Chapter 28

Who Started the Cold War? p. 865

Who Started the Cold War? p. 865

• American - tensions between the two nations at the end of World War II, the ideological conflict between both the United States and the Soviet Union, the emergence of nuclear weapons, and the fear of communism in the United States

• Soviet - Stalin believed the Soviet Union was the vehicle for spreading communism worldwide. Stalin stated his purposes plainly in 1945 that “whoever occupies a territory also imposes his own social system

The Truman Doctrine

The purpose was to establish that the United States would support a democratic nation under threat from an internal or external authoritarian force. This support could include economic, political, or military assistance.

The Marshall Plan

This aid provided much-needed capital and materials, enabling Europeans to rebuild the continent's economy. For the United States, it provided markets for American goods, created reliable trading partners, and supported the development of stable democratic governments in Western Europe.

Containment

During the Cold War, for example, the United States could use economic containment in the form of embargoes on the Soviet bloc and China to prevent its rivals from acquiring machinery and equipment that would strengthen their military power.

German partition

After Germany's defeat in World War II, the Allies each wanted to have some measure of control over the country, so it was split into four zones. These eventually merged and became known as West Germany and East Germany, which were separated by the Berlin Wall.

Berlin Airlift

successfully resisted Soviet pressure and avoided a shooting war, but it significantly contributed to the increased division between East and West and the growth of the Cold War.

Mutual Deterrence

two or more parties simultaneously deter each other, a process even more complicated to verify. Mutuality implies that both parties' threats raise such negative consequences that neither party takes action.

NATO / Warsaw Pact

The Warsaw Pact embodied what was referred to as the Eastern bloc, while NATO and its member countries represented the Western bloc. NATO and the Warsaw Pact were ideologically opposed and, over time, built up their own defences starting an arms race that lasted throughout the Cold War.

Korean War

• one of the most significant impacts of the containment policy of the U.S. government, aimed at preventing the spread of communism, and was one of the major proxy wars of the Cold War.

• A new border between North and South Korea was drawn, which gave South Korea some additional territory and demilitarized the zone between the two nations.

Ho Chi Minh

led a long and ultimately successful campaign to make Vietnam independent. He was president of North Vietnam from 1945 to 1969, and he was one of the most influential communist leaders of the 20th century. His seminal role is reflected in the fact that Vietnam's largest city is named for him.

Nikita Khrushchev

led the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War, serving as premier from 1958 to 1964. Though he largely pursued a policy of peaceful coexistence with the West, he instigated the Cuban Missile Crisis by placing nuclear weapons 90 miles from Florida.

Berlin Wall

• the first step towards German reunification. The political, economic, and social impact of the fall of the Berlin Wall further weakened the already unstable East German government

• prevented the West from having a further influence on the East, stop the flow of migrants out of the communist sector, and ultimately becoming the most iconic image of the Cold War in Europe. The United States quickly condemned the wall, which divided families and limited freedom of movement.

Cuban Missile Crisis

helped to thaw Cold War relations between the USA and the USSR. Both leaders had seen how their game of brinkmanship had nearly ended in nuclear war. Now they were more prepared to take steps to reduce the risk of nuclear war.

Decolonization

• The process of decolonization coincided with the new Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, and with the early development of the new United Nations. Decolonization was often affected by superpower competition and had a definite impact on the evolution of that competition.

• a catalyst for increasing conflict between the superpowers even in an era of détente, and the decolonization process in Southern Africa further eroded the influence of NATO and its allies as the cold war was coming to an end.

Kwame Nkrumah and Jomo Kenyatta

• Nkrumah was the first president of Ghana and a leading advocate of Pan-Africanism.

• Kenyatta was the first president of Kenya and a key figure in the struggle for Kenyan independence.

• Both men worked to promote African unity and independence during the Cold War, and their efforts helped to shape the course of African history.

Algeria and France

Algerian War, also called the Algerian War of Independence, (1954–62) war for Algerian independence from France. The movement for independence began during World War I (1914–18) and gained momentum after French promises of greater self-rule in Algeria went unfulfilled after World War II

Gandhi

While Gandhi was not alive during the Cold War, his ideas and teachings continued to have a profound impact on the world during this period. For example, the nonviolent resistance movements that Gandhi inspired were an important part of the struggle for civil rights and social justice in the United States during the Cold War.

Decolonization and the Cold War

During this period, Decolonization was a major factor in this competition, as newly independent states often had to choose between aligning with the United States or the Soviet Union in order to secure economic and military aid. The Cold War also influenced the way that decolonization unfolded, as the superpowers often intervened in the affairs of newly independent states in order to advance their own interests.

Twentieth Party Congress

• a meeting of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1956. At the meeting, Nikita Khrushchev criticized the former leader of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin, for his oppressive policies and economic failures.

• This speech was significant because it marked a change in the way the Soviet Union was governed, leading to a period of liberalization known as the "Khrushchev Thaw."

A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

The novel is set in a Soviet labor camp and follows a day in the life of a prisoner, Ivan Denisovich Shukhov. The book was significant during the Cold War because it was one of the first works of literature to expose the harsh realities of life in the Soviet Union under Stalin's regime. Despite the fact that the book was critical of the Soviet Union, it was not banned, which was unusual for a work of literature critical of the government.

De-Stalinization

a process of political reform in the Soviet Union that took place after the death of long-time leader Joseph Stalin in 1953. Hungarian Revolt, 1956. The policy of liberalization of the Stalinist system in the Soviet Union.

Leonid Brezhnev

important during the Cold War because he pursued a policy of détente, which was an attempt to ease tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States. This led to a series of arms control agreements, but he also oversaw the Soviet Union's military intervention in Afghanistan, which was costly and unpopular. Brezhnev's legacy is mixed, as he is remembered both for his contributions to the stability of the Soviet Union and for his role in the Soviet Union's military interventions.

Tito

He led the heroic Yugoslav war of resistance against the German and Italian fascists. As President of Yugoslavia, he forged a unified country of six different nations and charted an independent course for Yugoslavia's development.

Hungarian Revolt

• People in Hungary protested against the government, which was supported by the Soviet Union. The protests became a revolution, but the Soviet Union sent troops to stop it.

• The significance of the Hungarian Revolution was that it showed that the Soviet Union was willing to use force to keep control over its satellite states. It also showed that the United States was not willing to use military force to support anti-communist movements in Eastern Europe.

De Gaulle and the Fifth French Republic

• The significance of Charles de Gaulle and the Fifth French Republic during the Cold War was that they helped to restore French pride and influence on the world stage.. He believed that France should not be beholden to either the United States or the Soviet Union, and he pursued a policy of "national independence" that included developing France's own nuclear weapons

• . The establishment of the Fifth Republic in 1958, with de Gaulle as its first president, was a major turning point in French history. It replaced the unstable Fourth Republic and gave the president greater powers to govern. The Fifth Republic also helped to stabilize French politics and to restore France's status as a major world power.

“Economic miracle”

grown because of the Marshall plan from the US, ECSC and EEC, the expansion of trade, and the competition between the United States and the Soviet Union, the expansion of trade through the creation of the European Economic Community, and the competition between the United States and the Soviet Union, which motivated Western European nations to rebuild and modernize their economies.

Guest workers

Unemployment fell from 8 percent in 1950 to 0.4 percent in 1965. To maintain its economic expansion, West Germany even imported hundreds of thousands of guest workers, primarily from Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey, and Yugoslavia.

Welfare state

• refers to a system of government programs and policies that aim to provide social welfare and economic security for citizens

• it prevented the spread of communism

ECSC and EEC

significant during the cold war because they promoted economic and political integration in Europe. They both reduce the risk of future conflict between European nations and promoted economic growth

Consumer society

• contributed to economic growth, promoted Western values way of life, and has social and cultural implications

• seen as a symbol of the success of Western capitalism

• created goods and services

DeBeauvoir

• Her book “The Second Sex” is significant because it challenged traditional views of gender and sexuality, aimed for a feminist movement

• it raised awareness about women being discriminated against and for women to challenge traditional gender roles and assumptions

Theater of the Absurd (Waiting for Godot)

• This play is significant because of its existential themes, which reflected the sense of disillusionment that many people felt during this period

• seen as a response to the horrors of WW2 and Cold War

Existentialism and Camus

• Existentialism is a philosophical movement that emerged during the Cold War, characterized by a focus on individual freedom and choice in the face of life's uncertainties and absurdities.

• Camus's most famous work, "The Stranger," is a novel that explores themes of alienation and absurdity, and reflects the growing sense of uncertainty and anxiety in Western societies during the Cold War. Camus's work challenged traditional notions of morality and meaning, and emphasized the importance of personal choice and responsibility in a world without inherent purpose. His ideas resonated with many people during the Cold War, as they sought to make sense of a rapidly changing and unpredictable world.

• Camus and existentialism contributed to a broader cultural shift away from traditional values and towards individualism and skepticism.

Vatican II

• The significance of Vatican II during the Cold War lies in its efforts to promote interfaith dialogue, social justice, and peace, in a time when tensions between the West and the Soviet Union were high.

• Vatican II marked a significant shift in the Catholic Church's approach to the world, and had a lasting impact on the Church's engagement with social and political issues.

Americanization

Americanization was a significant phenomenon during the Cold War that referred to the spread of American culture and values around the world, particularly in Western Europe. The United States saw itself as a beacon of democracy and freedom, and sought to promote these values through cultural exports such as movies, music, and consumer goods. Americanization had significant social, cultural, and political implications, as it contributed to the growth of consumer societies, influenced popular culture, and reinforced American political and economic influence. Americanization was also a point of contention, as many Europeans saw it as a threat to their own cultural identity and values. The impact of Americanization during the Cold War can still be seen today in the continued global influence of American culture and the enduring legacy of American political and economic power.