The Cold War (1947-1991)

What happened to Germany after the Nazi regime collapsed?

The Allies (Britain, France, America, and the USSR) divided it into four political zones across West and East Germany.

Soviet Russia = Northeast

US = Southeast

France = Northwest

Britain = Southwest

Berlin was divided the same way.

What were the names and ideologies of the Allied leaders during 1945?

Britain = Winston Churchill, capitalist democrat

US = Franklin D. Roosevelt, capitalist democrat

France = Charles de Gaulle, leader of the Free French movement

USSR = Joseph Stalin, communist dictator

Why was Germany divided in 1945?

Because the Allies wanted to ensure that it would remain powerless.

Why did tensions arise between the Allies after Germany was split?

Their ambitions and ideologies did not align. Stalin stuck out worst of all because he was a dictator.

What happened to the Germans living in the USSR’s political zone in Germany?

Soviet Russia wanted reparations, so they pillaged literally everything from the Germans. The German citizens were extremely scared of that particular army that had stormed their city of Berlin, so scared that the other Allies were a relief to them.

People were forced to convert to communism or at least live under a communist government.

What is a cold war?

A war not necessarily involving lots of violence. Cold wars are more like rivalries than full-scale wars.

What was the Cold War?

A period of time starting from 1947 and ending in 1991 involving an intense geopolitical rivalry between the USA and Soviet Russia.

What was West Germany known as around 1948 when it was ruled by France, Britain, and the USA?

Trizonia, a democratic region.

What made Trizonia and East Germany different?

The treatment of the people – Trizonia allowed the people to elect a leader and paid for repairs whereas East Germany was pillaged and subjugated.

East Germany tried extricate itself from the west by forming its own currency. This was partially to prove that communism had no need for capitalist influence to the people.

Before the Berlin Blockade (1948), were there any borders between Trizonia and East Germany?

There were two land and two air routes between the two.

What was the Berlin Blockade (1948)?

Stalin shut down all the routes of crossing the Trizonia-East Germany border, trapping people inside for the specific purpose of keeping Berlin (which later began to put strain on its resources) inaccessible to the Allied countries. Supplies could not be delivered across the border without it being seen as an act of war. Stalin intended to prove communism’s superiority, especially to his people.

How did the Allies respond to the 1948 Berlin Blockade? Why?

They sent in supplies weekly by air to Berlin. This was done over ground transport because sending soldiers into foreign territory could have been interpreted as an act of war. By sending supplies by air, the Allies peacefully and successfully circumvented the blockade.

Which two countries were born after WW2 and being liberated from Japan?

North and South Korea. The Korean Peninsula was divided.

IMPORTANT: North Korea is communist, and South Korea is capitalist.

Why was the Korean Peninsula so tense after WW2?

Both leaders, communist and capitalist, thought they had a right to the whole peninsula as their ideology was correct.

What happened in June 1950 during the Korean War?

North Korea launched a surprise attack, rapidly capturing Seoul and pushing South Korean forces to the Southeast. The UN eventually retaliated and authorised military intervention. This territory was regained.

Why did China join the Korean War in October 1950?

Because it feared a hostile force that was anti-communist (South Korea) getting so close to its territory.

IMPORTANT: USSR and China backed the North; USA and Western Allies backed the South.

What happened at the end of the Korean War? (1953)

Armistice was reached, but a peace treaty was never signed. So, technically, the war never ended.

There is now the DMZ (demilitarised zone) that divides the two, a heavily-militarised border.

Why could the Korean War (1950-1953) be considered a proxy war?

Because powers with different ideologies (China and the USSR being communist and the USA/Allies being capitalist) fought indirectly using an entirely different nation and supporting their own sides.

What was the Space Race (1955-1975)?

A period of heavy competition during the Cold War between the USSR and the USA. Both sides competed against each other to fulfil technological milestones related to space exploration and therefore establish themselves as technologically superior.

What is a brief recollection of the events of the Space Race (1955-1975)?

• 1957 – USSR launches the Sputnik-1, the first artificial satellite. America has been beaten at the beginning and fears that the technology would be used for missiles.

• 1961 – USSR puts a man in space, the first to orbit the Earth (Yuri Gagarin). USA humiliated once more.

• 1961 – USA announces that, by the end of the decade, it would put a man on the moon. The pressure is on!

• 1962 – THIS WAS NOT A DIRECT PART OF THE SPACE RACE. Russia had nuclear missiles planted in Cuba, displaying their impressive technology. America feared the possibility of nuclear war FOR 13 DAYS.

• 1969 – The Apollo-11 shuttle lands. Victory for the USA!

• 1975 – An American and a Soviet spacecraft docked together in space; the astronauts shook hands. This marked a new time of cooperation and improved (but still relatively tense) relations.

What was the Berlin Wall (1961)?

A multi-layered border (layered as in with lots of added security) that divided East Berlin and West Berlin, completely segregating the residents.

Who erected the Berlin Wall (1961)?

Joseph Stalin.

What are some examples of the defences put around the brick Berlin Wall (1961)?

• Barbed wire

• Patrols

• Watchtowers

• Sand fields to identify footsteps, sometimes with mines

• Dogs

(IMPORTANT: IT BEGAN AS AN OVERNIGHT BARBED WIRE BARRIER)

What was the Berlin Wall (1961)’s purpose?

It was put there to prevent those under capitalist and those under communist rule from mingling within the capital city. Stalin wanted to prove that communism was better than capitalism and that those under his rule were better off.

Why was the Berlin Wall (1961) damaging?

Because it did little to no good for easing tension and tore apart the lives of citizens. Those with relatives or lives across the border were prohibited from travelling there UNDER PAIN OF DEATH. John F. Kennedy did not care about the wall enough to try and retaliate because it would have likely began another war.

It was pretty much just a governmental standoff without regard as to how it affected the people beyond ideological ‘cross contamination’.

What was the DDR (1949-1990)?

The Russian-controlled portion of Germany and Berlin.

DDR = Deustche Democratic Republic

Why was the DDR (1949-1990) created?

To keep all Western influence out of East Germany after the Berlin Blockade.

Who were the Stasi?

A bureaucratic, covert organisation of secret agents that would monitor people in order to weed out those deemed a threat to the DDR (dissidents or overt enemies alike). It was composed primarily of Russians, but also of communist-conforming Germans as well.

There was one Stasi officer for every 68 people. Anybody you knew could have secretly been a Stasi.

What were some of the methods that the Stasi used?

• Mass surveillance: Cameras would be hidden in the pockets of officers, homes while their inhabitants were away, and numerous areas of the public including in birdhouses. People, especially those deemed a threat, were constantly watched.

• Torture: Upon arresting dissidents, the Stasi would use various forms of torture including forcing people to stand in freezing water for hours and keeping people sleep deprived.

• Mass files: Around 5.6 million files of ordinary East German citizens were created; details of lives were documented as well as basic personal information.

• Keeping people distrustful of each other: Citizens could tip off a Stasi officer or unknowingly trust someone who was secretly a part of the Stasi.

Why were the Stasi damaging?

The constant, paranoid monitoring left very little privacy, one wrong move/word could land you arrested and tortured, and the surveillance was both covert and indiscriminate. It created mass fear, distrust, and paranoia.