Modern Europe

• The Cold War (1945-1991): State of tension and hostility without actual armed conflict
• The Cold War (1945-1991): America vs Soviet Union

  America:

  • Democracy (free elections)
  • Capitalism- private enterprise
  • Support freedom and democracy

  Soviet Union

  • Communist party rule
  • Command economy (gov. Control)
  • Spread communist revolution
• US vs USSR: Tension started to emerge between America and The Soviet Union at the Yalta Peace Conference (February 1945)
• US vs USSR: Germany would be divided into 4 occupation zones between USSR, US, Great Britain, and France
• US vs USSR: In 1949 Germany was divided into west (democratic) and east (communist)
• US vs USSR: Former Nazis were brought to trial at Nuremberg and all of Germany underwent denazification process
• The United Nations: The United Nations was founded as a worldwide peace-keeping force
• The United Nations: U.N. also tries to solve problems of disease, hunger and illiteracy
• The United Nations: U.N. Security Council is in charge of keeping peace (15 nations- 10 rotate)

  5 Permanent:

  • United States
  • France
  • Great Britain
  • Russia (Soviet Union)
  • China
• The Soviet Union: The Soviet Union helped establish communist governments in Eastern Europe
• The Soviet Union: Satellite States= Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and East Germany (states where policies are dictated by another country)
• The Soviet Union: Winston Churchill said and “iron curtain” had descended across Europe
• The Truman Doctrine: In 1947 America adopted the Truman Doctrine= A policy to resist communist expansion around the world (containment)
• The Truman Doctrine: Money is the best weapon against communism
• The Truman Doctrine:

  • Helped Greece and Turkey against communist pressures by giving them $400 million in Economic and Military aid
  • The Marshall Plan helped to rebuild Western Europe by giving these nations $13 billion (Satellite states were offered $13 billion but they said no)
• The Berlin Airlift and Wall: In 1948 The Soviet Union blocked West Berlin
• The Berlin Airlift and Wall: America responded with a massive airlift to save the city (supply planes)
• The Berlin Airlift and Wall: The Soviet Union starts to build The Berlin Wall to separate East and West
• Military Alliances Formed: N.A.T.O.- U.S., Canada and 10 European Democracies (1949)
• Military Alliances Formed: Warsaw Pact- The Soviets and their Satellite states (1953)
• The Bomb and Arms Race: In 1949 The Soviet Union tested their first atomic bomb
• The Bomb and Arms Race: The worlds largest arms race in history began
• The Bomb and Arms Race: In 1952 America invents the hydrogen bomb, the Soviets test on in 1953
• The Bomb and Arms Race: Both America and The Soviet Union practiced a policy of M.A.D.= Mutually Assured Destruction
• Cold War Turns Hot: Korean War (1950-1953)
• Cold War Turns Hot: Cuban Missile Crisis (Oct. 1962)
• Cold War Turns Hot: Vietnam War (1965-1973)
• Western Europe: Nations of Western Europe experienced an “Economic Miracle“ as they rebuild their economies after WWII
• Western Europe: West Germany became a strong and prosperous Nation
• Western Europe: (1958-1969)- Charles De Gualle helped France become strong and prosperous

  • In 1966 he took France out of NATO
  • Moved France to a more socialist economy
• Socialism: Socialism= The government controls or runs key businesses/ industries; people voted for this (democracy)
• Socialism: Most countries in Europe have socialist economies
• Socialism: Socialist states= welfare states
• Socialism: Economic spectrum- communism left (complete government control), capitalism right (no government control), socialism in the middle (50/50)
• Socialism: Europe today is linked together by the EEC= European Economic Community (EU)
• The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe: After the death of Stalin, Nikita Khrushchev ruled the Soviet Union (1953-1964)
• The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe: Criticized many of Joseph Stalin’s policies (de-stalinization)
• The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe: The Soviets put the first satellite into orbit called Sputnik in 1957
• The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe: Khrushchev became the first Soviet leader to visit the US in 1959
• The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe: Cold War Heated Up

  • 1960- U-2 spy plane shot down over the Soviet Union
  • 1961- The Berlin Wall was completed
  • 1961- Bay of Pigs invasion
  • 1962- Cuban Missile Crisis