Cold War

Who was to blame for the cold war?

Portfolio

THE
COLD
WAR
 COLD WAR
ORIGINS:

Who was more to

blame for the Cold
War?
 Allies against Hitler
During WWII, the USA, Britain and the USSR allied against Hitler. It was a strategic wartime alliance.

USA AND USSR

BRITAIN

Stalin wanted his allies to

Sent vital supplies to the
launch a second military
USSR, anyway they front against Germany and
didn’t trust Stalin. was angry that this didn’t
happen till June 1944.
 After WWII
After WWII, both USA and the USSR emerged as the two superpowers, while the other countries were
relegated to a second place. USA and USSR’s different ideologies were notorious.

USA
A B A
-CAPITALIST
Get a modern
-DEMOCRACY
B PowerPoint
-AMERICAN WAY that
Presentation
beautifully
-WEALTHY COUNTRY
OF isLIFE
designed.

B USSR
Get a modern
-COMMUNIST
D PowerPoint
Presentation
-ONE-PARTY that is
DICTATORSHIP
beautifully designed.
-LESS RICH THAN USA
-COMMUNIST WAY OF LIFE
SUPPORTED COMMUNIST REVOLUTIONS WORLDWIDE
From left to right: Churchill (G.B.), Roosevelt (USA), Stalin (USSR)
at the Yalta Conference, 1945.
Source: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conferencia_de_Yalta#/media/Archivo:Yalta_Conference_1945_Churchill,_Stalin,_Roosevelt.jpg
5
 AFTER WAR NEGOTIATIONS

CONFERENCES

Yalta (Feb. 1945) Potsdam (Jul-Ago. 1945)

Agreement to divide USSR claimed a sphere of Stalin didn’t free Eastern

Tensions among negotiators
Germany influence in Eastern Europe European countries

6
 AFTER THE CONFERENCES…
Stalin extended Soviet power across eastern Europe through:

Violence: Elections:
-arrested and executed -manipulated elections
political opponents
-local Communist
-use of the secret police Parties won elections
and controlled
governments

7
USA reacted to
the Soviet The Truman The Marshall Plan The Marshall Aid
expansion on Doctrine
Plan created by ▹ Set $17 billion
eastern Europe Policy known as George Marshall to available to help
‘containment’, rebuild Europe’s
by creating: involved: Europe.
prosperity in order to
▹ sending money, avoid the success of ▹ Was motivated by
equipment and Communism there. American self-
advice to any interest to create
country threaten new markets for
by a Communist American goods.
take-over. ▹ Stalin didn’t allow
▹ Stop eastern European
Communism countries to
from spreading receive the help.
any further. Only western
countries could.

8
 The Berlin Blockade

Source: https://cdn.britannica.com/06/187806-050-05A89FB7/Children-cargo-plane-landing-Tempelhof-Airfield-
Berlin-1948.jpg

9
What were the
Western Allies
doing in ▹ Using money from ▹ They introduced a ▹ At a meeting in
new, stable currency London in January
Berlin that the Marshall Aid
that would be used 1948, Britain and the
programme, the Allies
concerned were helping the throughout their USA joined their
zones and they zones together to
Stalin? Germans to rebuild
created jobs for create Bizonia to
their economy.
workers in the make it easier to
Western sectors. administer these
areas. France would
later join and they
changed the name to
West Germany, in
1949. Stalin was not
invited to this meeting
in London. He was
also denied access to
the minutes of this
meeting.

10
So….Stalin felt that USA’s handling of western Germany was provocative, but
he felt he could stamp his authority on Berlin. How?

➢ On 24 June 1948, ➢ Stalin’s intention was ➢ He was using the

Stalin cut all land to show that the Blockade as a lever
access to Berlin for Soviets also had to prevent any further
the Allies (roads, power in Germany western moves in
railways and canals which could match Germany
thatlinked Berlin the demonstrations
with western of economic power
Germany). This and unity that the
became known as West had just shown.
the Berlin
Blockade.

11
 The blockade was to cause real problems for the people of West Berlin.
For example:

Berlin could
now only be
accessed by A shortage of
air, resulting in food as West A lack of basic
a restriction on Berlin only had goods like fuel
the freedom to enough food for and medicines.
travel outside 36 days.
Berlin for all
Germans.

12
How did the Allies
react to the Berlin
Blockade?

They decided to air lift

supplies from West
Germany to Berlin.

13
 The Berlin Airlift in numbers

3 per minute Millions

Keeping West Berlin

Every minute, 3 aeroplanes
supplied in this way cost
arrived to Berlin to provide
10 months the USA $350 million and
supplies.
Lasted the airlift.
Britain £17 million.
 Finally….

By May 1949, it was clear that the blockade of

Berlin would not make the Western Allies give
up Berlin, so Stalin reopened communications.

15
 CONSEQUENCES

-Germany and Berlin would -In April 1949, the USA, Britain -By 1949 there was a worldwide
remain a source of tension in and France officially announced awareness of a Cold War.
Europe for the duration of the the formation of the German
Cold War. Federal Republic (West
Germany).

-Europe was now divided with -After the crisis of the Berlin
the USSR controlling Eastern Blockade in 1948-49, Europe
Europe and a state of permanent became divided into two
hostility now existed between it opposing armed camps - the US-
and the USA. backed NATO on one side, and
the USSR Warsaw Pact, on the
other.

16
17
THANKS!

18
 LEARNING GUIDE

“COLD WAR”

PRESENTATION

Cold War, the open yet restricted rivalry that

From left to right: Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin at the
developed after World War II between the United
Yalta Conference, Yalta, Ukraine, February 1945.
States and the Soviet Union and their respective
allies. The Cold War was waged on political, Source:
https://www.google.com.ar/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.kas
economic, and propaganda fronts and had only tatic.org%2Fgoogleusercontent%2FFGdWCM2-
limited recourse to weapons. The term was first FAiIhSWYrLJKcRGtZ6yRfBFm_zjTzjZOvsc_BRjVL4GB9Uv1
used by the English writer George Orwell in an o7jLqIZWD1N7gMRHa6whApSsu6b7UKp4&imgrefurl=ht
tps%3A%2F%2Fwww.khanacademy.org%2Fhumanities
article published in 1945 to refer to what he %2Fus-history%2Fpostwarera%2Fpostwar-
predicted would be a nuclear stalemate between era%2Fa%2Fthe-cold-war-part-
“two or three monstrous super-states, each 1&tbnid=D3pQS_Pjgwku2M&vet=12ahUKEwivyN6eusfo
AhU-
possessed of a weapon by which millions of -COLD WAR
LrkGHUjLCwEQMygBegUIARDvAQ..i&docid=h2eVRm1rz
people can be wiped out in a few seconds.” 5yx1M&w=512&h=288&q=COLD%20war%20yalta&ved
-IRON CURTAIN
=2ahUKEwivyN6eusfoAhU-
LrkGHUjLCwEQMygBegUIARDvAQ
-COMINFORM
Source: https://www.britannica.com/event/Cold-War
--CONTAINMENT

Professor: Marcia Marini

1
 Explanation

The origins of the Cold War

During World War Two, the USA and the Soviet Union fought side by side against Hitler and the
Nazis, but they were not allies for long. These were the two most powerful countries in the world,
but they were completely different to each other. The Soviet Union was a communist country whilst
the USA was a capitalist country.

The end of World War Two

In August 1945 the USA detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki. The intention was to force Japan to surrender, thus avoiding a long war in the Pacific.
This action had the added potential of pressurizing the USSR into negotiating over Eastern Europe
and Germany.

However, the fact that US President Truman did not inform Stalin of his intent to deploy nuclear
weapons had the opposite effect. Stalin was offended and his suspicion and distrust of the West
intensified. Through his spy network, Stalin had known about Truman’s nuclear weapons for
months.

The American victory in the Pacific, without Soviet help, meant the USSR was denied any share of
the occupation in that area. This alienated Stalin further.

The events at the end of WW2 weren’t the only causes of conflict between USA and the USSR.
Also The political and economic systems of the capitalist USA and communist USSR were
incompatible. In a capitalist state (like USA), the economy is largely free from state control, while
the government is democratically elected and freedom of speech is cherished.
In contrast, a communist state (like USSR) is administered from the centre, with control of the
economy and society strictly in the hands of the Communist Party-led government. Both sides
wanted countries to conform to their adopted ideologies for their own gains.

2
 The Yalta Conference
In February 1945, it was clear that Germany was losing the European war, so the Big Three –
Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin - met at Yalta in the Crimea region of the USSR.

Aim of the Yalta Conference: To decide what to do with Germany once it had been defeated.

Results of the conference:

Germany All countries freed Nazi war criminals United Nations

•would be divided into from Nazi control •Would be pursued and •The Allies agreed to the
four zones of •were to be guaranteed put on trial by USSR, setting up this
occupation with the the right to hold free, Britain, France and the organisation dedicated
USSR, Britain, France democratic elections to USA. to international
and the USA each choose their own cooperation and the
controlling a zone. governments. prevention of war.
•Berlin, its capital, was •However, Stalin was
to be divided into four offered a sphere of
zones, each controlled influence in Eastern
by one of the Allied Europe where
powers. communist ideals
would dominate.

3
 The Potsdam Conference
The next meeting of the Big Three took place in July 1945 at Potsdam, just outside Berlin.

Objectives: The main objective of the Potsdam Conference was to finalise a post-war settlement and
put into action all the things agreed at Yalta. The Potsdam Conference was full of disagreements,
which were the result of some significant changes that had taken place since the Yalta Conference.
The changes were:

A new US President:
The US President, Franklin D Roosevelt, had died and been replaced by his Vice-President, Harry S Truman.
Truman had a deep dislike for communism and for Stalin personally.

Nuclear threat:
At Potsdam, Truman chose to inform Stalin that the US possessed a new weapon of unusual destructive
force. Although Stalin already knew that, he complained at the fact that there were secrets between
supposed Allies.

Expansion of communism:
Despite agreeing at Yalta that free elections would be held in Eastern Europe after the defeat of Nazi Germany,
there was little evidence at Potsdam that Stalin intended to allow them.

Outcome:
Little real progress was made at Potsdam beyond an agreement to put into action the commitments
made at Yalta.

4
The main points of the two Conferences are summarised in the table below:

Yalta Potsdam
People and participants Churchill, Roosevelt and Churchill (replaced midway
Stalin by Attlee), Truman and Stalin
Elections Stalin to have a ‘sphere of There was no sign of Stalin
influence’ over Eastern allowing free elections in
Europe but all countries freed Eastern Europe and a
from Nazi occupation would communist government was
be allowed free elections to being set up in Poland
choose their own governments
Europe Germany to be divided into Arguments over where the
four zones of occupation - boundaries between the zones
Berlin to also be divided would be drawn
Repayment The USSR would be allowed Arguments about how much
to take reparations from the USSR should be allowed
defeated Germany to take in reparations. It was
agreed that the Soviets could
take whatever they wanted
from the Soviet controlled
zone and 10 per cent from the
Western zones. This remained
a source of disagreement, with
the Western Allies worried
that they were repeating the
mistakes of the Treaty of
Versailles after World War
One

5
The Soviet Expansion into Eastern Europe

During the following months after the Potsdam Conference, Stalin achieved the domination of
eastern Europe. Churchill described the border between Soviet-controlled countries and the West as
an ‘iron curtain’.

In conclusion, despite the promises made by Stalin at the Yalta Conference to allow free elections,
he had in fact started turning Eastern Europe into a buffer zone between the Soviet Union and
Western Europe. Stalin feared that Eastern Europe could be the doorway for an attack on the Soviet
Union by the West.

Timeline of Soviet takeover of Eastern Europe

Country Year Methods used

Albania 1945 A communist government took power at the end of World War Two.

Bulgaria 1946 In 1946 the Bulgarian monarchy was abolished and later that year a communist
government was elected and gradually eradicated its opponents.

East Germany 1945 East Germany was part of the Soviet zone of occupation agreed at the Yalta
Conference and in 1945 the Soviets set up a communist regime.

Romania 1945 In the 1945 elections, a communist-led coalition government was elected. The
communists gradually removed their coalition partners and abolished the
Romanian monarchy.

Poland 1947 Fearing that a non-communist government would be elected in 1947, Stalin invited
16 non-communist politicians to Moscow, where they were arrested. With their
political opponents removed, the Polish communists won the election.

Hungary 1948 Although non-communists won the 1945 election, a communist politician, Rakosi,
took control of the secret police and used it to arrest and execute his political
opponents. By 1948 the Communist Party was in complete control of the country.

Czechoslovakia 1948 Czechoslovakia was the last country in Eastern Europe to fully fall to communism in
1948. At elections that year only Communists were allowed to stand and a
communist government was duly elected.

Sources:
-Walsh, B. Modern World History. Hodder Education.
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z3h9mnb/revision/6

6
 Activity N°1

Instructions:
A- Use this guide to understand the origins of Cold War and then solve the questions.

1- Why did the USA – USSR Alliance begin to break down in 1945?

2- How had the USSR gained control of Eastern Europe by 1948?

Good Luck!!!!

7
How effectively did USA contain the spread
of communism?
 Case Study 1: the Korean War
The decade after the Second World War saw Communism spread to the Far East, eventually dividing Korea.
The Korean War lasted three years and peace was only achieved when the use of the atomic bomb was
threatened.

The problem in Korea

In 1945, Korea was split along the 38th parallel between a communist north led by Kim IL Sung, and a non-
communist south led by Syngman Rhee.

But communism was growing in the Far East. At the end of the Second World War the northern half was
liberated by Soviet troops and the Southern half by Americans. When the war ended, the North remained
Communist-controlled, with a Communist leader and with a Soviet-style one-party system. The South was anti-
Communist and had the support of the USA.

In 1949, the Communists had taken power in China.

The US developed the 'domino theory' - the idea that, if one country fell to communism, others would follow
like a row of dominoes. Then, in 1950, a report by the American National Security Council ('NSC68')
recommended that the US stop containment and start to roll back communism.

The hostility between the North’s Communist Leader (Kim Il Sung) and the President of South Korea
(Syngman Rhee) spilled over into open warfare.

The war

 In 1950, after getting the support of Russia and China, Kim IL Sung invaded South Korea.
 The North Korean People's Army (NKPA) easily defeated the Republic of Korea's army (the ROKs).
 By September, the NKPA had conquered almost the whole of South Korea.
 The USA went to the United Nations and got them to send troops to defend South Korea.
 The Russians couldn't veto the idea because they were boycotting the UN at the time.
 In September, UN troops, led by the US General MacArthur, landed in Korea and drove the NKPA back.
 By October, the UN forces had almost conquered all of North Korea.
 MacArthur underestimated the power of China, who late in October 1950 sent 200,000 Chinese troops
(calling themselves ‘People’s Volunteers’). The Chinese troops joined the North Koreans. In November 1950,
Chinese People's Volunteers attacked and drove the Americans back.
 They recaptured North Korea, and advanced into South Korea.
 The Americans landed more troops and drove the Chinese back to the 38th parallel, where Truman ordered
General MacArthur to stop and sacked him when he disagreed. Truman had rejected MacArthur’s aggresive
policy towards Communism. Containment was the main American policy.
 The war went on as border clashes until 1953 when America's new president, Eisenhower, offered peace, but
threatened to use the atomic bomb if China did not accept the offer. Stalin’s death in March 1953 made the
Chinese and North Koreans less confident. An armistice was finally signed in July 1953.

Recently, historians have shown that the Korean crisis almost led to a third world war - many US advisers
wanted to use the atomic bomb.
For a better understanding, you can watch this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxaegqvl4aE

Roll back: to move backward.

Containment: A policy of checking the expansion or influence of a hostile power or ideology, as by the creation
of strategic alliances or support of client states in areas of conflict or unrest.

Spill over into: to extend

 COLD WAR:

METHODS OF CONTAINMENT

Introduction
The Korean War left important lessons…
it seemed to confirm the view of a worldwide communist conspiracy and ensured that the Cold
War spread to Asia.

The war strengthened the determination of the USA to contain communism on a worldwide
scale.

The war established the pattern whereby if one superpower was directly involved, the other was
indirectly associated. It was the first time the two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet
Union, had fought a proxy war in a third country.

 Cold War: The political tension and competition for power that existed between the
Communist East and democratic West after the Second World War. The two sides did not ever
go to war.

 Containment: An American policy to try and stop communism from spreading, to restrict it
from spreading to other countries.

 Domino theory: An American idea that if one country fell to communism, others would
follow - like a row of dominoes.

 Proxy war: Groups (or countries) fighting on behalf of a larger nation, without that nation
actively participating in the conflict.

 Rollback: An American policy to not just contain communism, but turn communist countries
back to capitalism.

 Deterrent: Intended to prevent, discouragement.

 ICBM: intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), is a guided ballistic missile primarily

designed for nuclear weapons delivery.
 Explanation

After the Korean War, USA realized that they needed other methods of
containment, rather than sending their soldiers to fight a war whenever
they saw a problem. The new methods were:

1) Alliances:

The USA created a network of anti-Communist alliances around the

world, they were:

• The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, created in 1954.

• alliance for defense that involved countries in South East Asia.
SEATO

• Central Treaty Organization, created in 1955.

• alliance for defense that involved Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom.
CENTO

Each alliance received help from USA and in exchange they suppressed Communist
influence in their own countries.

2) Arms race:
USA and the USSR were involved in an ‘arms race’. Because of that
both…

developed deadly weapons, even worst that the atomic bomb.

spied on one another to steal technological secrets. The USA

used the U2, a spy plane.

perfected nucler bombs that could be launched from submarines

or planes.
 Impact of the arms race:

The arms race was partly about quality (who had the
most sophisticated weapons) and quantity (who had more
weapons). The USA public was told by the government
that the USSR had many more nuclear missiles than the
USA. This was called missile-gap. Actually, the missile-
gap was a myth, because USA had more missiles than the
USSR. However, the USA used the ‘missile-gap’ as a
justification to go on with the missile production
programme.

Both superpowers had hundreds of missiles pointed at

each other and enough weapons to destroy each other.
The ‘nuclear deterrent’ meant that the enemy would not
dare to attack first, because if it did, the other would
strike back, and both would be destroyed. This policy also
became know as MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction): no
side would dare strick first when it knew the attack
would destroy itself too.

Fear of ‘the bomb’ (referring to a possible nuclear bomb

attack) was a common feature of life in 1950s’ and 1960s’
USA. Children were taught at school what to do if there
was a nuclear attack. Many people protested against the
arms race.
 THE CUBAN
MISSILE CRISIS

Fulgencio
Batista

Fidel
Castro
 Historical Context

1960 1961 1962

1959
-USA's policies -American
-Invasion of discovery of
-Fidel Castro towards Cuba
Bay of Pigs missiles sites
overthrew
-Cuba's in Cuba.
Batista
relationship
with the USSR
Why did the USSR want to put nuclear missiles on Cuba?

Khrushchev

To protect To strengthen his

Cuba's new position at home
government

To close the
missile gap
 THE OCTOBER CRISIS

• USA discovered missiles sites

(built by the USSR) on Cuba.
• Kennedy decided on a blockade
of Cuba.
• Discussions between Kennedy
and Khrushchev.
 Kennedy was faced with a range of options to deal with the
Soviet threat in Cuba
Get the UN Blockade
involved Cuba Attack:
invade
Cuba or
Ignore the launch air
missiles attacks

Potential
responses to
the Cuban
Missile Crisis
KENNEDY’S RESPONSE:
THE NAVAL BLOCKADE OF CUBA

The US blockade of Cuba, could stop

further Soviet missiles coming to Cuba,
buying him time to negotiate with the
Soviets.
 Naval blockade timeline

22 23
24 October 25 October
October October
Kennedy receives Despite US spy planes
Kennedy imposes a letter from Khrushchev’s report increased
a naval blockade Khrushchev ‘tough talk', the building work at
around Cuba, to saying that the twenty ships the missile launch
stop the Soviet Soviet ships will approaching the sites on Cuba.
ships suspected of not stop at the blockade turn
carrying nuclear blockade, but will back (presumably
missiles from force their way to avoid direct
reaching Cuba. through. confrontation with
the US Navy).
 Naval blockade timeline

28 October
26 October 27 October
Kennedy receives A second letter from In a public message to
Khrushchev says the launch President Kennedy
a letter from
sites will only be removed if the broadcast on Moscow radio,
Khrushchev
promising to US removes its missiles in Khrushchev agrees to the
Turkey. Kennedy opts to removal of all missiles on
remove the launch
answer only the first telegram Cuba and their return to the
sites if the USA
agrees to lift the while privately offering to Soviet Union.
blockade and consider the removal of
promises not to missiles from Turkey.
invade Cuba.
CONSEQUENCES OF THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS
THANKS FOR
YOUR
ATTENTION!
 Glossary
•Viet Minh: League for the Independence of Vietnam, organization that led the struggle for Vietnamese independence from French rule. The Viet Minh was
formed in China in May 1941 by Ho Chi Minh. Although led primarily by communist, the Viet Minh operated as a national front organization open to
persons of various political persuasions.
•Viet Cong: the guerrilla force that, with the support of the North Vietnamese Army, fought against South Vietnam (late 1950s–1975) and the United States
(early 1960s–1973).
•Containment: An American policy to try and stop communism from spreading, to restrict it from spreading to other countries.
•Defoliant: A chemical used to kill leaves on trees.
•domino theory: An American idea that if one country fell to communism, others would follow - like a row of dominoes.
•Draft: The process where men were selected for compulsory military service.
•Détente: Easing of tension - period of time in the 1970s when relations between the USA and Soviet Union improved and there was a reduction in tension.
•Guerrilla: Tactic used by a small group against a larger army, normally using hit and run tactics or surprise attacks.
•guerrilla war: A type of warfare that uses unusual tactics, and in-depth knowledge of local surroundings, to defeat opponents both physically and
psychologically.
•Ho Chi Minh trail: A military route used by the North Vietnamese to supply the Vietcong during the Vietnam War. It ran beyond Vietnamese borders,
down through Cambodia and Laos.
•Imperialist: The idea or strategy of taking over other land in other countries.
•My Lai: The place where US soldiers massacred hundreds of unarmed Vietnamese civilians, mostly women and children, on 16 March 1968, during the
Vietnam War. It has become a symbol of US war crimes in Vietnam.
•Propaganda: Information, often biased or misleading, designed to persuade people to adopt a particular
point of view.
•proxy war: Groups (or countries) fighting on behalf of a larger nation, without that nation actively
participating in the conflict.
•punji sticks: Sharpened wooden sticks, usually bamboo, set as a booby traps by the Vietcong in South
Vietnam.
•rolled back: An American policy to not just contain communism, but turn communist countries back to
capitalism.
•Socialism: Idea of collective ownership and control by society, rather than big companies or individuals.
•Stalemate: A deadlock situation where no side can act or win.
•Superpower: Countries who have huge influence or strength, giving them significant global power.
•United Nations: The successor to the League of Nations, the UN was established in 1945 as an
international organisation designed to keep peace, uphold international law and set standards in human
rights.
 Background to the Vietnam conflict
End of war between
the Japanese army France and the Vietminh.
invaded Indochina Vietnam was divided into
(Vietnam). North and South
After the Vietnam.
Japanese
the neighbouring defeat, Ho
states of Laos and Chi Minh
Vietnam became Cambodia had also announced
part of the Chinese been added to the the formation
Empire French Empire. of the
French missionaries Democratic
arrived in Vietnam Republic of
Vietnam

111 c.1600
1954
0 938 (17th Century)
1868 1893 1940 1945 1946 1949
BC

the Vietnam Communist took

Emperor over China. China
surrendered and started to give help
signed a peace to Ho Chi Minh.
treaty with France, the Vietminh USA started to help
Vietnam gained its accepted its ruling began a guerrilla France.
independence from over Vietnam campaign
China against the
Japanese War broke out
between France and
Vietminh.
Vietnam in the
mid 1960s

5
Background to the Vietnam conflict

6
Source: https://sites.google.com/site/coldwarprojectvietnamwar/the-vietnam-war-sequence-of-events
 Tactics and
1
Technology
in the
Vietnam
War
USA’s tactics

Search and
Bombing Sending troops
Destroy
Towns, cities, the At the beginning
Search and
Ho Chi Minh trail, they sent
destroy Vietcong
Laos and professional
forces.
Cambodia soldiers, later
unexperieced
soldiers.
Chemical Weapons
-Agent Orange
-Napalm

8
Viet Cong’s tactics

Campaign of terror
Guerrilla Warfare Commitment
-Hit and run raids To scare or kill The Viet Cong did’t
opponents to them. give up.
-ambush
-use of booby traps

Underground
tunnels
To hide and attack.

9
Booby traps

10
2
The Tet
Offensive
(1968)
 success for the
Vietcong

During the Buddhist

New Year (Tet)
celebrations

Vietcong launched
a massive attack
on US-held areas Consequences
across South it showed the
Vietnam Americans that
they were not
making progress
against the
Vietcong or
communism.

12
3 The Peace
Movement
in the USA
 The anti-war feeling increased in the
USA because…

◂ The war was ◂ The war ◂ Most

draining money exposed racial Americans felt
that could be inequality in the unconfortable
used at home USA. about what was
going on in
Vietnam.
 Vietnam war was a ‘media-war’…

The media showed the massacre of

the war

Vietnam became a symbol of defeat,

confusion and moral corruption.

Hundred of demonstrations ocurred

against the war.
An American young girl, Jan Rose Kasmir, confronts
the American National Guard outside the Pentagon
during the 1967 anti-Vietnam march. This march
helped to turn public opinion against the US war 16
4
The My Lai
Massacre
(1968)
 Suspected there
was a Viet Cong
A unit of headquarters
Attacked the My causes
American
Lai area
soldiers
Suspected there
were guerrillas

Consequences

Between 300 and 400 My Lai Massacre

civilians were killed, No Viet Cong were became a symbol of
mostly women, found in the village US war crimes in
children and old men Vietnam.
5 Ending the
War in
Vietnam
President Johnson realised 1973: a peace agreement
the war could not be won The new president Nixon was signed in Paris. US
militarily. He reduced the (Nov. 1968) worked to end forces left Vietnam.
bombing campaign and US involvement in Vietnam.
began negotiating for He used several strategies. 1975: South Vietnam fell to
peace with the Communist. the Communist.

Improved Peace
relations negotiations ‘Vietnamisation’ Increased
with USSR with North of the war effort bombing
and China Vietnam
How did the Vietnam War affect the
policy of containment?

It failed The Americans

militarily It was a became suspicious
propaganda of involving their
disaster troops in any other
conflict that they
It failed could not easily
strategically win.

21
Thanks!

22
How secure was the USSR’s control over
eastearn Europe?
1948- c. 1989
THE SOVIET
UNION’S
CONTROL IN
EASTERN
EUROPE
 2

Methods of control
Political vaccum Restore law and
The USSR took advantage order
of the political vaccum in
This justified the USSR
Eastern Europe and helped
sending troops there.
Communist countries there.

Economic Cominform
(Communist information bureau)
problems The USSR imposed policies
Eastern European to governments in eastern
governments followed Europe.
economic policies of the
USSR through COMECON.
 3

Communist information bureau

Cominform Coordinated Communists governments in

eastern Europe.

Gave instructions to Communists governments

about what the Soviet Union wanted them to
do.
 4

Council for Mutual Economic

Comecon Asistance
Eastern European
Coordinated industries and trade with countries traded
eastern European countries with themselved,
not with the West

Told eastern
Comecon favoured
European countries
the USSR rather Set up a bank for
what to produce and
than eastern socialist countries
had to trade with the
European countries.
USSR.
SOVIET CONTROL
OVER
POPULATION
IMPACT
 6

1 2 3
 7

THE RISE OF
KHRUSHCHEV
 8

Stalin used extreme methods and mass

repressions at a time when the revolution was
already victorious…Stalin showed in a whole
series of cases his intolerance, his brutality and his
abuse of power…He often chose the path of
repression and physical annihilation, not only
against actual enemies, but also against
individuals who had not committed any crimes
against the Party and the Soviet government”.

Khrushchev denounces Stalin in 1956.

 9

After Stalin’s death in 1953…

⊗ There was a
struggle over began a
programme
who would of de-
denounced
succeed him. Stalin as a Stalinisation
tyrant

made an
⊗ As a possible Khrushchev attack on
Stalin
successor, a
former Red
Army soldier
was
considered
 10

DE -
STALINISATION

Source: https://assets.sutori.com/user-uploads/image/cf3682d7-2861-406e-bb76-71be99d504a3/55fea78f65819f69b50a6f1fef66f734.jpeg
 11

KHRUSHCHEV’S CHANGES
Relation
Living Political Warsaw Arms
with the Cominform
Conditions Prisoners Pact production
West

Peaceful
co- existence Creation in
Improvements Release Closed reduction
1955
 12

Challenges to Soviet control in eastern Europe

⊗ Poland, 1956
⊗ Hungary, 1956
⊗ The Berlin Wall, 1961
⊗ Czechoslovakia, 1968
⊗ Poland, 1980-1981
Hungarian
Revolution
(1956)
 1.
Causes of conflicts
and opposition
➢ The death of Stalin

➢ Limited rights

➢ Control over population

➢ Resentment of Russian troops

3
 2.
Consequences
 Steps to the revolution

June 1956 End of Rákosi

23th October Removal of the statue of Stalin

1956

24th October Creation of a new government

1956

5
The huge statue of Stalin in Budapest
was pulled down

6
IMRE NAGY’S GOVERNMENT

7
 NAGY PROPOSED REFORMS

About justice About elections About farmlands

About the Soviet occupation About the Warsaw Pact About the Hungarian role in the
Cold war

8
 “
THE OUTCOMES

9
Advance
of Place your screenshot here

Russians
tanks

10
Brutal Suppression Population Escape High Casualties

11
 3,000
Hungarians killed

1,000
Russian killed

200,000
Hungarians fled

12
End of Nagy’s
government
Replaced by János Kádar

13
 “
THE OUTCOMES

14
 Reforms introduced by the
new Hungarian leader János
Kádár, such as…

15
 35,000
Anti-Communist activists arrested

16
 300
Anti-Communist activists executed

17
Some of the reforms demanded
by the Hungarians
were introduced, but Hungary
remained in the Warsaw Pact.

18
The Berlin
Wall

East German workers near the Brandenburg Gate reinforce

the Berlin Wall in 1961.
(Photo/research.archives.gov). Source: https://news.usc.edu/71860/remembering-the-night-the-
berlin-wall-went-up-and-when-it-came-down/)
 There’s what you’ll find in this presentation:
1. Background.

Reasons for growing tension over Berlin.

Contents

2.

3. The building of the Berlin Wall. Why was the Berlin Wall
built?

4. The response of the West.

5. The impact of the Wall on international relations.

 01 02
1. Background.

Division of Berlin Berlin Blockade

At the Yalta
Conference in 1945, 1948, crisis over the
Germany and its Berlin Blockade.
capital Berlin were
both divided into four
zones of occupation.
2. Reasons for growing tension
over Berlin.

The Brain Drain Lure of the West Espionage

Thousands of East People living under Berlin was a

Germans had fled to communism in the Western island in a
the West through Eastern sector could communist sea – an
Berlin. Many of visit the West and ideal place for
those who defected see what capitalism American spies to
were educated or offered. gather intelligence
highly skilled on the Soviet
workers. military.
 At the Vienna Summit of June
1961, therefore, Khrushchev
3. The building of the Berlin Wall.

demanded that the US leave

West Berlin within six months.
Kennedy refused and instead
Why was the Berlin Wall built?

guaranteed West Berlin's

freedom.

On 13 August, Khrushchev
closed the border between
East and West Berlin and
started building the Berlin Wall.
The foundations
of the Berlin Wall
are laid out on
August 18, 1961.
(Photo: DPA. Source:
https://www.thelocal.de/20191108/six-things-you-need-to-
know-about-the-berlin-wall)
 The Berlin
Wall Map

Source: https://www.quora.com/What-
is-the-Berlin-Wall-What-happened
4. The response of the West. After the building of the wall…
US decided to test how far they could push the Foreigners were still allowed to cross the wall,
USSR. especially through Checkpoint Charlie.

Changes…
On 27 October 1961, Red Army tanks pulled The USA would not take military action against
up to Checkpoint Charlie and refused to allow the Soviet Union in its own geographical and
Americans to pass into the Eastern sector. political sphere of influence.

Outcomes
The East was allowed to remain cut off and
There was no attempt at rollback in Berlin
isolated from the West.
 Khrushchev claimed a victory from the Berlin
Wall crisis as he reduced the flow of mainly
highly skilled people from East Berlin.
5. The impact of the Wall on

Berlin remained a little

international relations.

Kennedy also claimed a victory in that he had Western island of

held onto West Berlin despite Khrushchev's democracy
requests for him to leave. surrounded by the
Soviet Bloc.

It was the people of Berlin

who suffered most
The wall symbolised the Each side blamed the
because of the tension
Cold War itself. other for the Berlin crisis.
and the inability to resolve
matters by negotiation.
Solidarity in
Poland
 Problems in
living
standards
Held regular because
protests
High prices

Started an
In 1970s economical
crisis
Poland
Government
July 1980 increased the
price of meat

2
 Consequences

Workers of
Gdansk
Strikes shipyard
broke out • Put 21 demands to the
government
• Started a trade union
called Solidarity

3
Solidarity strengthened because…

The Was strongest Was very

government in industries popular and
accepted its which were was
important for supported by
21 demands
the the Catholic
government church and
the west

4
 Lech Walesa
helped spark
the reunification
of Europe in
Gdansk in 1980
(Photo: Polish government)

5
 Important changes ocurred in 1981

New
government Soviet control

Brezhnev ordered
General Jaruselski the red army to
took over the make trainings on
government the Polish border

Wojciech Jaruselski

6
 Policies adopted by Jaruzelski

Imprisoned
Walesa
Introduced Suspended
and other
martial law Solidarity
Solidarity’s
leaders

7
 Finally, in December 1981, the Polish government clamped
down on Solidarity because…

Poland was
becoming a chaos:
economic crisis,
unemployment and
strikes went on Solidarity was
Solidarity was acting despite Solidarity tumbling into chaos:
as a political party. had ordered them to there were different
stop. factions, which
threatened to pull
the organisation
apart.

The Soviet Union

didn’t like Solidarity
and wanted to
recover its control
over Poland.

8
 Consequences

Solidarity was Economic crisis Free elections held

declared illegal hit Poland. in Poland: a
Solidarity leader
Solidarity began was elected prime
to regain power minister.

1982 Mid 1980s 1989

1983 1985
Gorbachev
Solidarity assumed as
leaders were new leader of
released from the USSR. His
prison but reforms led to
many were the end of
killed or lost Communist
their jobs regimes in
eastern Europe

9
Thanks!

10
Czechoslovakia
and the Prague
Spring
(1968)
 The causes of the Prague Spring

Since 1948, the communist government in Czechoslovakia had been a loyal supporter of
the Soviet Union. However, by the 1960s there was growing discontent mainly due to:

Economic
Political problems Social problems
problems
• Inflation • political • The workers and
• food shortages discontent as farmers remained
• falling living Czechoslovakia in poor housing
standards had gone from and had the most
democracy to basic of lifestyles
dictatorship.
 As a consequence…

➢ In Czechoslovakia, during the 1960s…

• Disliked life under Communist control

population

New
• 1967: it was appointed a new leader
legalised
leader political
Limited the opposition
activities of groups
the secret
Alexander Removed state police
Dubček controls over
industry and
reintroduced
Less capitalist
censorship elements into the
and more Czech economy;
freedom of
Proposed ‘socialism speech
with a human face’
The reforms led to a period of
freedom and feeling of hope
among the population in
Czechoslovakia, known as

‘The Prague
Spring’
 1.
How did the Soviet
Union react to the
‘Prague Spring’?
 Dubček’s reforms began to worry the Soviets because…

➢ Although he claimed to be a committed communist, Dubček proposed allowing

non-communist political parties to be set up and to put up candidates for election.

➢ Dubček said that Czechoslovakia would remain in the Warsaw Pact, but then
welcomed Marshal Tito, President of Yugoslavia, to Prague. Yugoslavia had been
communist since World War Two but was not a member of the Warsaw Pact and
Moscow was wary of him.

➢ The Soviets worried that the new ideas in Czechoslovakia might spread to other
countries in eastern Europe.

6
 The Soviet response

➢ Tried to slow Dubček down.

➢ Had a summit conference with the Czechs.

Anyway, Dubček insisted on keeping most of his
reforms.

➢ Finally
7
On 20 August 1968…

Soviet tanks
moved into
Czechoslovakia

8
 Soviet invasion to
Czechoslovakia

9
 2.
The Outcomes
Passive resistance Dubček
-Little violent resistance from the Was removed from power.
population.
-The people refused to cooperate
with the Soviet troops.

Freedom
Brezhnev Doctrine
After the invasion, censorship
Stated that eastern European was set up again.
countries would not be allowed
to abandon communism.

11
 THANKS!!!

12