Cold War

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After WW2, Russia and Allies no longer had an enemy to bind them together.

Soviet Mistrust

Capitalism was evil

Invaded in 1914, Civil War and WW2,

wanted to stay secure

1919 Paris Peace settlement, Russian land

given to others

Believed the West wanted to destroy

Communism

Western Mistrust

Communism threatened Western values

Worried Communism would spread

worldwide

Dislike Stalin’s leadership – purges

Stalin signs Nazi-Soviet pact 1939

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Yalta Conference Feb 1945:

Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin, before end of WW2

Germany to be defeated, disarmed then forced to pay reparations

Germany to be divided into 4 zones, GB, Fr, US and USSR

Berlin individually split into 4

Stalin to have influence over Eastern Europe, but countries to have “free

elections”

FRAMEWORK SETTLEMENT

Disagreement over Poland, Soviets wanted Communist government as they’d

liberated most of it. Friendly government in Poland meant protection from

Germany. Allies saw it as Soviet domination

Potsdam Conference July 1945:

Atlee (GB), Truman and Stalin

Occupation zones finalised

Truman and Stalin didn’t get on well – tensions increased suspicion

Allies wanted to strengthen Germany – buffer against Communism

Stalin saw it as a threat against Communism, so he strips Communist zone of

equipment and machinery.

West sent industrial goods to Soviets, but they didn’t return food and coal as

promised. West angry, suspicions grow

Truman didn’t tell Stalin about the a-bomb he was going to use.

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Eastern Europe

Set up Communist governments in Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria and Albania.

“Salami tactics” taking over, bit by bit.

Set up with military aid, not free elections as promised

Iron Curtain speech, dividing East and West.

Truman Doctrine 12 March 1947

Wanted to prevent spread of Communism

Prepared to aid any country threatened by Communist take over

Stalin sees this as threat, similar to declaring war on Russia

Marshall Plan June 1947

American general – every country was so poor it was in danger of turning

Communist.

Wanted aid to be given to European countries, $17 billion

At first, refused, then passed.

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Cominform

Soviets hated Marshall plan, Stalin forbade Communist countries to ask for

money

Set up Cominform, every Communist party in Europe joined

Allowed Stalin country of all Communists.

Berlin Blockade 1948

Allies had joined zones together to make one, and were planning to establish new

currency to aid recovery.

Stalin saw it as a threat to USSR

Stalin closed all roads, canals and railways between West and East Berlin.

Wanted Allies to give up West Berlin by starving them

Britain and America flew in supplies

May 1949, Stalin calls off Blockade as Allies are air lifting huge amounts of

supplies for West Berlin

West Germany gained elected government.

USSR responds by making East Germany with Communist government

Allies determined to build up West Berlin as a showcase for capitalism.

NATO 1949

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation: “Antidote to fear” of Communism

12 Countries signed it. May 1955 West Germany admitted.

Comecon 1949

Council for mutual economic assistance

Co-ordinated trade within Communist countries and USSR

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Warsaw Pact May 1955

Defensive alliance, to protect Communist countries

Keep control of Eastern Europe

Arms and Space Race

1949 – Soviets successfully test atom bomb.

Both countries begin developing weapons, trying to outgun the opponent.

Korean War 1950-1953

Korea split into two, North went to Soviets, South went to Americans

Both promised to leave after general elections. Soviets refused entry to UN

officials into North.

Split Korea into two, Communist North and the South.

1950, American Security Council issues report stating that America should

abandon containment and start “rolling back” Communism

Domino Theory, knock on effects of Communism, spreading to other countries

America supported S. Korea, indirect warfare.

Kim Sung visits Stalin in 1949, convinces him he can defeat S. Korea.

Syngman Rhee (S. Korea) had been boasting that he’d attack the Communists.

N. Korea invades first in 1950, pushing S. Koreans all the way back

Truman called on UN Security Council to support S. Korea, which it did.

Soviets could have vetoed against this act, but they were boycotting the UN after

they rejected China (communists).

Chinese joined in after MacArthur ignored Chinese warnings to stay away from

the River Yalu.

Borders ended up in same place.

Consequences:

Korean War example of successful containment – US

Success for UN, even though US’ puppet

China no longer seen as week

Massive damage to Korea, 10% died

Increased mistrust between both countries

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The Thaw

After Stalin’s death 1953, Khrushchev was installed as leader.

He de-Stalinised the whole country and its satellite states

Khruschev was more open and less hostile to the West

Theory of Peaceful Coexistence, that both communist and capitalist states could

exist side by side

Some states misinterpreted change and believed they would have greater

economic and political freedom

1956 protests and riots in Poland led to some small concessions

Revolt in Hungary was put down very harshly; people thought they had the

chance to change things.

1961 Berlin Wall built

End of The Thaw

U2 Incident 5

th May 1960

Russia’s satellite – Sputnik gave them psychological advantage, many Americans

felt threatened

Summit planned for 1960 to discuss Berlin and nuclear weapons, Eisenhower

wanted “open skies” agreement.

Assure each other that the other wasn’t preparing for war.

Khrushchev refused, but Eisenhower went ahead anyway

9 days before summit, Russians announced they’d shot down a U2 spy plane.

Americans at first denied it, claiming it was a weather-plane.

Russians put pilot, Gary Powers on trial for spying. Americans admitted it

Paris Summit was ruined, Khrushchev demanded apologies and the cancellation

of all spy flights

Eisenhower agreed to cancel spy flights, but not to apologise.

Russia – grew in confidence

Americans became angry with Eisenhower and elected Kennedy who promised to

be tougher on Communism.

Berlin Wall 1961

Kennedy President of US, lacked experience and seen as week.

Khruschev thought he could bully him, so demanded West give up Berlin

Kennedy refused, so the Soviets erected a border between East and West

Kennedy protested, but wouldn’t risk war

Then work started on the Wall, built to “prevent defectors from East to West”

US used it as propaganda, if Communism was so ideal, why did people need to be

caged in?

Soviets showed it as a protective shell from spies and sabotage.

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Cuban Missile Crisis 1962

1959 Fidel Castro introduces Communist government in Cuba

1961 Bay of Pigs, America funded and supplied Cuban rebels to invade Cuba,

they failed miserably.

Underestimated Fidel’s support among the people – his reforms had made him

popular.

Cuba asks for support from Russia, publicly. Russia promises it.

Khruschev wanted to test America, and bargain for missiles in Turkey.

Events

14 Oct: U2 spy-plane takes pictures of Missile bases in Cuba - experts tell Kennedy

he has 10 days before they are operational.

16 Oct: Kennedy set up a Committee of the National Security Council to advise him.

22 Oct: Kennedy announced that he was mounting a naval blockade of Cuba. B52

nuclear bombers were deployed on standby. Western spy’s last message

before arrested is “Soviet attack imminent”

23 Oct: Khrushchev explained that the missile sites were ‘solely to defend Cuba

against the attack of an aggressor’. 20 Russian ships were heading for Cuba.

24 Oct: Khrushchev accused America of piracy. He warned that Russia would get

ready ‘a fitting reply to the aggressor’.

25 Oct: The first Russian ship reached the naval blockade. It was an oil ship and

was allowed through. All the other Russian ships (carrying missiles) turned

back. Secretly, the US offers to remove US missiles in Turkey in exchange

for those in Cuba.

26 Oct: Russia was still building the missile bases, and Kennedy started planning a

military attack on Cuba - until, at 6pm, Khrushchev sent a telegram to

Kennedy, offering to dismantle the sites if Kennedy would lift the blockade

and agree not to invade Cuba

27 Oct: Before Kennedy could reply, Khrushchev sent another letter, demanding that

Kennedy also dismantle American missile bases in Turkey. On the same

day, a U2 plane was shot down over Cuba.

It looked as if war was about to happen.

Kennedy ignored the plane incident. He also ignored Khrushchev’s second

letter – he wrote simply that would lift the blockade and agree not to invade

Cuba if Khrushchev would dismantle the missile bases. He also offered

secretly to dismantle the Turkish missile bases.

28 Oct: Khrushchev agreed. The crisis finished.

20 Nov: Russian bombers left Cuba, and Kennedy lifted the naval blockade.

Results

1. Khrushchev lost prestige – he had failed. Particularly, China broke from Russia.

2. Kennedy gained prestige. He was seen as the men who faced down the Russians.

3. Both sides had had a fright. They were more careful in future. The two leaders set

up a telephone ‘hotline’ to talk directly in a crisis.

4. In 1963, they agreed a Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Cuba was the start of the end of

the Cold War.

5. Cuba remained a Communist dictatorship, but America left it alone.

6. Propaganda victory for Capitalism over Communism.