Timeline
1945 Potsdam Conference
1947 Truman Doctrine
1948-9 Berlin Air lift
1950-3 Korean War
1953 Kruschev succeeds Stalin
1961 Berlin Wall
I. “Cold War” – conflict between two “superpowers”
seeking control of the world by spread of competing ideologies
Deterrence & Zero-sum game
II. Postwar Maneuvering
Potsdam Conference
Nuclear Programs
Truman Doctrine March 12, 1947
Notion of “containment” is a formal declaration of the cold war
Soviets accept the Truman Doctrine’s “two rival worlds” idea
III. Conflict in Europe
Marshall Plan
1947 onward American provide economic aid to Europe to all nations
$20 billion in aid per year by 1951
Communist nations refuse aid
Berlin Airlift
June 1948 Soviets blockade routes into Berlin
Ends 1949
NATO
1949 creation of NATO to counteract renewed Soviet aggression
IV. Globalizing the Conflict
Nikita Kruschev (1894-1971)
Stalin’s successor begins Russian policy of military aid to developing countries
Policies result in split with China and Cuba
Korean War (1950-5)
US assumes this is a feint to distract from a European invasion
Leads to US involvement in Vietnam
Artists view of the world
Salvador Dali
Frida Kahlo
Berlin Wall
1954-61 2.7 million Germans flee west
1961 Russians begin building wall
Collapse of wall 1989
Checkpoint Charlie in West Berlin in the early 60's