International Relations

• What makes two countries have a GOOD relationship?

• A bad relationship?• What happened to U.S. relations with

other WWII countries?– Are there any that were enemies but became

allies (or at least NOT enemies)?– Are there any that were allies but became

enemies?

Cooperation

1. Nuremburg Trials– U.S. & Soviets worked together to put

Germans on trial

2. UN – Security Council– Both served as leading members

Broken Promises

All those areas you took over during the war – you know, like Poland and Estonia and Czechoslovakia – you can keep those as long as you promise not to force them to be communist; you have to let them have their own governments.

We TOTALLY will do that!

Broken Promises

Of course! We’re allies, aren’t we?

So, if – hypothetically – you were planning on making a big nuclear weapon, you’d tell us, right?

And you’re still good to help us get our reparation money from Germany?

Two Different Worlds

• U.S.– democracy – Leader: Truman– Wanted to spread

democracy & contain communism

– Distrust of Stalin– View of communism

• Soviet Union– Communism– Leader: Stalin– Wanted to spread

communism & stop invasions from the west

– Resentment of U.S. actions in war

– Lack of reparations ($)

The Cold War [1945-1991]:

Soviet Nations[“Iron

Curtain”]

US & the Western

DemocraciesGOAL spread world-wide Communism

GOAL “Containment” of Communism

METHODS OF COMPETITION1. Espionage (spying) [KGB vs. CIA]

2. Arms Race (building up weapons, esp. nuclear)

3. Competing to spread their style of government to other nations in the world

4. Splitting up of Europe into East & West

The Bipolarization of Europe

RECAP!• U.S. had a democratic government. This

includes people voting for their leaders who make decisions for the country. The U.S. also had a capitalist economy in which consumers and business leaders can behave as they please within the limits of the law.

• A main goal of the U.S. and other NATO countries was to contain communism, or keep it from spreading. They felt it was dangerous and had too much control over people’s lives.

• The Soviet Union (aka USSR) had a communist government. This includes having one party in power. The party, not the people, chose the leader. He stays in power as long as the party wants him to. The government controls business and other areas of life.

• The USSR had a goal of spreading communism all around the world. They were afraid the U.S. and other NATO countries would interfere with that and try to overthrow communist governments.

How did they compete?

• The U.S. and U.S.S.R. never attacked each other directly

• To compete with each other, they:– Spied– Built up their weapons (esp. nuclear)– Tried to “win” other countries for their side

• “Proxy wars”

Proxy WarsChina: 1945-49 Civil War

Chiang Kai-shek (Nationalists) vs. Mao Zedong (Communists)

US sent money to the Nationalists but no troops

Communists won in 1949 and the Nationalists fled to Taiwan

“People’s Republic of China” = new Communist government in China

Proxy Wars• Korea was divided after WWII

– North was controlled by the Soviet Union– South was controlled by the U.S.

• June 25, 1950 – North Korea invaded South Korea

• June 27 – United Nations and U.S. join the war to help South Korea

• An armistice (cease-fire) was signed in 1953– North & South Korea divided at the 38th parallel– No peace treaty was ever signed!

The Shifting Map of Korea[1950-1953]

Cold War Culture• Many Americans were worried (even

paranoid) about Communist spies – Feared that they would overthrow the

government or leak secrets to the Soviets– National security programs boosted (CIA, NSA)

• Senator Joseph McCarthy– Famous for accusing people in the government

– even the army – of being communists– This type of fear and wild accusation came to

be known as McCarthyism

• Sometimes the accusations were true– Rosenbergs: couple convicted of giving secret

information about the atomic bomb to the Soviets

– Alger Hiss: government official convicted of perjury (lying under oath in court) and later found to be passing government secrets

• Constant fear of nuclear war– Both countries were stockpiling weapons

• Atomic bombs• Hydrogen bombs

– After coming very close to attack several times (remember the Cuban Missile Crisis!), Americans lived in constant fear of nuclear war• Built bomb shelters• Had safety drills at school

Competition• Who can have the most weapons?• Who can make the most technological

advancements?– Held exhibitions to show off their everyday

inventions/technology– Built up their space programs: SPACE RACE

• 1957: Soviets launched the first man-made satellite – Sputnik

• 1958: U.S. created NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)

Cold War: The Later Years

• U.S. helped rebel groups overthrow communist or Soviet-backed governments in:– Nicaragua, 1978-1990– Afghanistan, 1979-1989

• USSR declines, 1985-1991– 1985: Mikhail Gorbachev takes over– Opens the Soviet Union to more freedom &

less government control• 1987: U.S. & U.S.S.R. sign the INF Treaty

– Bans certain types of weapons, allows inspections

• 1989: Berlin Wall comes down• 1990: Germany reunited

• 1991: Soviet Union dissolves– Many countries declare freedom from U.S.S.R.– Gorbachev resigns

• 1992: END!– U.S. Pres. Bush & new Russian President

Boris Yeltsin sign a formal statement ending the Cold War