europe before and after the cold war. postwar europe allies held 3 summits (meetings between top...
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Europe Before and After the Cold War
Postwar Europe
Allies held 3 summits (meetings between top govt. officials) during the war
Tehran, IranYalta, USSRPotsdam, Germany
Tehran Conference
Nov. 1943Present- Churchill, Stalin, FDR
“Big Three”
Plan- discuss war strategy for EuropeNormandy invasion planned
Stalin wanted an allied invasion of France a year earlier
YaltaFeb 1945 the “Big Three” meetStalin agrees to free elections in Soviet occupied Eastern Europe
Puppet govts. had already been est.Stalin agrees to declare war on Japan when Germany defeated (for land in Asia)United Nations developedDivision of Germany into temporary occupation zones
PotsdamJuly 1945Present- Stalin, Churchill, and TrumanStalin refuses to hold free elections
It would be “anti-Soviet”Disagreements over Eastern Europe would split Allies
Raise fears of another world war
The United Nations
United NationsApril 1945 50 countries metCharter and purpose developed
Save future from warPromote national self-determinationPromote respect for human rightsHelp nations solve problems
Headquarters- New York City
General Assembly
One vote per member
Develop solutions to problems
Choose people/nations to serve on other UN bodies
Security Council Deal with international conflictBar tradeSend troops to keep peacePermanent members
Allies of WWIIBritain, France, China, USA, USSR
All must approve Council decisions
10 other members (2 year terms)
Other UN BodiesInternational Court of Justice
International law
Secretariathead- Secretary General
Organize daily business
Advantages Over League
No major power refused to join
UN peace keeping forceArmed group to enforce decisions
Overall…UN more effective socially, economically not politically1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights-
Protect from oppressionPreservation of rights
Division of EuropeSuperpowers= USA and USSRCold War- Post WWII tension/hostility between the superpowers
No actual fighting
The USAvoided destruction of warHad use of atomic weapons
USSRSuffered most of all countries
Puppet govts. established by force to protect Western frontiers (Buffer Zone)
“Satellites”- Poland, Czech., Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria (Eastern Bloc)
Albania and Yugoslavia- Communist
Part of Soviet Bloc
USSRPotsdam ignored- no free elections
Truman upset
Buffer added 100 million communistsBomb- people re-evaluate destruction of war
Desire to avoid war
Relationships Worsen“Iron Curtain”- Churchill
Political barrier between West and Bloc
Greece and Turkey could fall to Communism
Truman Doctrine&
Marshall Plan
Truman Doctrine March 1947Containment of communism
GB could no longer help Greece & Turkey resist Soviets
$400 million- econ & military aidSupport for those “resisting communisim” – short of war
US not overthrow existing Communist regimes
Marshall Plan 1947- US supervisedEcon response to Containment
US gives Western Europe $13 billion to rebuild
Increase industrial output and standard of living
US benefited- increased exports
Soviet ResponseStalin forbids satellites to take Marshall Plan money
Yugoslavia’s Tito refuses to cooperate with Stalin
Kicked out of Bloc, becomes “nonaligned”- neutral
Crisis in Germany1948 East and West Germany in direct conflict
West Germany held by: US, GB, France
East Germany held by: USSR
Countries could not agree on how to rule Germany
Spring 1948- US, GB, France combine areas
A Divided GermanyGermany was the center of Cold War tensionWest creates: Federal Republic of Germany (Parliamentary democracy)Soviets create: German Democratic Republic (Communist regime)
Berlin Blockade/AirliftStalin responds by blockading Berlin
June 24, 1948- all roads, RRs, waterways linking West Berlin from Western zone blocked
US, GB- use cargo planes to fly in 2 million tons of supplies
May 1949- Blockade ended when Stalin gave up
NATOApril 1949North Atlantic Treaty Organization Mutual defense pact (west)Attack on one member, attack against allUS keeps nuclear weapons in Europe
Warsaw Pact 1955Mutual defense pact (eastern European countries, NO Yugoslavia)Soviet troops kept in all member countriesSoviet commander in Moscow ran pact armies
The Arms RaceUS and USSR begin building weapons
Deterrence: build up of weapons to discourage conflict
Fall 1949- Soviets have atomic bomb1952 US explodes first hydrogen bomb1957 USSR- first intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM)
Mutual Assured Destruction=M.A.D.Brinkmanship – the willingness to go
to the edge of war
Space Race1957 Soviets launch “Sputnik”
US forced to keep up with Soviets
1959 Soviets launched first space ship to land on moon1961- Alan Shepard is the first US astronaut to go to spaceJuly 20, 1969- Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin are the first persons to land on the moon
“Peaceful Coexistence”Stalin dies 1953- Nikita Khrushchev succeeds Khrushchev broke from Stalin’s position
War between the US and USSR is inevitable
Superpowers meet to discuss arms control
Khrushchev“Thaw” dictatorship relaxed
Political controls loosened
1956 “Secret Speech” denounces Stalin
Stalin’s brutality revealed
De-Stalinization Poland Revolts (peaceful compromise)
Hungary Revolts (bloody repression)
Hungary Revolts 1956People join in Budapest uprising in Oct. 1956
Get Soviets out of Hungary
Imre Nagy (liberal Communist) brought back to power by the people
Free elections,Soviet troops out,no Warsaw Pact
Nov. 4- 2,000 Soviet troops sent to Budapest
Soviets held off 10 days No help from WestSoviets crush revolt, Nagy executed
UN could do nothing- Security Council
The MeetingsAntarctic Treaty- US and USSR meet and decide to ban military activity
Talk of peaceful use of outer space
1959 VP Nixon meets with Khrushchev in Moscow
1959 Khrushchev first Soviet leader to visit US
1960 meeting between Khrushchev and Eisenhower cancelled
Soviets shot down US spy plane (U-2)
Ends all talks between the US and USSR
Cuban Missile CrisisOct. 1962
After communist revolution in Cuba- Soviets ship nuclear armed missiles to Cuba
US caught when intelligence flights see launching sites
JFK demands Soviets remove missiles and blockades Cuba
A few days later Khrushchev removes missiles
Brezhnev- at homeBelieved “thaw” weakened Party’s power
Restricted personal freedomRestored centralized planningNuclear build-up (= the US)
Mid 1970’s standard of living upTechnology and communication lead to open opposition with West
Brezhnev- abroadDétente- relaxation of tension
Work for peace with US & W. Europe
Trade promoted
1968 Liberal Socialist govt. in Czech crushed
Brezhnev Doctrine- Soviets will prevent the fall of communist govts.
1979- Afghanistan invaded
DissidentsOpponents of the govt.
Cause: respect for basic rights and freedom
Actions: public protests, underground press
Consequences: prison, mental hospitals
Eastern EuropeUnder Soviet control
Followed same policies as USSRCollectivized farms
5 Year Plans
Economies designed to benefit the USSR
Hungary- Early RevoltsPeople join in Budapest uprising in Oct. 1956
Get Soviets out of Hungary
Imre Nagy (liberal Communist) brought back to power by the people
Free elections,Soviet troops out,no Warsaw Pact
Nov. 4- 2,000 Soviet troops sent to Budapest
Soviets held off 10 days No help from WestSoviets install Janos Kadar, Nagy executed
UN could do nothing- Security Council
East GermanyAug. 1961 East Germany builds Berlin WallWhy? People were fleeing west
12 feet high, 28 miles longConcrete, barbed wire, mines, guards
Symbolized the contrast between the West’s freedom and the East’s repression
East Germany 1970’s standard of living improving
Strongest economy in E. Europe
Communist ruler: Erich HoneckerStasi- secret police
Dissent not tolerated
Czechoslovakia- Early RevoltAlexander Dubcek loosens govt. controls
Greater freedom of expression
“Socialism w/ a human face”
Prague Spring- reforms alarm Soviets
1968 Soviets invade and crush all dissentWarsaw Pact invades
Pro-Soviet leader replaces DubcekStrictest govt. in E. Europe
Solidarity in PolandTrade with West develops
1980’s riots and unrestfood and clothing
Govt. gives into some demandsRight to strike
Right to form unions
Solidarity- first labor union in bloc not under govt. control (head= Lech Walesa)
Solidarity in PolandDemands:
More workers’ rights
End to censorship
Freedom for Catholic Church
Release of political prisoners
1981- Jaruzelski issues decree for martial law (strict military rule)
Solidarity banned, leaders imprisoned
Reforms of Gorbachev
Gorbachev’s Reforms 1985Had NOT emerged during Stalin’s reign
HAD contact with West
Admitted Soviet system laggedIntroduces reform
USSR abandons “superiority” over others
Soviet army pulled from Afghanistan
Nuclear weapons reduced
Satellite nations were surrendered
Germany is permitted to reunify
Future of Reform
Glasnost1986 “Openness”Lenin-Brezhnev= totalitarian state
Fear not initiative rewarded
Religion accepted, not likedChristians open churches, Jews leave
Dissidents releasedControls relaxed (censorship)
Criticize govt, examine social problems
Perestroika1986 “Economic Restructuring”
Economic hardship
Problems= central planningLocal managers= more authority
Laws allow for private business
Need for new technology
Demokratizatsiya1989 Economic success- Party must loosen control
Multi-candidate elections
Secret ballot
New legislature Congress of Peoples’ Deputies (still only 1 party)
Gorbachev elected President
Economic Reform Market economy replaces central planning
Individual enterprise, private property
Foreign InvestmentsSocialism emphasized over CapitalismReform brings higher standard of living and problems
Economic ProblemsChernobyl Accident- Explosion at a nuclear power plant in UkraineEconomy and standard of living fallLack of cohesion emerged
Communism had led to artificial unityFreedom and democracy provoke dissatisfactionEthnic/national groups want independence
Yeltsin and Russian Republic declare independence
Arms ControlSALT- 1972 Nixon & Brezhnev
Détente- tensions lessenTalks stall 1980’s- Gorbachev restarted
Dec. 1987 INF- (Intermediate Nuclear Forces)
Gorbachev signs w/ Reagan
Fall of the Iron Curtain
Poland1st to feel Gorbachev’s reforms
Economy hurt by 1981 military rule
1988 walk off- Solidarity
Jaruzelski meets w/ Solidarity ends military dictatorship
Poland1989 free elections
1st peaceful communist turnover
New govt.= democracyEst. by Solidarity
Walesa elected in 1990Free market
Economy stabilizes-incentives
Inflation, unemployment recover
HungaryUnder Kadar- communist dictatorship
Reform- free enterprise, stock market,
New constitution- free parliamentary elections (multi-party)
Oct. 1989 Radicals depose CommunistsCommunists vote itself out
New govt.= conservative govt.
East GermanyOct. 1989- Communist govt. loses faith, people fleeing West
Demonstrations for democracy
Honecker uses police
Police, leaders not follow orders
Honecker- resigns Oct. 18, 1989
Nov. 1989- Berlin Wall falls
BulgariaTodor Zhivkov- Communist Dictator resigns after Wall falls
New govt.= Multi-party govt. (mid Dec. 1989)
CzechoslovakiaMilos Jakes resists change
1989 protest (Havel)
Police attack- People demand end to communist rule
Communist govt. resigns
New govt.= Democracy under Vaclav Havel
CzechoslovakiaEconomy- inflation & unemployment
Especially in Slovakia
Jan 1,1993 2 areas divideCould not agree on how to handle economic problems
RomaniaLate 1989 no democratic reform
Nicolae Ceausescu- Communist Dictator (use of secret police)
Dec. 21, 1989- demonstration Popular uprising- army joins people
Dec. 25, 1989- shot with wife
E. Europe now had democracies
Fall of the USSR
Collapse of CommunismE. Europe inspires multinational states
100 ethnic groupsMuslim groups- more religious freedom
March 11, 1990 Lithuania declares independence
Tanks move in- Gorbachev afraid other republics might followPeople look to Yeltsin- denounces use of force1st freely elected pres of Russian Republic
Why the Coup?Top Party officials, KGB, defense ministry- upset over Gorbachev about E. Europe
Fear of losing power
The Coup Gorbachev sided with
Radical democratizationCommunist hardliners
Aug. 2, 1991 Communists stage CoupGorbachev taken into custody while on vacationState of Emergency declaredPeople protest- fear of dictatorshipYeltsin speaks against coup (gains fame)
The Coup FailsGorbachev returns to Moscow
Resigns as Secretary General
Communist Party officially disbanded
Soviet strength had collapsedBaltic States demand and gain independence
10 republics declare independence (not complete break)
End of the USSRPost-coup leaders of republics form State Council
Gorbachev president, Yeltsin most powerful
Council creates loose confederation and prevents economic collapse
Council breaks downCommonwealth of Independent States- Ukraine, Russia,Byelorussia, others follow
Gorbachev resigns Dec. 25, 1991
The RepublicsUncertain future
Lack of democratic experience
Size
Ethnic diversity
QuestionsEconomic cooperation?
Common foreign policy, secure nuclear weapons?
Preserve law and order?
Communist memorabilia for sale
McDonalds in Moscow
New Germany
New GermanyE. Germany in ruins
Not modernized since WWII
Rebuilding$100 billion in early 1990s (taxes)1994 3 million jobless (inefficient factories)
C. Europe’s largest, wealthiest country
Iron CurtainFree elections disallowed by Stalin
1948 Communist govts.- Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia
Soviet satellites
Policies dictated/influenced by Soviets
