1. COLD WAR
BALANCE OF POWER

2. #1 East vs. West
West supported by US
& GB.
Democracy & free
enterprise restored
Western countries
Eastern Europe had
pro-communist govts
supported by the
Soviet Union
Europe divided by
imaginary line: Iron
Curtain

3. #2 West German Govt
Germany divided into 4
zones - eventually, Western
three combined into 1
Berlin is also divided in 4,
but in Soviet zone
Nazis outlawed, tried at
Nuremberg
Germans wrote a
constitution
1949, Federal Republic of
Germany
Guaranteed asylum for
political reasons
(sanctuary)

4. #3 Holocaust Lessons
Germans want to be sure it
doesn’t happen again
Today, strong ties to Israel
Attempt to compensate
financially some victims
Will grant asylum to anyone
escaping political
persecution

5. #4 Japan’s Constitution
Want to end militarism
and ensure
democracy
Constitution drafted by
Gen. Douglas
MacArthur & advisors
Constitutional
monarchy;
representatives
elected to Diet;
women can vote;
basic rights
guaranteed

6. #5 Cold War
2 superpowers emerge after
WWII - US & Soviet Union
A continuing state of tension
& hostility btwn them.
Armed battle did not occur
directly- stakes are 2 high!
Soviets have atomic bomb
in ‘49, hydrogen bomb ‘53
Marxist Communism vs.
American Capitalism -
ideological conflict; hatred!

7. #5 Cold War begins
Stalin forced Eastern
European countries to adopt
pro-communist govts
The Soviets did not trust the
West, won’t give up lands
they gained in war
Stalin puts pressure on
Greece & Turkey, we step in.

8. #6 Satellite?
Not that kind of
satellite!
A country that
was forced to be
pro-communist
7 of them:
Poland,
Czechoslovakia,
East Germany,
Hungary,
Romania,
Yugoslavia,
Bulgaria

9. #7 Truman Doctrine
3/47, President Truman
establishes military &
economic policy to
help other nations resist
Soviet aggression
Theory of Containment -
limit commies from
spreading
Sends $400 million in
military & economic aid
to Greece & Turkey
War on Communism
“It must be the policy
of the United States to
support free peoples
who are resisting
attempted subjugation
by armed minorities or
by outside pressures.”
— Harry S Truman

10. #7 Marshall Plan
Economic aid package
to strengthen
democratic govts in W.
Europe, help them
rebuild
$13 Billion
Extremely successful,
source of
embarrassment for Stalin
when W.E. recovers, E.E.
doesn’t

11. #8 Crisis in Germany
Tension btwn democratic
West and communist East
Stalin feared a strong,
united Germany
W. Germany is doing
better, industry up 600%,
currency better in West
than East
Berlin was in East,
blockaded by Stalin to
stop supplies

12. Berlin Airlift

13. #8 Berlin Airlift
1948 Allies bring in food &
supplies through the air to
Berlin for nearly a year
Blockade is ineffective
Led to the formal creation
of West Germany (1949)
1961, East German govt
builds wall separating East
Berlin from West Berlin -
shoot anyone trying to
escape

14. #9 Opposing
Alliances
North Atlantic Treaty
Organization - NATO
Designed to make sure
Soviets don’t grab any
more of Europe
Warsaw Pact - Soviet
alliances w/ 7 of its
satellites
Critics said the
purpose of NATO
was:
“to keep the Russians
out, the Germans down,
and the Americans in.”

15. #10 Soviet Repression
Stalin dies in 1953, glitter of
hope
But Soviets keep their thumb
on satellite countries
Soviets put down revolts by
rolling tanks, show the West
they will use force to support
communism

16. #11 Revolts
1956, Imre Nagy - Hungarian
nationalist & communist
seeks independence
Soviets roll in tanks, Nagy
executed & thousands of
others die
Soviets crush dissent by force

17. Time magazine’s Man of the Year
in 1956 was the Hungarian
freedom fighter

18. #11 Czechoslovakia
1968, “Prague Spring”
movement among students
Alexander Dubcek became
Communist Party leader,
called for liberal reforms &
easing of communist controls
“Socialism w/ a human face”
Tanks rolled, new govt
installed
Again, use force when
necessary

19. #12 Arms Race
Distrust & fear permeate in cold
war society
Both sides stockpile atomic
weapons, position them “in case
of attack!” - fear
1960 - US U2 Spyplane shot down
over Soviet airspace prior to East-
West summit meeting in Paris
Americans deny, Soviets produce
evidence, captured pilot -
Relations fall apart

20. #12 Space Race
1957 Sputnik, a Soviet satellite, is
first man-made object to orbit the
Earth
US shocked, Soviets are Better?
WTH?
NASA started - major $$$$$$$ for
science and math education
1961 - Soviets 1st man in space
1969 - US on moon

21. #13 East Asia
By supporting govts or rebel
groups in other countries, the
superpowers could exert their
influence w/out engaging
directly (through surrogate
means).
Korean War, 1950-1953
Vietnam, 1954-1975
Provided eco. aid, advisors, &
troops to contain communism
Tens of thousands die not
fighting Soviets, but other
communists

22. #14 Middle
East
1950s, Gamal Abdar
Nasser rules Egypt,
Soviets help him with
Aswan Dam
Fights 2 wars vs. Israel,
backed by Soviets
US backs Israel

23. #14 Middle East
US & USSR needed oil for their
economies - interfere in Iran
& Iraq
Iran - US backs anti-
communist shah, who gets
overthrown in Islamic
Revolution,1979
USSR supports socialist
dictator in Iraq after military
coup overthrows monarchy

24. #15 Africa
Congo - free from Belgium in
1960 - Soviets help new leader
suppress rebels
Anti-communist dictator Mobutu
Sese Seko gets support from the
west & takes control, renames it
Zaire
Stays in power until late ‘90s.

25. #16 Latin America
Cuba - Fidel Castro
establishes communist
dictatorship in 1959
Very close to US
Bay of Pigs invasion to
overthrow Castro fails,
1961
1962 Cuban Missile
Crisis
Castro & Khrushchev

26. #17
Nonaligned nations - did not
choose a side in the Cold
War, but chose to make
economic progress a goal
Accepted aid from both U.S.
and Soviet Union
India, Yugoslavia, many
African nations

27. #18 United Nations
The UN was a place that
representatives from the USSR
and the US could voice their
differences peacefully
Member countries would side w/
one of the superpowers in votes
though, limiting the UN’s
effectiveness

28. Soviet World Crumbles
#19- détente – btwn 1963-
1981, a lessoning of tensions
Détente involved arms control
talks and treaties (like SALT,
Strategic Arms Limitation
Treaties ’69, ‘79)
Cultural exchanges
Trade agreements
Joint Apollo Soyuz Space Mission

29. #20 Afghanistan
Soviets launch war in Afghanistan, 1979
to keep the pro-communist govt in
power - West sees Soviets as still
aggressive
US backs Mujahideen “freedom
fighters” (led by Saudi Arabian, Osama
bin Laden) CIA trains and arms them
through Pakistani secret services
Unpopular in Soviet Union, lots of
casualties on both sides
“USSR’s Vietnam”
After Soviet withdrawal in 1989, all sides
forget Afghanistan - warlords control
country, then Taliban wins civil war
Taliban harbors Al-Qaeda –> 9/11/01

30. #21Perestroika
Under Soviet Premier Mikhail
Gorbachev
He reformed the USSR so much it
crumbled
Restructured the failing state-run
economy to create growth,
efficiency
Free market reforms – led to
inflation, shortages of food &
medicine
People got something for doing
little for so long, didn’t know how
to make things on their own
Mikhail
Gorbachev

31. #21 Glasnost
Means “openness”
Ended censorship, so
people could discuss
problems openly
Stalin is rolling in his
grave!
Nationalist sentiments
are opened up – Soviet
empire will collapse
(Freedom please)

32. #22
When Gorbachev introduces
democracy, the Soviet Union
crumbles

33. #23 – Gorbachev
1985-1991
Wants to shake Soviet society from top
to bottom
World had changed –
3 worlds – Capitalist, Communist, 3rd
World
radio & TV makes world smaller, sense
of connectivity, capacity to destroy
humanity, world capitalism
(McDonald’s, Coca-Cola)
Perestroika & Glasnost

34. #23 Yeltsin
Coup led by Gen. Yennaiev to
overthrow Gorbachev fails
Boris Yeltsin saved Gorbachev,
takes over when Gorbachev
resigns
Struggles to make transition
from communism to capitalism
“We pretend to work as they
pretend to pay us.” – no
incentive to work hard, laziness
is a way of life under
communism
Yeltsin retires in 1999

35. #23 Vladimir Putin
Former KGB officer
1st
time in Russian history that
power passed peacefully
from 1 elected leader to
another
Has suppressed dissent (jailed
opponents), curbed power of
regional leaders and Duma
Nuclear arms reduction w/
U.S. and cooperation w/
NATO

36. #24
Poland is 1st
country to break up
Eastern Bloc
Strikes in Gdansk shipyards,
labor unrest, rising prices lead
to union movement – Solidarity
led by Lech Walesa
Free elections 1989, he is
President – Comm Party loses
monopoly on power
Hungary – Comm party is
broken up, opens borders to
West
East Germany – Nov 9, 1989 –
Berlin Wall comes down

37. #24
Bulgaria – Comm dictator
Zhivkov resigns, 1989
Czechoslovakia – Vaclav Havel,
a poet elected Dec. 26, 1989
Romania – Nikolai Ceaucescu,
brutal dictator sends out army to
break up protests – they arrest,
kill him instead
Yugoslavia – Lead by Tito,
declares itself separate

38. #25
Ethnic Tension erupts in
former Soviet bloc as they
struggle for democracy
Czechoslovakia splits
Armenians vs Azerbaijan
Yugoslavia torn apart in
Balkans (Milosevic)
Chechens vs. Russia (terror)
U.S. is #1