Transcript Russia, Ukraine, & Belarus Chapter #17

Cold War (1945-1991)
-WWII Allies = US, UK, France, & USSR
*Political & economic differences?
-US bombing of Japan (1945)
-1949: Russia became the 2nd country to enter
the nuclear age
 The history of all
hitherto existing
society is the
history of class
struggles.
THE FATHER
OF COMMUNISM
Soviet Influence:
-USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)
*took control of Eastern European countries after WWII
*behind the “Iron Curtain” of communism
 COLD WAR:
 The struggle between the U.S. & USSR
following WWII that was determined by their
differing political systems (democracy vs.
totalitarianism) & differing economic systems
(free market capitalism vs. command economy)
 Political conflict w/no open warfare betw. U.S. &
USSR
 Marshall Plan (1947-1951) (U.S. gave $13 billion)
 U.S. financial plan to rebuild Western Europe after WWII to
prevent spread of communism
 COMECON = Council for Mutual Economic Assistance
 Soviet program to rebuild Eastern Europe
It is clear that the main element of any U.S. policy
towards the Soviet Union must be that of a long term,
patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian
expansive tendencies –US diplomat
U.S.’ containment policy (1947): U.S. pledge to
prevent communism from spreading
 Berlin Airlift (June 1948-May 1949)
 First test of U.S. containment policy
 Soviet blockade of West Berlin
 Goal: to force W. Allies out of Berlin
 Allies airlifted food/supplies into Berlin
 Allies enforced their containment policy
NATO (1949):
*North Atlantic Treaty Organization
*mutual defense pact between Western allies
Warsaw Pact (1955):
*mutual defense pact of USSR countries
*to protect against NATO
Who’s who…
Indirect Conflicts (“proxy wars”):
1) Korean War (1950 – 1953)
*divided betw. Communist
North & Democratic South
*border = 38th parallel
*US won
2) Vietnam War (1964 – 1975)
*US lost
3) Afghanistan (1979 – 1989)
*USSR lost—BIG TIME!
Events that stressed US/USSR
diplomatic relations in 1960s
 1960—Soviets shot down U2 spy plane
 Francis Gary Powers
 1961—Berlin Wall (to keep E. Germans in)
 1962—Cuban Missile Crisis
 Closest we came to nuclear war!
The Nuclear Arms Race
*Nuclear arms race:
*competition for supremacy in nuclear warfare
betw. U.S. & USSR
*1952- U.S. detonated H-bomb
*1953- Russians produce H-bomb
*MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction)
*deterrence for war?
*Diplomacy:
-when govts. negotiate &
deal w/each other in peace
The Space Race
 Space Race:




 competition betw. U.S. & USSR for supremacy in space
exploration (mid-late 1900s)
1957- Soviets launched Sputnik (Threat to the US?)
ICBMs: Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile
Yuri Gagarin (1961)—first man in space
Neil Armstrong (1969)—first man on the moon
Neil Armstrong: first man to step
on the moon (July 1969)
Early 1980s: Reagan era in U.S.
--Most tense times of Cold War since Cuba
*Soviet downing of S. Korean airliner
*U.S. invasion of Grenada
*Boycotting of Olympics (US ‘80, USSR ‘84)
*Soviet support of Sandinistas in Nicaragua
1981: US had 8,000 ICBMs & USSR had 7,000
*Defense spending (early 1980s)
-U.S. = <10% of GDP
-USSR = about 20% of GDP—SOCIAL EFFECTS?
The “Iron Curtain” falls!
*Most $ went to military & space exploration
-very little $ for consumer goods & services
-aid decreased to satellite nations of E. Europe
*Ronald Reagan’s speech at
Brandenburg Gate, West Germany,
June 12, 1987
Mikhail Gorbechev (1985): Last Pres. USSR
*sought reconciliation betw. U.S. & USSR
*Perestroika: “restructuring” the economy & govt.
*to introduce private enterprise
*EX: McDonald’s in Moscow
*Glasnost: “openness” w/ the West
*discuss political/social issues
*move towards democracy
*freedom of speech & media
 Late 1980s & early 1990s: one by one, eastern Euro.
countries were granted self-determination
 collapse of Warsaw Pact
 1989: Berlin Wall falls
 1990: Germany is reunited
 Dec. 25, 1991: USSR collapses Cold War is over!
 USSR broke into 15 independent republics