Western Europe and Eastern Europe in the Decades of the Cold War

Chapter 31

Cold War – Big PictureWestern & Eastern Europe were devastated by World

War II, soon divided by the iron curtainU.S.S.R. soon emerged as a superpower rivaling the

U.S. Eastern Europe was dominated by the Soviets for 45

years after the warEastern Europe: advances in industrial capability were

balanced by repression from the Communist systemWestern Europe generally followed the U.S. model

The West showed strong economic recovery in the years following the war

A consumer culture arose, women reached new heights of equality, and democracy was firmly established

Cold War Timeline

After World War IIInfrastructure of Europe destroyed - bombingsBoundary changes + forced labor = refugees

USSR and USA size and industrial strength dwarf European nation-states

Soviets create an empire that dominates Eastern EuropeWestern Europe recovers, but not dominant

US breaks from isolationism, turns internationalthe arrival of the Cold War, and decolonization set a

challenging international context for western Europe Parliamentary democracies gained groundParts of Europe united as never before, as some old

enemies quickly became fast alliesRapid economic growth caused changes in society

After World War IIEurope and Its ColoniesThe British, the Dutch, and the French found a hostile

climate in colonies after World War IIDecolonization happened more smoothly than beforeAfter WWII, Europe’s power significantly reduced

Decolonization's Effect on EuropeReturning settlers angryEurope's role in world affairs became minimal

VietnamFrench forced out, 1954- costly defeats

AlgeriaAnother French colony, independence in 1962

EgyptSuez Canal crisis of 1956 - symbolic shift

Britain, France (Israel) attack U.S., Russia (via U.N.) force them to withdraw

The Cold WarU.S. vs U.S.S.R. and its influenceEastern block formed (All Eastern Europe except Turkey)

Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, East GermanyMarshall Plan, 1947

Loans designed to aid western European nations rebuild from WWIIʹs devastation

Germany, focal point, divided into Soviet- and U.S.-influenced parts allies rebuild, from 1946 Russian blockade, 1947 American airlift split, 1948

NATO, 1949 US led, formed to counter perceived Soviet aggression in that

continentWarsaw Pact

U.S.S.R. countered with an alliance of its own In the1950s the Middle East and Asia, Cold War conflicts arose as well,

with war breaking out in Korea and Vietnam

Soviet & Eastern

European

Boundaries

by 1948

Germany

after

World

War II

Resurgence of W. Europe The Spread of Liberal Democracy

Fascism was crushed New constitutions in several western European nations

firmly established constitutional democracies Christian Democrats

Christian principles to public policy social reform

Federal Republic of Germany France

Fifth Republic, 1958 Portugal, Spain

democratic, parliamentary systems By the 1980s, western Europe was more politically uniform

than at any point in history Power passed from one side to the other without major

disruptionThe Welfare State After WWII, Conservatives did not dismantle the welfare

state and socialist parties moderated their tone Western Europe, United States, Canada later

unemployment insurance, medicine, housing, & family assistance

Resurgence of W.EuropeNew Challenges to Political Stability –jolted Civil rights movement, 1950s-1960s MLK, Malcolm X etc… Major campus unrest focused on the Vietnam War and civil rights

Early 1970s new rights for students ended intense student protests The flexibility of postwar Western democracy seemed triumphant

Other political concerns emerged New feminism Environmentalist movements -Green Movement The Green Party traces its origins to the student protest movement of the

1960s, the environmentalist movement of the 1970s, and the peace movement of the early 1980s.

Economic Expansion Economic growth accompanied political and social change 20 years after

WWII High unemployment elsewhere

ʺtechnocratʺ became a new breed of bureaucrat (engineering or economics) Immigration of workers into Europe, U.S. Western civilization became an affluent, consumer-oriented society. 1970s, the resurgence had slowed; afterwards, economic advancement occurred,

but not as thoroughly

The Diplomatic Context European Union

European Economic Community, 1958. Common Market Single currency, 2001 euro European Community, 2002 The continent enjoyed its longest period of internal peace in history

Cold War AlliesThe Former Dominions Similar economic, political, and social trends occurred in the “overseas West” as

they had in western Europe and the United States. The U.S. paved the way in foreign policy with the decline of Britain

Canada government health care & welfare policies separatist movement within the French community in Quebec 1982, new constitution

Australia, New Zealand moved toward alliances around the Pacific defense pact with U.S., 1951 take part in Korean War Australia supports U.S. in Vietnam from 1970s, more independent Asian immigration into Australia was a key social development.

The "U.S. Century"? 1950s, United States assumed the mantle of leadership of democracies and

capitalist societies against the Soviet Union The Truman Doctrine of containment of Communism began in Europe and spread

around the globe, to southeast Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa Vietnam, 1960s

Domestic pressure U.S. withdraws, 1975 By the early 1990s, the U.S. emerged victorious in the cold war and the world’s

only remaining superpower End of the century, the U.S. found itself involved in flashpoints in the Middle East

Culture and Society in the WestSocial Structure Social lines were blurred by increasing social mobility

White-collar/Middle-class people had more leisure opportunities than the working class

Most unskilled labor was done by immigrants Crime rates increased after the 1940s Racism, anti-immigration conflict

Culture and Society in the West Classic tensions of industrial society declined but gender relations were

profoundly altered by new work roles for women Consumerism gained ground, becoming a defining feature of Western

civilizationThe Women’s Revolution A key facet of postwar change involved women and the family 1950s onward the number of married working women rose steadily in the

West Right to vote more education job opportunities access to divorce & reproductive rights

Marriage and children came at later ages Maternal care replaced by day-care centers, as both parents worked

New –feminism political agitation occurred in the 1960s and 1970s Simone de Beauvoir The Second Sex, 1949 Betty Friedan, The Feminine Mystique

Western CultureOne key development was the shift of focus toward the United States "Brain drain" to U.S.

Genetics, nuclear, space research New York replaced Paris as the center of international styles

Pop art Pablo Picasso

Developments in the arts maintained earlier 20th-century themes. Europeans especially shined in artistic films

Economics became something of an American specialty Social history became increasingly importantA Lively Popular Culture Western society displayed more vitality in popular culture than in intellectual life

American television and music were particularly effective agents of that nation’s culture (or the perception of it).

European music was one area that bucked this trend of “Americanization” U.S. and in Europe, sexual behavior changed among young people,

with an increased acceptance of experimentation As the West’s political influence declined around the globe, its cultural

influence was at an all-time high.

Soviet EmpireThe Soviet Union as Superpower After World War II, the U.S.S.R. was a superpower that rivaled

the United States, Status was confirmed when it developed atomic weapons

1949 These two nations used diplomacy and military strength to

vie for influence in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America

Eastern Europe After World War II: A Soviet Empire Several major changes in eastern Europe paralleled that of

the West, including the impact of industrialization and Cold War competition The Soviet Union sought independence from the world

economy and territorial expansion continued Expands in Pacific

Pacific Islands, North Korea Influence via aid Chinese, Vietnamese communism

Nationalists in Africa, Middle East, Asia Cuba

Alliance (Cuban Missile Crisis)

Soviet Empire, E. EuropeThere, opposition to Soviet rule was crushed Dominance of all but Greece, Albania, Yugoslavia Mass education & Propaganda outlets were established Industrialization was pushed Warsaw Pact causes tensions… East Germans protest, 1953

suppressed Berlin Wall, 1961

to stop flight to west After 1956, death of Stalin

Hungary, Poland moderate regimes Hungary crushed

Czechoslovakia liberal regime suppressed, 1968

Poland Army takes control, 1970s Solidarity Movement, The independent labor movement in Poland that challenged

Soviet dominance was called By the 1980s, eastern Europe had been vastly changed by Communist rule and

cracks were beginning to appear in the Soviet-built masonry.

Soviet CultureSoviet Culture: Promoting New Beliefs and Institutions Rapid industrialization created new issues in eastern European society and culture. Freedom of religion was restricted, Orthodox Church state control

Jews restricted Important literary currents showed impressive vitality, even as Soviet leaders attacked

Western culture and sought alternatives to Western-style consumerism Party ideals dictate art literature retains vitality

Alexander Solzhenitsyn Gulag Archipelago was exiled to the West, but found life there too materialistic

Beginning in the 1950s, the Stalinist system yielded to more flexibility but Communist party control remained tight.

The sciences, especially those useful to the military, were strongly promoted. By the 1970s, new diplomatic and social issues arose.

Economy and Society Lagged in consumer goods because governmental policy heavy industry Living standards improved compared to pre-WWII

poor consumer products throughout the Communist Era A great deal of environmental damage occurred because of the drive to produce at all costs -

Problems in agricultural production went unsolved as well. Comparison to Western culture included a similar attraction to leisure sports, television,

crowded cities, and a dropping birth rate Soviet propaganda promoted the “equality” of women in the workplace but there were signs

that many suffered burdens from demanding jobs and home life.

Soviet CultureDe-Stalinization After Stalin’s death in the 1953 Nikita Khrushchev emerged as his successor 1956

Khrushchev triggered a partial thaw of Stalin’s vicious policies and at times seemed to promote cooperation with the West But little real change was made in the Communist institution… Khrushchev was ousted by the ruling party after Cuban missile crisis in

1962

The U.S.S.R. held the lead in the space race with the U.S. until the late 1960s.

Relations with Communist China and other nations turned sour High rates of alcoholism plagued the male workforce Economic growth fluctuated through the 1980s, by which time the

entire system lay on the verge of collapse Muslim resistance

20 million population Chechnya, 1940s, 1994-96, 1999-2000

Invasion of Afghanistan,1979

After 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev significantly altered

political diplomatic, & economic policies Eventually, end of Communism in Europe.