Transcript The Cold War - Reading Community Schools

THE COLD WAR
Q.O.D. #25 3/15/10

What were some differences between West and
East Germany?
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**Q.O.D.’s are due on FRIDAY** - 25 points
 (6th
bell will be collected Thursday)
 Number each question and staple sheets together
Q.O.D. #25 3/15/10

What were some differences between West and
East Germany?
Government: West – democracy; East – socialist
dictatorship
 Alliances: West – NATO, U.S.; East – Warsaw Pact, USSR
 Reparations: Soviets took East German industry and
resources to rebuild the USSR; Western powers helped
rebuild West Germany
 Economic disparity: By 1950s, West was prospering
and East was struggling
 Berlin Blockade & Airlift (1946), Wall (1961): Soviets
tried to push West completely out of East Germany
 Attempted escapes: many East Germans tried to
escape to West Berlin and West Germany

NUCLEAR ARMS RACE
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At first, the U.S. was the only
nuclear power
By 1949 the USSR had
nuclear weapons as well
1953 – Both had hydrogen
bombs
Each side wanted to deter the
other from using their
weapons
Both wanted to match and
exceed the others’ nuclear
arsenal
NUCLEAR ARMS RACE

MAD – mutually
assured
destruction

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Deterred both sides
from launching
nuclear weapons
Most of the world
lived under
constant fear of
nuclear war
CUBA
90 miles from U.S.
 1959 – Cuban Revolution

 Fidel
Castro overthrew Fulgencio
Batista, who was supported by the U.S.
Castro sought the support of the Soviets
 Restricted freedoms, nationalized businesses,
put land under government control
 Thousands of Cubans fled to Florida

CUBA
United States wanted to bring down communist
Cuba
 1961 – Bay of Pigs Invasion

 U.S.
trained Cubans, attempted to invade at Bay of
Pigs
 Failed – Castro’s forces captured invaders

U.S. imposed trade embargo
 Still
in effect today
CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS
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In late April 1962, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev
wanted to place intermediate-range missiles in Cuba.
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Fidel Castro was looking for a way to defend Cuba
from an attack by the U.S.

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Double Soviet arsenal
Deterrent for U.S. attack on USSR
Missile gap
Believed another invasion was coming
Castro approved of Khrushchev's plan to place
missiles on the island.

Summer 1962 - the Soviet Union worked quickly and
secretly to build its missile installations in Cuba.
CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS
October 15, 1962 – reconnaissance photos
showed Soviet missiles under construction in
Cuba.
 October 16 – President Kennedy was informed
of the missile installations.

 Kennedy
immediately organized a group of his
twelve most important advisors to handle the crisis.
CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS
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After seven days Kennedy decided to impose a naval
blockade around Cuba.
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He wanted to prevent the arrival of more Soviet offensive
weapons on the island.
October 22, 1963 – President Kennedy announced
the discovery of the missile installations to the public
and his decision to blockade the island.
JFK proclaimed that any nuclear missile launched
from Cuba would be regarded as an attack on the
United States by the Soviet Union

Demanded that the Soviets remove all of their offensive
weapons from Cuba
CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS
Tensions were building on both sides.
 Kennedy eventually ordered low-level
reconnaissance missions once every two hours.
 October 25 - Kennedy pulled the quarantine
line back and raised military readiness to
DEFCON 2.

CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS
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Oct 25 – U.S. Ambassador to the United
Nations Adlai Stevenson confronted Soviet
Ambassador and presented photos of missiles
in Cuba
CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS
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October 26 – Khrushchev sent a letter
 Proposed removing Soviet missiles and personnel if the U.S.
would guarantee not to invade Cuba
October 27 –A U.S. plane was shot down over Cuba and
Khrushchev sent a second letter
 Demanded the removal of U.S. missiles in Turkey in
exchange for Soviet missiles in Cuba.
Attorney General Robert Kennedy suggested ignoring the
second letter
 Contacted the Soviet Ambassador to tell him of the U.S.
agreement with the first.
CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS
October 28 - Khrushchev announced that he
would dismantle the installations and return
the missiles to the Soviet Union, expressing his
trust that the United States would not invade
Cuba.
 Further negotiations were held to implement
the October 28 agreement

 United
States demand that Soviet light bombers be
removed from Cuba
 Exact form and conditions of United States
assurances not to invade Cuba.
CAUSES

Soviet Insecurity
 Missile
gap
 Berlin Wall
 Surrounded by enemies

Cuba’s fear of invasion by U.S.
 Bay
of Pigs, 1961
 Several military exercises
CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS
Closest the world came to nuclear war
 Lack of communication during crisis led to
establishment of “hotline” between Washington
and Moscow
 Kennedy and Khrushchev signed agreement to
ban further testing in the atmosphere

 Seemed
to be willing to work together
 November
22, 1963 JFK was assassinated, 1964
Khrushchev removed from office