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The Legacy of World War II

The Legacy of World War II. The Cold War. Europe After WWII. “What is Europe now? A rubble heap, a charnel house, a breeding ground of pestilence and hate.” - Winston Churchill 4x the casualties of WWII than WWI 60 million people died (15-25 million in USSR alone ) Flattened cities

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The Legacy of World War II

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  1. The Legacy of World War II The Cold War

  2. Europe After WWII “What is Europe now? A rubble heap, a charnel house, a breeding ground of pestilence and hate.” - Winston Churchill • 4x the casualties of WWII than WWI • 60 million people died (15-25 million in USSR alone) • Flattened cities • crippled industry • Millions of refugees (DPs, or displaced persons)

  3. Changes since Yalta (Feb. ‘45) . . . • Soviet Union occupying Central & Eastern Europe • Britain had new Prime Minister (Atlee) • America had a new President (Truman) • War in the Pacific was ending • U.S. had tested an atomic bomb (a secret???) “a new weapon of unusually destructive force” - Tested in New Mexico on July 16, 1945

  4. Potsdam Conference • July 17 – Aug 2, 1945 • Big Three, again • US (Truman, FDR died) • USSR (Stalin) • G.B. (Churchill & Clement Atlee) • Goals • Punish Germany • restore order • peace treaties • counter effects of war

  5. The Reality of Potsdam • HEAVY disagreements • 4 zones of occupation • Russia gets reparations from Soviet Zone, plus more • Communist (Soviet) power spreading in Eastern Europe

  6. The Buffer Zone • USSR attacked in both WWI & II and suffer heavy casualties • They desire a “buffer zone” = Eastern Europe • Stalin promises to respect the rights of free governments in that region “A freely elected government in any of these East European countries would be anti-Soviet and that we cannot allow.” - Stalin

  7. The “Iron Curtain” “An Iron Curtain has descended across Europe…” – Churchill (Missouri, 1946) • Means that the Eastern Europeans have turned to communism due to Soviet influence (no free elections after all…) • Danger to all of Europe • Regarded as beginning of Cold War Iron Curtain speech

  8. Why is it called the Cold War? • Never an open attack between the US & USSR (no real fighting) • The whole problem is the US doesn’t want communism to spread, and the USSR does

  9. US Response to the Iron Curtain • Truman Doctrine – US promises to help any country under threat of communism • Containment – Policy of stopping spread of Communism • Marshall Plan – US pumps billions into Europe to help recover from WWII • Also, helps keep other countries from possibly going communist

  10. USSR Response to US Marshall Plan • COMECON • Council for Mutual Economic Assistance

  11. Berlin Crisis • Problem in Berlin • located in East Germany, partly under Soviet Control • French, British and US zones combine to form West Germany (democratic) • Also want to combine zones in Berlin • USSR says NO!

  12. Berlin continued… • USSR cuts off East Berlin from all aid and assistance provided by Marshall Plan • East Berliners want to escape, Soviets say NO! • US responds with Berlin Airlift – dropping packages from the sky to help the people • USSR calls off blockade in May 1949

  13. Results of Berlin Crisis • Western Zones (US, GB, France) become West Germany • Eastern Zone (USSR) becomes East Germany • North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO– Alliance against Communism (1949) • Warsaw Pact – Communist Alliance (1955)

  14. Arms Race • Arms Race – struggle between USSR and USA to gain advantage in weapons • Both have the hydrogen bomb – more powerful than atomic bomb • Leads to policy of deterrence – or using a policy of having more weapons to scare the enemy into not attacking

  15. Space Race • USA and USSR are competing in everything that is technological • 1957 - USSR launches Sputnik, first artificial satellite • USA response – creation of NASA in 1958

  16. Western European Growth (despite Cold War) Unity politically, culturally, & economically • Economic growth & stability • International Monetary Fund & World Bank • Political unity • Socialists, communists, Christian Democrats • Consumer Revolution • Race to have best standard of living

  17. Life in the Soviet East Bloc New “East Bloc” states remade on Soviet model • Dictatorship • Indoctrination • No civil liberties • Top priority to industry & military • Censors promoted anti-Western ideals

  18. De-Stalinization of USSR • Stalin dies in 1953 • Soviet Communists agree reform is needed • Nikita Khrushchev takes over (1957) & liberalizes USSR • Controls over workers relaxed • Allows for modest consumer growth – cars, TVs, etc. • Slightly raises standard of living through 1960s

  19. “Peaceful Coexistence” • Khrushchev believed in peaceful coexistence with capitalism (Western countries) • Cold War relaxes • De-Stalinization = rebellions • Polish rebellion (1956) • Hungarian/Budapest Uprising (1956) • Briefly removed Soviet rule, only to be invaded & crushed • 2700 Hungarians died

  20. The Berlin Wall & Fall of Khrushchev • East Berliners fleeing to West Berlin • Khrushchev demands wall be build to stop them, & to scare West (but it doesn’t) • Khrushchev starts to lose power • Leonid Brezhnev takes over in bloodless coup 1964 • USSR re-Stalinizes

  21. Cold War Thaws in1960s & 70s • Despite tensions, Cold War stable after 1961 • Except, Soviets crushing the Prague Spring • Czechoslovakia tried to free themselves in 1968 • Soviet troops stayed until 1987 • Fear of Mutually Assured Destructionprevented conflict • Détente – relaxation of Cold War tensions

  22. Cold War Tensions Thaw cont’d Ostpolitik • West German Chancellor Willy Brandt’s plan • Sought closer ties with East • Hope of more “thaw” & future reunification • Pushed treaties with East • Other nations follow

  23. The Cold War in the 80s • By the 1980s, Soviets appeared to be winning • more productive economy • better missiles • growing navy • even though system was corrupt and built on propaganda • America moved to re-arm and build up forces • US President Reagan increased defense spending • Ends Mutually Assured Destruction

  24. Beginning of the End of the Cold War • Brezhnev dies in 1982, change needs to happen… • Mikhail Gorbachev takes over in 1985 • Glasnost andPerestroika= massive reform of economics, politics & culture • Glasnost= “openness,” allowed freedom of speech and the media to air grievances • Perestroika = “reconstruction”, re-ordering of the Soviet Union • More democratic processes were installed in the party and government, better technology too

  25. Middle of the End of the Cold War • In 1988, Gorbachev addresses UN • Allows democratic choice in Soviet states • Stops arms race • Within 2 years, these states set-up democratic govts (Poland, Hungary, East Germany, etc.) • Soviets don’t stop them • Fall of the Berlin Wall! • Gorbachev earns1990 Nobel Prize

  26. The END of the Cold War • USSR still faces problems • Gorbachev has trouble fixing them, and angers hard communists • Gorbachev steps down on Dec. 25, 1991 • USSR no longer exists • Now, Russian Federation with Boris Yeltsin as leader

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