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The Beginning of the Cold War: 1945-1950s

The Beginning of the Cold War: 1945-1950s. The Cold War starts before the end of WWII. In 1945, the three big Allied nations of Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and the USA met to discuss what to do with Germany after the war This conference was called the Yalta Conference The Leaders: Stalin

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The Beginning of the Cold War: 1945-1950s

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  1. The Beginning of the Cold War: 1945-1950s

  2. The Cold War starts before the end of WWII • In 1945, the three big Allied nations of Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and the USA met to discuss what to do with Germany after the war • This conference was called the Yalta Conference • The Leaders: • Stalin • Churchill • Roosevelt

  3. Reconstruction in Germany • The three powers agreed to divide up Germany between the three of them. • France would also get a part • After Nazi controlled areas in E. Europe were liberated by the Allies – the Soviet Union took over the countries as a buffer between itself and Germany. —these countries became known as Soviet satellite nations

  4. Satellite Nations • The Soviet Satellites (including East Germany) were forced to be Communist nations after WWII • The Long Telegram • This was a message sent by George Kennan that advised the U.S. on how to deal with the Soviet Union • Conclusion: actions should be taken against the Soviets • In response to the Long Telegram, Winston Churchill gave a speech, saying an Iron Curtain had fallen in Europe • He meant that there was now a wall dividing the West and democracy and the East and Communism

  5. Truman Doctrine • The USA responded to the Long Telegram differently. • Truman issued the “Truman Doctrine” saying that the USA would follow a policy of containment in response to the spread of Communism • Containment: an American policy to prevent the spread of Communism

  6. The Policy of Containment • Created by President Harry Truman • Marshall Plan • Created by General George Marshall • Plan to financially support Europe in order to prevent the spread of Communism • 13 billion in food, cash, and loans sent from USA to democratic European nations • Satellite Nations could not accept aid

  7. Two Superpowers: USA vs. USSR

  8. Soviet Reaction • The Soviets regarded the Marshall Plan as an attempt by the Americans (and capitalists) to take over the world. • So, they closed off their parts of Europe from the rest of the world • This included West Berlin, which was now an island of democracy in Eastern Europe

  9. The Importance of Berlin • The Soviets by 1948 blocked off their part of the world from everyone else • Purpose was to block off the capitalists from the USSR, including Berlin • Berlin Airlift • People were starving to death in West Berlin due to the blockade • Truman had an airlift to keep people alive • Berlin Wall • Built by the Soviets in 1961; separated East and West Berlin for 28 years

  10. Berlin: the island

  11. The Berlin Airlift

  12. The Berlin Airlift • Over 200,000 flights made in about a year • 13,000,000 tons of food flown in • An elephant weighs about 8 tons • Results: • Cold War worsens • East and West Germany split up officially • Formation of NATO and the Warsaw Pact

  13. The Berlin Wall

  14. The Formation of Mutual Defense Groups in the 1950s • NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization • Goal: to prevent the spread of Communism and protect each other • Members: USA, Great Britain, France, Italy, Canada, and other democratic nations • Warsaw Pact: • Goal: to prevent the spread of Capitalism and protect each other • Members: USSR and its satellites (countries it owned in eastern Europe)

  15. Nuclear Threats • USA has nuclear ability by 1945. • Soviets get it by 1949 • 1950: H bomb in US • 1952: H bomb in USSR • Theory of Deterrence: Countries tell everyone that they are willing to respond to any attacks with an equal counter-attack

  16. The H-Bomb • 1st explosion caused a hole a mile long and 175 feet deep in the ocean floor • Radioactive cloud was 25 miles high

  17. Competition Between the Superpowers • 1953- Eisenhower’s administration coined the term brinkmanship • Willing to go to war at any minute • Both the US and USSR were involved in an arms race • Both countries wanted the best science and education programs • 1957 Soviet launched Sputnik, the first satellite • 1958- US launches satellite • THIS WILL LEAD TO THE SPACE RACE • 1960 the CIA authorized spying missions over the USSR

  18. Soviet Union launched Sputnik on October 4, 1957.

  19. So Now… • USA and the USSR: Superpowers on edge • Superpower: a state powerful enough to influence events around the world • Mutual alliances will force the entire world into war again if someone is attacked • Coming up: China is falling to Communism

  20. Memo to President Truman • Goal: As a group, you will write a memo to President Truman advising for/against the development of the H bomb • You Must: • Write in complete sentences • Use the information from today in order to provide at least 4 reasons to support your stance • Why should the USA support or not support the development of this weapon? • Ideas to consider: devastation caused by the less powerful atomic bomb, containment, the actions of the USSR in recent years, the recent loss of China to Communism

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