COLD WAR - A severe disagreement embedded in ideology

The cold war

(post ww2 = 1947-1991)

• An ideological battle between the eastern and western bloc wherein spheres of influence had grown to become of opposing ideologies: capitalism vs communism

• The soviet controlled eastern bloc inspired the rise of communist governments across europe

• The western bloc placed democracy as the central political ideology for thriving economies and control of the military.

• No conventional warfare but nuclear stockpiling

The german situation post ww2 (BERLIN) & NATO

After ww1, germany was split in half with:

• Soviets occupying the east - EAST BERLIN/germany = German democratic republic

• Britain, France and the US occupying the west - WEST BERLIN/germany = Federal republic of germany

Under stalin, in 1948, the berlin blockade occured wherein the US responded with the Berlin airlift, supplying resources for months, forcing stalin to end blockade

NATO - military treaty created in 1949 as a defense against the soviet union.

THE STATE OF GERMANY (BERLIN CRISES)

• Approximately 2.7 million defections occurred from communist East Germany since 1949, mostly through West Berlin.

In early 1960’s, during the crisis of berlin, Khrushchev – the new leader of the soviet union attpemted at seucuring the entirety of berlin - even west berlin which was held by the US but failed increasing tensions between the eastern and western hemispheres.

1961 - a physical barrier bult due to berlin crises between west and east berlin 1961

• Kennedy was inherently against the building of the berline wall as he saw it as an act of communist repression. 

THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISES

resolution of the missile crisis

detente - an easing of tensions

brenzhnev replaces Khrushchev in mid 1960’s