Transcript Origins of the Cold War

Origins of The Cold War
Mr. White’s US History 2
Big Questions
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Why did relations between the
United States and the Soviet Union
break down after World War II?
Was the US response to the spread
of communism appropriate? Did
they do too little or too much?
Soviet-US Relations During World
War II
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Stalin had originally been an ally of
Hitler (non-aggression pact) – only
became an ally with US after Hitler
attacked him – US distrustful of him
Soviet Union thought US took too
long to open a second front and
attack Hitler – Stalin distrustful of US
Stalin also upset that US had kept
secret building the atomic bomb
United Nations
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After World War II,
hopes for peace were
high
United Nations was
established as a
peacekeeping body in
1945
Intention was to
promote peace, but it
would become a place
of competition for the
US and the Soviet
Union
Potsdam Conference
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A conference was held between the United
States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union
called the Potsdam Conference
Stalin promised to Truman (US) and the
United Kingdom that he would give free
elections in the countries that the Soviet
Union had taken from Germany (Poland,
for instance)
The United States soon realized that Stalin
didn’t plan on doing this
Post-War Goals
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United States
• Wanted nations to
have selfdetermination
• Get access to raw
materials and
markets for goods
• Rebuild Europe to
make it stable and
create new
markets
• Reunite Germany
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Soviet Union
• Encourage
communism around
the world
• Rebuild its country
using Eastern
Europe’s resources
• Control Eastern
Europe to balance
US
• Keep Germany
divided so it
wouldn’t threaten
Soviet Union
Economic
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Soviets wanted to take war
reparations from Germany to help
pay their losses
Truman wanted to spread US
economically around the globe – US
was strongest economy in the world
US wanted to get raw materials in
Eastern Europe and sell goods there
Soviets Control Eastern Europe
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Soviet Union had suffered heavy
devastation from the war
Around 25 million people dead; Soviets
felt like it was pay-back for their losses to
take from Europe
Soviets installed communist governments
in Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia,
Hungary, Romania, and Poland – satellite
nations
Stalin said that communism and
capitalism were incompatible, and another
war was inevitable
Containment
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1946 – Truman
thought it was time
to stop “babying
the Soviets.”
United States
adopted a policy of
containment –
prevent expansion
of communism into
any more countries
The Iron Curtain
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Europe divided into
capitalist-democratic
west (blue) and
communist east (red)
Churchill said that an
“iron curtain” had
descended over
Europe
Stalin called
Churchill’s words a
“call to war.”
Truman Doctrine
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Truman was afraid that Greece and
Turkey might become communist; they
were doing poorly and there were
communists in their countries
Truman declared that the United States
should support countries that were
resisting communism – Truman doctrine
Between 1947 and 1950, US sent $400
million in aide to Greece and Turkey
Europe After World War II
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After the war, Western Europe was in
chaos
• Factories destroyed
• People out of homes and jobs
• Winter of 1946-1957 coldest in several
centuries
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If something was not done to help solve
these problems, many in the US thought
these countries would become communist
The Marshall Plan
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Secretary of State
George C. Marshall
(left) suggested
United States give
help to any European
country that needed it
Helped provide food,
shelter, clothing, etc.
US gave over $13
billion to 16 European
countries
Communism lost its
appeal to many in
Europe
Struggle for Germany
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Germany divided
between part
controlled by US and
Allies (blue) and
Soviet Union (red)
Berlin, Germany’s
capital (yellow), was
divided, also, and
surrounded by Sovietcontrolled territory
US and Soviet Union
would struggle to
control Germany
The Berlin Airlift
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There was no agreement between
Stalin and the Allies about use of the
roads into Berlin – Stalin saw this as
an opportunity to control Berlin
Stalin shut down roads going into
Berlin – stopped any food or fuel
from going in
Stalin would try to starve city into
submission
The Berlin Airlift (continued)
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The United States and Britain started
flying food and supplies into Berlin to keep
the people supplied
For 327 days, planes took off and landed
every few minutes
Over 2.3 million tons of supplies flown into
Berlin
By 1949, Stalin lifted the blockade and
allowed food and fuel to come back in to
Berlin
NATO
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Blockade made western European
countries distrustful of Stalin
These countries, along with the US
and Canada, formed NATO – North
Atlantic Treaty Organization
These countries would support each
other if attacked by the Soviet Union
NATO kept military of 500,000 troops
ready to go