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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
Orthodox Perspective
Soviet Union is aggressive; the US/West are defensive.
Soviet actions in Eastern Europe seen as imperialistic.
Revisionist Perspective
US aggression; Soviet Union is defensive.
Critique of Western actions during the 1960s.
Post-Revisionist Perspective
Synthesis of both views; emerges post-Soviet Union fall.
Factors Leading to Cold War
Ideology
Different political and economic systems.
Geography
Division of Germany and Berlin.
End of WWII
Conditions set by WWII's end.
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.
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