Cold War overview

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(Difference between revisions)
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Causes of the Cold War:
Causes of the Cold War:
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*Long-term origins (1917-1941)
+
 
-
*Short-term origins (1941-1945)
+
=Factors contributing to the Cold War=
-
The start of the Cold War
+
 
-
*1945-1953
+
==Long-term origins (1917-1941)==
-
**Europe
+
?
-
***Attitudes
+
 
-
***Conferences
+
==Short-term origins (1941-1946)==
-
***Atomic bomb
+
===1945 Meetings:===
-
***Eastern Europe
+
*Yalta:
-
***Containment and roll back
+
**Germany to be split into four zones(American, British, French, Russian), Berlin too.
-
****Truman, Marshall, Cominform, Molotov, Comicon  
+
**Eastern Europe to have free elections
-
***Berlin blockade and airlift
+
**U.N. to be created
-
****NATO
+
**Stalin agreed to join the war against Japan
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**Asia
+
***Condition: Japanese-occupied territory given to USSR
-
***Korean war
+
*Pottsdam
-
***Indo-china wars
+
**Couldn't agree on what to do with Poland or Germany
-
***China becomes communist
+
 
-
The “Thaw” (1953-1957)
+
==Attitudes of major powers==
 +
===American Position===
 +
Mainly, '''suspicion of Russia''' from a number of sources:
 +
*Kennan's Long Telegram (1946, followed later by the "X Article"):
 +
**telegram sent by George Kennan, Deputy Chief of Mission (second to the Ambassador) at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, basically said that Russia believed that communism and capitalism could not peacefully coexist, and one would have to make way for the other.
 +
***See [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_Article#The_Long_Telegram Wikipedia page] for more info or the original text on [http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Long_Telegram Wikisource]
 +
*NSC-68: National Security Council report on Communist aims. ''Note: this was not until 1950!''
 +
**Main jist was that the USSR wanted to "impose its absolute authority over the rest of the world."
 +
**Depicted the USA as "the center of power in the free world."
 +
*During the Russian Civil War, the Bolsheveiks had fought U.S. supported forces and, after winning, renounced all Russian international debts.
 +
*At the end of WWII, Russia appeared to forcefully impose communist governments in Eastern Europe.
 +
**Free elections did not happen as agreed at Yalta
 +
*These led to the American '''policy of containment''' of communism
 +
 
 +
===Soviet Position===
 +
Mainly, '''suspicion of the West''' from these sources:
 +
*USSR was not well-informed of the development and planned use of the atomic bomb.
 +
*Old tensions from the Russian Civil War
 +
*Russia had been invaded twice in 50 years by Western powers
 +
*The dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan prevented Russia gaining back territory lost in the Russo-Japanese war which they had been offered if they helped defeat Japan
 +
*Therefore Russia wanted border states to prevent future invasions
 +
 
 +
=1945-1953: The start of the Cold War=
 +
*Europe
 +
**Attitudes
 +
**Conferences
 +
**Atomic bomb
 +
**Eastern Europe
 +
**Containment and roll back
 +
***Truman, Marshall, Cominform, Molotov, Comicon  
 +
**Berlin blockade and airlift
 +
***NATO
 +
 
 +
==Action in Asia==
 +
**[[Korean war]] 1950-1953 (however, it didn't officially end yet)
 +
**[[Vietnam War]] (U.S. gets involved in 1957, Saigon falls 1975)
 +
**Indo-china wars
 +
**China becomes communist
 +
 
 +
=The �Thaw� (1953-1957)=
*Reasons for a thaw
*Reasons for a thaw
**Death of Stalin
**Death of Stalin
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**Russia builds up arms
**Russia builds up arms
**Berlin problems (Recognition)
**Berlin problems (Recognition)
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The Khrushchev Era (1956-63)
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-
*Destalinisation
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=The Khrushchev Era (1956-63)=
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*Polish Crisis (1956)
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Destalinisation
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*Hungarian Uprising
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Polish Crisis (1956)
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*Suez Crisis
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Hungarian Uprising
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*Increased power of Khrushev and USSR
+
Suez Crisis
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*Second Berlin crisis (1958-1962)
+
Increased power of Khrushev and USSR
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**Threats by Khrushchev against Western powers in west Germany/Berlin (Berlin Ultimatum)
+
Second Berlin crisis (1958-1962)
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**Demands to get rid of West Berlin
+
*Threats by Khrushchev against Western powers in west Germany/Berlin (Berlin Ultimatum)
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**Geneva conference
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*Demands to get rid of West Berlin
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**Berlin Wall
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*Geneva conference
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*The Arms race (1949-1958 and onwards)
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*Berlin Wall
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*Cuban missile crisis (1962)
+
The Arms race (1949-1958 and onwards)
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**Fidel Castro
+
Cuban missile crisis (1962)
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**Bay of pigs incident
+
*Fidel Castro
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**Missiles in Cuba
+
*Bay of pigs incident
-
**Naval blockade
+
*Missiles in Cuba
-
**Consequences
+
*Naval blockade
*Consequences
*Consequences
-
**Deterioration of Relations
+
Consequences
-
The “Long Peace” in Europe (1963-91)
+
*Deterioration of Relations
-
*Détente in Europe
+
 
-
**Distracted super powers
+
=The �Long Peace� in Europe (1963-91)=
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***Vietnam
+
Détente in Europe
-
***USSR and China
+
*Distracted super powers
-
**Controlling nuclear development
+
**Vietnam
-
**France withdraws from NATO
+
**USSR and China
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**The Hamel report
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*Controlling nuclear development
-
**Brezhnev doctrine
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*France withdraws from NATO
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**Ostpolitik
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*The Hamel report
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**China and the USA
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*Brezhnev doctrine
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*The Third Cold War (1979-1985)
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*Ostpolitik
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**Weakening of Détente
+
*China and the USA
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**Solidarity
+
The Third Cold War (1979-1985)
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**Ostpolitik threatened
+
*Weakening of Détente
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*End of the Cold War
+
*Solidarity
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**Gorbachev
+
*Ostpolitik threatened
-
**Détente renegotiated
+
End of the Cold War
-
**East Europe
+
*Gorbachev
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***Economic problems
+
*Détente renegotiated
-
***New conflicts without communism
+
*East Europe
-
**Collapse of GDR
+
**Economic problems
-
**Reunification of Germany
+
**New conflicts without communism
 +
*Collapse of GDR
 +
*Reunification of Germany
 +
 
Collapse of the USSR
Collapse of the USSR

Revision as of 12:05, 2 January 2008

Causes of the Cold War:

Contents

Factors contributing to the Cold War

Long-term origins (1917-1941)

?

Short-term origins (1941-1946)

1945 Meetings:

  • Yalta:
    • Germany to be split into four zones(American, British, French, Russian), Berlin too.
    • Eastern Europe to have free elections
    • U.N. to be created
    • Stalin agreed to join the war against Japan
      • Condition: Japanese-occupied territory given to USSR
  • Pottsdam
    • Couldn't agree on what to do with Poland or Germany

Attitudes of major powers

American Position

Mainly, suspicion of Russia from a number of sources:

  • Kennan's Long Telegram (1946, followed later by the "X Article"):
    • telegram sent by George Kennan, Deputy Chief of Mission (second to the Ambassador) at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, basically said that Russia believed that communism and capitalism could not peacefully coexist, and one would have to make way for the other.
  • NSC-68: National Security Council report on Communist aims. Note: this was not until 1950!
    • Main jist was that the USSR wanted to "impose its absolute authority over the rest of the world."
    • Depicted the USA as "the center of power in the free world."
  • During the Russian Civil War, the Bolsheveiks had fought U.S. supported forces and, after winning, renounced all Russian international debts.
  • At the end of WWII, Russia appeared to forcefully impose communist governments in Eastern Europe.
    • Free elections did not happen as agreed at Yalta
  • These led to the American policy of containment of communism

Soviet Position

Mainly, suspicion of the West from these sources:

  • USSR was not well-informed of the development and planned use of the atomic bomb.
  • Old tensions from the Russian Civil War
  • Russia had been invaded twice in 50 years by Western powers
  • The dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan prevented Russia gaining back territory lost in the Russo-Japanese war which they had been offered if they helped defeat Japan
  • Therefore Russia wanted border states to prevent future invasions

1945-1953: The start of the Cold War

  • Europe
    • Attitudes
    • Conferences
    • Atomic bomb
    • Eastern Europe
    • Containment and roll back
      • Truman, Marshall, Cominform, Molotov, Comicon
    • Berlin blockade and airlift
      • NATO

Action in Asia

    • Korean war 1950-1953 (however, it didn't officially end yet)
    • Vietnam War (U.S. gets involved in 1957, Saigon falls 1975)
    • Indo-china wars
    • China becomes communist

The �Thaw� (1953-1957)

  • Reasons for a thaw
    • Death of Stalin
    • McCarthy discredited
    • End of Korean War
    • End of Indo-china war
    • Russian concessions
    • The Austrian State Treaty
  • Continued tensions
    • Continued Russian grip on Eastern Europe
    • Actions to protect communism
    • The Warsaw Pact
    • Russia builds up arms
    • Berlin problems (Recognition)

The Khrushchev Era (1956-63)

Destalinisation Polish Crisis (1956) Hungarian Uprising Suez Crisis Increased power of Khrushev and USSR Second Berlin crisis (1958-1962)

  • Threats by Khrushchev against Western powers in west Germany/Berlin (Berlin Ultimatum)
  • Demands to get rid of West Berlin
  • Geneva conference
  • Berlin Wall

The Arms race (1949-1958 and onwards) Cuban missile crisis (1962)

  • Fidel Castro
  • Bay of pigs incident
  • Missiles in Cuba
  • Naval blockade
  • Consequences

Consequences

  • Deterioration of Relations

The �Long Peace� in Europe (1963-91)

Détente in Europe

  • Distracted super powers
    • Vietnam
    • USSR and China
  • Controlling nuclear development
  • France withdraws from NATO
  • The Hamel report
  • Brezhnev doctrine
  • Ostpolitik
  • China and the USA

The Third Cold War (1979-1985)

  • Weakening of Détente
  • Solidarity
  • Ostpolitik threatened

End of the Cold War

  • Gorbachev
  • Détente renegotiated
  • East Europe
    • Economic problems
    • New conflicts without communism
  • Collapse of GDR
  • Reunification of Germany

Collapse of the USSR

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