WH: Unit 8 Notes
Unit 8: Cold War and Decolonization
-Soviet Union (USSR)
-Goals:
-Spread communism
-Contain US Imperialism
-US
-Goals:
- “Containment” of Communism
- Expand capitalism
-War in which two major superpowers competed without directly attacking one another
-Global nuclear destruction kept each other at bay (MAD: mutually assured destruction)
-Symbolic start of the Cold War
-Oppose Communist expansion during the early post-WWII period
-U.S. gave Greece and Turkey $400 million in aid
- “European Recovery Program”
-The US provided $12.5bil in non-military aid to European nations to help rebuild their economies and subdue Communism
-USSR blockaded Berlin from the “West”
-U.S. airlifted 1.5 million tons of supplies to West Berlin
-After 200k flights, the USSR lifted the blockade
-North Atlantic Treaty Organization
-Designed as a mutual defense against the USSR
-The USSR formed its alliance after it felt threatened by NATO and the addition of West Germany
-USSR
-Albania
-Bulgaria
-Czechoslovakia
-East Germany
-Hungary
-Poland
-Romania
-Mao Zedong won a Communist revolution
-Proclaimed the People’s Republic of China
-Sino-Soviet Pact: Signed an alliance with the USSR
Takeaway: Bourquousie Marx thinking→ Red guards ruin the cultural heritage
Thesis: After WWII, the US and USSR came out victorious; however, the US provided aid to their former enemies and formed alliances with them, despite the USSR’s differing system of communism.
-proxy wars led to things still going on to this day
Unit 8.1 Setting the Stage for the Cold War & Deconolization
-The Cold War was a standoff between the United States and the soviet union that lasted for 40 years
- Decolonization - a process in which empires were broken up and former colonies gained independence
- seemingly unrelated but were caused by intertwining causes and relationships
-The big three, the US, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union met trying to figure out how to order the world after the wars with the Yalta Conference and the Potsdam conference
- Early 1944 Yalta conference, FDR wanted free elections in Eastern Europe after war
- Stalin gave vague assurances that free elections would occur in Eastern Europe after the war, but wanted it under soviet influence to act as a buffer zone between Russia and Europe
-July 1945 Potsdam Conference, Big 3 but FDR died and was replaced by Harry Truman who also insisted on free elections in Europe
- but Stalin already occupied most of the Eastern European lands so he refused Truman’s demands, deepening the rift between Russia and the US
- when WW2 was over the US and the soviet union emerged as the 2 greatest superpowers in the world,
- The US- they were more fortunate than other superpowers because no fighting was done in the US except for the bombing of Pearl Harbor
- but industry and main cities were untouched so their economy was fine, they offered 12$ Billion in aid for rebuilding European cities - Marshall Plan
- Russia because even though they lost so many people and sustained major damages, the population of the Soviet Union was so large they could spare it,
- Stalin aggressively built up the industrial capacity of the Soviet Union, and any other country that could’ve taken the top industrial spot was exhausted and broke from WWII
- The atomic bomb launch from the US to Japan is what started the conflict, Russia wondered how Americans could have such devastating technology and not tell allies
- Cold War - State of hostility between 2 countries that doesn’t result in open warfare, mostly carried out through threat, propaganda, and arms race
-by the start of WW1 the process of empire-building and colonization had reached its peak, imperial states held colonies all over the world
- colonies fought for parent countries with the hope that that would earn them the right to become free and independent nations,
- after WWI was over Woodrow Wilson strongly agreed with letting nations have the right to self-determination, the right to choose their form of government
- Didn’t happen between the 2 World Wars so during WWII colonies once again came to help parent countries in hopes of self-determination, but because the parent countries were all broke it was hard for them to send troops to repress the calls for independence
-so colonies gained support from the US and Soviet Union to become free
Unit 8.2 The Cold War
8.2: The Cold War
-Iron curtain: the split between Eastern and Western Europe
US
-capitalist goods (goods that make other goods) owned privately
-Economic decisions made by private interests
-Democracy- free elections to elect their leaders
-Free elections and independent press
-Role of women
-Women were not as equal
-The soviets were mocked for not giving their people freedom
-Economic assets owned by the government
-Emphasized equality and fairness
-Authoritarianism- dominated by a single political party and had a strong despotic leader
-Elections operated by government
-Role of women
-Women were made equal
-The soviets said that the US gave their people the “freedom to starve
-Both countries constantly want to expand, leading to conflicts because both want to remake the world in their image
-Soviet satellite countries (also called the Soviet Bloc)
-Bulgaria
-East Germany
-Hungary
-Poland
-Romania
-These countries developed 5yr economic plans that developed industries and collective agriculture, outlawing any other political parties than the communists
-Allowed the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)
-Containment: contain communism due to its spread during anti-capitalist revolts
-Marshall Plan
-US attempt to take Western Europe in its image by offering 12 billion dollars to help the Western European economies
The rationale was that it would prevent a shift into communism because economy was fine, surprisingly worked
-Truman Doctrine
-A speech from President Truman in 1947 outlining how they would stop communist influence
-promised military aid to any country that was being threatened by the spread of communism
-Looked specifically at Turkey and Greece
-Soviets wanted to put a military base in Turkey and communist groups were close to taking over the government in Greece
-Arms Race
-Bombs
-Even more powerful nuclear bomb (Russia, 1947)
-hydrogen bombs (both powers, 1950’s)
-Intercontinental ballistic missile (Russia, 1959): capable of delivering a nuclear warhead into US territory
-However they never fired at each other because they both realized they had hit a point of mutual assured destruction meaning that no matter who started the war, both would be obliterated by the end of it
-Functioned on a balance of terror, assured by the fact that both countries can and will keep advancing
-Space Race
-Started in 1957 when Russia launched Sputnik, the first artificial satellite into orbit, followed by the US in January of 1958
-The competition came to be who could launch the first armed satellite, and then who would be the first to land a man on the moon
-Non-Aligned Movement: African and Asian nations wanted to enjoy their freedom and stay far away from the conflict
-Established during the Bandung conference organized between China, India and 27 other countries to keep the African and Asian universities away from the Cold War
-Wanted an alternate framework for international economic political and social order
-Passed resolutions condemning colonialism
-1950: North Korea (Communist) invaded South Korea (Capitalist)
-US forces to assist South Korea; No formal declaration of war
-U.N. used military force to oppose aggression (1st time ever)
-US bombed 18 North Korean cities
-Chinese troops entered at the end
-1953: ceasefire declared
-Korea remains divided
Takeaway: 1.6 civilians died (more than those in the military)
I believe that they should stay at the line
-1957: USSR launched Sputnik- first satellite to orbit Earth
-1958: US created NASA
-1960: JFK pledged to put a man on the moon
-1961: Communist East Germany constructed the Berlin Wall to prevent East Germans from fleeing to West Berlin
Takeaway: brain drain 1.6 million people left E Germany→ to stabilize the economy
4 decades
106 3.6m
Thesis: During the Cold War, the fear of more power over another led to the involvement in other “wars” such as the Korean War without ever declaring it and while sending the first man to the moon.
-1959: Fidel Castro took power and nationalized industries (including US assets)
-Signed treaties with the USSR
-US began an embargo to encourage political change
-Bay of Pigs (1961): US- Castro defeated an organized invasion force of Cuban exiles
-Kennedy took responsibility for the disaster
-1962: USSR installed nuclear missiles in Cuba
-JFK ordered a blockade of Cuba until the USSR removed its missiles
-USSR removed the missiles after tense negotiations
Takeaways: Castro: he was a suicidal hardcore bike rider→ led to him being crazy
Krushchev: He is a Russian peasant with humility and experience in the war, which allows him to connect to JFK
JFK: The Japanese were very loyal→ The people were very devoted to their mother country
Heimler Notes:
8.3 The Effects of the Cold War
The Cold War produced new military alliances, proxy wars, and the buildup of nuclear weapons
-NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization):
-Formed in response to communism in Eastern Europe to coordinate defenses in case of soviet conflicts
-Pledged mutual support and cooperation
United States
Great Britain
France
Canada
Belgium
Norway
Luxembourg
Denmark
Portugal
Iceland
Italy
the Netherlands
-In retaliation the Soviets made the Warsaw pact:
Soviet Union
Czechoslovakia
East Germany
Romania
Hungary
Poland
Albania
Bulgaria.
-Became known as the communist bloc
-Other attempts/success to stop the spread of communism
-Albania
-withdrew the Warsaw pact in 1968 and came closely tied to China
-Yugoslavia
-under Marshall Josip Broz Tito didn't join the Warsaw pact, however it ended up breaking up into Slovenia, Serbia, and Croata
-South Asian Treaty Organization (SEATO): alliance between Australia, France, Great Britain, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, and the US
-Central Treaty Organization (CENTO): anti-soviet treaty organization to prevent the spread of communism in the Middle East:
Great Britain
Iran
Iraq
Pakistan
Turkey
US on military committee
-United Nations: 40 alliances formed by the US during the Cold War, built to make negotiations between the two easier
-Korean War
-after WW2 ended the Allies divided Korea into North and South Korea
-The north was occupied by the Soviets, and the South was occupied by the U.S. and its allies
-1950 North Korea invaded South Korea to create a single state under its own leadership
-The United Nations came to the aid of South Korea *mostly the United States
-Soviets didn’t apply any troops to the North Koreans to help, but they did send tons of guns
-UN forces pushed the North Koreans up to the Chinese border
-China saw this and started to fear that the UN forces would then invade China, so they sent troops to aid the North Koreans
-by 1953 the conflict ended in a stalemate because everything in the two countries remained largely as they were before the war, except that three million people were dead as a result
-Angolan Civil War (1975)
-Angola: a colony of Portugal
-During imperialism it was divided up by a parent country with no regards to rival people
-each of these groups fought against the Portuguese and actually won their independence
-This lead to a power struggle for who has control over Angola (especially because of the diamond mines), where the US backed the Bankongo, the Soviets backed the Mbundu tribe, and South Africa backed the Ovimnundu
-Contra War in Nicaragua
-In 1979 the Sandinista National Liberation Front, who were self-proclaimed socialists, seized power in Nicaragua
-two years later the U.S. backed a group of contras who tried to overthrow the Sandinistas, who in turn had support from the Soviet Union
-attempted to overthrow the contras committed many human rights violations, and in the end, the conflict ended in a cease-fire, and the Sandinistas were handily defeated in the next election
-Vietnam War
-Dwight D Eisenhower sent to South Vietnam to train the Vietnamese soldiers for a communist takeover in North Vietnam
-FDR increased the number of advisers from 1000 to 16000, and while many believed that the US could not afford to lose in Vietnam
-A military coup overthrew the corrupt Vietnamese ruler with US support, and then to prevent Vietnam from becoming communist Lyndon Johnson sent more US troops down there
-Context: Bay of Pigs Crisis
-Communist revolutionary Fidel Castro came to power in Cuba, setting up a dictatorship
-Nationalized many foreign industries (phone and electrical companies such as Texaco, Esso, and Sinclair oil companies as well as 36 US-owned sugar mills)
-The US broke off trade with Cuba, and cut diplomatic ties, and when FDR came to power, he gave support for an invasion of Cuba, the Bay of Pigs, which failed and cemented the Cuba-Soviet alliance
What actually happens:
-Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev shipped nuclear missiles to Cuba
-Felt justified in doing so because of the US missiles in Turkey (places summer of 1961)
-1962 U.S. spy planes discovered these missile sites, and understandably the U.S. was outraged
-FDR ordered a naval blockade to surround the island of Cuba if you’re Fidel Castro and the U.S. Navy sends warships to surround your island, that is not a neutral action (declaration of war)
-Then for 13 days everyone was terrified as sh*t started getting real, but the missiles were never fired.
This terror produced:
-Hotline: direct telegraph/teleprinter link between the US and the Soviet leaders’ offices
-Nuclear Test-ban treaty: outlawed nuclear testing above ground, underwater, and in space to cut down on radiation exposure
-Not signed by France or China
-Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act: called upon non-nuclear countries to not develop nuclear technology
-Anti-nuclear weapons movements
-Japanese petition against nuclear technology
-Protests in NYC
-North Vietnam: Communist (Soviet Influence)
-South Vietnam: Capitalist (US influence)
-Gulf of Tonkin Incident (1964): North Vietnamese boats allegedly fired on US ships. Provided the US justification for war.
-No formal declaration of war
-US believed it needed to stop the spread of communism
-US fought against the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and the Vietcong
-1967: 485k+ troops used “search-and-destroy” tactics
-Rolling Thunder (1965): The US dropped 7mil+ tons of bombs (3x the amount the US dropped during WWII)
-First war to be televised
Takeaway: barely had any covering (clothing) because it is so hot→ more pressure while they are just trying to survive (what if they die on the scene)
-Tet Offensive: Viet Cong and North Vietnam launched surprise attacks. Although they failed, 14k+ died and mistrust grew (moral victory)
-My Lai Massacre: The US killed 500+ civilians, including women, children, and infants. (some were raped and their bodies mutilated; only one US soldier was convicted)
-Protests disrupted everyday life
-Motives:
-High death count
-the draft was unpopular
-People believed the war was unjust
-Why did this war have more protests than any other war?
-The war we were not involved in and many people saw it as a waste of lives and money (they withdrew and then they lost)
-US sprayed- 20mil gallons of chemicals to destroy concealment
-Had lasting impacts on Vietnam
-3mil+ died; 58k US soldiers died
-Vietnam was united under Communism
-Carried out by the Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot between 1975-1979
-Left 1.5 to 2 million people dead (20% of the pop)
Results of the Vietnam War vs Korean
-Vietnam united while Korea remained in a stalemate leaving the nation divided
Takeaway:
1.MOther transmits them to the babies→ dioxin transmitted from mother to babies
2. TCDD (one of the most dangerous chemicals ever manufactured)
3. The government provides a monthly payment to cover 220k families
Heimler Notes:
The Spread of Communism
Overall (summary): During the period of the Cold War, Communism began to spread in various parts of the world. Notably in Africa (Ethiopia) and Asia (China,Vietnam, India, and Iran). In general, Communism wasn't that beneficial but rather a failure.
China
- (1927) Was conflict between Chinese communists and Chinese nationalists.
-For a moment, this conflict paused because both united to fight against Japan which wanted to invade the northern part of China. WWII took care of Japan and the conflict began again (Chinese Civil War).
- Communists won, party was led by Mao Zedong.
- Under his ruling, China's industry was nationalized and land was redistributed to the peasants.
- Major reform was GREAT LEAP FORWARD REFORM.
- Peasant lands were collectivized by the state. Similar to what Stalin did in Russia where famine occurred as the result of a rebellion which was a response to the reform by Stalin. Mao avoided this by establishing REEDUCATION CAMPS.
- REEDUCATION CAMPS- Manipulated the people to make them believe that Mao's policies were beneficial.
- If this didn't occur, you were killed.
-As a result, the Great Leap Forward reform was not good: numerous harvests failed, and to make everything appear right, Mao kept exporting what was grown. Resulted in the death of 20 million Chinese.
Iran
- Muhammad Reza Pahlavi, was authoritarian with harsh policies but some good ones as well (ex: social welfare and women's suffrage).
- Land reform: WHITE REVOLUTION. Named this because there was no blood involved.
- WHITE REV: government forcibly bought land from the wealthy landowners and resold it to the peasants for a much lower price. Helped some people.
Vietnam
- After gaining their independence from France and Japan after WWII, communists came to power in North Vietnam.
- Communists seized lan from the wealthy and redistributed it to the poor
India
- Became independent in 1947. Also had land reforms but in some places, it was a success and in others not so much. An example of success was in Kerala.
- Tenants gained the right to purchase land, then laws were passed to allow them to have full ownership of their land.
Ethiopia
- (1974) Menguistu Haile Mariam led an overthrow of the Ethiopian gov't, believed it was a puppet of Western powers.
- Rebellion was a success, he established a socialist gov't. The Soviet Union liked this and supported Ethiopia.
- Under this gov't similar to the rest, land redistribution was prioritized but resulted in famine and economic policies, as well as brutality
-Process by which colonies become independent of the colonizing country
-After WWII, many countries broke from their colonizing country
-Indian National Congress: United movement that used civil disobedience to support independence
-Muslim League (f. 1906): advocated for a separate nation for Muslims in South Asia
-After WWII, Britain negotiated an end to colonial rule
-Partition of India (1947):
-India (Hindu majority)
-Pakistan (Muslim majority)
-Palestine was a British Mandate after WWII
-Jewish migrants moved to Palestine to escape anti-semitism and/or to create a “Jewish homeland”
-Zionism: movement for the establishing a Jewish nation
-UN: Divided the land into two states- Israel and Palestine
-1948 Arab-Israeli War: Israel defeated Arab forces (no Palestinian state)
-Nakba (1948): mass exodus of -750k Arabs from Palestine
-Many African states gained independence
-Ghana won independence from Britain (1957)
-West African countries (Senegal, Ivory Coast, etc.) broke from France
-Algeria fought a war to break from France (1962)
Thesis: After WWII, European mother countries lost their wealth and power, which assisted their colonies such as Ghana and India in gaining freedom and independence.
Be specific about the big things like someone does not know what is going on
-Colonization laid the groundwork for Cold War involvement
-Europe divided Africa into territories (Berlin Conference), setting the stage for post-colonial struggles
-African nations sought freedom from colonial rule
-Superpowers supported independence movements aligned with their ideologies, leading to alliances and conflicts
-US: Supported anti-communist leaders, often backing authoritarian regimes to counter Communism
-Soviet Union: Provided aid to Communisy movements to counter US Imperialism
-African nations became battleground states for the superpower’s ideological and strategic conflicts
-(Angola, Mozambique, Somalia, Ethiopia, Congo, and more)
-Cold War conflicts diverted resources away from development, exacerbating poverty, and hindering economic progress
-African nations became economically dependent on their Cold War allies
-Proxy conflicts resulted in significant civilian casualties, displacement, and suffering
-Both sides committed human rights abuses in pursuit of their strategic interests
-Mohandas Gandhi, India: led civil disobedience campaigns against British rule
-MLK Jr.: used civil disobedience to fight segregation (inspired by Gandhi)
-Nelson Mandela, South Africa: fought violently against apartheid before transitioning to nonviolence after jail
-Dictatorships responded violently to internal conflicts
-Franciso Franco, Spain: used violence to suppress left-wing dissent
-Idi Amin, Uganda: used violence on dissident ethnic groups
-Augusto Pinochet, Chile: used violence against left-wing dissent (including “death squads”)
-Non-government groups used violence for political change
-Irish Republican Army (IRA), Northern Ireland: used violence to oust the British (Before 1990)
-Basque Separists, Spain: used violence to gain independence
-Shining Path, Peru: Communist group who attempted a revolution
-Boko Haram: jihadist group based in Nigeria
-Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA): Extremist Christian group operating in Uganda
-Al Qaeda: attacked the US in 2001 to get the US out of the Middle East
-After 9/11, the US invaded Afghanistan (2001) and Iraq (2003); (“War on Terror”)
-Oklahoma City Bombing, US: Anti-government terrorists attacked a federal building (168 killed)
-Russia:
-Moscow Theater Hostage Crisis (2002): Chechen separatists raided a theater (killed 170)
-Crocus City Hall attack (2024): ISIS attacked a music venue (killed 145)
-1972: Nixon established ties with China (changed the balance of power with the USSR
-Détente: Easing of Cold War tensions
-The rapprochement changed the balance of power within the USSR
-Why do you think the US started to trade with China despite the economic differences between them?
-If the USSR and the US go to war then China would not join in
-taking away the USSR's biggest trading partner
-Muslim guerrilla fighters (Mujahideen) resisted
-CIA supported the Mujahideen
-1989: Soviets withdrew after losing billions
-Soviet-Afghan War = the Soviet “Vietnam war”
-1989: Massive protests led to the fall of Berlin War
-1990: Germany reunified
-Contributed to unrest throughout Eastern Europe/USSR
-Velvet Revolution, Czechoslovakia: lead to democratic reforms in 1989
-Solidarity Movement, Poland: a popular movement that pushed for political freedom and democracy in 1990
-Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia. Lithuania): gained independence in 1991
-To address concerns, the USSR started two policies:
-Glasnost (Openness): loosening of government power and allowing the media to critique the government
-Perestroika (Restructuring): restructure the economy and decentralize decision-making
-1991: These policies led to the fall of the USSR
Takeaways: Last Soviet president gave false hope→ led to the fall of the innovation and economy
-Stagnation with a large military funding and a foreign policy…
Thesis Statements: After leaving Afghanistan, the Soviet Union's economy fell like dominos, leading to newly independent states, the collapse of the Berlin Wall, and new reforms to level with the Western powers. xf
Unit 8: Cold War and Decolonization
-Soviet Union (USSR)
-Goals:
-Spread communism
-Contain US Imperialism
-US
-Goals:
- “Containment” of Communism
- Expand capitalism
-War in which two major superpowers competed without directly attacking one another
-Global nuclear destruction kept each other at bay (MAD: mutually assured destruction)
-Symbolic start of the Cold War
-Oppose Communist expansion during the early post-WWII period
-U.S. gave Greece and Turkey $400 million in aid
- “European Recovery Program”
-The US provided $12.5bil in non-military aid to European nations to help rebuild their economies and subdue Communism
-USSR blockaded Berlin from the “West”
-U.S. airlifted 1.5 million tons of supplies to West Berlin
-After 200k flights, the USSR lifted the blockade
-North Atlantic Treaty Organization
-Designed as a mutual defense against the USSR
-The USSR formed its alliance after it felt threatened by NATO and the addition of West Germany
-USSR
-Albania
-Bulgaria
-Czechoslovakia
-East Germany
-Hungary
-Poland
-Romania
-Mao Zedong won a Communist revolution
-Proclaimed the People’s Republic of China
-Sino-Soviet Pact: Signed an alliance with the USSR
Takeaway: Bourquousie Marx thinking→ Red guards ruin the cultural heritage
Thesis: After WWII, the US and USSR came out victorious; however, the US provided aid to their former enemies and formed alliances with them, despite the USSR’s differing system of communism.
-proxy wars led to things still going on to this day
Unit 8.1 Setting the Stage for the Cold War & Deconolization
-The Cold War was a standoff between the United States and the soviet union that lasted for 40 years
- Decolonization - a process in which empires were broken up and former colonies gained independence
- seemingly unrelated but were caused by intertwining causes and relationships
-The big three, the US, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union met trying to figure out how to order the world after the wars with the Yalta Conference and the Potsdam conference
- Early 1944 Yalta conference, FDR wanted free elections in Eastern Europe after war
- Stalin gave vague assurances that free elections would occur in Eastern Europe after the war, but wanted it under soviet influence to act as a buffer zone between Russia and Europe
-July 1945 Potsdam Conference, Big 3 but FDR died and was replaced by Harry Truman who also insisted on free elections in Europe
- but Stalin already occupied most of the Eastern European lands so he refused Truman’s demands, deepening the rift between Russia and the US
- when WW2 was over the US and the soviet union emerged as the 2 greatest superpowers in the world,
- The US- they were more fortunate than other superpowers because no fighting was done in the US except for the bombing of Pearl Harbor
- but industry and main cities were untouched so their economy was fine, they offered 12$ Billion in aid for rebuilding European cities - Marshall Plan
- Russia because even though they lost so many people and sustained major damages, the population of the Soviet Union was so large they could spare it,
- Stalin aggressively built up the industrial capacity of the Soviet Union, and any other country that could’ve taken the top industrial spot was exhausted and broke from WWII
- The atomic bomb launch from the US to Japan is what started the conflict, Russia wondered how Americans could have such devastating technology and not tell allies
- Cold War - State of hostility between 2 countries that doesn’t result in open warfare, mostly carried out through threat, propaganda, and arms race
-by the start of WW1 the process of empire-building and colonization had reached its peak, imperial states held colonies all over the world
- colonies fought for parent countries with the hope that that would earn them the right to become free and independent nations,
- after WWI was over Woodrow Wilson strongly agreed with letting nations have the right to self-determination, the right to choose their form of government
- Didn’t happen between the 2 World Wars so during WWII colonies once again came to help parent countries in hopes of self-determination, but because the parent countries were all broke it was hard for them to send troops to repress the calls for independence
-so colonies gained support from the US and Soviet Union to become free
Unit 8.2 The Cold War
8.2: The Cold War
-Iron curtain: the split between Eastern and Western Europe
US
-capitalist goods (goods that make other goods) owned privately
-Economic decisions made by private interests
-Democracy- free elections to elect their leaders
-Free elections and independent press
-Role of women
-Women were not as equal
-The soviets were mocked for not giving their people freedom
-Economic assets owned by the government
-Emphasized equality and fairness
-Authoritarianism- dominated by a single political party and had a strong despotic leader
-Elections operated by government
-Role of women
-Women were made equal
-The soviets said that the US gave their people the “freedom to starve
-Both countries constantly want to expand, leading to conflicts because both want to remake the world in their image
-Soviet satellite countries (also called the Soviet Bloc)
-Bulgaria
-East Germany
-Hungary
-Poland
-Romania
-These countries developed 5yr economic plans that developed industries and collective agriculture, outlawing any other political parties than the communists
-Allowed the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)
-Containment: contain communism due to its spread during anti-capitalist revolts
-Marshall Plan
-US attempt to take Western Europe in its image by offering 12 billion dollars to help the Western European economies
The rationale was that it would prevent a shift into communism because economy was fine, surprisingly worked
-Truman Doctrine
-A speech from President Truman in 1947 outlining how they would stop communist influence
-promised military aid to any country that was being threatened by the spread of communism
-Looked specifically at Turkey and Greece
-Soviets wanted to put a military base in Turkey and communist groups were close to taking over the government in Greece
-Arms Race
-Bombs
-Even more powerful nuclear bomb (Russia, 1947)
-hydrogen bombs (both powers, 1950’s)
-Intercontinental ballistic missile (Russia, 1959): capable of delivering a nuclear warhead into US territory
-However they never fired at each other because they both realized they had hit a point of mutual assured destruction meaning that no matter who started the war, both would be obliterated by the end of it
-Functioned on a balance of terror, assured by the fact that both countries can and will keep advancing
-Space Race
-Started in 1957 when Russia launched Sputnik, the first artificial satellite into orbit, followed by the US in January of 1958
-The competition came to be who could launch the first armed satellite, and then who would be the first to land a man on the moon
-Non-Aligned Movement: African and Asian nations wanted to enjoy their freedom and stay far away from the conflict
-Established during the Bandung conference organized between China, India and 27 other countries to keep the African and Asian universities away from the Cold War
-Wanted an alternate framework for international economic political and social order
-Passed resolutions condemning colonialism
-1950: North Korea (Communist) invaded South Korea (Capitalist)
-US forces to assist South Korea; No formal declaration of war
-U.N. used military force to oppose aggression (1st time ever)
-US bombed 18 North Korean cities
-Chinese troops entered at the end
-1953: ceasefire declared
-Korea remains divided
Takeaway: 1.6 civilians died (more than those in the military)
I believe that they should stay at the line
-1957: USSR launched Sputnik- first satellite to orbit Earth
-1958: US created NASA
-1960: JFK pledged to put a man on the moon
-1961: Communist East Germany constructed the Berlin Wall to prevent East Germans from fleeing to West Berlin
Takeaway: brain drain 1.6 million people left E Germany→ to stabilize the economy
4 decades
106 3.6m
Thesis: During the Cold War, the fear of more power over another led to the involvement in other “wars” such as the Korean War without ever declaring it and while sending the first man to the moon.
-1959: Fidel Castro took power and nationalized industries (including US assets)
-Signed treaties with the USSR
-US began an embargo to encourage political change
-Bay of Pigs (1961): US- Castro defeated an organized invasion force of Cuban exiles
-Kennedy took responsibility for the disaster
-1962: USSR installed nuclear missiles in Cuba
-JFK ordered a blockade of Cuba until the USSR removed its missiles
-USSR removed the missiles after tense negotiations
Takeaways: Castro: he was a suicidal hardcore bike rider→ led to him being crazy
Krushchev: He is a Russian peasant with humility and experience in the war, which allows him to connect to JFK
JFK: The Japanese were very loyal→ The people were very devoted to their mother country
Heimler Notes:
8.3 The Effects of the Cold War
The Cold War produced new military alliances, proxy wars, and the buildup of nuclear weapons
-NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization):
-Formed in response to communism in Eastern Europe to coordinate defenses in case of soviet conflicts
-Pledged mutual support and cooperation
United States
Great Britain
France
Canada
Belgium
Norway
Luxembourg
Denmark
Portugal
Iceland
Italy
the Netherlands
-In retaliation the Soviets made the Warsaw pact:
Soviet Union
Czechoslovakia
East Germany
Romania
Hungary
Poland
Albania
Bulgaria.
-Became known as the communist bloc
-Other attempts/success to stop the spread of communism
-Albania
-withdrew the Warsaw pact in 1968 and came closely tied to China
-Yugoslavia
-under Marshall Josip Broz Tito didn't join the Warsaw pact, however it ended up breaking up into Slovenia, Serbia, and Croata
-South Asian Treaty Organization (SEATO): alliance between Australia, France, Great Britain, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, and the US
-Central Treaty Organization (CENTO): anti-soviet treaty organization to prevent the spread of communism in the Middle East:
Great Britain
Iran
Iraq
Pakistan
Turkey
US on military committee
-United Nations: 40 alliances formed by the US during the Cold War, built to make negotiations between the two easier
-Korean War
-after WW2 ended the Allies divided Korea into North and South Korea
-The north was occupied by the Soviets, and the South was occupied by the U.S. and its allies
-1950 North Korea invaded South Korea to create a single state under its own leadership
-The United Nations came to the aid of South Korea *mostly the United States
-Soviets didn’t apply any troops to the North Koreans to help, but they did send tons of guns
-UN forces pushed the North Koreans up to the Chinese border
-China saw this and started to fear that the UN forces would then invade China, so they sent troops to aid the North Koreans
-by 1953 the conflict ended in a stalemate because everything in the two countries remained largely as they were before the war, except that three million people were dead as a result
-Angolan Civil War (1975)
-Angola: a colony of Portugal
-During imperialism it was divided up by a parent country with no regards to rival people
-each of these groups fought against the Portuguese and actually won their independence
-This lead to a power struggle for who has control over Angola (especially because of the diamond mines), where the US backed the Bankongo, the Soviets backed the Mbundu tribe, and South Africa backed the Ovimnundu
-Contra War in Nicaragua
-In 1979 the Sandinista National Liberation Front, who were self-proclaimed socialists, seized power in Nicaragua
-two years later the U.S. backed a group of contras who tried to overthrow the Sandinistas, who in turn had support from the Soviet Union
-attempted to overthrow the contras committed many human rights violations, and in the end, the conflict ended in a cease-fire, and the Sandinistas were handily defeated in the next election
-Vietnam War
-Dwight D Eisenhower sent to South Vietnam to train the Vietnamese soldiers for a communist takeover in North Vietnam
-FDR increased the number of advisers from 1000 to 16000, and while many believed that the US could not afford to lose in Vietnam
-A military coup overthrew the corrupt Vietnamese ruler with US support, and then to prevent Vietnam from becoming communist Lyndon Johnson sent more US troops down there
-Context: Bay of Pigs Crisis
-Communist revolutionary Fidel Castro came to power in Cuba, setting up a dictatorship
-Nationalized many foreign industries (phone and electrical companies such as Texaco, Esso, and Sinclair oil companies as well as 36 US-owned sugar mills)
-The US broke off trade with Cuba, and cut diplomatic ties, and when FDR came to power, he gave support for an invasion of Cuba, the Bay of Pigs, which failed and cemented the Cuba-Soviet alliance
What actually happens:
-Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev shipped nuclear missiles to Cuba
-Felt justified in doing so because of the US missiles in Turkey (places summer of 1961)
-1962 U.S. spy planes discovered these missile sites, and understandably the U.S. was outraged
-FDR ordered a naval blockade to surround the island of Cuba if you’re Fidel Castro and the U.S. Navy sends warships to surround your island, that is not a neutral action (declaration of war)
-Then for 13 days everyone was terrified as sh*t started getting real, but the missiles were never fired.
This terror produced:
-Hotline: direct telegraph/teleprinter link between the US and the Soviet leaders’ offices
-Nuclear Test-ban treaty: outlawed nuclear testing above ground, underwater, and in space to cut down on radiation exposure
-Not signed by France or China
-Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act: called upon non-nuclear countries to not develop nuclear technology
-Anti-nuclear weapons movements
-Japanese petition against nuclear technology
-Protests in NYC
-North Vietnam: Communist (Soviet Influence)
-South Vietnam: Capitalist (US influence)
-Gulf of Tonkin Incident (1964): North Vietnamese boats allegedly fired on US ships. Provided the US justification for war.
-No formal declaration of war
-US believed it needed to stop the spread of communism
-US fought against the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and the Vietcong
-1967: 485k+ troops used “search-and-destroy” tactics
-Rolling Thunder (1965): The US dropped 7mil+ tons of bombs (3x the amount the US dropped during WWII)
-First war to be televised
Takeaway: barely had any covering (clothing) because it is so hot→ more pressure while they are just trying to survive (what if they die on the scene)
-Tet Offensive: Viet Cong and North Vietnam launched surprise attacks. Although they failed, 14k+ died and mistrust grew (moral victory)
-My Lai Massacre: The US killed 500+ civilians, including women, children, and infants. (some were raped and their bodies mutilated; only one US soldier was convicted)
-Protests disrupted everyday life
-Motives:
-High death count
-the draft was unpopular
-People believed the war was unjust
-Why did this war have more protests than any other war?
-The war we were not involved in and many people saw it as a waste of lives and money (they withdrew and then they lost)
-US sprayed- 20mil gallons of chemicals to destroy concealment
-Had lasting impacts on Vietnam
-3mil+ died; 58k US soldiers died
-Vietnam was united under Communism
-Carried out by the Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot between 1975-1979
-Left 1.5 to 2 million people dead (20% of the pop)
Results of the Vietnam War vs Korean
-Vietnam united while Korea remained in a stalemate leaving the nation divided
Takeaway:
1.MOther transmits them to the babies→ dioxin transmitted from mother to babies
2. TCDD (one of the most dangerous chemicals ever manufactured)
3. The government provides a monthly payment to cover 220k families
Heimler Notes:
The Spread of Communism
Overall (summary): During the period of the Cold War, Communism began to spread in various parts of the world. Notably in Africa (Ethiopia) and Asia (China,Vietnam, India, and Iran). In general, Communism wasn't that beneficial but rather a failure.
China
- (1927) Was conflict between Chinese communists and Chinese nationalists.
-For a moment, this conflict paused because both united to fight against Japan which wanted to invade the northern part of China. WWII took care of Japan and the conflict began again (Chinese Civil War).
- Communists won, party was led by Mao Zedong.
- Under his ruling, China's industry was nationalized and land was redistributed to the peasants.
- Major reform was GREAT LEAP FORWARD REFORM.
- Peasant lands were collectivized by the state. Similar to what Stalin did in Russia where famine occurred as the result of a rebellion which was a response to the reform by Stalin. Mao avoided this by establishing REEDUCATION CAMPS.
- REEDUCATION CAMPS- Manipulated the people to make them believe that Mao's policies were beneficial.
- If this didn't occur, you were killed.
-As a result, the Great Leap Forward reform was not good: numerous harvests failed, and to make everything appear right, Mao kept exporting what was grown. Resulted in the death of 20 million Chinese.
Iran
- Muhammad Reza Pahlavi, was authoritarian with harsh policies but some good ones as well (ex: social welfare and women's suffrage).
- Land reform: WHITE REVOLUTION. Named this because there was no blood involved.
- WHITE REV: government forcibly bought land from the wealthy landowners and resold it to the peasants for a much lower price. Helped some people.
Vietnam
- After gaining their independence from France and Japan after WWII, communists came to power in North Vietnam.
- Communists seized lan from the wealthy and redistributed it to the poor
India
- Became independent in 1947. Also had land reforms but in some places, it was a success and in others not so much. An example of success was in Kerala.
- Tenants gained the right to purchase land, then laws were passed to allow them to have full ownership of their land.
Ethiopia
- (1974) Menguistu Haile Mariam led an overthrow of the Ethiopian gov't, believed it was a puppet of Western powers.
- Rebellion was a success, he established a socialist gov't. The Soviet Union liked this and supported Ethiopia.
- Under this gov't similar to the rest, land redistribution was prioritized but resulted in famine and economic policies, as well as brutality
-Process by which colonies become independent of the colonizing country
-After WWII, many countries broke from their colonizing country
-Indian National Congress: United movement that used civil disobedience to support independence
-Muslim League (f. 1906): advocated for a separate nation for Muslims in South Asia
-After WWII, Britain negotiated an end to colonial rule
-Partition of India (1947):
-India (Hindu majority)
-Pakistan (Muslim majority)
-Palestine was a British Mandate after WWII
-Jewish migrants moved to Palestine to escape anti-semitism and/or to create a “Jewish homeland”
-Zionism: movement for the establishing a Jewish nation
-UN: Divided the land into two states- Israel and Palestine
-1948 Arab-Israeli War: Israel defeated Arab forces (no Palestinian state)
-Nakba (1948): mass exodus of -750k Arabs from Palestine
-Many African states gained independence
-Ghana won independence from Britain (1957)
-West African countries (Senegal, Ivory Coast, etc.) broke from France
-Algeria fought a war to break from France (1962)
Thesis: After WWII, European mother countries lost their wealth and power, which assisted their colonies such as Ghana and India in gaining freedom and independence.
Be specific about the big things like someone does not know what is going on
-Colonization laid the groundwork for Cold War involvement
-Europe divided Africa into territories (Berlin Conference), setting the stage for post-colonial struggles
-African nations sought freedom from colonial rule
-Superpowers supported independence movements aligned with their ideologies, leading to alliances and conflicts
-US: Supported anti-communist leaders, often backing authoritarian regimes to counter Communism
-Soviet Union: Provided aid to Communisy movements to counter US Imperialism
-African nations became battleground states for the superpower’s ideological and strategic conflicts
-(Angola, Mozambique, Somalia, Ethiopia, Congo, and more)
-Cold War conflicts diverted resources away from development, exacerbating poverty, and hindering economic progress
-African nations became economically dependent on their Cold War allies
-Proxy conflicts resulted in significant civilian casualties, displacement, and suffering
-Both sides committed human rights abuses in pursuit of their strategic interests
-Mohandas Gandhi, India: led civil disobedience campaigns against British rule
-MLK Jr.: used civil disobedience to fight segregation (inspired by Gandhi)
-Nelson Mandela, South Africa: fought violently against apartheid before transitioning to nonviolence after jail
-Dictatorships responded violently to internal conflicts
-Franciso Franco, Spain: used violence to suppress left-wing dissent
-Idi Amin, Uganda: used violence on dissident ethnic groups
-Augusto Pinochet, Chile: used violence against left-wing dissent (including “death squads”)
-Non-government groups used violence for political change
-Irish Republican Army (IRA), Northern Ireland: used violence to oust the British (Before 1990)
-Basque Separists, Spain: used violence to gain independence
-Shining Path, Peru: Communist group who attempted a revolution
-Boko Haram: jihadist group based in Nigeria
-Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA): Extremist Christian group operating in Uganda
-Al Qaeda: attacked the US in 2001 to get the US out of the Middle East
-After 9/11, the US invaded Afghanistan (2001) and Iraq (2003); (“War on Terror”)
-Oklahoma City Bombing, US: Anti-government terrorists attacked a federal building (168 killed)
-Russia:
-Moscow Theater Hostage Crisis (2002): Chechen separatists raided a theater (killed 170)
-Crocus City Hall attack (2024): ISIS attacked a music venue (killed 145)
-1972: Nixon established ties with China (changed the balance of power with the USSR
-Détente: Easing of Cold War tensions
-The rapprochement changed the balance of power within the USSR
-Why do you think the US started to trade with China despite the economic differences between them?
-If the USSR and the US go to war then China would not join in
-taking away the USSR's biggest trading partner
-Muslim guerrilla fighters (Mujahideen) resisted
-CIA supported the Mujahideen
-1989: Soviets withdrew after losing billions
-Soviet-Afghan War = the Soviet “Vietnam war”
-1989: Massive protests led to the fall of Berlin War
-1990: Germany reunified
-Contributed to unrest throughout Eastern Europe/USSR
-Velvet Revolution, Czechoslovakia: lead to democratic reforms in 1989
-Solidarity Movement, Poland: a popular movement that pushed for political freedom and democracy in 1990
-Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia. Lithuania): gained independence in 1991
-To address concerns, the USSR started two policies:
-Glasnost (Openness): loosening of government power and allowing the media to critique the government
-Perestroika (Restructuring): restructure the economy and decentralize decision-making
-1991: These policies led to the fall of the USSR
Takeaways: Last Soviet president gave false hope→ led to the fall of the innovation and economy
-Stagnation with a large military funding and a foreign policy…
Thesis Statements: After leaving Afghanistan, the Soviet Union's economy fell like dominos, leading to newly independent states, the collapse of the Berlin Wall, and new reforms to level with the Western powers. xf
