Chapter 27 The Cold War and the Remaking

Chapter 27 The Cold War and the Remaking of Europe

Politics Transformed n Chaos in Europe n n Thousands of miles and cities left in shambles Millions of refugees n n n Most were inmates of labor and death camps Many Jews would eventually flee to Palestine New Superpowers n Only two powerful countries remained in 1945 n The United States and the Soviet Union § US was the richest country in the world

§ “Baby Boom” – late 1940 s to early 1960 s § Isolationist movement diminished as Americans accepted their country’s role as a global leader § Stalin increased repression in order to maintain his control § New Five Year Plan that was aimed at increasing production and mandated stricter collectivization of agriculture § Used propaganda to influence women to have more children to increase the birthrate

n Cold War n Causes n American fear of communist attack § Truman cut off financial aid to Russia and would not support any state established by force n Russian fear of American attack – atomic bomb § America refused to share nuclear secrets n n Russian dislike for capitalism Russian need to secure a western border/buffer zone § USSR repressed democratic governments in Central and Eastern Europe n Russian desire to spread communism § communism imposed in Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Poland

n Cold War cont… n n Truman Doctrine (1947) – policy to provide economic and military aid to regions threatened by communism Marshall Plan (1948) – program of massive economic aid to Europe where the US sent more than $12 billion in food, equipment, and services to Europe during the 1950 s

n Division of Germany n 4 zones each controlled by the major victors of the war § § n United States Soviet Union Great Britain France The three western allies merged their zones into a West German state while the Soviet Union planned to use the economic output of their zone to repair the Soviet economy

n Stalin struck back at the Marshall Plan by blockading Germany’s capital - the divided Berlin had become a symbol of the Cold War § US responded by air shipping millions of tons of provisions to Berlin during 1948 -49 § Soviet blockade ended in May of 1949

n n North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) – alliance between the United States, Canada, and European allies which provided a unified military force for its members Warsaw Pact – military organization which included the Soviet Union, Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania

Political and Economic Recovery in Europe n Dealing with Nazism n Revenge against the Nazis n n n Civilians shaved the heads of women that collaborated or associated with Germans and forced them to parade naked through the streets On-the-spot executions of Nazi officers and collaborators were conducted Nuremberg Trials n Fall of 1945 – officers were charged and convicted of war crimes against humanity

n Rebirth of the West n n *France – approved a constitution in 1946 that established the Fourth Republic *Italy – replaced its constitutional monarchy with a full parliamentary system * Women were given the right to vote

n Threat of Communism n n In some areas of Europe, Communism was appealing b/c many remembered the difficulties of the Great Depression US – fear of infiltration of Communism after Soviet detonation of an atomic bomb and Communist revolution in China § “Mc. Carthyism”

n n n ECSC – In 1951, Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, Luxemberg, and the Netherlands formed the European Coal and Steel Community to manage coal and steel production and prices EUROCOM – commission which shared atomic resources EEC (Common Market) – trading partnership which reduced tariffs to increase cooperation and produce economic rewards

n “Welfare State” – policy of government intervention to improve social conditions n Encouraged population growth with financial aid § Family allowances § Health care and medical benefits § Programs for pregnant women and new mothers

n Recovery in the East n COMECON (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance) – coordinated economic relations among the satellite countries and Moscow n n USSR would buy goods at a cheap price and make huge profits by selling them at higher prices to the satellite countries People moved to the cities to receive better education, health care, and jobs

n Stalin continued with “purges” and stricter control of industrialization and collectivization n n Nikita Khrushchev emerged as the leader of the Soviet Union after Stalin’s death in 1953 n n Russification and de. Christianization Ended the Stalin purges, reformed the courts, and limited the sentences for political offenders and criminals Sputnik – first artificial satellite launched in 1957 n US responds by creating NASA

Decolonization during the Cold War n India n n The British had promised to grant India independence in the 1930 s but postponed it when the war broke out Granted independence in 1947 n Two territories created – India and Pakistan

n China n Experienced a communist takeover under the leadership of Mao Zedong in 1949 n n Instituted civil equality for women Collectivization Industrialization Repression of privileged classes

n Communist victory in China spurred both the US and USSR to increase their involvement in Asia n 1950 – North Korea (supported by USSR) invaded South Korea (supported by the US) § War continued for three years until an armistice was declared § Opposing sides agreed to a settlement that reestablished the 38 th parallel as the official border between the two territories

Laos and Vietnam would also become independent from French control in 1954.

n Palestine n UN partitioned Palestine into two regions n n Arab Jewish § The state of Israel was created in May 1948 n Egypt n Gained independence from Britain at the end of the war n British retained control of the Suez Canal until 1962

Restoring Western Values n After the war, western countries reemphasized universal values, spiritual renewal, and political choice n n Pope John XXIII – Second Vatican Council convened to reform and promote cooperation between faiths Resistance Literature – Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

n n n Existentialism – philosophical movement that believed an individual’s existence was not the result of God’s creation or b/c of a natural birth but was created through action and choice Consumerism – gov’t spending on reconstruction, productivity, and welfare helped prevent the upheaval that had followed WWI Gender Norms – the rebellious and rough masculine style became popular n Elvis Presley, James Dean, Marlon Brando

n Cold War Novels and Entertainment n Films, books, and other cultural productions promoted the cold war while conveying antiwar messages. n n George Orwell’s 1984 and Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 Spy stories as novels, radio, or television programming were popular in the USSR as well as in the West

n The Atomic Brink n n The Cold War was kept alive during the 1940 s and 1950 s through radio broadcasts such as the Voice of America and news reports about nuclear testing and military buildups John F. Kennedy intensified the arms race after becoming President in 1960 n n n Bay of Pigs (1961) Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) Berlin Wall (1961)