1. European Developments
1947-1949
• In 1948 the USSR
and the West
disagreed over
Berlin.
– Disagreements over
the administration of
the four zones of
occupation of Berlin.

2. • Western allies (USA, UK and France)
agreed to a single government in their
zones and a new currency to help
economic recovery.

3. • The Soviet Union
opposed these moves
• Stalin wanted to keep
G weak, so he decided
to blockade Berlin.
• Land communication
should be cut off.

4. Berlin survided bc of the Berlin
airlift
• All supplies by air.
• In 1949, Stalin ended
the blockade.
• It hardened the
division btw East and
West.

9. Formation of 2 new states
• West Germany =
German Federal
Republic.
• Communist East
Germany =
German
Democratic
Republic.

10. Eastern Europe
• BTW 1947 and 1961 , USSR consolidated
its control over Eastern Europe.

11. Development of the Cold War
• Conflicts until
1989: Proxy
wars
– It’s a war
where two
powers use
third parties as
a suplement or
a substitute for
fighting each
other directly

12. World was bipolarised

13. Sphere of influence: Iron curtain

14. In August 1949, USSR tested a
nuclear device
• Prototype of the hydrogen bomb
• The west was alarmed
• The arms race began

17. This was the theory of
‘DETERRENCE’

18. Korean war
• Early example of
decolonisation
• Korean Peninsula
had been
occupied by the
japanese since
1910

19. • In 1945, when
Japan surrendered
they were obliged
to leave Korea
• They were replaced
by the soviets
• The 2 countries
were divided by the
38th parallel
– Demilitarised zone

21. • North Korea was invaded by UN.
• China launched an attack on the UN
forces.
• A cease-fire was agreed in 1953.

22. 1949
• Communist state of China by Mao Tse
Tung

23. • The idea of
Containment was
modified with
President
Eisenhower
• He first mentioned a
new idea on a radio
interview in 1954.

24. Domino Theory
• If just one country was taken by
Communist leader, then that would lead to
nearby countries becoming Communist as
well.

25. Confrontation and Détente
• Détente was a
period of
increased
cooperaton btw
USA and USSR.
• Both wanted to
avoid another
crisis.
• Détente=relaxation
in relations

26. • USA realised that it could not fight China,
with its massive population
• Korean war proved that a 3rd WW was
possible.
• USSR accused USA of using UN for its
own purposes

27. 1953-Stalin died

28. Replaced by Khrushev
• Eisenhower replaced Truman.
• They both met at Geneva Conference and
agreed to reduce Cold War tensions

29. • A permanent ‘hot line’ telephone was set
up btw Kremlin and the White House.

30. The Korean War
• The Korean War was a war between the
Republic of Korea (supported primarily by
the United States of America, and UN)
and the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea (supported by the China, with
military and material aid from the USSR).

31. • After the surrender of the Empire of Japan
in September 1945, American
administrators divided the peninsula along
the 38th parallel.

32. North Korea
• Kim Il Sung, supported by the Ussr

33. South Korea
• Supported by the USA
• Dictatorship of Syngman Rhee

36. Mac Arthur wanted to use the
nuclear bomb

37. Napalm (gasolina gelatinosa)

38. Gasoline-gel napalm bombs were
used extensively by US forces
during the Korean war.

42. 1953. Stalemate and 5 million
civilians died

43. ‘Detente’
• Krushev rejected
Stalin’s policies and
shocked the
Russians by publicly
criticising the old
regime
• In 1956, Krushev
called for ‘peaceful
coexistence’

44. • The only events that threatened this
peace were the Suez Crisis and the
Hungarian uprising (october-november
1956)

45. The Suez Crisis

47. War ended in 1957
• UN sent a peace-force to protect the area

48. Hungarian uprising
• Death Stalin: Opportunity to free the
‘puppet’ government
– Imre Nagy was a hungarian communist leader

49. USA didn’t want to get involved in
the conflict
• Hungary wanted to leave the Varsaw Pact!
• USSR invaded the country and sent Nagy
to prision
• Then, executed.