1. Post-WWII to the present
Some Themes...
^New Tensions - The Cold War and birth of the
United Nations
^End of Colonialism and birth of new nations
^Progress towards Democracy
(with some setbacks)
^Increased Global Interdependence
^Current Global Issues/Unresolved problems
2. New Tensions - The Cold War
*Series of actions/reactions
^Europe and Asia in ruins, UN is born, US and
USSR emerge as rival superpowers
^Cold war confrontations dominate for next half-
century
-differing situations and aims after WWII
-US: relatively untouched by war; goal is to
stop Communism from spreading!
-USSR: devastated by war; goal is to stop the
democracies from spreading!
3. Action...Reaction
US: Truman Doctrine (support for countries
that reject Communism)
-$400 million to Greece and Turkey
-The Marshall Plan
*provided $12.5 billion to help rebuild W.
Europe
4. Action...Reaction
USSR
Communist governments installed in
Eastern Europe
Controlled by Stalin
COMECON established by USSR to
aid these countries
5. Action...Reaction
Europe Divides
East Germany becomes German
Democratic Republic (GDR)
West Germany becomes Federal Republic
of Germany (FRG)
Berlin also divided
Churchill: “An Iron Curtain has descended
across Europe”
6.
7. Action...Reaction
USSR:
free elections in Eastern Europe
forbidden
Stalin: “Communism and Capitalism
cannot exist together in this world.”
8. Action...Reaction
US begins policy of CONTAINMENT
foreign policy centered on making
sure that Communism did not spread
beyond where it already existed.
9. Action...Reaction
USSR creates a ‘buffer’ zone with
Eastern Europe to protect itself from
Western Europe and the democracies
West Berlin (controlled by US, UK and
France) is cut off by USSR
10. Action...Reaction
US and her allies begin an 11 month airlift
of supplies into West Berlin defying
Stalin’s blockade (1948-49)
11. Action...Reaction
Stalin lifts the blockade in 1949 but
begins putting up barbed wire and
blockades between eastern and western
Berlin.
12. Action...Reaction
US and her allies in W. Europe form a
mutual defense pact in 1949
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO)
Does this sound familiar?
15. Action...Reaction
US and USSR begin an arms race
More powerful nuclear weapons built on
both sides
US tests an “H-Bomb” in ’52 which was
thousands of times more powerful than
the “A-Bomb” used on Japan
USSR tests its H-Bomb in ’53
16. Action...Reaction
Along with the Arms race came the
Space race
USSR creates ICBM’s and launches
world’s 1st satellite - SPUTNIK in ’57
US launches satellite in ’58
17. Action...Reaction
In ’60, US pledges it will land man on
moon and get him back by end of the
decade
In ’61, USSR sends the 1st human into
orbit - YURI GAGARIN
18. Action...Reaction
In ’62 US sends up JOHN GLENN
USSR sends a probe to Venus
July ’69 - US lands NEIL ARMSTRONG
on moon
19. Meanwhile....
Communists take power in China in ’49
“Hot Spots”
Korea (’50-’53)
Vietnam (’45-’75) US involved 1957-73.
3rd World (developing countries; case
study: Cuba and the missile crisis - ’61)
Middle East (case study: Iran ’79)
20.
21.
22. End of the Cold War...
Collapse of Soviet Union brought democratic
reforms all over Eastern Europe by the early
1990’s
Gorbachev attempts to save USSR through reforms but ends up
triggering its breakup (’85-’91)
Former Soviet Republics move toward democracy (‘90s)
23. Aftermath of the collapse...
• Soviet Union disintegrated into 15 separate nations
• Economic problems = high inflation, high
unemployment, and poorer quality of life
• No history of democracy = tough political transitions
and overall political instability
• Old tensions rose to surface = Yugoslavia (Croatia,
Bosnia, and Serbia civil wars)
• Czechoslovakia → Czech Republic and Slovakia
• Nuclear weapons were spread out over former Soviet
republics = more countries with nukes than ever before
• 1991-2: START Strategic Arms Limitation Treaties
signed with the goal of reducing nuclear warheads in
each country to 3,000 each
26. China under Deng Xiaoping (’80-’97)
some moves toward modernization but still
authoritarian
27. The End of Colonialism and Birth of New Nations
India gains independence and then splits (’47)
Philippines from the US (’46???)
Burma (’48), Malaysia (’57) & Singapore
(’65)free from British
Indonesia from the Dutch (’49)
Conflict in the Middle East
Israel and Arab confrontations (’47 to present)
29. Progress towards Democracy
(with some setbacks)
Most Latin American countries were
independent by 20th century BUT colonial
legacies often led to dictatorships...
powerful militaries
economies too dependent on a single crop
large gaps between rich and poor
30.
31. Progress towards Democracy
(with some setbacks)
African colonies began gaining independence
from Europe in 1950’s BUT many were NOT
prepared for independence because of
colonial policies
many ethnic and cultural conflicts because of colonial borders
economic dependency on 1 or 2 cash crops
many civil wars and dictators rise to power
movement back now to more democratic governments
33. Increased Global Interdependence
Advances in Science and Technology change
life
access to information (computers...)
communication
transportation
health care
leisure time
the Green Revolution
34. Increased Global Interdependence
Globalization
political (role of the United
Nations)
economic (role of global and
regional organizations)
cultural (impact of cultural
diffusion)
35.
36. Current Global Issues/
Unresolved problems...
Global Security Issues
Regional war and peace (ethnic and
religious conflicts & genocide)
Global Terrorism
Nuclear proliferation
37.
38. Current Global Issues/
Unresolved problems...
Human Rights Issues
status of women
children’s issues
human trafficking/slavery
homosexual rights
political dissent/freedoms
39. Current Global Issues/
Unresolved problems...
Health Issues (AIDS in AFRICA)
Education
Population
Poverty
The Environment/Climate change
Hunger
40. The Future...
This slide is unfinished - that is your job!
You have learned from our past...now
Grab the opportunities that life
presents to you and MAKE HISTORY!
I wish you all the best!
