cold war begins
TRANSCRIPT
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Background:
After WW II, the US and USSR emerged as rival superpowers.
Each nation was strong enough to greatly influence world events.
Stalin – Premier of USSRHarry Truman President of the USA
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Satellite Nations…
Stalin never allowed truly free elections.
Instead, communist governments were installed in many Eastern European nations.
Main Purpose? Protect USSR from
invasion from the West Buffer Zone
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Containment Policy
George Kennan, career Foreign Service Officer
Formulated the policy of “containment”: US would not get rid of
communism, but would not allow it to spread.
US would “contain” communism where it already existed.
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The Iron Curtain
Winston Churchill coined this term
Famous speech on March 5, 1946 at Westminster College, in Fulton, Missouri
Click for video
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Churchill’s Warning…
Churchill felt that behind the Iron Curtain, the USSR was planning to attack and conquer Western Europe
The world is now polarized into democracy vs. communism
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Division of Germany
The Allies decided to divide Germany into 4 zones after the war.
Also, the capital of Berlin was divided into 4 sectors.
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Problem with Berlin?
Berlin was in the Soviet Sector.
Stalin was not happy with a “small piece” of democracy in Eastern Europe.
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Berlin Blockade June 1948, Stalin attempts to starve West
Berliners into submission. All rail and street access was blocked.
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Berlin Airlift
American and British planes flew food and supplies into Berlin for 327 days Planes took off every
3 minutes for 10 months
Stalin relents in May 1949
Official start of Cold War
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The Marshall Plan June 1947, U.S. plan to give direct
aid to European nations Rationale: fewer poor nations =
fewer communist nations Canada contributed $706 million
out of $12.5 billion over 5 years Example of containment
US Secretary of State George Marshall
Labeling used on aid packages
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The Berlin Wall 1961 – skilled workers
crossing in huge numbers to West Berlin
East German economy about to collapse
Berlin wall built – physical and symbolic barrier between East and West
Wall came down in 1989 – signalled end of Cold War
Berlin wall in 1986 – death strip
Officer Conrad Schumann defecting to West Berlin during the wall's early days in 1961.