the origins of the cold war prof. jeremi suri
TRANSCRIPT
Key points:
1. Total War and the Atomic Bomb
2. International Threats
3. George Kennan and Cold War Containment
Hiroshima, late 1945 and today
Los Alamos, 1942-1945
Robert Oppenheimer
Henry Stimson
Winston Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” Speech, 5 March 1946
What were the key elements of the Cold War?
• Fear
• Continuous mobilization
• Bipolar alliances
Key Cold War institutions:
• National Security Council (NSC)
• Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS)
• Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
• KGB
George F. Kennan
Key elements of Kennan’s containment strategy
• Control 4 of the 5 “core areas” of military-industrial power;
• Use a diversity of means to keep the “core” military-industrial areas out of Soviet hands, and foster their democratic development;
• Appeal to the particular national interests of different areas.