The H-Bomb
• November, 1952 American scientists exploded their first H-Bomb.
• Hydrogen bomb many times more destructive than the A-Bomb used at Hiroshima.
• 1953, Russians also had H-Bomb.“ There are optimists and pessimists in Britain’, the pessimists think that 5 h-bombs will wipe out everyone in Britain, the optimists think it would take eight. We have two hundred.”
Eisenhower & Dulles
• 1952 Eisenhower was elected president of the USA.
• He appoints John Foster Dulles as his Secretary of State.
• Dulles believed that communists were plotting to conquer the world and he was determined to stop them.
SEATO
• In 1954, Dulles convinces nations in Asia to join the South East Asia Treaty Organization.– Purpose was to contain
communism in Asia.
The Hungarian Uprising (1956)
• Hungary had been under Soviet control since 1946.
• People of Hungary rebelled against their communist leaders.
• Russian tanks were sent in and crushed the revolution.
• First major attempt by a satellite state to try and win independence.
Nuclear Missiles
• Americans scared of Soviet missile capability sped up production of rockets.
• The biggest rockets were called ICBM’s. (Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles)
• Polaris (carried by nuclear submarines)
• By the end of the 1950’s the superpowers had enough nuclear missiles to kill everyone on earth. (balance of terror)
Khrushchev & Peaceful Co-Existence
• Khrushchev believing that war would simply destroy each other turned to Peaceful co-existence.– Living peacefully side
by side knowing that capitalism would eventually destroy itself.
The U-2 Incident
• Eisenhower welcomed Khrushchev’s peaceful co-existence and they agreed to meet in Paris in 1960 to talk peace.
• As leaders were on there way to the summit an American U-2 spy plane was shot down over Russia.
• Khrushchev angrily accused Eisenhower of planning for war while talking peace and refused to attend the meeting.
The Division of Germany
• 1949 the Western powers (USA, GB, France) joined their zones together to form the Federal German Republic. (West Germany)
• Russians responded by turning their zone into the German Democratic Republic. (East Germany)
• West Germany prospered under the Marshall Plan.
The Wall
• Many people living in East Germany were not as well off as West Germans and escaped into West Germany.
• By July, 1961 approximately 10 000 East Germans were leaving per week.
• 3 000 000 people had fled since 1945.
The Wall cont….• Not only embarrassing for
the government of East Germany but damaging economically because many of the refugees were skilled workers.
• In August of 1961 the East German government constructs a wall to stop people from leaving East Germany.
Cuba cont….
Cuba nationalized all industry in Cuba.
• All US business and interests in Cuba were lost.
• US claimed they were stolen by Cuban govt.
• US president Eisenhower agreed to help Cubans wishing to overthrow Castro.
• In January, 1961 John F. Kennedy takes over as President and continues this promise.
BAY OF PIGS
• April 1961, 1400 anti-Castro Cubans landed at the Bay of Pigs in Cuba to try and overthrow Castro.
• Castro was ready with troops and artillery and stopped the threat.
Bay of Pigs cont….
• Castro scared that Kennedy would help other rebellions asked Khrushchev for help, and Khrushchev sends weapons to Castro.
• Kennedy worried about events keeps a close eye on Cuba.
The Cuban Missile Crisis
• President Kennedy ordered an American blockade (quarantine) of Cuba to stop Russian ships from carrying missiles into Cuba.
The Cuban Missile Crisis
• Kennedy then ordered Khrushchev to dismantle the missile bases immediately.
• Any attack from Cuba would be treated as a direct attack on the USA by USSR and ordered 156 long range missiles aimed at the USSR to be ready to fire.
• On October 29, 1961 4 days after the blockade began Khrushchev “blinked first” and ordered the dismantling of all missile bases in Cuba.
• President Kennedy called off the blockade and promised to leave Cuba alone.
The Cuban Missile Crisis
Reasons for Detente
• Both sides realized how dangerous the situation had become.
• US fighting in Vietnam - needed to slow Arms Race to reduce burden on economy.
• USSR concerned about Communist China.
• Both sides wanted to reduce economic expenditure.
Better Relations
• 1963 Hotline set up; nuclear test ban Treaty banned tests above ground.
• 1968: Non-proliferation treaty banned spread of nuclear secrets.
• 1969: Strategic Arms Limitation Talks began - reducing mid-range nuclear weapons (SALT).
Co-Operation
• 1972: President Nixon visits Moscow and SALT 1 treaty signed.
• 1972: Agreements between East and West Germany signed.
• 1975: Space - US astronauts and Soviet Cosmonauts docked together in space. Visible sign!
Helsinki
• August 1975.
• Helsinki Agreement signed by 35 countries (including USSR and US).
• Declaration of Human Rights.
• Current borders of Europe accepted.
• Demonstration of commitment to improve relations.
SALT 2
• 1979: SALT 2 treaty proposed to cover long-range nuclear missiles.
• Never ratified by US congress due to Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
• USSR claimed they had been asked to 'restore order'. US saw it as an invasion and supported Afghan rebels.