The Cold War,

part 2

The “Thaw”

In early 1953, Stalin dies and Eisenhower is inaugurated.

After brief struggle for power, Nikita Kruschev pursues warming of relations with the West (i.e. “Peaceful Coexistence”)

He also condemns Stalin’s purges in his “Secret Speech” before the 20th Party Congress

Peaceful Coexistence

In an effort to normalize relations, he authorized For. Min. Molotov to agree to the Austrian State Treaty ‘55, which guaranteed a free, independent and democratic Austria.

“New Look”Though committed to containment, Eisenhower campaigned to roll back communism.His shift in foreign policy was known as “New Look”, which implied the use of force.

BrinksmanshipIt was Eisenhower’s Sec. of State Dulles, who put forth the idea of brinksmanship

He believed that only the capability and willingness to use massive retaliation would allow the West to effectively push the Commies back.

This meant M.A.D., or mutually assured destruction!

Tensions in the East

After democratically elected Mohammed Moseddegh of Iran proposes nationalizing the nations oil reserves.

CIA & MI6 orchestrate Operation Ajax, the overthrow of Moseddegh in 1953.

In his place, the U.S. supported Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi, a despotic and brutal, though loyal, dictator.

Tensions Rise

When the U.S. fails to sign the Geneva Accord in ‘54, but rather creates SEATO (Sept. ‘54), the Vietnam War begins

Followed by the Killian Report in Feb. ‘55, Eisenhower believes that there is a missile gap developing.

With the creation of the Warsaw Pact in May ’55, Eisenhower begins massive nuclear build up. Arms race!

Tensions Rise• Beginning in 1948, Lt. Gen.

Curtis LeMay, assumed control of SAC & relocated it to Nebraska.

• LeMay established the ability to strike anywhere in the world via • in flight fueling• Jet engines• ICBMs

• Eisenhower proposes “Open Skies” initiative with Soviets in ‘55, but it is rejected.

Tensions in the EastFollowing Kruschev’s speech in Feb. ‘56, he facing increasing opposition from hard-liners, satellite states & China

Emergence of the 3rd World after Bandung Conf. in ’55.

The Suez & Hungarian Crises of ‘56 force U.S.S.R. to crack down and lead to “Eisenhower Doctrine”

Kitchen Debate ‘59 also served to challenge Kruschev in public.

Cold War heads west

The 26th of July Movement (‘53) culminates in the overthrow of US-backed Batista gov’t on Jan. 1, 1959.

Led by Latin American revolutionary, Ernesto “Che” Guevara & Fidel Castro, it marked the first “defeat” for the U.S. in the W. hemisphere

Operation PBSUCCESSIn March 1954, Eisenhower & Sec. of State Dulles, push for OAS states to sign the Caracas Declaration, which stated that Marxism was an alien ideology.With the “support” of the OAS, the CIA, led by Allen Dulles, plan the CIA backed overthrow of elected Pres. of Guatemala, Jacobo Arbenz.

Colonel Armas takes over and begins a reign of anti-communist repression and oppressive rule.

Sputnik I, U-2 & The Space Race

The Soviets launch the first successful satellite in 1957, while US paranoia grows.

The Soviet Union claims that they have the wreckage of a US spy plane May ’60.

After repeated denials on the part of Eisenhower, the Soviets embarrassingly produce pilot Francis Gary Powers.

“Flexible Response”

Kennedy campaigns in 1960 on a noticeably “hawkish” platform. He warns the public that our military has fallen behind and needs to diversify our arsenal to include new technologically advanced conventional weapons.

He also becomes an advocate of using covert ops and high tech weapons to fight “asymmetrical warfare”

1961

Kennedy and Kruschev meet in Vienna for a summit to discuss nuclear proliferation & the Berlin Crisis. Kruschev attempts to bully the young and inexperienced JFK, catching him off guard.

Kennedy decides he needs to prove America’s resolve by committing to So. Vietnamese

The Berlin WallOn August 13, 1961, Kruschev caves to pressure from the GDR & Walter Ulbricht, and allows for the permanent and complete closure of the border between East and West Berlin, as hundreds of thousands of East Germans flee to the West.

There is a tense standoff in October called the “Meeting of the Tanks,” but thankfully cooler heads prevailed.

Bay of Pigs

During the 1st few months of Kennedy’s presidency, the US backs an ill-fated invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs, by US trained and supplied Cuban exiles.

The lack of air support by the US at the last minute dooms the exiles to death or capture, reflecting poorly on Kennedy.

Space Race

In 1962, the Soviets launch the 1st manned satellite into orbit, Vostok I, with Russian cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin.

It’s success embarrasses the USA, due to the lack of comparable technology, prompting Kennedy to promise that we would be competitive by putting the 1st man on the moon.

Cuban Missile Crisis

In Oct. 1962, Kruschev attempts to rapidly place intermediate range nukes in Cuba before the US can respond.

Kennedy calls for a “quarantine” of Cuba and forces the Soviets to back down.

Vietnam

With JFK’s assassination in Nov. of ‘63, LBJ inherits a challenging domestic scene and a morass in Vietnam, with growing concern over our objectives and methods, as guerilla warfare was failing.

Moreover, the assassination of the So. Vietnamese president, Ngo Dihn Diem, left LBJ with no clear figure to support.

While Ho Chi Minh had garnered great loyalty.

“Great Society”

LBJ needs to end the Vietnam Conflict, so as to focus on his domestic agenda. He uses the Gulf of Tonkin Incident in Aug. of ‘64 to increase our involvement.

Gives the order to initiate “Operation Rolling Thunder” and to deploy large numbers of US military personnel.

Dêtente

Kruschev is overthrown in 1964 by Soviet hard-liner Leonid Brezhnev.

Conditions in Vietnam worsen, as the U.S. sees the horrors of war, the Tet Offensive occurs in 1968 & news of the My Lai Massacre follows.

With the Soviet Union struggling with deteriorating conditions with China, both pursuing an “easing of tensions” with one another.

“Ping Pong” Diplomacy

On the advice of advisor, Henry Kissinger, Nixon begins to work towards improving relations with Communist China, and getting out of SE Asia via “Vietnamization.”

Using the US national table tennis team as a diplomatic tool in 1971, the gesture results in US recognition of the Communist gov’t in China as the legitimate gov’t.

Pres. Richard Nixon & Chairman Mao

Jimmy CarterOn the heels of the Vietnam War, many Americans had become dissolutioned with the government’s interventionist policies. Whether it was his campaign promises, or his image as an average American (e.g. peanut farmer from Georgia), Carter wins.

Jimmy and his brother Billy at a campaign stop in his hometown of Plains, GA

Human Rights CampaignCarter believed that our “inordinate fear of communism” led us to indirectly sponsor human rights violations. He wanted to get back our moral msg.• 1977 Carter-Torrijos

Treaty• 1978 Camp David Peace

AccordsHowever, his presidency is viewed as soft and responsible for Iranian hostage crisis.

Billy and his famous “Billy Beer”

The Cold War Culminates

Soviet military spending skyrockets and they suffer crippling economic stagnation.

Ronald Reagan becomes president in 1980 and promises in his Reagan Doctrine to “get tough on communism” by increasing military expenditures and proposing SDI.

The threat alone sends the USSR into an economic tailspin.

Gorbachev

Michael Gorbachev attempts drastic measures to reform the Soviet Union with his plans of democratizatsia, perestroika, and glasnost.

His efforts result in an open flood gate of internal dissent that he is unable to hold back

The Collapse of Communism?

In 1981, the Polish shipyard workers, led by Lech Walesa, form a union in protest, called Solidarity. Though initially repressed, it leads to further protests.

In 1986, the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl reveals the decaying USSR to the world.

In 1989, the Chinese attempt to protest @ Tiananmen Square, only to have it forcefully put down by the Chairman of the Communist Party, Deng Xiopeng.

Berlin Wall Collapses

In 1989, perhaps inspired by Reagan’s famous speech, Berliners begin a protest at the wall and when the East German Stasi fail to respond decisively, the protest grows out of control with the Wall consequently being dismantled.

Hardliner Coup

As Gorbachev worked futilely to maintain his reform efforts, a group of hardliners attempt to stage a coup and seize control of the rapidly splintering Soviet Union.

Their coup is met with public opposition led by Boris Yeltsin. Defying Gorbachev, Yeltsin disbands the Communist gov’t and becomes the first pres. in the new Russia.

Overview

•Causes•Containment•NSC-68•New Look•Flexible Response•Détente•Reagan Doctrine•Collapse

lessons