Transcript Cold War - C. Leon King High School

Cold War
Origins
Long Term Causes
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Bolshevik Revolution
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Western appeasement of Hitler
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Marxist-Leninists take power in Russia and form
Soviet Union 1921
Western powers had sent troops to fight against
Bolsheviks
Leads to distrust of west
German-Soviet non-agression pact
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Leads to distrust of USSR
WW2 Alliance
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German invasion of USSR and US entry
into war lead to war time alliance
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Big 3 - Churchill, FDR and Stalin
Each side feared a separate peace with Hitler
Stalin wanted 2nd front
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Not until 1944
Stalin believed US, UK wanted Ger. to bleed
USSR
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Big three met at Tehran to discuss strategy
in 1943
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FDR wants to include Stalin in post war Europe
vis-à-vis Atlantic charter
Met again at Yalta to discuss post war
Europe – Feb 1945
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Polish Question
German question
Each of big three had different goals and visions
of post war Europe
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Final meeting of big three at Potsdam July
1945
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New leaders, Truman replaces FDR and Atlee
replaces Churchill
Allied Control Council (ACC) set up
Germany to reduced to light industrial and
agricultural economy (Morganthau Plan)
Reparations to be taken by USSR
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Included 10% of industry from western zones and
forced labor
Territorial changes made
Conflicts and Disagreements
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Soviet domination of Eastern Europe
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Free and Fair elections have different
interpretations
Stalin only allows people who are friendly to
USSR are allowed to take power
Only Czechoslovakia has consensus government
Disagreements on Germany lead to deadlock on
what to do
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Truman less trusting of Soviet intentions
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More in line with Churchill
End of war with Japan and Atomic bombs lets
Truman exclude USSR from any say on post war
Japan.
Sec. State Byrnes holds hard line on Germany
and Eastern Europe
Morganthau plan seen as unworkable
Domestic concerns on economy also impact US
decision on post war world
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Stalin sees need for security zone in
eastern Europe
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Wants a weak Germany or one dominated by
USSR
Strips Germany of all industrial equipment
Western Allies see Soviet actions as against
the spirit of Yalta and Potsdam
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Poland the biggest issue
Soviets won’t budge on prewar agreements on
Germany
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Stalin makes a speech on Feb 9 1946 that
says that war between Capitalists and
Communists inevitable
Truman asks for a report on reasons for
Soviet actions
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Request is sent through State Dept. to Russian
expert at US embassy in Moscow George
Kennan
Kennan sends response in a “Long telegram” on
Feb 22
Long Telegram
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Based on Riga Axioms
Soviet conduct based on Bolshevik
Communism and traditional Russian
imperialism
Said that the USSR would continually try
expand
When published as an article later called
for a policy of containment
Iron Curtain Speech
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Delivered on March 5 1946 in Fulton Missouri
Said that the USSR had put the states of Eastern
and Central Europe in a state of bondage
Called for an Anglo-American alliance to hold
against further expansion
Often cited as the declaration of the Cold War
Problems with in Europe
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US stated its intent to stay in Europe in Sept and
that it no longer would follow the Morganthau Plan
Cold weather and destruction of war led to severe
problems throughout 1946 and 47
The status of Germany remained undecided as the
ACC and council of Foreign Ministers remained
deadlocked
Stalin continued to increase USSRs hold on Eastern
Europe
Communist parties in Italy and France gained power
amid economic stagnation and uncertainty
Truman Doctrine
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GB was supporting the Greek government against
Communist rebellion
GB announced it could not afford to maintain support
for Greek government
USSR had tried to gain influence in Turkey and Iran
Following the tenets of the Long Telegram Truman
announces that US would aid any government facing
aggression in an address to Congress on March 12
1947
Established Policy of Containment that would last until
end of Cold War
Defense Reorginization Act 1947
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Created Central Intelligence agency
Created US Air Force as separate branch
Replaced Dept of War and Dept of Navy
with Dept of Defense which include all
branches of military
Create National Security Council
Designed to meet new security needs
Marshall Plan
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Europe not recovering from war.
US needed economic trading partners
Communist influence was growing
Sec. of State George Marshall announces
a program called the European Recovery
Program
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Stated that US would offer massive financial aid
to any European country that asked for it
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Countries that requested aid were required
to follow certain economic policies that
supported free market economics and
purchase industrial supplies from US and
Canada
Soviet Union called it economic imperialism
and forbade any country under its control
from participating
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Czech leader was summoned to Moscow after he
initially requested aid
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Effectively split Europe into cold war lines
Cements allegiance of Western Europe to
US
Communist parties in west lose influence
Aids US post war economic boom
Western Germany eventually receives aid
and benefits the most from it
Causes of Cold War
Ideology - Capitalist-Democracy vs.
Communism (Marxism-Leninism)
Security – both sides feared for their own
security
Domestic Concerns – US needed
international free market to prevent new
great depression, USSR needed external
enemies to keep population in control
Both nations were historically imperialistic
Historeography
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Orthodox – it’s the Soviet’s fault
Revisionist – it’s the US’s fault
Post revisionist 1 – It’s both their faults
Post revisionist 2 – it was inevitable neither
had much choice
Post revisionist Gaddis – Both but more
USSR than US