Transcript Post-WWII Europe

Post-WWII
Europe
Introduction of Two New Superpowers
United States
Soviet Union
Political System and
Rights
Democracy – the people
have rights –
Constitution
Communism –
totalitarian
government with no
individual rights
Economic System
Mixed Economy – free
markets
Command Economy –
the gov’t controls all
of the economy and
makes all decisions
Alliance – Empire
NATO (North Atlantic
Treaty Organization)
Warsaw Pact
Goals
Contain communism –
US was interested in
promoting the economic
recovery and growth of
western Europe
Soviet Union was
interested in
protecting itself and
spreading communism
Confrontation –
Berlin
Berlin Airlift
Berlin Blockade
Potsdam Conference
• July 16-August
2, 1945
• United States,
Britain, and
Soviet Union
• Stalin ignored
previous
agreements and
worked to
establish
communist
dictatorships
throughout
Eastern Europe
Occupation Zones
• “Iron Curtain” coined by Churchill
• A symbolic division of Europe into two
separate areas
• “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in
the Adriatic, an ‘iron curtain’ has
descended across the Continent”
• Germany was split into Western and
Eastern Germany (Soviet Union
controlled the eastern half and western
powers controlled the western half)
• The city of Berlin was also split into
occupation zones
City of Berlin
Containment
• US policy
developed by
George Kennan, a
US diplomat
• Keep communism
within its preexisting
boundaries
• Prevent further
Soviet aggressive
moves
Berlin Airlift
• The Soviets created a
blockade of West Berlin,
which prevented
western Europe from
getting supplies into the
city
• 1948  American and
British forces flew in
food and other supplies
to West Berlin
• May 1949  Soviets lift
the Berlin blockade
after the success of
western powers getting
supplies into the city
Warsaw Pact
• 1955  Soviet
military alliance
including the
Soviet Union,
Poland, East
Germany,
Czechoslovakia,
Hungary,
Romania,
Bulgaria, and
Albania
• Soviet reply to
the formation of
NATO involving
western Europe
and the United
States
Brinkmanship
• Willingness to
go to the very
edge of war in
order to
achieve a
desired
outcome
• Example:
Cuban Missile
Crisis
U-2 Incident
• May 1, 1960
• Soviet pilot shot
down a US spy
plane, known as a
U-2, over Soviet
territory
• US initially denied
any spy activity,
but was later
forced to admit
the plane’s role in
covert
surveillance
Arms Race
• Soviets and
Americans race
to create the
most up to date
weapons
• Nuclear weapons
became more
destructive as
each nation
raced to build
deadlier bombs
• Both sides
believed that an
arsenal of
weapons would
actually prevent
war
Space Race
• Americans and Soviets
race to be the first to
reach the next
advancement in
aerospace
achievements
• September 1957
Sputnik I, first
satellite launched into
space
• 1960  the United
States launched its
own satellite