Cold War (beginning overview)
Communism vs. Capitalism
Russia vs. USA
Two “superpowers” left at the end of WWII
GB greatly over-strained
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 any other 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
