Post on 27-Dec-2015
Cold WarBeginnings, Conflicts, Colapse
Beginnings
• Prior to World War II– No country really knows what to
make of the USSR•Not much info leaves• So different from anywhere else
Beginnings
• World War II–USSR stayed out at first• Signed treaty with Germany•Only lead to more questions
–Joined Allies after Germany attacks
Beginnings
• End of War Conferences–USSR and Joseph Stalin started to
push USA• Felt as though they had held Europe
for years before USA entered• Saw the ability to further
Communism
Stalin
Big Three
Churchill Roosevelt Stalin
Later Conferences
Attlee Truman Stalin
Beginnings
• Post WWII Europe–USSR refused to withdraw fro
areas it had taken from Germany–Stay in Eastern Europe and create
“Iron Curtain”•Angers USA - Democracy
Pre WW I Europe
Post WWII Europe
Road to Conflict
• USSR wanted to spread Communism • USA followed policy of
Containment–Keep Communism were it existed
Cold War Conflicts
• Even though the USA and the USSR never directly fought each other, they did participate in a number of “proxy wars”–Proxy War – supported others as a
way of fighting
Korea
• Prior to WWII Korea was occupied by Japan–Was not treated very well• Japan tried to get rid of Korean
culture and make it Japanese
Korea
• Post WWII–USSR supported/occupied North
Korea–USA supported/occupied South
Korea
Korea
• USA approached the UN about a solution–UN suggested elections•North Korea refuses•Communists in South Korea boycott
Korea
• Election Results–Syngman Ree elected to head
South Korean government–Kim Il-Sung placed in charge of
North Korea
Korea• Outbreak of War–June 25, 1950 – North Korea
invaded South Korea•USSR saw this as a way to spread
communism – backed North Korea•USA wanted to contain communism
– backed South Korea
•China wanted buffer in case of USA attack – backed North Korea
Korea
• Fighting–North Korea pushed deep into
South Korea before USA and UN intervention–Pushed back and remained
relatively stable for a couple of years
Korea
• End of the War–Armistice (cease fire)was signed on
July 27, 1953•No peace treaty was ever signed–Still a state of war between North
Korea and South Korea
Korea
• Casualties:–USA: 33,652–South Korea: 227,800–North Korea: about 600,00–China:110,400
Vietnam
• Prior to WWII–France had controlled the area
from 1884 until the Japanese take it in 1940
Vietnam
• WWII–Viet Minh – group opposed to both
French occupation and Japanese occupation• Supported by both USA and China–They didn’t like Japan
Vietnam• Post WWII–China helped disarm Japanese in
North–England helped disarm Japanese in
Ssout
–Ho Chi Minh wanted independence–France wanted territories back
Vietnam
• French recognize Ho Chi Minh’s government, but create a separate South controlled by them–Ho Chi Minh is NOT HAPPY
Vietnam
• Fist Indochina War–Eight year fight between Viet Minh
(North Vietnam) and the French
Vietnam
• 1950–China and USSR recognize North
Vietnam–USA begins to send aid to the
French in Vietnam
Vietnam• 1954 – North Vietnam defeated
the French–Agreed that elections would be
held within two years to determine whether to stay separate or the unify•USA sends aid to South, USSR to
North
Vietnam
• Build-up to War–South refused to participate in
elections–USSR suggested that two separate
Vietnams exist•USA refused because they refused to
recognize North Vietnam
War
• 1959 – North Vietnam declares a war to unite all of Vietnam–USA began sending “advisors” in
early 1960’s• Turned into Special Forces and then
combat troops
Vietnam
• USA involvement–Air bombings–Ground troops
Vietnam• End–Cease fire signed Jan. 27, 1973–USA withdraws troops, but leaves
some Marines behind
–April 1975 – South Vietnam falls – now one Vietnam run by North
Cuban Missile Crisis
• Background–1959 - Fidel Castro came to power•USA doesn’t like him!
–1960 – Cuba aligned with USSR–1961 – USA broke off relations with
Cuba
Cuban Missile Crisis
• Beginnings–April 1962 – Bay of Pigs Invasion•USA backed Cuban nationals landed
and tried to overthrow Castro–FAILURE!!!!!!!!!–Castro turns to USSR for help
Cuban Missile Crisis
• September 11, 1962–USSR warned that an attack on
Cuba would lead to a war with USSR
Cuban Missile Crisis
• U2 planes–October 14, 1962 – took pictures of
missile sites in Cuba•Military asked Kennedy to authorize
an airstrike
U2
OOPS!!!
I meant U2
Missile Sites
Cuban Missile Crisis
• October 18-28 Kennedy and Khrushchev negotiated over missiles
• Meanwhile, Soviet were sailing across the sea
Cuban Missile Crisis
• USA placed a barricade around Cuba–USA would stop and search any
boat going to Cuba–Soviets turned all ships except one
back
The Boat
Cuban Missile Crisis
• USA went to DEFCON 2–One more step and nuclear
missiles would be fired
Cuban Missile Crisis
• Agreement–USSR would not place missiles in
Cuba–USA would not attack Cuba• Secretly – USA would remove
missiles from Turkey
Cuban Missile Crisis
• Embargo of Cuba is still in effect today–Lessening now that Fidel Castro
has handed power to his brother Raul
Afghanistan
• Background–Civil War was going on already in
Afghanistan–Hazifullah Amin was being attacked
by Muhajideen•Group of Muslim fundamantalists
Afghanistan
• USSR sent paratroopers into Kabul on December 25, 1979–Said they were invited in to protect
Amin• Shot him and replaced him with
Babrak Kamal two days later
Afghanistan
• For ten years, USSR tried to fight Mujahideen–Known as the USSR’s Vietnam•Mostly young, unprepared recruits• Equipment fell apart (boots lasted 7-
10 days)•Couldn’t use heavy artillary
Afghanistan
• Muhajideen–Mix of different groups–Supported by USA through CIA• Surface to air missiles
–Knew terrain and weather
Afghanistan
Afghanistan
• World Reaction–UN Security Council voted on
resolution condemning the invasion•Vetoed by USSR
–USA boycotted Olympics (Summer 1980)–USA cut the sale of grain to USSR
Afghanistan
• The End–Mikhail Gorbachev withdrew
troops when it was realized that USSR couldn’t win
Afghanistan
• The end was just the beginning–War continued–Taliban rose•9/11•USA’s response–Current situation
Cracks in Communism
• The USSR and the Communist Bloc faced problems through out the Cold War
Cracks in Communism
• Khrushchev–Secret Speech (1956)•Condemned Stalin and his actions–Signaled a new type of Soviet leader–Seen as a sign that USSR would be
more tolerant
Cracks in Communism
• Poland – June 1956–Poznan Uprisings•People demanded food and a say in
government–Khrushchev threatened to send the
Red Army, but backed down
Poland
Cracks in Communism
• Hungary – October 1956–The people had seen what
happened in Poland• Tried the same thing–Khrushchev threatened to send the
Red Army and this time did»Crushed uprising
Hungary
Hungary
Cracks in Communism
• Berlin Wall–As many as 1000 people a day left
the Communist Bloc Countries through Berlin–August 13, 1961 – a 27 mile barbed
wire fence was put up to “protect people from the West”
• Berlin Wall–1962 a second wall ,100 yards from
the first was erected. The area in between was demolished and called a “dead zone”•Anyone in that area would be shot
Cracks in Communism
• Berlin Wall–Turned into a system of walls
around West Berlin•Cut mail, telephone, subway service
to West Berlin•Purpose – to keep people in East
Berlin
Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
Fall of Communism
• USSR was starting to have economic problems–USA was spending on military and
the USSR felt in needed to keep up• They couldn’t product military goods
and civilian goods at the same time–Shortages of food and goods occurred
Lines
Fall of Communism
• Mikhail Gorbachev–Comes to power in 1985–Begins to make big changes
Fall of Communism
• Perestroika–Democracy•Move away from centralized power
–Move towards a free market system
Fall of Communism
• Glastnost–Openness in government of USSR•Allowed criticism•Attempt to combat corruption
Fall of Communism
• Foreign Policy of Gorbachev–Ended aid to East Bloc countries–Worked with USA to limit and
reduce nuclear weapons
Reagan and Gorbachev
Fall of Communism
• Countries begin to get rid of Communist governments–Poland, Hungary and
Czechoslovakia –Berlin Wall falls November 9, 1989•Border was opened and people tear
down the wall
Fall of Communism
• 1991–Soviet republics start to pull out• Latvia• Lithuania• Estonia
Fall of Communism
• August 1991–USSR fully disintegrates and ceases
to exist as of December 8, 1991