The Cold War
A Bi-Polar War
American Position
Russian Position
Causes of the Cold War
Fears and Concerns in the Cold War Era
American Position
- Americans come out of WW2 even richer than before they entered it.
- Own 22 billion of the gold reserves on a planet made up of 33 billion total.
- Largest Navy, Airforce, and Monopoly of Nuclear Weapons.
- Largest trading and industry in the world.
- Influence in Asia and Europe
- 1919 exaggerated.
Russian Position
- Largest army in the world.
- Production not at pre-war levels.
- Stalin was looking inward again, he attempted to put effort into communism at home.
- Began to influence over satellite states in Eastern Europe.
- Many POW's continued to work in Russia.
- Show trials returned.
Causes of the Cold War
- War of Ideologies.
- Communism Vs. Democracy
- Nationalism - Both USA and USSR take action to protect their interests during the Cold War.
- Imperialism - Many Imperialist nations are gone. Both USA and USSR take over this role (Afghanistan) (Vietnam)
Fears and Concerns in the Cold War Era
- West feared a communist revolution world wide.
- Russia feared a counterrevolution from within with all the US money being lent out.
- The Domino Theory - A theory were the Americans thought that if one country became Communist, then its neighbouring countries would also become Communist.
- Satellite States and the Iron Curtain - Many EAstern European countries that Russia had occupied were used as puppet communist governments.
"If... many influential people have failed to understand, or have just forgotten, what we were up against in the Cold War and how we overcame it, they are not going to be capable of securing, let alone enlarging, the gains that liberty has made".
- Margaret Thatcher
"The Cold War isn't thawing; it is burning with a deadly heat. Communism isn't sleeping; it is, as always, plotting, scheming, working, fighting".
- Richard M. Nixon
- Margaret Thatcher
"The Cold War isn't thawing; it is burning with a deadly heat. Communism isn't sleeping; it is, as always, plotting, scheming, working, fighting".
- Richard M. Nixon