The Cold War

The Cold War

Writing Prompt • Try to write down a definition of the Cold War in your own words • Definition:

When did the Cold War begin and end? • • • •

Historians don’t agree For our purposes… Began: End of WWII (1945) Ended: Soviet Union (USSR) collapsed (1991)

Recap of the build up to the Cold War (1945-1991) • • • • • • • •

Ideological struggle since 1917 Tension during WWII (1939-45) Atomic bomb (1945) Iron Curtain (1946) Truman Doctrine (1947) Marshall Plan (1948) Berlin Airlift (1948-1949) NATO (1949) v. Warsaw Pact (1955)

Iron Curtain

Satellite (puppet) nations & “spheres of influence” • Stalin installs pro-Soviet governments in East Germany, Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Albania • Western European nations side with the U.S. under NATO

The Arms Race } The Soviet Union exploded its first A-bomb in 1949. } Now there were two nuclear superpowers!

} What will this lead to?

Containment >>Domino Theory • George Kennan & his policy of containment…

…Leads to the domino theory

Containment leads to… • • • • •

China becomes communist (1949) Korean War (1950-53) Vietnam War (~1960-1975) Afghan Conflict (1980) And many other events around the world…

U.S. Presidents during the Cold War… • • • • • • • •

Truman (1945-53) Eisenhower (1953-61) Kennedy: JFK (1961-63) Johnson: LBJ (1963-69) Nixon (1969-74) Ford (1974-77) Carter (1977-81) Reagan (1981-89)

Nikita Khrushchev takes over after Stalin dies in 1953

Premier Nikita Khrushchev About the capitalist states, it doesn't depend on you whether we (Soviet Union) exist. If you don't like us, don't accept our invitations, and don't De-Stalinization invite us to come Program to see you. Whether you like it our not, history is on our side. We will bury you. -- 1956

Destalinization • Millions of political prisoners are freed • Some critique of Soviet society was actually allowed (very mild though) • Brought more flexibility to the USSR, but not complete liberation

Sputnik I (1957)

The Russians have beaten America in space—they have the technological edge! How would this increase paranoia?

American & Soviet Intelligence • When do you think the CIA was created? • Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and National Security Agency (NSA) • Soviet Union established the KGB (Soviet intelligence)

U-2 Spy Incident (1960) Col. Francis Gary Powers’ plane was shot down over Soviet airspace.

Paris, 1961

Khrushchev & JFK meet to discuss Berlin and nuclear proliferation. Khrushchev thinks that JFK is young and inexperienced

The Berlin Wall Goes Up (1961)

Checkpoint Charlie

Hungarian Revolt 1956 • Hungary – AVO (State Protection Group, or secret police) terrorized citizens and suppressed all criticism of the govt. or the USSR • Soviet troops occupy Hungary to keep these patriotic people from rising up

These were some of their demands : - Formation of multi-party system - free elections - dissolution of the AVO Secret Police - Soviet troops to leave Hungary, - Hungary's withdrawal from Warsaw Pact

Revolution in Budapest • PM Nagy tries a “new course” to lessen communist restrictions • Lasted 12 days and then was crushed by Soviets • Revolt leaders are executed, (300), and Soviet Communism remains intact in Hungary

Crisis in the Suez • Suez Canal – symbol of western dominance • Nasser nationalized the canal to raise $ for a dam and to take back control of his country

• Britain and France felt this threatened their influence in the Middle East (and access to oil)

Suez Crisis • The plan: Israel would invade Egypt; Britain and France would intervene to "save" the canal.

• The US and UN refuse to back this decision – Worry about relations with Arab nations – Don’t want to look imperialist – Britain and France pull out

Khruschev Embraces Castro, 1961

• Castro had come to power in 1959 in Cuba

Bay of Pigs Debacle (1961)

Why did the invasion fail? • Though troops could retreat to the mountains to lead a guerrilla war if they lost in open battle – The mountains were too far to reach on foot; troops were deployed in swamp land, where they were easily surrounded

• Administration believed that the involvement of the US could be denied. • Believed that Cubans would be grateful to be liberated and would quickly join the battle. – Support failed to materialize – Many hundreds of thousands of others were arrested, and some executed, prior to the landings

Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

We went eyeball-to-eyeball with the Russians, and the other man blinked!

Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)