The Cold War Begins

1. The Cold War Begins 25.1 The Iron Curtain Falls on Europe

2. Focus Your Thoughts . . . • Who was in charge of the Soviet Union at the end of WWII? • What type of government was in place there? • What does the term ‘iron curtain’ refer to?

3. The Roots of the Cold War • World War II Alliances • The U.S. and the Soviet Union may have aligned to defeat Hitler, but they were not ‘friends’ • Remember . . . Stalin originally had a non-aggression pact with Hitler, and only ended up opposing him because he invaded the Soviet Union • The U.S. and the Soviet Union bickered constantly about military strategy • Remember Stalin urged an immediate invasion of Europe, and the Allied Forces went to Ethiopia and then Italy first, delaying their engagement with German forces

4. The Roots of the Cold War 2. The Atomic Bomb • Soviet spies had stolen the plans for producing atomic weapons; they saw the bomb as a threat, and felt they needed one of their own in the event they’d have to defend themselves Review: What was the name of this top secret project?

5. The Man of Steel • Joseph Stalin - while only 5’5” - was a feared and powerful dictator • His brutality against his own people was rivaled only by the brutality of Hitler; Stalin was thought to be responsible for millions of deaths in Russia • His last name, Stalin, meant “man of steel”

6. The Iron Curtain Descends • After WWII, the United States and Great Britain were concerned . . . they feared Stalin would try to take over Eastern Europe – a legitimate fear • Remember, Stalin had promised at the Yalta and Potsdam Conferences that he planned to hold elections in Soviet occupied countries in Europe • In reality, Stalin had no intention of giving up political or economic control; he believed that he could increase the security of the Soviet Union by creating a string of Soviet-sympathizers in Eastern Europe

7. Communism Spreads • To achieve his goals, Stalin outlawed newspapers and political parties that opposed communism • In addition, he rigged elections and jailed/killed any opposition • Communist governments popped up all over Eastern Europe as a result; the only country which was not under direct control of Stalin was Yugoslavia

8. Yugoslavia • Though Yugoslavia also had a communist government, its leader, Josip Broz Tito, was firmly in control and refused to take orders from the Soviet Union

9. The Iron Curtain • The United States and Great Britain were saddened to see Europe fall to another dictator; they were concerned that Stalin would not stop with Europe as well • In 1946, former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill delivered a speech in which he sharply attacked the Soviet Union for creating an ‘iron curtain’ • A term that reflects the sharp division created by communism in Europe “Unless Russia is faced with an iron fist and strong language, another war is in the making.” - Harry S. Truman

10. Stalin’s Response • Stalin used Churchill’s speech to encourage animosity for the United States and Great Britain in the Soviet Union • He also used it as an excuse for re-building his military strength, which was greatly depleted after WWII, and slowed the pace of re-building the shattered countryside of Russia

11. The U.S. Responds • The United States was one of the two most powerful nations in the world; the other being an increasingly hostile Soviet Union • We needed a new policy to deal with the situation • Containment • George F. Kennan • We needed to resist/contain Soviet expansion of communism through military force and the providing of financial support to countries he attempted to take over

12. Enter the Truman Doctrine • Both Greece and Turkey were suffering great pressure from the Soviet Union • Truman issued an urgent request to Congress to provide both countries with immediate relief • The Truman Doctrine argued that financial aid was essential to economic stability and orderly political processes • Congress voted in favor of the relief, and the Soviet Union was unable to take control

13. The Marshall Plan • WWII had left much of Europe in ruins, railroads weren’t running, factories stood idle, though the fighting was over, people continued to suffer, and hunger and poverty were widespread • If conditions continued to grow worse, it was very likely many more European nations would turn to communism • In June of 1947, George C. Marshall, the former WWII military leader, called for a massive aid program to help re-build Europe • 13.5 billion dollars to re-build seventeen countries; especially, Great Britain, France, and Italy

14. The Impact of the Marshall Plan • While the Soviet Union refused assistance, the rest of Europe accepted it with gratitude and began re-building • People went back to work, and began trading once again with the United States, which boosted our economy • In addition, the Marshall Plan helped the United States build strong political support in Western Europe

15. The Crisis in Berlin • The capital of Germany, Berlin, lay in the Soviet sector of Germany; but it had also been divided into fourths • Obviously Stalin planned to set up a communist government in his sector, and was not pleased with the United States, Great Britain, and France who were all attempting to set up democratic governments How do you think Stalin will respond?

16. The Soviets Block Traffic • In 1948, the Soviets announced that they would block any road, rail, or river traffic into West Berlin • 2.1 million residents were now cut off from sources of food, coal, and other basic necessities • Unfortunately for Stalin, he hadn’t considered the airstrips

17. The Berlin Airlift • Every day British and American planes flew an average of 7,000 tons of supplies into West Berlin • This continued day after day, week after week, month after month; a new airstrip was built in the French sector of Germany • In the month of April, nearly 1,400 separate flights took place and nearly 400,000 tons of supplies were delivered • On May 12, 1949, in the face of Allied determination, Stalin lifted the blockade

18. NATO Forms • The growing conflict with the Soviet Union made many European nations uncomfortable, they knew they would be no match for the Soviet Union if another war broke out • In April of 1949, the United States, Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Portugal united to form the North Atlantic Treaty Organization • An attack on a member nation would be considered an attack on all member nations • In the mid-1950’s, Greece, Turkey, and West Germany joined NATO as well • Today, there are twenty-six member nations; including many which were formerly communist

19. NATO summit