How Did the Cold War Happen?
Summary
TLDRThis script explores the complex history of the Cold War, detailing the uneasy alliance between the US and the USSR during WWII, the ideological divide that led to the 'iron curtain', and the subsequent era of political maneuvering, espionage, and proxy wars. It highlights pivotal events like the Berlin Blockade, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the economic strategies that contributed to the Soviet Union's collapse, culminating in the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War in 1991.
Takeaways
- 😐 The US and the Soviet Union formed an uneasy alliance during WWII due to opposing ideologies but united against the common enemy, Hitler.
- 🔄 Post-WWII cooperation between the US and the USSR broke down, leading to the start of the Cold War characterized by political maneuvering and proxy wars.
- 🏰 Winston Churchill's 'iron curtain' speech in 1946 highlighted the deepening mistrust and division in Europe post-WWII.
- 🛂 Stalin created a 'buffer zone' by installing communist regimes in Eastern European countries, breaking the Yalta Conference agreement.
- 🛡 US President Harry Truman introduced the policy of containment to prevent the spread of communism, including the Marshall Plan and NATO formation.
- 🚫 The Berlin Blockade by the Soviets was met with the Berlin Airlift, a successful counteraction by the Western allies to provide supplies to West Berlin.
- 💣 The Cold War saw the US and the USSR involved in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, with significant financial and human costs.
- 🛑 The construction of the Berlin Wall by East Germany was a response to the migration problem and heightened tensions during the Cold War.
- 🗺 The Cuban Missile Crisis was a major confrontation between the US and the USSR, averted by negotiations and mutual concessions.
- 📉 Economic pressures, including an arms race and isolation from global economy, contributed to the weakening and eventual collapse of the Soviet Union.
- 🏁 The end of the Cold War is marked by the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, but questions remain about its lasting effects.
Q & A
What was the nature of the alliance between the United States and the Soviet Union during World War II?
-The alliance between the United States and the Soviet Union during World War II was uneasy. Both countries had opposing ideologies and aims, with the US supporting capitalism and democracy, and the USSR supporting communism and totalitarianism. They set aside their differences to face the common enemy, Hitler, who posed a great danger to the world.
How did the United States assist the Soviet Union after the Nazi Germany's attack in 1941?
-The United States offered assistance to the Soviet Union through the Lend-Lease Act passed in 1941, providing them with weapons and supplies.
What was the 'iron curtain' mentioned by Winston Churchill in 1946?
-The 'iron curtain' was a term used by Winston Churchill to describe the deep mistrust and division in Europe after World War II, particularly between the Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe and the Western countries, marking the beginning of the Cold War.
What is the Cold War, and why was it called so?
-The Cold War was a period of political and military tension between the US and the Soviet Union without direct confrontation or 'hot war'. It was characterized by political maneuvering, military coalitions, espionage, propaganda, arms buildups, economic aid, and proxy wars between other nations.
What was the policy of containment implemented by US President Harry Truman?
-The policy of containment was a strategy to prevent the Soviets from using force to export their ideology abroad, which involved military intervention if necessary.
How did the Soviet Union respond to the formation of West Germany and NATO?
-In response to the formation of West Germany and NATO, Stalin initiated the Berlin Blockade, cutting off highway and railroad traffic to West Berlin, which was located deep in Soviet territory, in an attempt to force the Western allies out.
What was the Berlin Airlift, and why was it significant?
-The Berlin Airlift was a countermeasure to the Berlin Blockade, where the Western allies delivered approximately 13,000 tons of supplies a day for 324 days to West Berlin by air, preventing the city from starvation and shortages. It was significant as it was a peaceful yet effective response to Soviet aggression.
What were the outcomes of the Korean War and the Vietnam War in terms of the spread of communism?
-The Korean War ended with an armistice that divided North Korea and South Korea with a demilitarized zone between them. The Vietnam War resulted in a communist victory, with North Vietnam and the Viet Cong, supported by the USSR and China, overrunning South Vietnam in 1975.
What was the Cuban Missile Crisis, and how was it resolved?
-The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 was a confrontation between the US and the Soviet Union over Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. It was resolved when Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles in exchange for Kennedy's pledge not to invade Cuba and a secret deal to remove US missiles in Turkey.
How did US President Ronald Reagan's policies contribute to the end of the Cold War?
-Reagan's policies aimed to weaken the Soviet Union economically by engaging them in an expensive arms race, increasing military spending, and isolating them from the world economy, which contributed to the Soviet Union's economic stagnation and eventual collapse.
What was the significance of the Berlin Wall's fall in 1989, and how did it relate to the end of the Cold War?
-The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 symbolized the end of the division between East and West Germany and marked a significant step towards the end of the Cold War. It was followed by the formal dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, which officially ended the Cold War.
Outlines
🌍 The Origins and Early Tensions of the Cold War
This paragraph delves into the uneasy alliance between the United States and the Soviet Union during World War II, marked by ideological differences and mistrust. Despite their collaboration against the common threat of Hitler's Nazi Germany, the post-war period saw a breakdown in cooperation, leading to the beginning of the Cold War. The Soviet Union's establishment of communist regimes in Eastern Europe and the US's policy of containment are highlighted, along with the significant events such as the Berlin Blockade and the Berlin Airlift, which exemplify the superpowers' antagonism without direct conflict.
🔫 Proxy Wars and Escalating Tensions of the Cold War
The second paragraph explores the proxy wars and crises that characterized the Cold War, including the Korean War and the Vietnam War, where the US and the Soviet Union supported opposing sides, resulting in significant financial and human costs. The Berlin Wall's construction and the Cuban Missile Crisis are also discussed as key moments of heightened tensions between the superpowers. The paragraph further examines the strategies employed by US Presidents, such as containment and economic pressure, which contributed to the eventual weakening and collapse of the Soviet Union.
🏁 The End of the Cold War and Its Legacy
The final paragraph summarizes the eventual end of the Cold War with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, following a period of détente, economic struggles, and political reforms. It mentions the role of US policies in hastening the Soviet collapse and the symbolic fall of the Berlin Wall. The paragraph concludes with a reflection on whether the Cold War is truly over and invites viewers to engage in discussion, also promoting related content for further viewing.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡World War II
💡ideologies
💡Lend-Lease Act
💡Cold War
💡containment
💡Berlin Blockade
💡Korean War
💡Vietnam War
💡Berlin Wall
💡Cuban Missile Crisis
💡glasnost and perestroika
Highlights
The United States and the Soviet Union formed an uneasy alliance during World War II due to opposing ideologies and aims.
The US and its Western allies supported capitalism and democracy, while the Soviet Union supported communism and totalitarianism.
The Soviet Union faced an unexpected attack from Nazi Germany after Hitler broke his non-aggression pact with Stalin in 1941.
The US provided assistance to the Soviet Union through the Lend-Lease Act in 1941.
Cooperation between the US and USSR broke down after Nazi Germany was defeated, leading to the start of the Cold War.
The Cold War began due to deepening mistrust and disagreements over postwar issues, particularly the fate of Poland.
The Cold War was characterized by political maneuvering, military coalitions, espionage, propaganda, arms buildups, economic aid, and proxy wars.
Stalin created a 'buffer zone' of communist regimes in Eastern European countries between 1945 and 1948, breaking the Yalta agreement.
US President Harry Truman countered Soviet expansion with a policy of containment to prevent the spread of communism.
The US offered economic recovery assistance to Western Europe through the Marshall Plan in 1948 and formed NATO.
Stalin initiated the Berlin Blockade in response to the formation of West Germany, cutting off supplies to West Berlin.
The Western allies countered the Berlin Blockade with the Berlin Airlift, delivering 13,000 tons of supplies a day for 324 days.
The US and the Soviet Union were involved in the Korean War and the Vietnam War, contributing to the conflicts with military and economic aid.
The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 was a major Cold War showdown where the US and the Soviet Union nearly went to war over Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba.
US President Ronald Reagan took an aggressive approach in the 1980s, aiming to cripple the Soviet economy through an arms race and other economic strategies.
The Soviet Union's economy began to crumble due to economic pressure from the US and internal factors, leading to its eventual collapse in 1991.
The Berlin Wall was torn down in 1989, symbolizing the end of the Cold War with the formal dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Transcripts
The United States and the Soviet Union worked together during World War II, but it was an
uneasy alliance.
There was mistrust on both sides because each country had opposing ideologies and aims.
The United States and its Western allies supported capitalism and democracy, while the Soviet
Union supported communism and totalitarianism.
However, they set aside their differences because they faced an enemy who was a great
danger to the entire world – Hitler.
The Soviet Union soon found itself repelling an unexpected attack from Nazi Germany after
Hitler broke his non-aggression pact with Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in 1941.
The United States offered assistance to the Soviet Union in the form of weapons and supplies
through the Lend-Lease Act passed that same year, and the Soviet Union accepted it.
However, cooperation between the US and the USSR broke down after Nazi Germany was defeated.
Disputes emerged over various postwar issues, particularly over the fate of Poland.
According to a BBC article, the mistrust deepened because of these disagreements, leading British
Prime Minister Winston Churchill to warn in 1946 that an “iron curtain” was descending
through the middle of Europe.
The Cold War had begun.
The Cold War received its name because the US and the Soviet Union were not involved
in a direct confrontation or what The History Learning Site describes as a “hot war”
with each other.
Instead, as the JFK Presidential Library and Museum states, the “two superpowers continually
antagonized each other through political maneuvering, military coalitions, espionage, propaganda,
arms buildups, economic aid, and proxy wars between other nations.”
Striking examples of this mutual antagonism occurred in the late 1940s.
This is when Stalin created what biography.com describes as “a vast ‘buffer zone’ between
Western Europe and ‘Mother Russia.’”
This buffer zone consisted of Eastern European countries that were supposed to have free
elections under an agreement Stalin made with the US and Great Britain at the Yalta Conference
in 1945.
Breaking this agreement, Stalin installed communist regimes in these countries between
1945 and 1948.
US President Harry Truman countered Stalin’s expansionist move with a policy of containment.
One educational website defines containment as a strategy “in which the Soviets would
be prevented – militarily if necessary – from using force to export their ideology abroad.”
Containment resulted in a wide range of actions, including the US offering economic recovery
assistance to Western Europe through the Marshall Plan in 1948 and the formation of the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) between the US, Canada, and other Western European
countries.
Stalin in turn attempted his own form of containment in response to what he perceived as a threatening
Western takeover of Germany in 1948.
He could not stop the US, Great Britain, and France from merging the zones of occupation
they acquired after World War II into the single economic entity of West Germany, but
he could make them suffer for it.
Berlin became his pawn in the famous Berlin Blockade.
The Soviets halted highway and railroad traffic between the newly merged zones and Berlin,
which was located deep in Soviet territory.
Like Germany, Berlin was also divided into four zones of occupation held by the Western
allies and the Soviet Union.
With their supplies cut off, West Berliners faced starvation and shortages of basic necessities.
As Stalin intended, the Berlin Blockade placed the Western allies in an awkward situation.
They would look weak if they gave in to Stalin.
They would look heartless if they simply abandoned Berlin.
However, they did not want to go to war over Berlin.
They found another option.
They countered the Berlin Blockade with the Berlin Airlift.
The Cold War Museum notes that “this airlift lasted for 324 days, and approximately 13,000
tons of supplies a day were delivered.”
The airlift was a success, and Stalin called the blockade off in 1949.
The Cold War waged on in the decades that followed.
The US mission to stop the spread of communism and the Soviet mission to expand it led to
their involvement in the Korean War, which lasted from 1950 to 1953, and the Vietnam
War, which ran from the 1950s to the 1970s.
According to CNN, the US spent about $67 billion on the Korean War, and it resulted in the
deaths of 36,574 US troops.
Most Soviet aid to the North Koreans and their Chinese allies came in the form of military
weapons, including Soviet PPSh-41 submachine guns, T-34/85 medium tanks, and MiG-15 jet
fighters.
What did both superpowers get for all this money, blood, and weaponry?
The conflict ended with an armistice that kept North Korea and South Korea divided into
two separate regions with a demilitarized zone between them.
The USSR contributed to a communist victory in the Vietnam War.
It provided North Vietnam with arms and economic aid.
Globalsecurity.org states that “estimates of the total cost of the Soviet Union's support
to the North Vietnam government range from $3.6 billion to $8 billion [in then-year U.S.
dollars].”
With Soviet and Chinese assistance, the North Vietnamese and communist guerilla fighters
known as the Viet Cong were motivated to continue fighting despite suffering heavy troop losses.
As history.com notes, they “refused to stop fighting, encouraged by the fact that they
could easily reoccupy lost territory with manpower and supplies delivered via the Ho
Chi Minh Trail through Cambodia and Laos.”
Their determination to fight to the finish played an important role in their victory.
While the US had a formidable force of 2,594,000 soldiers in South Vietnam according to CNN,
troop morale and public support waned in the later years of the Vietnam War.
History.com notes that a “robust anti-war movement” took hold, leading to the desertions
of “more than 503,000 U.S. military personnel” and widespread anti-war protests in the US.
In 1973, the US entered a peace agreement with North Vietnam.
However, South Vietnam continued to battle the North Vietnamese until communist fighters
overran Saigon on April 30, 1975.
With the fall of Saigon, the South Vietnam surrendered to North Vietnam, and South Vietnam
has remained under communist control ever since.
Another Cold War crisis began in 1958.
The Soviet leader at the time, Nikita Khrushchev, did not like West Berlin because of its capitalism
and because of the large scale exodus of skilled East Germans into West Berlin.
He wanted to oust the US, Great Britain, and France out of West Berlin and turn Berlin
into what one source describes as a “free, demilitarized city” controlled by the Soviet
Union.
The three countries refused to leave, so he decided to address the migration problem another
way.
East Germany attempted to stop East German migration with the construction of a barrier,
the infamous Berlin Wall.
The US made no attempt to stop the construction of the wall, but tensions rose when East German
border guards attempted to block Allied officials’ access to East Berlin.
Checkpoint Charlie became famous as the setting of a 16-hour tank standoff between the US
and the USSR.
Fortunately, back channel negotiations between US President John Kennedy and Khrushchev resolved
the crisis, and the tanks left the following day.
One year later, Kennedy and Khrushchev faced off again in another Cold War showdown: the
Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.
Kennedy did not want Khrushchev positioning nuclear missiles so close to the US mainland
in Cuba.
He told Khrushchev to move them away, and he ordered a naval blockade around Cuba to
persuade Khrushchev to do so.
Khrushchev sent Soviet ships near the US ships forming the blockade.
The two superpowers were playing a dangerous game of chicken, and “many people feared
the world was on the brink of nuclear war” according to history.com.
Khrushchev backed down, with Soviet ships falling short of breaking the US blockade.
An agreement involving Khrushchev’s removal of the missiles, Kennedy’s pledge not to
invade Cuba, and a secret deal for the removal of US missiles in Turkey resolved the crisis.
After a period of détente or improved relations between the two superpowers in the 1970s,
Cold War tensions reemerged in the 1980s under US President Ronald Reagan.
Reagan took a more aggressive approach toward dealing with the Soviet Union than his predecessors
did.
To weaken the USSR, he would hit it in its weak spot.
He planned to cripple the Soviets economically.
The economy of the Soviet Union was already stagnant, “with productivity growth falling
below zero by the early 1980s” according to one source.
He kept the economic pressure on them by drawing them into an expensive arms race.
The US dramatically boosted its military spending.
For instance, the Cato Institute reports that defense spending rose “from $214 billion
in 1982 to $258 billion in 1983.”
The Soviet Union could not keep spending money to keep up with US development of new weapons
such as the stealth bomber.
International relations expert Harry Papasotiriou argues that US plans for the high-tech Strategic
Defense Initiative (SDI) persuaded the Soviet Union to “bid for a de-escalation of the
arms race.”
The US found other ways to hurt the Soviet Union economically.
For example, Norwich University Online describes this strategy: “The United States isolated
the Soviets from the rest of the world economy, and helped drive oil prices to their lowest
levels in decades.
Without oil revenue to keep their economy solvent, the Soviet Union began to crumble.”
And crumble it did.
Reagan’s policies combined with other factors noted by the BBC, including growing “opposition
to Soviet policies” in Eastern Europe and Gorbachev’s glasnost and perestroika policies,
led to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
In his famous 1987 Berlin Wall speech, Reagan urged Gorbachev to “Tear down this wall!”
In 1989, others actually did, using picks, hammers, bulldozers, and cranes.
With the formal dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Cold War officially came
to an end.
Do you think the Cold War is really over?
Let us know in the comments!
Also, be sure to check out our other video called The Deadliest Submarine the USSR Ever
Built!
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See you next time!
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