist North
America supported the Capitalist South
Douglas McArthur, American Leader in Korea
The Korean War The Americans, led by General Douglas McArthur, fought the
Communists and invaded North Korea
China became afraid that America would then invade and invaded Korea in retaliation
After two years of fighting a truce was agreed which exists to this day
As part of the truce, a demilitarised buffer zone between North and South Korea was created
Statue of Kim il Sung, North Korean Communist Leader
Korea today – the demilitarised zone
Korea today – American troops help guard South Korea from attack
Space Race The “race” between Soviet Union (Russia) and the United
States to explore space
Winner of the “Space Race” will be seen as the more powerful country
Russia – first to put a man in space
America – first to the moon
Space race – P84 A demonstration of rocket power
Same rockets that bring people to the moon can be used to carry nuclear weapons around the world
By going into space, the US and Russia were saying to the countries of the world “Look how powerful we are – you would not want to be our enemy”
Peaceful space rocket or nuclear weapon?
Space Race – America reaches the Moon
Berlin Wall – P 85 Berlin Wall was a wall seperating West (Capitalist) Berlin
from the rest of (Communist) East Germany
Built to stop people leaving East Germany for Capitalist West Germany
Lasted from 1960s until 1989
The Berlin Wall
Cuban Missile Crisis Cuba in the 1950s was ruled by a corrupt dictator known
as General Batista.
Batista oppressed the Cuban people badly
Corrupt…. But friendly to America
In 1959 he was overthrown by Fidel Castro (Communist) who is still alive today
Cuba ruled by Batista
Batista
Castro
Cuban Missile Crisis USSR (Communist) installed nuclear missiles on Cuba
This threatened the USA and they made plans to invade Cuba
USSR (Russia) said if America invaded it would be an “Act of War”
After a tense stand off the USSR eventually backed down
This was the closest world has come to Nuclear War
Afterwards both sides worked to reduce nuclear weapons tensions by Test Ban Treaties
Missiles Discovered In Cuba
The world awaits….
Castro in 2000
End of the Cold War By the 1980s the USSR was struggling economically by
trying to keep up with America in the “Arms Race”
In 1985 a new Soviet leader, Gorbachev came to power and introduced Glasnost (openness) and Perestroika (Reform)
In 1989 Gorbachev said that the USSR would no longer support Communist Governments in eastern Europe and they became democracies, ending the “Cold War”
Reagan and Gorbachev – key figures at the End of the Cold War
Reagan and Gorbachev discuss nuclear disarmament (1987)
1989 – Berlin Wall falls, end of Cold War
2012 Junior Cert Question (HL)