World War II and Cold War Origins

Nov 13, 2024

End of WWII and the Beginnings of the Cold War

Introduction

  • The Cold War predominantly begins in Europe.
  • Direct contact between the US and Soviet Union at the end of WWII.

End of WWII

  • Joint invasion of Germany from the West by the US, British, and French.
  • Russian pushback from the East into Germany.

Post-War Europe

  • Eastern Europe and Germany devastated:
    • 13 million Germans expelled from Eastern Europe.
    • 20 million homeless in Germany, 25 million homeless in the Soviet Union.
    • Major cities like Berlin and Cologne largely destroyed.
    • High mortality and displacement rates.

Unconditional Surrender

  • Defeated nations must accept terms without conditions.
  • Division of Germany into four zones (American, British, French, Soviet).
  • Berlin, the capital, also divided into four sections.

Cold War Overview

  • Standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union from 1947-1990.
  • No direct military conflict but numerous proxy wars and indirect conflicts.
  • Europe divided into Western allies and Soviet-influenced Eastern regions.

Theories on Cold War Origins

  1. Orthodox Perspective
    • Soviet Union is aggressive; the US/West are defensive.
    • Soviet actions in Eastern Europe seen as imperialistic.
  2. Revisionist Perspective
    • US aggression; Soviet Union is defensive.
    • Critique of Western actions during the 1960s.
  3. Post-Revisionist Perspective
    • Synthesis of both views; emerges post-Soviet Union fall.

Factors Leading to Cold War

  1. Ideology
    • Different political and economic systems.
  2. Geography
    • Division of Germany and Berlin.
  3. End of WWII
    • Conditions set by WWII's end.
  4. Leaders
    • Personalities and distrust among leaders.

Key Players

  • US Leadership Changes
    • FDR dies; Harry Truman takes over.
    • Truman unaware of many post-war plans.
    • Initial distrust between Truman and Stalin.
  • Important Conferences
    • Yalta Conference: FDR's agreements with Stalin.
    • Potsdam Conference: Disagreements on Germany and Poland.

Major Issues and Policies

  • Reparations
    • Disagreement on whether Germany should pay.
  • Poland
    • Western insistence on an independent Poland.
    • Soviet interest due to geographical proximity.
  • American Policies
    • Truman Doctrine: Support against communism.
    • NSC-68: Building military dominance.
  • Soviet Policies
    • Buffer states for protection against Germany.
    • Establishment of communist regimes in Eastern Europe.

Key Events

  • Berlin Blockade (1948)
    • Soviet blockade leads to the Berlin Airlift.
    • Western Allies resupply Berlin by air.
  • Development of Nuclear Weapons
    • Both sides develop nuclear capabilities.
    • Leads to mutually assured destruction (MAD) doctrine.

Conclusion

  • The Cold War emerges from a complex interplay of geopolitical, ideological, and personal factors.
  • Initial conditions set the stage for decades of tension without direct conflict.