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Cold War
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Yalta Conference (February 4-11, 1945)
-Joseph Stalin, Franklin Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill meet to discuss the post-war world.Agree on the division of Germany and its capital city Berlin into 4 zones of influence (French, British, American, Soviet)Germany will pay reparations, de-militarize, and de-nazifyPoland and other Eastern European nations will be allowed to have free and democratic electionsStalin agrees to enter the war against the Japanese and agrees to join the United Nations as a member of the Security Council -
Potsdam Conference (July 16 - August 2, 1945)
-Stalin, Churchill, Clement Atlee, Harry Truman meet in the final conference of the war.-Relations between the Western powers and the Soviets had worsened since Yalta, the US has a new president (Harry Truman) with a tougher stance towards the USSR than Roosevelt-The US has now tested the Atomic Bomb putting them in a stronger position to negotiate. US no longer needs USSR in Japan.-US/Britain openly argue with USSR about the details of how to divide Germany, the amount of reparations -
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China falls to Communism
After World War 2, civil war raged in China between Mao Zedong’s communist North and Jiang Jieshi’s Nationalist South. 1946-1949. The South was supported financially by the United States and the North by the Soviet Union. Mao had a stronger army and promised land reform for peasants which made him popular. Jiang’s support was declining because of the poor economy and his political party was corrupt. China falls to Communism in 1949 and signs a treaty of friendship with the USSR. -
Actions and Reactions USSR and US
US is relatively untouched after the war; Goal is to stop Communism from spreading!Soviet Union is devastated after the war; Goal is to stop democracy from spreading!USSR: Free elections in Eastern Europe forbidden; Stalin: “Communism and Capitalism cannot exist together in this world.”US begins policy of CONTAINMENT: foreign policy centered on making sure that Communism did not spread beyond where it already existed.US: Truman Doctrine (support for countries that reject Communism) 1947 -
Berlin Blockade
In one of the first acts of Cold War aggression, the Soviets blocked off access to West Berlin, the Allied controlled zone.Their aim was to force the Western Powers to allow the soviet zone to start supplying Berlin with food and fuel, thereby giving the Soviets practical control over the entire city.In response, the allies airlifted supplies into the city for nearly a year until the Soviets finally gave up the blockade of the city. -
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USSR and US Conflict #1
USSR: Communist governments installed in Eastern Europe; Controlled by Stalin; COMECON(COuncil for Mutual Economic Assistance) Established by USSR to bring these countries back.-NATO : The U.S. and its allies create a mutual defense pact in 1949 called the North American Treaty Organization; And attack on any member nation will be met with a response force. The USSR creates it own defense pact in 1955 with its member nations in Eastern Europe -
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Korean War
North Korea invades the south in 1950 with the use of Soviet weapons and supplies.The United States/UN forces come to the aid of South Korea and push NK back up.With defeat looking likely, Communist China commits 300,000 troops to NK and retake Seoul.US/UN troops push NK back to original border.After 3 year of fighting the border between south and north korea remains roughly the same. -
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Arms Race
1949, Soviets successfully test on atom bomb.US vows to develop a more powerful nuclear weapon called hydrogen bomb.Created in1952, the Hydrogen Bomb is 1000 times more powerful than the atom bomb used in Japan.1953, USSR tests its first hydrogen bomb and both nations start stockpiling nuclear weapons.Both nations commit a large amount of money to building up their nation’s military strength over the next several years which also contributes to. -
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Space Race
USSR develops Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICMB’s) and launches the first ever satellite into space called ‘sputnik’.In 1958, the US launches their own satellite.President John F. Kennedy promises to land a man on the moon by the end of the decade.1961, Soviet Yuri Gargarin becomes the first man to orbit the Earth.1962, John Glenn becomes the first American.1969, US lands on the moon.In the future Soviets and US co-operate on space missions. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
In 1962, United States U-2 spy plane photographs missile sites being set up in Communist Cuba, only 100 or so miles from Florida, USA.Soviet Union is secretly supplying and building what the US believes to be nuclear missile silos in Cuba.The threat of nuclear war reaches an all time high! -
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Vietnam War
Communist North Vietnam supported by the Soviets with weapons and money.South Vietnam supported by the United States not only with weapons and money but also hundreds of thousands of troops.The US feared the spread of Communism and got directly involved in an unpopular war.‘Domino Theory’: Vietnam falls to Communism than other Southern Asian countries would fall to communist empire again.US pulls out in Vietnam and North side wins. -
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Relexations between US and USSR
USSR and US had equal power to destroy each other. USSR could not afford the arms race. 1972, SALT 1 treaty was signed to limit the Number of ATMS (Nuclear Missile) 1979, SALT 2 further limited the number of missiles in both nations. -
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Relations between US and USSR
USSR and US are still existing as enemies and had differenct beliefs of governing system. New types of bombs were created and USSR and US boycotted each others olympic games. -
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Gorbachev and fall of USSR
New soviet leader tried to make huge reformation in the country. It first restructed the society and put on perestroika and glasnost treaty of openness. Eastern living conditions improved and Western side living conditions had been decreased. In 1991 Old-style communists who opposed Gorbachev tried to overthrow him in a coup. The coup failed and its leaders were arrested. In the chaos that followed, the communist party was suspended and onv by one all the 15 communist republics declared indepen.