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The Cold War

Dive into the origins of the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Explore conflicting war aims, political and economic differences, the "Iron Curtain," U.S. strategies like containment, brinksmanship, flexible response, détente, and the arms race. Understand how these strategies shaped the Cold War and influenced American policy for years.

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The Cold War

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  1. The Cold War U.S. Strategies

  2. Focus Question:

  3. Origins of the Cold War • U.S. – Soviet alliance was a weak link • United to fight a common enemy • Too many differences to remain allied after the war • Split began before the war ended

  4. Conflicting War Aims United States • Promote democracy • Gain access to markets • Rebuild Europe for stability • Reunite Germany for peace Soviet Union • Encourage Communism • Rebuild the USSR • Establish a buffer zone of satellite states • Keep Germany weak and divided

  5. Political Differences United States • Democratic Republic • Rule of law • Respect for civic rights Soviet Union • Totalitarian Dictatorship • Ruthless legal system • Little regard for rights

  6. Economic Differences United States • Capitalist system • Free Market • Private ownership • Profit motive Soviet Union • Communist system • Command Economy • State ownership

  7. “Iron Curtain” • Open split occurs in Eastern Europe • Allies agreed to hold free elections to be held in Poland • Soviet Union refused to allow these elections • Churchill announces “an Iron Curtain has descended upon Europe”

  8. U.S. Strategies • All strategies based on “Containment” • Understanding that the U.S. was not prepared for war against the USSR • Seen as a way to outlast the Soviet Union • Theory developed by George Kennan

  9. Containment (Truman) • Designed to prevent the spread of Communism • First seen with the Truman Doctrine (1947) • U.S. sent $400 million to aid Greece and Turkey • U.S. would support “free peoples” of the world • Demonstrated strength under the Marshall Plan • U.S. provided $12.5 Billion to rebuild Europe • “Berlin Airlift” • Development of NATO

  10. Brinksmanship (Eisenhower) • Communism had to be “rolled back” • Conduct forceful, bold foreign relations to “liberate captive peoples” • Bring the world to the brink of war, then let cooler heads prevail • Utilize “massive retaliation” with nukes to push agenda • Saw massive cuts in conventional forces

  11. Flexible Response (Kennedy) • American policy too linked to nuclear weaponry • Multiple options needed in foreign relations • Strong nuclear forces for MAD • (Mutual Assured Destruction) • Strong conventional forces to deal with smaller wars • Demonstrated its strength with the Cuban Missile Crisis • Demonstrated its weakness with Vietnam

  12. Détente (Nixon) • Developed as a result of the war in Vietnam • The public was unwilling to use troops overseas • Negotiate with the Communist powers • The Soviet Union and China • Saw the development of practical arms control

  13. Arms Race (Reagan) • Argued the U.S. suffered a gap in conventional and nuclear forces • Pushed a massive military build-up • Challenged ideas of containing Communism • Pushed challenging Communism “Roll Back” • Invaded Grenada • Supported contras in Nicaragua • Mined harbors in El Salvador • Supported mujahedeen in Afghanistan

  14. Cold War • Formed the basis of U.S. policy for 50 years • Shaped many aspects of American policy • Foreign relations • Domestic affairs • Provided unity within the partisan system

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