M A I N I D E A : R E VO LU T I O N T H E S U P E R P OW E R S S U P P O RT E D O P P O S I N G S I D E S I N L AT I N

A M E R I C A A N D M I D D L E E A S T E R N C ON F L I C T S

W H Y I T M ATT E R S N O W: M A N Y OF T H E S E A R E A S T OD AY A R E T R O U B L E D BY P O L I T I C A L ,

E C O N O M I C A N D M I L I TA RY C O N F L I C T A N D C R I S I S

The Cold War Divides the World

Fighting for the Third World

Third world nations around the world were struggling politically and economically. All were looking for a new political and economic system to help rebuild their country. The race was on between the Soviet Union and the United States, who would the nations side with? Soviet-style communism or American –style free markets?

Cold War Strategies Back wars of revolution, liberation or

counterrevolution CIA and KGB conducted covert missions,

everything from espionage to assassination

US gave military aid, built schools, combat poverty, volunteered in developing nations

Cold War Strategies

Foreign AidEspionageMultinational AlliancesPropagandaBrinksmanshipSurrogate Wars Page 983

Association of Nonaligned Nations Many nations were struggling and sought

aid from these superpowers (SU, US and sometimes China), but many others chose not to get involved

They formed a third force of countries that weren’t aligned after the Bandung Conference (Asian and African leaders met in 1955)

Confrontations in Latin America

After WWII, rapid industrialization, population growth and a growing gap between the rich and poor led Latin American countries to seek aid form the two battling superpowers

Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution 1950s Cuba was led by a dictator, Fulgenio Batista

(US supported Batista) There was a revolution, led by Fidel Castro, a young

lawyer In the beginning, people praised Castro for making

changes, but he was also a harsh dictator (suspended elections, executed political opponents and controlled the press)

Castro nationalized the Cuban economy and took over US owned sugar mills and refineries

President Eisenhower called for an embargo Cuba now looked to the Soviet Union for economic

and military aid Us began training anti-Castro Cuban exiles who then

carried out the Bay of Pigs Invasion – huge failure and an embarrassment to the US

Nuclear Face-off: The Cuban Missile Crisis Failure of the Bay of Pigs Invasion gave the Soviets

confidence that the US would not attempt to stop Soviet expansion in Latin America and Khrushchev started to build missile sites in Cuba (42)

US spy planes spotted these and ordered their removal, Khrushchev agreed is the US promised not to invade Cuba

Lasted 13 days

Civil War in Nicaragua US supported the dictatorship of Anastacio Samoza

since 1933 Us supported the anti-communist rebels in Nicaragua,

they were called the Contras (scandal)

Confrontation in the Middle East

The oil rich Middle East attracted both of the superpowers

Religious and Secular Values Clash in Iran Oil caused a clash between traditional religious

beliefs and more modern Western materialism The country was split, many nationalists wanted to get

rid of the Shah because he was getting too “westernized”

Nationalized British owned oil companies and forced Shah to flee, the US helped restore the Shah to power

The United States Supports Secular Rule Many people in Iran were getting rich, but many still

lived in poverty There was a division, the Shah was westernized,

whereas ayatollahs were opposed to western influence Eventually, Iran went back into the hands of more

traditional leaders

Khomeini’s Anti-US Policies Many in Iran started to resent the US because we

supported the Shah Revolutionaries seized the US embassy in Tehran and

took 60 Americans hostage and demanded that the US put the Shah on trial (hostages kept for 444 days)

Khomeini encouraged Muslim radicals to overthrow their secular governments

This policy heightened tensions in the region

Saddam Hussein government Iraq as a secular nations and war broke out between Iraq and Iran from 1980-1988

The US gave aid to both sides, they did not want the balance of power to shift

Soviet Union helped Iraq

The Superpowers Face Off in Afghanistan Afghanistan maintained its independence after WWII,

but in the 1950s, Soviets had more influence In the 1970s, a Muslim revolt threatened the

communist regime and the Soviets invaded in 1979 Tried to keep the communist government, but found

themselves stuck like the US in Korea and Vietnam (US supplied weapons to the Afghans – fast forward 20 something years… DOH!)

US armed the rebels because they felt the Soviets were a threat to Middle Eastern oil and President Carter warned against any advance to the Persian Gulf

US stopped grain shipments to the Soviets and boycotted the 1980 Olympics

In 1980, new Soviet president, Mikhail Gorbachev realized how devastating the war was and withdrew troops in 1989

By this time, the Soviet Union was being torn apart by internal unrest and economic problems

Answer the following questions in your notebook

What advantages and disadvantages might being nonaligned have offered a developing nation during the Cold War?

What similarities do you see among US actions in Nicaragua, Cuba and Iran?

What were the reasons that Islamic fundamentalists took control of Iran?

Cold War (who and what?)PerestroikaTotalitarianismWWII Fascist countriesNational Socialist PartyJapan’s approach to solving economic problems post

WWIAppeasement (who and what?)Blitzkrieg (weapons used by what country?)Operation OverlordHolocaust (who, what?)Final SolutionWhat country resisted Nazi invasion and how?Nuremberg TrialsUN (what is it, when was it created and why?)Middle Eastern countries reaction to creation of Israel?Atomic bombs (where and when were they used?)