HIST final

Cold War

USA v USSR 1947 - 1991

Tech of Cold War: Arms Race

Atom bombs: US ‘45, USSR ‘49

Hydrogen bombs: US ‘52, USSR ‘53

• delivered vis missiles, subs, long-range bombers

Tech of Cold War: Space Race

• Sputnik satellite ‘57 (USSR)

• People in space: ‘61 (USSR - Man), ‘63 (USSR-Woman)

• Human on moon: ‘69 (US - Apollo 11)

• NASA ‘58: civilian govt agency

• ‘70s: more cooperation, less competition

Cold War competing for allies

• split Europe west and east

• decolonization

• hot wars: proxy conflicts

Cold War decolonization

• end of European colonies/imperialism

• US v USSR trying to win over newly independent countries through:

  • propaganda

  • humanitarian aid

  • military aid

  • intelligence networks (CIA spies in Iran’53, Guatemala ‘54)

1917 Russian revolution

Change from Tsar → communism

• Feb take over by Mensheviks (moderate)

• Oct take over by Bolsheviks (radical)

• US troops to Eastern Russia to protect WWI weaponry

  • US didn’t formally recognize until ‘33

Involvement in WWII

• US and USSR forced allies

• Improved relations

  • US econ output

  • Soviets sacrificed

  • Stalin dissolved comintern ‘43

• Stalin criticized wait for D-Day

  • would have opened eastern front, taken pressure off of Soviet troops

US post WWII aims

1. favored more free trade

2. self-determination for colonial ppl

3. rebuild economy (even in Europe)

4. trustees of world peace (birth of UN ‘42 declaration → official by ‘45)

USSR post WWII aims

1. security: wanted new borders and border states (bc of WWII invasions)

2. economic rebuilding: massive devastation

Tehran Iran meeting

December 1943

• allies promised western front (D-Day)

• fate of other countries decided after the war

  • Baltic countries

  • Poland

Major Allied meetings

1. Tehran, Iran - Dec ‘43

2. Yalta in Crimea, Russia - Feb ‘45

3. Potsdam Berlin, Germany - Jul ‘45

Potsdam Berlin meeting

1. Germany

2. Poland

3. Return of Eastern Europe - Finland, Austria, Hungary

Germany focuses at Potsdam meeting

• demilitarization

• economics

• divide into occupation zones (US, USSR, GB, F)

• reparations (few but specific)

Poland focuses at Potsdam meeting

• boarders

• free elections

• Lublin v London: Polish govt

Blocs

US: saw USSR as expansionist

• Marshall Plan, NATO

USSR: saw US as expansionist

• Tighter hold on Hungary and Czechoslovakia, Warsaw Pact

‘47 speeches:

• Stalin “capitalist encirclement”

• Truman Doctrine “containment” of communism

1963-1978

Thawed some stage of Cold War

1947-1963

Intense/”coldest” stage of Cold War

1978-1985

Cooler again stage of Cold War

1985-1991

Thaw before end stage of Cold War

First stage: Intense ‘47-63

• Korean War

• Cuba

Korean War

Korean Peoples Republic (Kim II Sung) v South Republic of Korea (Syngman Rhee, UN, China communists in ‘49)

• NK invades June 25

• American counterattack

  • Pusan Inchon

  • Gen Douglas MacArthur

• limited war

• armistice (truce)

• consequences:

  • 3-4 mill dead

  • 38th parallel split

  • US v China relations

  • US troops not segregated

Cuba conflicts ‘47-63

• Cuban revolution "(‘59)

  • Castro and Fulgencio Batista

• Bay of Pigs invasion: JFK armed Floridian cubans and sent to invade Apr ‘61

• Cuban missile crisis, Oct ‘62 Nikita Kruschev of USSR supplied

Second stage: Thawed some ‘63-79

• Vietnam War ‘65-73

• Czechoslovakia ‘68

• Detente: reduce Nuke arsenals

  • Strategic Arms Limitation Talks btwn Nixon and Leonid Brexhnev

Third Stage: cooler ‘79-85

• hot wars in Afghanistan, Poland (under martial law), El Salvador, Nicaragua, Grenada

• ideological rhetoric

• military build-up

Fourth stage: thawed ‘85-91

• Mikael Gorbachev

• Poland’s solidarity labor movement ‘80s

• East Germany rebels against USSR

  • Berlin wall ‘89

• End of USSR ‘91

Mikael Gorbachev role in fourth stage

• more arms treaties

• getting out of Afghanistan

• liberalizing conditions in USSR

Cold War military impact

• Larger standing army: Universal military training (draft) ‘46

size: ‘38 <200,000 → ‘49 3 mill

• National Security Act ‘47

National Security Act 1947

• Dept of Defense covering ALL branches of military

• Created CIA

• Created Nat Security Council → Nat Security Agency formed ‘52

Cold War economic impact

Military spending shot up

• research

• military-industrial complex (network of military orgs)

Cold War social effects

• Red Scare

  • fear communists in US govt

  • loyalty tests: investigated fed employees (esp debtors, alcs, gays who were seen as easily manipulated/blackmailed by communists)

  • House of Reps Un-American Activities Committee conducted investigations of local districts, Hollywood, unions

  • Sen Joseph McCarthy: WI rep, went after ppl

Trends in 1945-80

• GNP continually increasing

• Producer to service economy

• More intl trade

Change in jobs (production → service)

1920s: 65% manufacturing

1980s: 65% service

• roles in health, entertainment, finance, telecom, edu, data processing

Change in de-industrialization (production → service)

Within US: move to southern states

• cheaper, non-union labor, and tax incentives offered

Outsource from other countries

More intl trade (production → service)

Exports and imports significantly increasing

• Made up ~ 3% of GDP in 50s

• Made up ~ 8% of GDP in 90s

US Fed Cold War spending

Focused on military and space

• defense budget

• research:

  • 90% aviation and space research

  • 65% electricity and electronic work

  • 42% R&D for scientific instruments

    • ‘64: 2/3 of all R&D in US Fed funded

Fed Regulation ‘45-80

1. Progressives (first wave)

2. New Deal (Economics)

3. 60s & 70s (Human)

• environmental, occupational, consumer (cars/roads)

Fed Infrastructure ‘45-80

• Interstate Highway Act of 1956

  • 40,000 miles

Fed “Great Society”

1. Medicare/Medicaid: health insurance

2. Edu: preschool, K-12, higher ed

3. “War on Poverty”: food stamps, job training, urban development

4. Misc: civil rights, environmental, etc