21.1 origins of the cold war

cold war

-era of confrontation and competition between the United States and the Soviet Union that lasted from about 1946 to 1990

-Conflicting goals created mistrust and competing visions for rebuilding the world after WWII:

• US: Democracy, free elections, capitalism, individual freedoms

• USSR: One-party communist rule, state-controlled economy, limited political freedoms

iron curtain

-Churchill’s term for the political and ideological division of Europe between democratic West and communist East

-Spheres of influence:

• USSR dominated Eastern Europe

• U.S. influenced Western Europe

• each side tried to shape regions to match their political/economic systems

potsdam conference (July 1945)

-Truman met with Stalin primarily to work out a deal on Germany

satellite nation

-Communist nations in Eastern Europe – not under direct Soviet control, but had to remain Communist, friendly to the USSR and follow Soviet Policies

why did tensions grow between the US and the Soviet Union after WWII?

-ideological differences between American capitalism and Soviet communism, and opposing visions for the post-war world

-The Soviets established communist governments in Eastern Europe, which the US saw as expansionism (territorial expansion), while the USSR viewed this as a necessary buffer zone against future invasions

-Disagreements over the rebuilding of Germany, the spread of communism versus democracy, and an arms race also fueled the rivalry

at Yalta (February 1945), what agreement did the “big three” come to about Germany’s future after WWII?

-Allies planned postwar Europe

-agreed to divide Germany into zones

-USSR promised free elections in Eastern Europe (did not follow through)

do you think Roosevelt could have prevented the cold war?

-some argue his diplomacy could have postponed or changed its course, while others believe the conflict was inevitable due to deep-seated ideological differences

-some suggest his personal relationship with Stalin and diplomatic skills might have eased tensions after his death, whereas opponents point to Stalin's actions and the fundamental clash between U.S. and Soviet ideologies as the primary causes

list the events that led to the cold war (3)

1. ideological differences and post-war disagreements at the Potsdam Conference

2. the Soviet Union's consolidation of control over Eastern Europe (they were seen by the West as a violation of agreements and a clear indication of Soviet expansionism)

3. Berlin Blockade

why did the Soviet Union want the countries on its western border to have strong communist governments?

-to create a buffer zone against potential invasions from the West, ensure geopolitical security, and spread its communist ideology

-having these satellite states, loyal to the USSR, meant that a future conflict would first be fought on their territory, protecting the Soviet Union from devastation

Why did U.S. leaders promote both international trade and free enterprise?

international trade:

-American advisers thought the Depression had been overly severe because countries cut back on trade

-They believed that when nations seal themselves off economically, it forces them to go to war to get the resources they need

-By 1945 President Roosevelt and his advisers were convinced that economic growth was the key to world peace

-They wanted to promote economic growth by increasing world trade

free enterprise:

-they believed that democratic government with protections for people’s rights made countries more stable and peaceful

-They also thought that the free enterprise system (with private property rights and limited government intervention in the economy) was the best route to prosperity

How did the Potsdam conference hurt Soviet-American relations?

-Tensions rising

-U.S. had atomic bomb

-disagreements over Eastern Europe and German reparations widened distrust