The Origins of the Cold War

What is a “cold” war?

• Is there such thing as a “hot” war?

Cold War:

• Intense economic, political, military, and ideological rivalry between nations, short of military conflict

• During the entire Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union never openly fought each other militarily

Hot War:

• Open military conflict; an armed conflict between nations

• Many proxy hot wars were fought during the Cold War

Korean War (1950-1953) Vietnam War (1956-1975)

Origins… • The earliest phases of the Cold War began

even before the end of the Second World War

• Remember “The Big Three?”…

• The alliance between the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union has been called “The Tenuous Alliance”

• Tenuous = weak

Why was it called the Tenuous Alliance?

• The United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union all had different, and sometimes competing, views of what the postwar world should look like

• The alliance was held together by a common goal of defeating fascism. As the war drew to a close, the differences between the Big Three became magnified

Great Britain • Wanted to return to the old age of European imperialism

• Britain would once again be a great empire

Key Statement:

“To the victors go the spoils!”

The problem for Britain?... • After the Second World War, Britain could no

longer be considered a major world power

• There were now only two SUPERPOWERS

United States • Rebuild Western Europe, including Germany

• A strong Europe = a peaceful Europe

• Spread democracy and capitalism around the world and prevent the spread of Communism

Key Statement: “Democracy + capitalism = Prosperity and Prosperity = Peace”

Soviet Union • Wanted to prevent future invasions from Germany

• Keep Germany weak

• Set up Communist governments in Eastern Europe that could be controlled from Moscow

Key Statement: “Protect the Motherland! …by any means necessary.”

United States vs. Soviet Union

United States • Capitalist and Democratic

• Businesses owned by individuals & run for profit

• Freedom of speech & the press

Soviet Union • Communist and Totalitarian

• Government controlled economy and business

• Opposition to government strictly forbidden (really though?)

• The United States and the Soviet Union had the largest armies in the world in 1945, at around 12 million soldiers each

Who started the Cold War? • Soviet Union promised free elections in

Eastern Europe in 1945, but reneged on the promise

• The United States feared a total Communist takeover in Europe

• Meanwhile, U.S. President Harry Truman warned Soviet Premier Stalin that the United States had a new “secret weapon,” so Stalin better do as he was told, or else…

• The secret weapon?

Into the Abyss…

• An “Iron Curtain” divided Western Europe and Eastern Europe geographically, and the United States and the Soviet Union ideologically

• 1949: 1. Communist Revolution in China

2. Soviet detonation of nuclear bomb

• Optimism in the United States in 1953 when Joseph Stalin suddenly died of a stroke

• And who was the U.S. Army code breaker who was the first to report Stalin’s death to U.S. officials?

Johnny Cash!