cold war overview

• Yalta and Potsdam Conferences

  Conferences at the end of WW2 where USA, USSR and UK met to discuss post War Europe
• Disagreements at the conferences

  E.g. Soviet Sphere of influence (disagreed over government of Poland), Reparations
• Truman told Stalin they had the Atom bomb


  Started the Arms Race
• Iron Curtain Speech


  1947, Churchill gave a speech warning of division in Europe
• Long Telegram


  A message from US diplomat in Moscow warning of Stalin's plans
• Iron Curtain Speech and Long Telegram


  Warned of Soviet Expansion
• Warnings of Soviet Expansion


  Led to the US developing their policy of containment
• Yalta and Potsdam Conferences


  Signified that the US and USSR were no longer allies
• Truman Doctrine


  $400 million given to Greece and Turkey to stop them falling to communism
• Marshall Plan


  $13 billion offered to European nations to rebuild after WW2. 1953 $17 billion given
• Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan

  Stalin viewed this as aggressive, terming it 'dollar imperialism'
• Yugoslavia accepting Marshall Aid


  Even though they were communist
• Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan

  Leads to Stalin introducing Comecon and Cominform to better control Satellite States
• Berlin Blockade and Airlift

  May 1948 – USA, UK and France combine German zones and introduce a new currency (DM) – Trizonia. Stalin feels threatened and introduces a blockade of Berlin. West need to supply their zones of Berlin
• Berlin Blockade and Airlift


  Leads to the airlift. This was successful e.g. 1 plane every 90 seconds, 4000 tonnes a day. Easter parade April 1949 17,000 tonnes in 1 day. – Stalin failed
• Berlin Blockade and Airlift

  Leads to further division. Germany permanently divided. 1949 – US joins NATO. 1953 USSR joins Warsaw Pact
• Korean War


  1950-1954 – North Korea (Communist) invades South Korea (Nationalist). China support the North Koreans with troops. UN support the South with lots of US troops. 1954 Ceasefire along the 38th parallel
• General MacArthur was fired for suggesting to Nuke the Chinese


  Shows the USSR that the US are not prepared to use nukes. USSR can push US more (Brinksmanship)
• UN support South Korea

  Makes communism look like the villain
• Vietnam War


  1955-1975 – North Vietnam (communist) invades South Vietnam (Nationalist). USA support the South with resources and troops. China and USSR support the North with resources and funding
• USA lose the Vietnam War in 1973


  Shows that the USA is weak despite having nuclear weapons. Lost to peasant farmers
• USA lose the Vietnam War


  Develops their policy of containment (Domino Theory)
• Space Race


  Oct 1957 – First Satellite – USSR Sputnik 1, Nov 1957 – First Dog – USSR Laika, 1958 – First US satellite – Explorer 1, 1961 – First man in Space – Yuri Gagarin USSR, 1969 – First man on the moon – Neil Armstrong USA
• Winning the Space race

  Makes your ideology look superior (Propaganda)
• Rocket ships


  Used to develop ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missiles) (Military uses)
• Arms Race


  1945 – USA first A Bomb, 1949 – USSR first A bomb, 1952 – USA first H bomb, 1953 – USSR first H bomb
• Arms Race


  Policy of Brinksmanship develops. – Nether nations wants to launch nukes first – So they push the others side to be more aggressive. (Cuban Missile crisis, Checkpoint Charlie)
• Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)


  The idea that having the same amount of nuclear weapons as the other side will keep them safe
• Bay of Pigs


  1st Jan 1959 – Cuban Revolution – Communist Castro overthrows US supported Batista. US establishes embargo against Cuba. Cuba turns to Soviets for support. 1961 – JFK trains 1500 Cuban exiles to invade Cuba and remove Castro. Invasion failed – 1400 killed/captured
• Bay of Pigs


  JFK was proved to be young and inexperienced. – Encourages Khrushchev to take further action
• Bay of Pigs


  USSR and Cuban relationship develop. USSR send missiles to store in Cuba
• Berlin Wall


  1961 – between 1945-1961 3.5 million people fled from East to West – 'Brain Drain'. This caused Khrushchev to order an 82 mile wall built around West Berlin restricting movement
• Berlin Wall


  Created a situation where international conflict could occur
• Checkpoint Charlie


  US diplomat was denied entry to East Berlin. US sent in tanks. USSR sent in tanks. 13 hour standoff until both retreated. (brinksmanship)
• Ich bin ein Berliner Speech

  Kennedy visits West berlin and announces his support for the West. – Khrushchev sees this as a threat
• Prague Spring


  1968 – Revolution in Czechoslovakia. Dubcek wanted 'Socialism with a Human face' – Less restrictions and more freedom. Announced Czechoslovakia would leave the Warsaw pact even though he promised not to
• Prague Spring


  Brezhenev sends in the army to put down the uprising. 72 are killed despite them not resisting. USSR look brutal – Also televised. Everyone saw it
• Brezhnev Doctrine


  Once a member of the Warsaw Pact, always a member of the pact. Force will be used to keep them there
• Cuban Missile Crisis


  1962 – U2 Spy plane spots missiles in Cuba. Kennedy declares a quarantine line around Cuba restricting Soviet Access. 13 day standoff with high points of tension
• Cuban Missile Crisis


  Both removed missiles from neighbouring countries. (USSR from Cuba, USA from Italy and Turkey). USA did it in secret and USSR did it publicly. – This makes it look like the USSR lost