The Cold War.
The Cold War Introduction During the Second World War, the USA and the USSR fought on the same side against Nazi Germany. At the end of the war the two sides fell out. This was because the USA was a capitalist country and the USSR was a communist country. After the war the USSR took control of a large part of Eastern Europe and helped Eastern Europe countries to set up communist governments. By 1949 Europe was divided between the East and the West. The dividing line became known as the 'Iron Curtain'. The USA and the Soviet Union were enemies but a 'hot war' never developed. Instead, from the 1940s to the 1980s, the two superpowers entered into a cold war using espionage and propaganda. On its borders, the USSR was surrounded by Western powers. This made the USSR feel threatened which meant it closed in on its-self. The USA wanted to learn about how technologically advanced in the arms race and space the USSR was. However, the USA was unable to do so as information was being restricted. The U2 Plane Incident On May 1st 1960, an American U2 spy plane was shot down over the USSR. Francis Gary Powers was the pilot of the daring mission to fly completely over Russia taking pictures of secret military bases in order to find the status of the USSR's military capabilities. Before this historic U2 flight no American spy plane had been shot down over the USSR during the Cold
The Cold War
After the end of WWII, relations between the two superpowers, America and the Soviet Union, began to break down. As a result, the Cold War began in the late 1940's, named so because neither power came into direct military conflict.coea ear From 1955 to 1958, U2 spy planes from America had been flying photographic missions over the Soviet Union. It showed mistrust toward the SU and broke international law. The Soviets could not detect them, even though the arms race was in progress, as shown in Source A1, a non biased primary source of good utility published in a British magazine. It makes a joke of how the arms race can be compared to an Olympic running race, where "The important thing is not winning, but taking part". The Americans and the Soviets are neck and neck, showing the tension and pressure to win the race. On May 1 1960 a U2 plane, piloted by Gary Powers, was shot down by a SAM-2 missile. Source A2 demonstrates the type of plane that he flew. It is a primary source, however, the provenance is unsure and the utility of the source, limited. The caption infers that the SU knew the Americans were flying overhead. This would add to the tension that was building between the powers at this point. The flight path of the reconnaissance missions is shown in Source A3, a primary source, published the day Powers was shot down. The reliability of the source is bad due to the
The Cold War
In April 1950, the Secretaries of State and Defense published a document that was known by the name "NSC 68." NSC 68 was a report on the objectives and programs the US should pursue in its dealings with communism. It outlined the weaknesses and strengths of both the United States and the Soviet Union, the two nations it identified as world super powers. With warring ideologies and high tensions, these two countries were the primary combatants in the conflict known as "the Cold War." However, the conflict between these two countries spread to other nations, and created other situations. The Cold War became a world war, affecting regions and nations far removed from either the United States or the USSR. In judging NSC 68, it becomes necessary to examine incidents in which the document's objectives and programs could be applied. Such a task is relatively simple, as there are a multitude of incidents of conflict between communism and capitalism during the period of 1950 to 1975 (when NSC 68 was released to the public). In this report, evidence will be shown that, during the period of 1954-1961, government officials were sporadic in their applications of NSC 68. Using the Guatemalan Coup of 1954, the Suez Crisis of 1956, and the Bay of Pigs incident of 1961, this paper will show that the United States government of this time applied the principles expressed in NSC 68 in
Cold War
Cold War War is an event that represents the situation of a state and how it is revolutionized. It introduces new factors that sometimes force nations others to join in the enhancing of ideas. In particular, the new face of the ideological or new age concept was brought up. The United States of America and the former Union of Soviet Socialists Republic engaged in an ideological conflict known as the Cold War from 1945 to 1989. It was a time of differences between democracy and communism. The other main consequence of the Cold War was also a great scientific and technological advancements. Both superpowers possessed highly destructive arms for their offense and defense that induced fear in the other. This fear caused the launch of the Space Race: a derby of government-funded scientific advancements to take the human race into space. The space program is, to a large extent, the result of the Cold War. The rivalry between the US and the USSR for being the head power but with different ideologies had preceded the Second World War. Both nations had unprecedented tension flowing between them. Among many of these tensions were the financial and propaganda issues that made them enemies. These facts made a series of competitions such as economic strategies and propaganda. Among these competitions is one of the most important; the Space Race. The Cold War fueled an important
Was USA losing cold war
To what extent was the USA losing the Cold War 1949-1960? During this period the USA was increasingly concerned with its global position and the need to contain the growing threat of international communism. The period started badly with the 'fall' of China to communism in 1949. The measure of US success in the Cold War at this time depends upon perception of the American position and whether the USA was content to keep communism contained or showed a willingness to 'roll back' the influence of the USSR and communist expansion. The USA showed different levels of success and failure in different regions and with different technologies. American success overall was much higher than critics have suggested. In 1949 the USA held the nuclear monopoly, this gave an additional force to US diplomacy throughout the world. With the development of the Soviet A-bomb, nuclear stalemate was established. This was a setback for the Americans who then carried out a massive investment programme to develop the more powerful H-bomb, the US dismay it took the Soviets only a year to catch up on this new technology. Although the USA was not behind in this part of the Cold War, the loss of advantage was acutely felt within Washington and broader American society, fear of the Bomb and the effects of radiation were common in US culture and attitudes. American citizens no longer felt as safe
Evaluate the presidency of Dwight Eisenhower.
Criterion A-Plan of the Investigation Question: Evaluate the presidency of Dwight Eisenhower. The following is an evaluation of the presidency of Dwight Eisenhower. The perspectives of two different historians, Arthur M. Schlesinger, jr., and Stephen E. Ambrose, are analyzed. Ambrose presents a generally positive view of Eisenhower's presidency, praising him for keeping us out of war, especially in Vietnam. Schlesinger, however, is far more critical of Eisenhower, particularly in regard to his use of the central intelligence agency and atomic weapons. This investigation will attempt to present the evidence for and against President Eisenhower, to thoroughly analyze the information, and to arrive at a conclusion as to the extent of Dwight Eisenhower's success as president. Word count: 110 Criterion B-summery of evidence To historian Arthur M. Schlesinger, jr., Dwight D. Eisenhower was a failure as president. In domestic affairs, Schlesinger concludes that Eisenhower did what duty required, but little more (Schlesinger, 392). He criticizes President Eisenhower for creating the largest peacetime defecate in history through that time(Schlesinger, 391), for his use of executive privilege(Schlesinger, 390), for never renouncing the idea that a president has the authority to send troops into major combat without congressional approval(Schlesinger, 391), and for his inaction on
Cold War Revision
Cold War Revision A war short of full scale war because of the development of the Atomic bomb. CAUSES OF THE COLD WAR [BARE] . Beliefs: Russia was a Communist country, ruled by a dictator who cared little about human rights. America was a capitalist democracy, which valued freedom. 2. Aims: Stalin wanted reparations from Germany/ a buffer of friendly states. Britain and the USA [led by President Truman] wanted to help Germany recover/ to prevent large areas of Europe from coming under Communist control. 3. Resentment about history: The USSR did not trust Britain and the USA - They had tried to destroy the Russian Revolution in 1918/ Stalin thought they had not helped the USSR enough in WW2. Britain & USA did not trust USSR - Stalin had signed the Nazi-Soviet pact in 1939. 4. Events turned the mistrust into war: Yalta/ Potsdam/ Salami tactics/ Fulton/ Greece/ Truman Doctrine/ Marshall Plan/ Cominform/ Czechoslovakia YALTA CONFERENCE (February 1945) . Churchill, Stalin and Roosevelt agreed to Divide Germany into 4 zones (France, Britain, USA, USSR)/ to hold free elections in Eastern European countries./ to set up the United Nations./ to set up a government of Communists and non Communists in Poland. 2. On the surface, everything seemed friendly, but there was tension behind the scenes POTSDAM CONFERENCE (July 1945) . At Potsdam the tensions surfaced.
Cold War: Soviet Perspectives
Cold War: Soviet Perspectives After World War II, Joseph Stalin saw the world as divided into two camps: imperialist and capitalist regimes on the one hand, and the Communist and progressive world on the other. In 1947, President Harry Truman also spoke of two diametrically opposed systems: one free, and the other bent on subjugating other nations. After Stalin's death, Nikita Khrushchev stated in 1956 that imperialism and capitalism could coexist without war because the Communist system had become stronger. The Geneva Summit of 1955 among Britain, France, the Soviet Union, and the United States, and the Camp David Summit of 1959 between Eisenhower and Khrushchev raised hopes of a more cooperative spirit between East and West. In 1963 the United States and the Soviet Union signed some confidence-building agreements, and in 1967 President Lyndon Johnson met with Soviet Prime Minister Aleksei Kosygin in Glassboro, New Jersey. Interspersed with such moves toward cooperation, however, were hostile acts that threatened broader conflict, such as the Cuban missile crisis of October 1962 and the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia of 1968. The long rule of Leonid Brezhnev (1964-1982) is now referred to in Russia as the "period of stagnation." But the Soviet stance toward the United States became less overtly hostile in the early 1970s. Negotiations between the United States and
Origins of the Cold War.
Chapter 29 Cold War Salil Shah Per 3 I. Origins of the Cold War A. Sources of American Soviet Tension Had difference in view of post war world. US supported the view in which nations gave up traditional military alliances, and dealt with each other in a democratic process, with an international org. as mediator. Britain and Soviets favored view where system of traditional European balance of powers would reemerge. B. War time Diplomacy By Jan 1943 a strain in relations with soviets was evident as Stalin refused to meet with Churchill and Roosevelt. The 2 refused Stalins'most immediate demand to have a 2 european fronts, but assured him that they would have unconditional surrender of Axis powers and they would not leave soviets out of peace negotiations. In Teharan Conference relations between Stalin and Roosevelt became better as Stalin agreed to enter Pacific once hotstilities in Europe died down, and US agreed to 2 front western war. However there was tension on who would lead Poland once war was over. They avoided the issue by leaving it unresolved. C. Yalta In Feb. 1945the big three met in Soviet Union. Stalin was promised some territory lost in Jap Soviet war of 1904, in pacific. Also agreed to UN charter with a security council, with members from 5 major powers. Issue of Polish government was compromised. Soviets had occupied Poland and installed the pro
Superpower Relations and the Thaw in the Cold War
The Post-Stalin Thaw and the bid for Peaceful Co-Existence? 953-1961 In the 1950s the Cold War, although in many ways the same, was changing in character * Globalization of the Cold War * Nuclear Arms Race * Stalin’s death in ’53 and the Thaw However, a more thorough relation of tensions – détente – was not to emerge until after the shocks of the Berlin crisis ’61 and more particularly the Cuban Missile Crisis ‘62 Timeline of coexistence and confrontation characterising 1953 – 61 951 – Churchill elected PM, and in a surprise move from his reputation as a ‘Cold War warrior’ pressed for a summit with the Soviet Union to end the Cold War. November 1952 – Election of Eisenhower, reflecting a ‘hardening of US attitudes’ March 1953 – Death of Stalin, the politburo avoided one person consolidating power and confirmed the collective leadership of Malenkov, Molotov, Beria, Bulganin and Khrushchev. Policy of destalinisation introduced July 1953 – End of the Korean War. It had a traumatising effect on the US population with 32,629 US killed, 103,284 injured and the deaths of 3m aprox. Korean civies. * American anger was reflected in the policies of Dulles – rollback and massive retaliation * Limitations of these policies demonstrated by the lack of a US response to Soviet suppression of protest in East Germany (1953) and more
