The Cold War was a period of tension between the US and USSR from 1945-1991. It was characterized by mutual suspicion and hostility as both countries had nuclear weapons. While direct conflict was avoided, they came close to war on occasions due to interfering in other countries' affairs during events like the Korean War and Cuban Missile Crisis. The origins of the Cold War began with disagreements over Eastern Europe and mistrust growing between Stalin and Truman. Containment became the US policy to prevent the spread of communism.

1. The Cold War
1945 - 1991

3.  An era of tense rivalry between the post-
WW2 superpowers
◦ USA & USSR
 Characterized by suspicion, distrust,
rivalry, and hostility
◦ Both countries also had nuclear weapons
Definition

4.  The two countries do no come into direct
conflict, but they do come dangerously
close to war on several occasions
◦ Due to their interference in their affairs of
other countries
◦ Ex: Korea, Vietnam, Cuba

5.  Potsdam  They no longer
Conference: Truman need the Soviets to
reveals that USA defeat Japan
has “the bomb”
U
mad
bro?
Origins of the Cold War

6.  The US adopts a
confrontational
attitude towards
Stalin
◦ Due to his attempt to
take control over
Eastern Europe
◦ This sets the stage
for the Cold War
Origins of the Cold War

7.  The creation of a “buffer zone” in Eastern
Europe is not something that Stalin will
negotiate
◦ It is essential to their national security
◦ Why??
Origins of the Cold War

8. Europe- 1920

9. Europe after 1945

10.  The animosity that  Ordinary citizens in
existed between the both countries had
US and USSR was other concerns:
initially confined to ◦ USSR Rebuilding
government circles the country
inside Washington ◦ USA  Isolationism
and Moscow
Origins of the Cold War

11.  Truman played the
atomic bomb as a
threat towards the
Soviet military
◦ This had 2 negative
effects
Origins of the Cold War

12.  1. Contributed to
deteriorating One side
builds more
Soviet-American arms
relations
 2. Encouraged the Even more More
Soviets to develop weapons weapons
nuclear weapons
◦ Successful by 1949
The other
◦ Nuclear arms race side builds
more arms
Origins of the Cold War

13.  1946: Two important
speeches lead to
more hostility
◦ 1. Feb: Stalin’s “Two
Hostile Camps” speech
in Moscow (p. 140 in
text)
◦ 2. Mar: Churchill’s “Iron
Curtain” speech at
University of Missouri
Origins of the Cold War

14.  Stalin’s speech:  Churchill’s speech:
◦ How was it ◦ Americans should be
interpreted in aware of Soviet
Washington? threat
◦ Stalin was stating ◦ There existed a need
that war with the for “an association of
West was inevitable English-speaking
peoples” acting
outside the UN to re-
order the world
(NATO)
Origins of the Cold War

15.  From Stettin in the Baltic to
 …The Communist parties,
Trieste in the Adriatic an iron
which were very small in all
curtain has descended across
these Eastern States of
the Continent. Behind that line
Europe, have been raised to
lie all the capitals of the
pre-eminence and power far
ancient states of Central and
beyond their numbers and are
Eastern Europe. Warsaw,
seeking everywhere to obtain
Berlin, Prague, Vienna,
totalitarian control. Police
Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest
governments are prevailing in
and Sofia, all these famous
nearly every case, and so far,
cities and the populations
except in Czechoslovakia,
around them lie in what I must
there is no true democracy.
call the Soviet sphere, and all
are subject in one form or
another, not only to Soviet
influence but to a very high
and, in some cases, increasing
measure of control from
Moscow.
The “Iron Curtain” Speech

16.  The effect of Churchill’s speech is two-fold:
◦ 1. American public opinion
 Many Americans thought Truman’s “get tough” approach to
the Soviets as the right one
 Major change in public opinion
◦ 2. Stalin’s reaction
 Accused Churchill of wanting “English-speaking” people to
rule over the remaining nations of the world
Origins of the Cold War

17.  With US public
opinion becoming
increasingly anti-
Soviet, the
government adopts a
new policy towards
communism
◦ Containment

18.  Containment was a
defensive approach
to dealing with
communism and
the USSR
◦ Belief was that if the
US could contain the
spread of
communism within
Eastern Europe, the
USSR would
eventually crumble

19.  The next 45 years are characterized by the
Soviets attempting to export communism around
the globe (North Africa, Middle East, Asia, and
Latin America), while the US attempts to prevent
this from happening

20.  Although this is a  Ex:
struggle between two ◦ Berlin Airlift
political philosophies ◦ Korea
(Democracy vs ◦ Vietnam
Communism), the ◦ Cuba
American efforts are
more about stopping
communism than
promoting democracy

21.  On 12 March 1947,
Truman announces an
aggressive anti-
communist policy
◦ Called for reducing
Soviet influence
around the world
rather than simply
containing it to
Eastern Europe

22.  Policy becomes
known as the
Truman Doctrine
◦ Combined with
containment, this
results in an aggressive
approach to dealing
with the USSR
◦ P. 141 in text
Truman Doctrine

23.  What follows is a
series of actionary
and reactionary
initiatives
◦ Similar to a chess game
in that the two sides
attempt to
outmanoeuvre each
other
◦ Early focus was on the
affairs of Europe,
particularly Germany
and Eastern Europe
Truman Doctrine