The Cold WarNathan B. Gilson

Southwest Middle School

Clash of Philosophies• Communism (Soviet Union) vs. Capitalism

(US, Great Britain, and the Western “Democracies”)

• The values of communist societies clash with the ideals of capitalism, and in general are actually opposed to it. Believe that the land owners and business

owners (bourgeoisie) are the enemies of the proletariat

This makes the two systems not only hesitant to work with one another, but actually enemies Communist philosophy instigates violent

revolution against the land owners of a capitalist society.

• Stalinism, a particularly repressive version of communism used to establish a dictatorship, is even more at odds with Western (Enlightenment) ideals.

Conferences at Yalta and Potsdam• Conferences took place in February,

1945 and in July, 1945

• Leaders from the USA, Soviet Union, and Great Britain met to discuss the future of the lands that the Soviet Union had liberated from Nazi control earlier that year. Soviet Union had previously taken most

of this land during the non-aggression pact anyway, but Stalin used the argument that he needed a buffer zone between Europe and Russia so that a sneak attack like Operation Barbarossa doesn’t happen again.

Western leaders give in to Stalin because they don’t want to fight a war with the Soviet Union.

Entering the Atomic Age• US successfully tests a bomb

(Trinity) in July, 1945 and uses two more against Japan in August, 1945.

• Soviet Union successfully tests their atomic weapons by the end of the 1940’s, leading both nations into an arms race.

• Both nations develop larger and more versatile nuclear weapons. The largest nuclear test ever was done by the Soviet Union.

Arms Race• Besides nuclear weapons, both countries

sought to develop better weapons to give them a military advantage against the other.

• Jet aircraft eventually led to fighter and bomber planes and modern stealth technology.

• Submarine technology increased to nuclear capabilities. Current nuclear power submarines can submerge for 6 months to 1 year with a full crew. Capable of firing nuclear weapons at close-range with no advanced warning.

Containment• The United States and their allies (NATO) tried to limit the impact and

power of the Soviet Union by limiting the spread of communism to other countries.

• This policy of containment led to: Korean Conflict Vietnam War Afghanistan Civil War

Korean Conflict• Korea had been a Japanese-occupied nation since 1910.

• After WW2, Kim Il Sung tried to unify all Korea as a Communist state Backed by Joseph Stalin and the USSR

• Southern forces resisted the change, and fought with the support of the US and the United Nations

• Ended up pretty much in trench warfare and eventually established the 38th parallel as a De-Militarized Zone (DMZ) and signed a cease-fire.

• Neither side has actually ended the Korean War.

Vietnam War

• Vietnam was a French territory and after the Japanese took control of it in WW2, was allowed self-rule shortly after the War was over.

• Communist forces in the north (supported by China) opposed forces in the South, originally supported by the French, but eventually taken over by the United States

• Called the Helicopter War due to the extensive use of helicopters to supply troops and fight in advanced positions.

• Many Americans consider Vietnam a “defeat” since 58,303 men were killed, and another 150,000 wounded while the objective (prevent Vietnam from becoming a communist nation) was failed. Vietnam became a communist nation in 1975.

Soviet-Afghanistan War• Known as the “Soviet Union’s Vietnam”

• Soviets backed a Communist regime which successfully overthrew the government. US and NATO allies backed rebel groups fighting against the Soviets, for no reason than because they were fighting the soviets

• Soviets were unable to control the rebel forces, and eventually ended up withdrawing from the country after thousands of casualties and over 10 years spent trying to obtain their objective with no results.

• Digital image. Blogspot.com. Web. 16 Mar. 2015.

Berlin Blockade• During the occupation of Germany, both sides of

the alliance were unwilling to allow the other to control Berlin (capital of Berlin) Berlin is in Eastern Germany (Soviet-controlled land)

• Allies (France, US, and Britain) used Soviet roads to control the supply of their half of Berlin. The Soviets decided to try to gain full control of the city by closing all of their roads for repairs or safety reasons.

• Beginning of the Berlin Airlift Every 30 seconds, a plane from Allied-controlled

Germany took off to drop supplies to West Berlin.

• Led to the building of the Berlin Wall, which became symbolic of the Iron Curtain.

The Iron Curtain• The Iron curtain is the symbolic cutting off of

Eastern Europe from the rest of the world.

• Those countries (like Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Ukraine, etc.) were not permitted to trade or even negotiate with countries outside of the Soviet Union.

• Communist countries must control all information in their country. Use of propaganda and lies controls public opinion so they don’t know how good it is in other parts of the world.

The Space Race• The US and USSR were both trying to assert

dominance in the Space Program

• Whoever controls outer space could control what happens on the face of the earth as well. Spy satellite technology Nuclear weapons in space aimed at a country

• Soviets are first to have a satellite (Sputnik) and orbit the world in a manned space craft. US is first and only country to land on the moon.

The Space Race. Digital image. The Space Race. Time Magazine. Web. 16 Mar. 2015.

Cuban Missile Crisis• 13 Days in October, 1962 when the Soviets placed nuclear weapons in

Cuba

• President Kennedy famously negotiated a deal with the Soviet leader, Nikita Kruschev which removed the missiles without either country losing any standing in the world. US later removed missiles from NATO ally Turkey which would have been

similarly close to Soviet cities as Cuba was to the United States.

The End of the Cold War• By the late 1980’s, the Soviet Union had spent

itself into a place of economic ruin.

• 1989—The Berlin Wall is destroyed. Eastern Germans are allowed to migrate to West Germany.

• 1989 – Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Romania all independent or experience anti-communist revolutions.

• 1990—Lithuania becomes independent. Germany reunited.

• 1991—Official dissolution of the Soviet Union into Russia and dozens of independent states.