Part One – Relations between the Superpowers in Europe

 

 

Although this is about the struggle between the US and the USSR in Europe, we start off in looking at the overall background to the Cold War in general, rather than Europe specifically.  This will help you understand how what happened in both Europe and the rest of the world fitted in with the general deep mistrust the Americans and Russians (or Soviets) felt for each other.

 

Origins

We start with the ways the two superpowers competed with each other (without actually going to war).  We also consider the different approach of each of the superpowers towards running countries, and how this generated deep mistrust.  It’s important to understand this mistrust, as it affected the way the Americans and Russians viewed each other later.

 

Communist takeover of Eastern Europe

Next, we go on to the way the USSR (also known as the Soviet Union) strengthened its grip on Eastern Europe after World War II.  By 1945, the Russians had driven into Eastern Europe and eastern Germany as a result of defeating Germany in the war.  We think carefully about how and why the USSR took, and kept, such firm control in the late 1940s.  Events such as the Yalta and Potsdam conferences, the occupation of the Red Army, aggressive policies within the countries taken over are important in the Soviet takeover early on.  Later, formation of Cominform and Comecon as well as the Berlin Blockade also helped them take firmer control.  By 1955, the Soviets had strengthened their military control through the Warsaw Pact.

 

US policy in Europe – Containment

 

We’ll also be taking a close look at how the Americans felt about these Russian actions and the Soviets growing power in Europe (especially Eastern Europe) in the late 1940s, what actions they took in response, and why. 

 

Crucial here is the policy of Containment, which was carried out through actions like the Truman Doctrine, Marshall Aid, the Berlin Airlift (in response to the Berlin Blockade mentioned above) and NATO.  It’s important to remember that it wasn’t just the Russians who were causing mistrust at this stage.  The events mentioned above, as well as the explosion and use of the world’s first atomic bombs by the USA didn’t too much to ease tensions either!  Meanwhile, Winston Churchill was irritating the Russians with his famous “Iron Curtain” speech, which practically laid all the blame for Europe’s problems after World War II with the USSR.

 

All the time we are studying this, we’ll be keeping a careful eye on how each superpower viewed the actions of the other one, why they felt the way they did, and what actions they took in response to those of their rival.

 

The “Iron Curtain”

 

By 1949, Europe was well and truly divided between Western Europe (democracies and non-communist) and Eastern Europe (mainly communist).  The dividing line came to be known as the “Iron Curtain” – Churchill was the first to call it this. 

 

 

Opposition to the Russians in Eastern Europe

From this point on, there was little prospect of things changing much in Europe for a long time.  After this, what’s important is what went on within Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe, how and why they tried to keep their stranglehold on the countries they controlled (known as their “satellites”) and how successful they were in doing so.  You’ll also need to know why there was opposition to Russian control, and how this opposition was shown.  We concentrate on three issues/events in particular – the Hungarian Uprising (1956), the Berlin Wall (1961 - not to be mixed up with the Berlin Blockade/Airlift above!) and the Czech Uprising (1968 - also known as the “Prague Spring”).  We’ll also find out about the results of each of these events, and the impact they had for the future.  Once again, the US view of what happened in Europe in the 1950s and 1960s is important here.

 

The collapse of communism in Eastern Europe

 

 

Finally in Europe, we see how communism collapsed in Eastern Europe in 1989, and why.  In particular, we find out about events like the rise of Solidarity in Poland, the success of non-communist parties in Poland and Hungary, and the collapse of the Berlin Wall.  We think about the Russian reaction to events, and what the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe eventually led to.  We pay special attention to the role of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in these events.

 

 

Part Two – Relations between the Superpowers outside Europe

 

 

 

 

The Cuban Missile Crisis

First, we do the Cuban Missile Crisis.  We go into the background, where Cuba was originally dominated by the USA.  Then, there was a new leader in Cuba, Fidel Castro, who brought an end to the special position the Americans enjoyed in Cuba, infuriating the US, and leading to the disastrous Bay of Pigs incident.  We go on tosee how this gave the Russians a chance to get influence over Castro, eventually setting up missiles there – which the US discovered, much to their alarm, as Cuba was so close to the USA.  All this helps us find out how the Cuban Missile Crisis, but we also look at why the US wished to take a tough stand in response to the Soviet missiles, and what exactly they did.  Finally, we discover how the crisis was resoved, and what the results were.  We also ponder how close we actually got to actual nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

 

Korean War

Next, we go on to the Korean War.  We start off by getting an insight into the US’ entire policy for Asia – the “Domino Theory”.  This includes what it meant and how it affected US actions in Asia – not just in Korea, but later in Vietnam.  We see how and why the superpowers and China became involved in the Korean War.  Then we do the events of the war and its results.  Key moments are highlighted, like the 1948 elections, the division of Korea into North (communist) and South (non-communist), the North’s invasion, the US and UN response and the participation of “volunteer” troops from China on the side of the communist North.

 

Vietnam

 

Another popular area coming up now, with the Vietnam War.  Once again, we get into how and why the US got involved – with their involvement increasing steadily from the early 1950s up to 1968.  We look at the situation during the war, the combat problems faced by US troops, their unpopularity in Vietnam and (eventually) at home too, and why this was the case.  Finally, we look at the US withdrawal from Vietnam, beginning in 1968 and finishing in 1973 (the so-called policy of “Vietnamisation”).  We think carefully about key events like the defeat of the French by the communists in 1954, the division of Vietnam in 1954 into North Vietnam (communist) and South Vietnam (non-communist), the rule of Diem in South Vietnam, the Tonkin Incident, “Operation Rolling Thunder” and the Tet Offensive.  We also consider the Russian view of the USA’s actions.

 

Détente, the New Cold War and Gorbachev

We finish this exam-based section of our course by finding out how and why the Cold War eventually came to an end.  Firstly, we do the Détente period of the 1970s, how and why it took place.  Next, we look at the temporary setbacks during the early 1980s during the period termed the “New Cold War”.  Lastly we see how and why Mikhail Gorbachev with his New Thinking was able to help bring about an end to the Cold War with his eagerness for reduction of nuclear weapons and the relaxation of Soviet control in Eastern Europe (see earlier).