4.1 Aftermath of WW2

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AGE 10. The Time of Television and Computers

4.1: The aftermath of World War 2

and the beginning of the Cold War

AGE 10: the Time of Television and Computer

1950 - now

Typical Aspects:

1. the struggle for independence in the colonies
2. the Cold War: East vs West
3. Social Uprisings during the 1960s
4. European Integration

Modern History

4.1 The aftermath of WW2

What was the COLD WAR?

It was a conflict between capitalism: USA (and its allies) and 

communism: Soviet Union (and its allies)

When? Between 1945 and 1990

Why Cold? The conflict never escalated into a real (hot) war, but was fought mainly by means of propaganda, threats and intimidation.

The 2 superpowers (USA and S.U.) did fight each other in smaller theaters of war, like: Korea, Cuba, Vietnam and Berlin.

4.1 The aftermath of WW2

Why did the COLD WAR never turn into a HOT (nuclear) war?

M.A.D. Mutually Assured Destruction

Both superpowers had enough nuclear weapons to destroy each other.

Both the USA and the S.U. knew that launching their missiles would cause the enemy to also launch their missiles.

That meant that both countries would be destroyed.

This knowledge helped prevent WW3

4.1 The aftermath of WW2

What were the reasons for the distrust between East and West?

Why did the West distrust the Soviet Union?

1. In 1918 Lenin betrayed his allies by making peace with Germany (Treaty of Brest-Litovsk)
2. In 1939 Stalin signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact .
3. When Hitler attacked Western Europe, Stalin remained Hitler's ally.

4.1 The aftermath of WW2

Why did the East distrust the Western Europe and the USA?

1. During the Russian Civil War, 1920, western troops supported the Whites and tried to liberate the tsar.
2. Appeasement: during the 1930s, Britain and France did nothing to stop Hitler. 
3. The western Allies waited too long to help Stalin with a Second Front (D-Day), which cost the S.U. millions of soldiers
4. In general: 3 western invasions in the last 150 years (1812: Napoleon, 1914 & 1941: Germany)