The Cold War, 1948

Post-War Tensions

2

Division of Germany

The Allies decided to divide Germany into 4 zones after the war.

Also, the capital of Berlin was divided into 4 sectors.

The Cold War Begins

During World War II, the US and the Soviet Union had been allies

However, they had little in common except for their opposition to Nazi Germany

Once the war was over, tensions between the two countries surfaced

At the heart of the conflict were differences in their political and economic systems

Europe After WWII

Reasons for Distrust

America Soviet Union

Free elections No elections or fixed/corrupt

Democratic Dictatorship

Capitalist Communist

‘Survival of the fittest’ Everybody helps everybody

Richest world power Poor economic base

Personal freedom Society controlled by the NKVD (secret police)

Freedom of the media Total censorship

Capitalism vs. Communism

2 superpowers had emerged from WWII: the United States & the Soviet Union

Both wanted to assert their dominance and superiority over the other

Distrust on both sides! The Soviet’s feared Western countries

would try and invade them The US/Canada feared the Soviets would

try and overthrow their societies with communism

The Iron Curtain

The boundary between Western & Eastern Europe is often called the Iron Curtain

The Western Bloc was under Soviet influence (communism)

The former allies (US, Canada, France & Britain) were concerned the Soviets planned to spread their influence over Eastern Europe

The Cold War, cont’d

No war was actually ever declared! The cold war was a war of words,

propaganda (print , radio and TV) where all those involved created “spy” notions and invasions fear to citizens

Hostilities between the 2 groups were expressed in arguments, threats and actions intended to frustrate one another

Think of it as a war of words!

From World War II to Cold War

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpYCplyBknI

Soviet Spies in Canada

1945: Soviet spies were found in Canada (and other Western capitals)

Igor Gouzenko: young Russian announced to Canadian RCMP he had proof of a widespread Soviet spy ring

Documents proved spies in various government departments and in the Canadian-British atomic bomb project!! Intentions of the Soviet’s seemed even

more suspicious!

Igor Gouzenko

Defected to Canada in 1945 once he learned that he was to be sent back to the Soviet Union

Exposed Soviet Spy system in return for residence and protection

Reported that Soviets had the secrets to the atomic bomb

Americans arrest Ethel and Julius Rosenberg…convict and execute them

McCarthyism…sweeping accusations claiming individuals to be communists

Gouzenko

Following this reveal, Gouzenko feared for his (and his family’s life)

Initially, Gouzenko would walk around with a hood to try and hide his identity from the KGB (Soviet Secret Service)

The RCMP provided them with new identities and moved them to secret camp (under constant police surveillance)

To many Canadians, Gouzenko was a brave figure who alerted the Western world to the threat of Soviet Communism

Preparation for War …

Following discovery of Soviet spies, many wondered what would happen in the event of another war!

Many believed they could survive another war, if they properly prepared for it (and had advance warning)

Defense #1: Civil Defense Plan Federal

government created civil defense plans (emergency plans)

Cities made plans for alarm sirens and mass evacuations

Defense #2: Duck and Cover Schools practiced

having students duck under their desks

Had drills for students to run immediately home for cover

Defense #3: Bomb Shelters With the threat of radio

active fall out, bomb shelters became the new fad

Ideal shelter needed supply of water & fresh air (outside sources would be contaminated)

Many Canadians built these in their basements

Stocked up on canned goods and bottled water

Defense #4: The Diefenbunker Where: Ottawa What: 4 storey,

300 room, 100,000 square foot underground bunker

Why: meant to house 535 government officials in nuclear war

Inside the Diefenbunker

The Vault

Top: CBC Emergency Broadcast Studio, Right: the Prime Minister suite

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization Formed in 1949 Defense pact to protect members from

Soviet aggression Economic advantage for Canada, as it

included major trading partners Belgium, Britain, Canada, Denmark,

France, Italy, Norway, The Netherlands, West Germany and the USA were included

Warsaw Pact

Founded in 1955 Soviets felt that NATO

was a real threat so they created their own defensive pact

Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Soviet Union involved

NORAD

NORth American Air Defense Canada and USA treaty of 1957 Goal to protect North America from Soviet

attack USA Headquarters is in a mountain in Colorado Canadian Headquarters in North Bay, Ontario Commander is American, deputy commander is

Canadian Both in direct contact with President and Prime

Minister and need both approvals for any counter attack

DEW (Distant Early Warning)

Threat of long range missile attack creates a need for DEW Line (Distance Early Warning)

Canada permitted USA to build installations in the N.W.T

50 Radar stations across Northern Canada Also created a “Pinetree Radar System”

(49th Parallel – Can/US Border) and a “Mid Canada Line” (55th Parallel)

The Americans paid all $250 Million to build the defense system

MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction)

A policy that simply stated that if a nuclear attack were ever launched, both countries would launch everything they have to make sure everything was destroyed on both sides

No survivors

Truman Doctrine

“I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures.”

Support free people who are resisting outside pressures(communism) through economic aid

Marshall Plan

Give money to help rebuild war damaged societiesMake alternatives to democracy less

attractivePrevent another WW3

Korean War

1950 – 1953 After WWII the USA andUSSR divided the KoreanPeninsula at the 38th parallelThe did not consult the Koreans The North adoptedCommunism as it’s government The North attacked the South UN and USA supported South China and USSR supportedNorth

Suez Crisis

1956 – 1957 : Israel vs. Egypt Britain/France support IsraelEgypt new ties with USSR Israel invades Egypt for control of

Suez CanalGoal was to control both sides of Suez

Canal and remove Egyptian president NasserUN and USSR pressureboth sides to withdraw

Canada and the Suez Crisis

Lester B. Pearson awarded Nobel Peace Prize for UN Recommendation of creating a Peacekeeping Force

Considered “Father of Modern Peacekeeping” Egypt objected to Canadian Peacekeepers as

the flag contained an enemy symbol (Union Jack)

New flag finally adopted in 1965, and proclaimed by Queen Elizabeth II

Cuban Missile Crisis

Occurred during JFK’s Presidency 1962 Fidel Castro, the communist leader of Cuba was installing nuclearmissiles These missiles could easily hit any American

city Kennedy demanded that they be removed

and blockaded shipments of the Soviet military to Cuba

It took 2 weeks for Soviet leader Krushchev to agree to dismantle them

Canada and the Cuban Missile Crisis

US asked Canada to put all military forces on alert

Canada hesitated causing tensionCanadian BOMARC missiles were not

nuclearDiefenbaker accused the US of

pressuring Canada to go nuclearPearson opposed them, but when

elected PM in 1963, the missiles were armed with nuclear warheads

John F. Kennedy AssassinationPresident John F Kennedy was

assassinated in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963.

Failing Soviet Union Soviet Union couldn’t

financially support military it was building

Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor Meltdown- 1986

Soviet leader Gorbachev orders end of financial support to Warsaw Pact countries

1986-1987 both US President Ronald Reagan and Gorbachev begin dismantling nuclear weapons

German Reunification

Berlin Wall begins to fall on November 9th, 1989

3rd October, 1990, Deutsche Einheit (German Unity)

East joins West and remains a democracy

The Fall of the Soviet Union

Much of Eastern Europe was left economically and politically tattered

Finalized 26th of December, 1991The Union of Soviet Socialist

Republics (USSR) divides into… Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus,

Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan