Presentation Transcript

1. The Cold War

   Postwar Outcomes
2. WWII’s end found the Soviets occupying most of East and Central Europe and the eastern part of Germany Partition of Germany into East and West Germany: West Germany became democratic and resumed self-government after a few years of American, British and French occupation: East Germany remained under the domination of the Soviets with no democracy.
3. The Division of Germany:1945 - 1990 Post WW II: 4 zones created West Germany US, Great Britain, France East Germany: Soviet Union Berlin: German capital split into eastern & western halves
4. Japan was occupied by American forces after its defeat; it adopted a democratic government, resumed self-gov’t and became a strong ally of the US The US launched the Marshall Plan; it provided massive financial aid to rebuild European economies and stop communism’s spread in Europe United Nations – created near the end of WWII to give nations a way to prevent future global wars.
5. Marshall Plan: Economic plan to stop the spread of Communism in Europe $$$ given to European countries to rebuild after the war.
6. Origins of the Cold War The Cold War lasted from the end of WWII until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989 The U.S. and the Soviet Union represented starkly different fundamental values; the US represented democracy and a free market economic system; the Soviet Union was a Totalitarian form of government with a communist (socialist) economic system
7. Cold War The Cold War was an economic and political power struggle from 1945-1989 between the democratic ideals of the United States and the communist government of the Soviet Union. The Truman Doctrine was a United States pledge to resist the spread of communism worldwide
8. USA Politically: Democracy Economically: Capitalist Free Market USSR Politically: Communist Economically: Command Economy Quota System Cold War:(1945-1989)Political & Economic Struggle
9. Truman Doctrine – “containment of communism” guided American foreign policy during the Cold War, not to stop it, but to keep it from spreading and resist communist aggression into other countries. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) – was formed as a defensivealliance among the U.S. and western European countries to prevent a Soviet invasion of Western Europe. Soviet allies in Eastern Europe formed the Warsaw Pact and for nearly 50 years both sides maintained large military forces facing each other in Europe
10. Truman Doctrine U.S. pledge to resist the spread of communism worldwide Policy of Containment
11. The Dividing of Europe: The Beginning of the Cold War Soviet Union creates an Iron Curtain around Southern & Eastern Europe & East Germany Communist satellite governments established in Eastern European countries
12. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO):Protect Western Europe vs Soviet invasion
13. Warsaw Pact, an alliance of Soviet and East European countries, was a response to NATO.
14. China’s communist takeover, shortly after WWII, increased U.S. fears of communist domination of most of the world; instead, the communist nations of China and the Soviet Union would become rivals for territory and diplomatic influence, a split that U.S. foreign policy used (i.e. President Nixon in the 1970s) After the Soviets matched the U.S. in nuclear bombs in the 1950s, the threat of a nuclear war that would destroy both countries was ever-present throughout the Cold War; America, under PresidentEisenhower, adopted a policy of “massive retaliation” (MAD) to deter Soviet nuclear strikes.
15. China: The Communist Victory World’s largest population now Communist
16. Nuclear Arms Race: 1949 the Soviets build an A-Bomb
17. The Korean War (1950-1953) American involvement in the Korean War (conflict) in the early 1950s reflected the American policy of containment of communism. After North Korea invaded South Korea, the U.S. military led an attack that went deep into North Korea itself. Communist Chinese forces came into the war on the side of North Korea and the war threatened to widen, but eventually ended in a stalemate with South Koreafree of communist occupation.
18. Korean War U.S. & UN involved in the Korean War in 1950 Communist North Korea invaded South Korea. China entered on side of North Korea Korea remained divided at 38th parallel
19. The Vietnam War (1954-1975) U.S. involvement in Vietnam also reflected the Cold War policy of containment of communism From the 1950s through the early 1960s, the communist government of North Vietnam attempted to install through force a communist government in South Vietnam; the U.S. helped South Vietnam resist.
20. Background to the Vietnam War France controlled “Indochina” since the late 19th century Japan took control during World War II With U.S. aid (containment), the French attempted to retake control of Vietnam Domino Theory
21. Background to the War The French lost control to Ho Chi Minh’s Viet Minhforces in 1954 at Dien Bien Phu President Eisenhower declined to intervene on behalf of France.
22. Background to the War Geneva Conference Vietnam was divided at 17th parallel Ho Chi Minh’s nationalist forces controlled the North Ngo Dinh Diem, a French-educated, Roman Catholic claimed control of the South (US support)
23. Background to the War A date was set for democratic elections to reunify Vietnam No elections, leading to military conflict between Communist North and Free South (US supports)
24. The U.S. military buildup in Vietnam began under President John F. Kennedy; after Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, the buildup was intensified under President Lyndon Johnson. The scale of combat in Vietnam grew larger over the course of the 1960s; American military forces repeatedly defeated the North Vietnamese forces in the field, but could not force an end to the war on favorable terms by fighting a limited war.
25. U.S. Military Involvement Begins Eisenhower begins war Kennedy: Increases military “advisors” to 16,000 LBJ major escalation of troops: “Americanization”
26. Johnson Sends Ground Forces Remembers Truman’s “loss” of China Domino Theory revived I’m not going to be the president who saw Southeast Asia go the way China went.
27. Johnson Sends Ground Forces Tonkin Gulf Incident  1964 American Navy attacked by North Vietnamese (acc. to Johnson, the attacks were unprovoked) Tonkin Gulf Resolution “The Blank Check” *
28. The U.S. was bitterly divided; while there was support for the military and conduct of the war among some, many opposed the war; the war’s active opposition grew, especially on college campuses. After Johnson didn’t seek re-election, President Nixon was elected on a pledge to end the war. Nixon instituted a policy of “Vietnamization”, withdrawing American troops and replacing them with South Vietnamese forces while maintaining military aid to the South Vietnamese.
29. Impact of the Tet Offensive Domestic U.S. Reaction: Disbelief, Anger, Distrust of Johnson Administration Hey, Hey LBJ! How many kids did you kill today?
30. Anti-War Demonstrations May 4, 1970 4 students shot dead. 11 students wounded Jackson StateUniversity May 10, 1970 2 dead; 12 wounded Kent State University
31. Impact of the Vietnam War Johnson announces (March, 1968): …I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President.
32. Nixon on Vietnam Nixon’s 1968 Campaign promised an end to the war: Peace with Honor Appealed to the great “Silent Majority” Vietnamization Expansion of the conflict  The “Secret War” Cambodia Laos Agent Orange(chemical defoliant)
33. Ultimately “Vietnamization” failed when South Vietnamese troops proved unable to resist invasion by the Soviet-supplied North Vietnamese Army, and PresidentNixonwas forced from office by the Watergate scandal. In 1975, both North and South Vietnam came under communist control
34. Cuba Fidel Castro led a communist revolution that took over Cuba in the late 1950s. Many Cubans fled to Florida and later attempted to invade Cuba and overthrow Castro (the “Bay of Pigs” invasion failed). In 1962, the Soviet Union stationed missiles in Cuba, instigating the Cuban Missile Crisis
35. Cuba Located 90 miles from Florida 1959: Fidel Castro took over in a communist revolution
36. Bay of Pigs (1961) U.S. trained Cuban rebels invade Cuba & attempt to overthrow Castro. IT FAILED US begins trade embargo on Cuba (it still exists today)
37. President Kennedy ordered the Soviets to remove their missiles and for several days the world was on the brink of nuclear war. Eventually, the Soviet leadership “blinked” and removed their missiles.
38. Cuban Missile Crisis (1962): 13 days in October JFK President Issue: Soviet missiles in Cuba US Response: Protests then a naval blockade to prevent Soviet ships from reaching Cuba Soviet Response: Respect the naval blockade and remove missiles in Cuba (US would later remove Nukes from Turkey)
39. Impact of the Cold War at Home The fear of communism and the threat of nuclear war affected American life throughout the Cold War. During the 1950s and 1960s, U.S. schools regularly held drills to train children what to do in case of a nuclear attack and U.S. citizens were urged by the government to build bomb shelters in their basements.
40. Cold War @ Home: Red Scare & Nuclear Scare
41. The convictions of Alger Hiss and Julius and Ethel Rosenberg for spying for the Soviet Union, and the construction of nuclear weapons by the Soviets using technical secrets obtained through spying, increased domestic fears of communism. Senator Joseph McCarthy played on U.S. fears of communism by recklessly accusing many U.S. governmental officials, movie stars and citizens of being communists based on flimsy or no evidence. This led to the term McCarthyism, or the making of false accusations based on rumor or guilt by association. The Cold War made foreign policy a major issue in every presidential election during the period.
42. Communist Spies & Second Red Scare Spies in America: Alger Hiss & the Rosenberg’s (Julius & Ethel) convicted of spying America Paranoid that spies are everywhere
43. Communist Spies & Second Red Scare HUAC: House Un-American Activities Committee created to investigate potential Communist spies Joseph McCarthy: Wisconsin senator gains popularity by publicly accusing people of being spies People were considered “guilty” until proven “innocent”
44. The heavy military expenditures throughout the Cold War benefitedVirginia’s economy proportionately more than any other state, especially in Hampton Roads, home to several large naval and air bases, and Northern Virginia, home to the Pentagon and numerous private companies that contract with the military
45. American Military Forces during the Cold War In JFK’s inaugural address, he said the U.S. would “pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” He also said, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”
46. During the Cold War, millionsof Americans served in the military, defending freedom in conflicts that were not always popular; many were killed or wounded. As a result of their service, the United States and American ideals of democracyand freedom ultimately prevailed in the Cold War struggle against Soviet communism. President Kennedy, a WWII veteran, was assassinatedin1963in Dallas, Texas, in an event that shook the nation’s confidence and began a period of internalstrife and divisiveness, especially spurred by divisions over U.S. involvement in Vietnam.
47. Assassinated in Dallas, Texas in 1963 John F. Kennedy(1961-1963) “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country!”
48. Unlike WWII veterans, who returned to a grateful and supportive nation, Vietnam veterans often faced outright hostility from some who opposed the war. It was not until several years after the end of the war that the wounds of the war began to heal in America, and Vietnam veterans were recognized and honored for their service and sacrifices.
49. Internal Problems of the Soviet Union High military expenses in competition with the U.S. Rising nationalism in Soviet republics Fast-paced reforms (market economy) Economic inefficiency Gorbachev’s “glasnost” and “perestroika” (openness and economic restructuring)
50. End of the Cold War: The fall of the Soviet Union Soviet Union economy collapsing Soviet republics push for independence Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev attempts to save the USSR Glasnost: Openness Perestroika: Economic Reforms Too little to late
51. Role of President Reagan Challenged moral legitimacy of the Soviets; i.e., speech at Berlin Wall (“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall”) Increased U.S. military and economic pressure on the Soviet Union
52. SOL Synthesis of the above information: The Cold War set the framework for global politics for 45 years after the end of World War II and influenced U.S. domestic politics, foreign affairs, and the role of the government in the economy after 1945. The Cold War was a competition between 2 different ways of organizing government, society, and economy.
53. The American-led West’s belief in democracy, individual freedom and a market economy, and the Soviet belief in a totalitarian state and socialism. Our ant-communist strategy of containment in Asia led to U.S. involvement in the Korean & Vietnamese Wars. The Vietnam War demonstrated the power of U.S. public opinion in reversing foreign policy. It tested the democratic system to its limits, left scars on American society that have not yet been erased, and made many Americans deeply skeptical of future military or even peacekeeping interventions.
54. A strong military was the key to America’s victory over the Soviet Union in the Cold War.