Class Note 4 Flashcards
Rise of the new world order (1)
Decline of traditional European powers
War damage and casualties
Decline in production and foreign trade (decolonisation)
War debts and reparation
Rise of the new world order (2)
The United States and the Soviet Union became the two superpowers and dominated international affairs and competed for world domination
US-Soviet confrontation (1)
Rise of the United States
Joined two world wars at a later stage
It was not a major battlefield
The US currency was dominant after World War II
Developed atomic bomb
US-Soviet confrontation (2)
Rise of the Soviet Union
First communist country
Focus on developing heavy industry
(Became the third largest industrial country in the world)
Huge compensation after World War II
Extended her influence through Eastern Europe
US-Soviet confrontation (3)
Ideological differences
Capitalism led by the USA
Democracy, freedom, individualism
Free market economy
Resist the spread of communism
Communism led by the SU
one-party system
Planned economy
World revolution

US-Soviet confrontation (4)
Long-lasting mistrust
WWI
The signing of the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression pact
The US concealed the development of the atomic bomb
US-Soviet confrontation (5)
War time differences
Disagreement over post-war arrangements and wartime conferences
What is the Cold War
The tensions and confrontation between the communist bloc and the capitalist bloc, led by the two superpowers, the Soviet union and the US from 1946 to 1991
It was cold because there was no direct-war between the two blocs
Features of Cold War
No direct fighting between the two superpowers (the two blocs realised the total destruction made by nuclear power)
Arms race (the US developed hydrogen bomb in 1952, the SU developed atomic bomb in 1949)
Military alliances (US - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation NATO 1949, SU - Warsaw Treaty Organisation 1955)
Spy operations (US - Central Intelligence Agency CIA, SU KGB)
Propaganda war
Economic recovery plans (US - The Marshall Plan 1947, SU - The Molotov Plan 1947)
1946
The Iron Curtain Speech
In 1946, former Prime Minister Churchill accused the Soviet Union of building an “Iron Curtain” with its control over Eastern Europe countries
He believed that western countries should unite to stop Soviet expansion. American President Truman agreed with him
Americans and West Europeans were alerted to the new Soviet threat and this marked the outbreak of the Cold War
1948-1949
The Berlin blockade
In accordance with the post-war settlements, Germany and Berlin were each divided in four occupation zones. In April 1948, the United States Britain and France planned to merge their occupation zones and jointly reconstruct Germany. The Soviet Union feared that a revived Germany would threaten its security and capitalism would expand to its occupation zone. Therefore, it decided to force the Western powers out of West Berlin
In June 1948, the Soviet Union closed all land and water routes into West Berlin. In response, the Western powers sent supplies to West Berlin by air
In April 1949, the United States, Canada and ten Western European countries formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, the Soviet Union lifted the blockage in May 1949
1962
Cuban Missile Crisis
In 1959, the pro-American regime in Cuba was replaced by Castro’s communist government. Castro was pro- Soviet Union. In 1961, the United States supported Cuban exiles to overthrow Cuba, but the operation failed. The United States became worried that communism would expand in Central and South America
In 1962, the Soviet Union secretly deployed middles in Cuba. Later, Americans discovered the missile base. President Kennedy ordered a sea blockage of Cuba and demanded that the Soviet Union withdraw the missiles from Cuba
At first both United States and the Soviet Union stood firm. War was about to break out ,at last they reach a compromise .Khrushchev withdrew the missiles from Cuba. Kennedy lifted the blockade. The United States also agreed to withdraw the missiles deployed in Turkey
The Cuban Missile Crisis pushed the world to the brink of nuclear war
In 1963, both countries signed the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty to limit nuclear tests
They also set up a telephone hotline
