cold war Flashcards
ussr
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
capitalism
A social and economic system
Mean the production, distribution and exchange of wealth is privately owned and operated for a profit
Decisions are determined by owners and a free market - NOT the state
Based on supply and demand
Government has a “hands-off” approach to economy
capitalism main points
- Private ownership
- Profit motive
- Competition
- Market economy
criticisms of capitalism
- Unfair /unequal distribution of wealth and power
- Market monopoly
- Imperialism - ultimately leader to war/revolution
- Suppression of workers and rights
- Poor working conditions
- Environmental pollution
socialism
19th Century POLITICAL movement that aimed to address the inequalities and social problems caused by capitalism and industrialization
describes a range of socio-economic systems characterized by some type of social ownership of the means of production and management/regulation of the economy
social ownership
may refer to cooperative enterprises, common ownership, state ownership, citizen ownership of equity, or any combination of these
socialism main goal
to narrow the gap between rich and poor…
…and the government has the responsibility to redistribute wealth to narrow the gap
socialism does not…
DOES NOT advocate the abolishment of all private property
DOES NOT advocate violence or revolution
DOES NOT call for a classless/stateless society
types of socialism
marxism-leninism and social democracy
definition of communism in theory
an ideology with an ultimate goal of a society and economy structured upon common or communal ownership of the means of production
what does communism advocate for?
DOES advocate the abolishment of all private property
DOES advocate violence or revolution
DOES call for a classless/ and eventually stateless society
It is also a POLITICAL movement that aims to establish this system
who wrote the communist manifesto
karl marx and freidrich engles
communism main points
All property and means of production are owned by “the people”
All goods and services are “shared equally”
A “classless society” emerges
The “state withers away”
social democracy
Supports government intervention and economic/social areas to promote justice and equality within the framework of a capitalist economy
NOT looking to replace capitalism
us/ussr post-ww2 goals
US
- encourage democracy to prevent spread of communism,
- free trade - fuel US economy with free flow of goods and resources
- Rebuild western european and promote free elections in eastern europe
- Maintain military strength through naval, air and nuclear program - fewer conventional forces needed
- Never again let a hostile state control Europe/East Asia
- Must be/act as a “Great Power”
Soviet Union
-encourage spread of communism - Marx (Lenin’s) vision of world-wide revolution
- control trade in occupied areas - increase its sphere of influence
- Control eastern europe (buffer zone) to protect soviet borders
- Maintain HUGE military on continent (infantry,tanks) - - developed bomb by 1949
- Security through expansion
Wants to be seen/respected as a “Great Power”
Grand Alliance - mistrust and suspicion during WW2 and immediately following - how did one view the other
Demand unconditional surrender of Germany and Japan
Divide Germany/Berlin into 4 occupied zones (British, French, US, USSR)
Free elections would be held in Soviet occupied areas of Eastern Europe
Stalin refused to give back land to Poland BUT would allow free elections to be held
why did tensions increase after ww2?
- Stalin immediately broke his promises of free elections and began to install “Soviet style” governments in ALL Eastern Europe
- FDR replaced by Harry Truman
- Mutual suspicions during war
- Soviets occupied Eastern Europe
- Soviets felt they deserved more “spoils of wars” because they suffered more
- A-Bomb not shared
- Soviet “late” entry into Pacific - August 1945
- Mutual suspicion continued after war
- Postwar division of Europe and…
Grand alliance dissolved into mutual suspicion, distrust and bitterness on both sides
Iron Curtain Speech
March 1946 - Winston Chirchill spoke at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri at invitation of President Truman
What was the OPCVL?
Content: Speech articulated the threat that the Soviet Union and communism posed to peace and stability in the post-war world
Churchill claimed the Soviet Union wanted: “The fruits of war and the indefinites expansion of their power and doctrines”
What does he suggest should be done?
“Establish the conditions of freedom and democracy”
long telegram
sent from Moscow to Washington and offered an analysis of Soviet motives and suggestions for US foreign policy
Diplomatic relations with Soviets would be difficult if not impossible
Soviets will respond only to military pressure and will back down against superior forces
He recommended “long-term, patient but firm and vigilant containment”
Advised that US must stop Soviet expansion and spread of communism throughout the world
Goes further by saying “it is possible for the US to influence by its actions the internal developments, both within Russia and throughout the international Communist movement”.
greece and turkey
-By 1947, Communist influence threatened to spread South towards Greece and Turkey
- In Greece, the government supported by British President Truman stepped in
- Truman asked Congress to step in and provide
Truman Doctrine and Speech
March 12, 1947 - Truman addressed Congress about the situation
Truman Doctrine - The US would provide political, military and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat from internet authoritarian forces
Policy of containment was born - basis of US foreign policy during entire Cold War
US must use all means to STOP the spread of communism anywhere and everywhere
Marshall Plan
US Secretary of State George Marshall announced a massive aid plan ($13-17 billion) ($150 billion today) to help European countries rebuild their economies after WW2
What was the main motivation (2 motives) for this?
A healthy/prosperous Europe would be able to resist the spread of communism
A recovering Europe would provide trading market for American goods - benefitting the US economy
In theory, all European countries were eligible for assistance while in practice, only countries with open/free economies could apply for aid
Stalin viewed it as an attempt to undermine Western Europe
Winston Churchill called it “the most unselfish act in history”.
Berlin Crisis/Airlift
Economic stagnation of Soviet areas becoming an embarrassment
Also, US, UK, Fr secretly planned on combining their sectors
June 1948: Stalin decided to make a move - sought to absorb West Berlin. Soviets cut all road, rail and canal links into city (blockade) hoping to starve it into submission
Blockade is an act of war…how do you respond?
West responded by airlifting supplies into West Berlin to help people survive
Operation Vittles - over 275,000 flights brought food, fuel water - EVERYTHING into city
Showdown lasted 318 days
May 1949: Soviets admitted defeat, lifted blockade
WEST WON FIRST COLD WAR SHOWDOWN
Germany in 1949
Germany (and Berlin) officially divided into 2 pieces
West Germany (FGR) - Federal Republic of Germany
East Germany (GDR) - German Democratic Republic
Remained this way until October 3, 1990
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
1949 the western nations formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to coordinate their defense against USSR
Based on the principle of collective security
Warsaw Pact
organization fo communist states in central and Eastern Europe - collective defense pact
Soviets established in response to NATO
What happened by the end of 1949
First Cold War showdown - West won (Berlin airlift, blockade crisis)
Soviet Union now has the bomb - Arms race begins
Eastern Europe fall to communism complete
Soviet conventional forces continued to grow as US continued to get smaller
China had fallen to communism (October 1, 1949)
Communist influence spreading to Southeast Asia…KOREA about to get interesting
brinkmanship
threatening the use of nuclear weapons and show willingness to go to war in the hopes the other side backs down (Ex. Berlin crisis/airlift)
massive retaliation
If the USSR attacked any NATO member, the US could attack every major Soviet city and military target
Mutually assured destruction (MAD)
likely destruction of both sides would be the result of nuclear war - causing both to be hesitant to go to war
Eisenhower’s “New Look”
- Committed US to a smaller army/navy while increasing nuclear arsenal/air power
- Convince US public to wage a “moral crusade” against communism - increased propaganda
- Willingness to use covert operations - increased role of CIA
- Willingness to use personal diplomacy (1955 and 1959 summits with Soviet leader)
