Title:The Cold War Divides the

World

1. What was the iron curtain and where was it located?

2. Where was the city of Berlin located and why was this a problem?

3. What promises did Stalin break?

Berlin Wall

East Berlin West Berlin

The Goals of the US:

•Encourage democracy

•“contain” communism

•Build up raw materials and markets

•Help Europe rebuild

•Reunite Germany to help it stabilize

The Goals of the USSR:

•Encourage the spread of communism to other countries

•Rebuild using Eastern European materials

•Use Eastern Europe as a “buffer” to protect the USSR from the west

•Keep Germany divided so they do not become strong again.

Goals of the US & the USSR Revisited

“Three Worlds”

• Post WWII-world’s nations grouped into three political categories:• First World Nations-Consisted of

industrialized capitalist nations (US and its allies)

• Second World Nations-Communist nations led by the Soviet Union

• Third World Nations-Consisted of developing nations, often newly independent, who were not aligned with either superpower.

• Cold War superpowers (US & USSR) competited over these third world nations.

The Third World nations were poor and politically unstable; located in Latin America, Asia, and AfricaThird World nations suffered from ethnic conflicts, lack of technology & educationWill these nations turn to communism or democracy?The US and USSR both compete for influence by sending foreign aid, building schools, offering technology, sending volunteer workers to 3rd world nationsMany 3rd World nations do not want to “take a side”- some decide to stay neutral. India, Indonesia and others from Asia and Africa decide to become nonaligned nations

The Fight for Third World Nations

Strategies used to win third world support…

The Cold War Divides the World

The Cold War in Latin America

•Countries in Latin America took aid from both sides

•Revolutionaries are often supported by the Soviet Union and the US supports anti-Communist dictators

Cuba:•1950’s- Fulgencio Batista- unpopular dictator supported by the US rules Cuba

•1959- Revolution overthrows Batista- the revolution is led by Fidel Castro- Castro brings social reforms, improves the economy, but also suspends elections, arrests/executes opponents and censors the press

•1960’s- Castro takes control of US owned sugar mills and the US refuses to trade with Cuba- Castro turns to the USSR for support

•1961- Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba by the US- fails

•1962- USSR leader Khrushchev begins to build missile sites in Cuba- JFK demands they remove the missiles and plans a naval blockade of Cuba- the Cuban Missile Crises ends when the USSR removes the missiles in Cuba and the US promises not to invade Cuba and to remove missiles in Turkey.

•1960’s-1991- Cuba relies on USSR to aid Cuba

Showdown The Cuban Missile Crisis (7:23)

•Civil Defense in the US develops and promotes the creation of nuclear fallout shelters

Nuclear Annihilation •Brinkmanship: willingness to go to the brink, or edge of war

•Threat of nuclear holocaust existed from 1945-1989

•Duck and Cover drills

•Shelter Mania

Why was the Cuban Missile Crisis a Big Deal?

Nicaragua:•1933- US begins to support Anastasio Somoza – dictator of Nicaragua

•1979- Somoza’s son is overthrown by Communist party- Sandinistas (aided by both the US and USSR)

•1979-1990- Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega rules

•Sandinistas aid El Salvadorian Marxists and the US supports Nicaraguan anti-Communists called Contras

•1990- Ortega holds free elections and Violeta Chamorro is elected

The Cold War in the Middle EastIran:

•1940’s-1950’s- Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi westernizes Iran with the support of the United States

•1978- Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini helps spark a revolution with recoded messages while living in exile

•1979- Shah Pahlavi flees Iran and Khomeini takes power and works to establish an Islamic state with a militant form of Islam

•1979- US embassy in Tehran is taken hostage- 60 US hostages are held for 444 days

•1980- War between Iran and Iraq breaks out- US secret aids both aids to keep the balance of power- the USSR supports Iraq- war ends when UN step in (1988)

Afghanistan:

•1950’s- Soviet influence in Afghanistan increases

•1970’s- Muslim revolts threaten the Communist regime in Afghanistan

•USSR sends in forces to help the Afghan Communists and get stuck in a war

•US arms rebels called the mujahideen (this group will evolve into the Taliban)

•1980- US boycotts the Moscow Olympics

•1989- Gorbachev (USSR) withdraws from Afghanistan

Future Ramifications

You don’t need to write this…

Dealings during the cold war era and the competition amongst the world’s superpowers led to events that shaped the world for decades after. For example, in following topics we will address the outcomes of the Iran-Contra scandal, the consequences of Khomeini assuming power in Iran, and the link between the dealings in Iraq and Afghanistan and the War on Terror. It is at this point that nothing in history occurs in isolation and without consequence…

Ticket-Out-the-Door:

Imagine that you are a German citizen in their early twenties who happens to live in West Berlin. How is your life going to be affected by the division of the city? Imagine what it will do to your relationships with friends and family your employment, and possibly your college.