Cold War (beginning overview)
Communism vs. Capitalism
Russia vs. USA
Two
“superpowers” left at the end of WWII
GB greatly
overstrained
France, barely rising from the near death of
German occupation, internal divisions
Germany in ruins
China, not yet ready for the world power game, or not interested
Japan occupied by the US
Russia stronger than anyother
european country – no counter-weight existed if the US went home
Russia on the border of Turkey & Greece (communist risings
underway) – occupied northern Iran – held Northern Korea, some
Chinese territories, Mongolia, East Germany – one could walk from
East Germany to Shanghai w/o setting foot outside communist
territory
US did not directly hold land
Voters
wanted soldiers home
Bases *air & naval
Pacific was
like an American Lake
US possessed the Atom Bomb
US had
economic strength & industrial power
US unharmed by the
war (at home)
Standard of living actually rose during the
war
US gave indirect economic power
Russians were
not allowed to occupy Italy (and its colonial empire)
GB &
US accepted Russian influence in Poland
Russia seemed to like
the split hemisphere of rule, GB & US did not
Russia
develops & explodes their own atomic weapon in 1949
Cold
War over-simplifies events between 1945-1990
Fought in political,
ideological, economic terms – infect & complicate issues faces
mankind after WWII
