Cold War 1947-1991

History of IRSince 1945

Abrar Hussain (PhD)
 Cold War
• A Battle of Ideologies And Changing the
balance of power
• United States of America(USA) VSUnion of
Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)
 What is Cold war?
• This term is used to describe the relationship
between America and the Soviet Union 1945 to
1980.
• Neither side ever fought the other - the
consequences would be too appalling - but they
did ‘fight’ for their beliefs using other states who
fought for their beliefs on their behalf .
• The competition between the superpowers
influenced the foreign policies, political institutions,
and economic systems of societies in almost every
corner of the world.
 Historical and intellectual paradigms
• Communism was Based on the 1848 publication
'Communist Manifesto' by two German political philosophers,
Karl Marx (1818-1883) and hisclose associate Friedrich Engels
(1820-1895) What is communism?
• It’s an economic and social system in which all (or nearly all)
property and resources are collectively owned by a classless
society and not by individual citizens
• Capitalists believe that marketsare efficient and should
thus function without interference, and the role of the state is
to regulate and protect. What is Capitalism? First In 1776
work, Adam Smith describe the essential featuresof
capitalism and how it functionsin “An Inquiry into the Nature
and Causes of the Wealth of Nations”
 USA VSUSSR
• Why were these two super powers so
distrustful of the other?
America Soviet Union

No electionsor fixed
Democratic
Autocratic/Dictatorship
Free Elections
Communist
Capitalist
Every body helpsevery body
Survival of the Fittest
Poor Economy
Richest World Power
Society controlled by the NKVD (secret
Personal Freedom
police)
Freedom of Media
Total Censorship
History of Rivalry B/W Us and USSR
• The Bolsheviks ,1919(1st socialist movement in Russia) overthrew the existing
Russian government.
• In December 1922 began the formation of the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics(USSR) under Communist control. War before the War Bolshevik
leader Vladimir Lenin
• But The capitalist United States refused to recognize the Soviet state until
1933.
• The seedsof hostility between the United States and the USSRbegan near the
end of World War I.
• America had depicted the Soviet Union as almost the devil-incarnate. The
Soviet Union had depict America likewise. War before the War
• The USA and the USSRfought as alliesduring World War Two, their
relationship after the war would be firm and friendly. This never happened
and any appearance that these two powers were friendly during the war is
illusory. Their ‘friendship’ during the war was simply the result of having a
mutual enemy - Nazi Germany.
 Causes of the Cold War
• The end of World War II and changesin the balance of power
• Rebuilding Europe
• The Truman Doctrine (1947)
• European Recovery Program  Marshall Plan, 1947
• Soviet troops occupied Eastern Europe and the Iron Curtain
• Division of Germany
• Major Leaders at the beginning:
The "Big Three" at the Yalta and post dam Conference,
• Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Joseph Stalin
• Again The Big three: Winston Churchill, Harry S. Truman and
Joseph Stalin and the Potsdam Conference (17 July to 2 August
1945)
 Leadersof the cold war

• Josef Stalin (1878-1953) was the Dictator leader of

the Soviet Communist Party from 1922 until his
death in 1953. He led the Soviet Union through
World War II and believed that his country made
the greatest sacrifices to defeat Nazi Germany.
• Harry S. Truman, 33rd president of the United
States assumed a combative stance against what
he considered Soviet aggression. His policy was to
help war effected Europe to resist socialist threats.
 Containment Policy
• Background:
• After WW II, the USand USSRemerged as rival super powers.
• Each nation was strong enough to greatly influence world events.
• Potsdam Conference July 1945
• Final wartime conference
• Big Three England = Attlee , USA = Truman, USSR= Stalin,
• Stalin promised to allow free elections in Eastern Europe
• Satellite Nations…
• Stalin never allowed truly free elections. Instead, communist
governments were installed in many Eastern European nations.
• Main Purpose?
• Protect USSRfrom invasion from the West – Stalin’s “Buffer Zone”
 Containment Policy
• George Kennan, career Foreign Service Officer
• Formulated the policy of “containment”: USwould not
get rid of communism, but would not allow it to spread.
USwould “contain” communism where is already
existed.
• The Soviet Octopus --Reaching everywhere
• Domino Theory
• Idea that if one country fell to soviet aggression and
the communist wave, otherswould fall as well like
dominoes.
• The United States had to stand against the Red
Menace (Threat)
 Why might the people choose
communism?
• Greece suffered under NAZI rule during WWII
• High percentage (almost 30%) of Greeks after
WWII were in extreme poverty. Many looking for
the “great leveling” Freedom vs. Equality
• 1946-1948: Greek Civil War breaks out between
government and communists forces. In late 1946,
the Greek government appealed to Washington
and pleaded for aid from the U.Safter Britain
backed out.
• It wasagreed upon and the U.Sprovided aid to
both Greece and Turkey.
 Continued….
• This wasdone for political and military reasons. It was
considered vital in the balance of the Americans political
power in the cold war. If Greece fell to the red army, Turkey
would become an unsustainable or weak or indefensible
outpost in the middle of the communist stronghold.
• Truman’s Speech before Congress
• Ostensibly about the Greek CrisisCalls on Congress to commit
millions of dollars to Greece and Turkey in foreign aid he said
that without UShelp, the countrieswill slip into anarchy,
opening up the door for communist rebels to take over in
Athens and Ankara. If we fail to take on “our responsibilities”
– we “endanger the peace of the world…and the welfare of
our own nation”.
 The Truman Doctrine
• To promote democracy around the world and fight the spread of
oppressive regimes in which a minority controls the majority.
• “One of the primary objectives of the foreign policy of the United
States is the creation of conditions in which we and other
nations will be able to work out a way of life free from coercion.”
• To help Greece and Turkey resist the rebellion of an armed
minority.
• “Should we fail to aid Greece and Turkey in this fateful hour, the
effect will be far reaching to the West aswell as to the East…the
seeds of totalitarian regimes are nurtured by misery and want.
• They spread and grow in the evil soil of poverty and strife. They
reach their full growth when the hope of a people for a better
life hasdied.
 THEMARSHALLPLAN
• The European recovery program
• The European recovery program known as Marshall Plan was
designed according to the Truman Doctrine. The plan, which
tried to check the spread of Communism, called for the
United Statesto spend more than $12/13 billion to aid war
effected European countries. George C. Marshall
• The Marshall Plan (officially the European Recovery Program,
ERP) was an American initiative to aid Western Europe, in
which the United Statesgave over $12 billion (nearly $100
billion in 2016 USdollars) in economic assistance to help
rebuild Western European economies after the end of World
War II. The plan was in operation for four years beginning on
April 3, 1948.
 Division of Germany
• Division of Germany :Occupation zone bordersin Germany as
of 21 February 1947 (valid up to 22 Apr 1949).
• At the end of World War II, the Allied powersdivided
conquered Germany into four zones, each occupied by either
the United States, Great Britain, France, or the Soviet Union
(as agreed at the Potsdam Conference).
• The same was done with Germany's capital city, Berlin.
• After the 2nd world war Stalin imply his dominance on
eastern Europe. And Americans were not really happy with
Stalin's power grab in Eastern Europe and began to take
measures to contain Soviet influence. (Containment Policy)
• Both of them had there own Justifications……..
BUT The Cold War wason.
 Eastern Blockade…

• Iron Curtain British prime minister Winston Churchill in a speech at

Fulton, Missouri, U.S., on March 5, 1946, said of the communist
states, “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron
curtain has descended across the Continent.” (Szczecin is a city on
the Oder River in northwest Poland)
• After that the phrase iron curtain gained popularity as a shorthand
reference to the division of Europe as the Cold War strengthened.
“Winston Churchill at Fulton university”
• Iron Curtain Dividing Europe Dividing Germany
• In 1948 , Soviet Union tried to limit the ability of France, Great
Britain and the United Statesover Berlin and blockade the their
sectors of Berlin, which lay within Russian-occupied East Germany
Iron Curtain
 Continued….
• THEBattle Has Began
• The Berlin Blockade and the airlift (1948-1949)…
• In June 1948 British and U.S. occupation authorities
organized a system of air transport, known as the
Berlin airlift, to supply the Western-occupied
sectors of the city.
• The blockade was the first major clash of the Cold
War. The Soviets lifted their blockade in May 12,
1949.
 Truman Doctrine
• To be Continued….
• Containment Policy
• Marshal Plan
• Formation of NATOand WARSAW Pact
• (CENTOand SEATO)
• Chinese Civil War
• Korean War
• Cuban Missile Crisis
• Vietnam War
• Detent
• Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
• Soviet Disintegration 1990-91
• The event of 9/ 11
• War on Terror
• Arab Spring 2010-16