3rd Class- Summary, Origin of Cold War

In the third class we made a web to sum up all the topics covered of the Origins of the Cold War. Then, as homework, we had to do an essay.

Essay: Why did president Harry Truman decided to drop the atomic bombs?

On August 6, 1945, US president Harry Truman took probably the most difficult decision of his life, to drop an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, which killed aproximately 130 000 civilians. As if this was not enough, a second bomb was dropped on August 9 of the same year, in the city of Nagasaki causing around 60 000 to 70 000 casualties. This abruptly ended the Second World War with Japanese surrender. But what were the principal reasons of Truman to use the bombs?  It’s evident, that one of the main reasons was to end war as quickly as possible, however it wasn’t the only excuse, a decision of this magnitude had to be taken for other reasonable purposes.

Truman stated that his decision to drop the atomic bomb was purely military. Thus, one of the reasons of his radical decision was to respond attacks to Pearl Harbor. Truman received lots of critics and objections against his decision and one of the principal events he used to defend and persuade people it was a necessary action, were the atrocities of Pearl Harbor, stating that: “When you have to deal with a beast you have to treat him as a beast”. As the American historian J. Samuel Walker affirm in his book Prompt and Utter Destruction: Truman and the Use of Atomic Bombs, that a desire of revenge for Pearl Harbor, and racist attitudes were a part of the mix of motives that led to the atomic attacks.

In addition to this, the same historian, Samuel Walker stated that another reason of why Truman decided to drop the atomic bomb was to prevent expansion of the USSR through the Pacific as they had already reached to Berlin and was likely to become a superpower. Moreover, the expansion of the USSR to the west and east could spread communism around Europe, which was what the allies less wanted, as they were in favor of capitalism. As Yale Proffessor Gaddis Smith said: “It has been demonstrated that the decision to bomb Japan was centrally connected to Truman’s confrontational approach to the Soviet Union”.

Truman’s decision to drop the atomic bombs could also be influenced by the fact that he wanted to demonstrate US nuclear power. He wanted US to be considered as the superpower and by using this nuclear weapon in two ocassions he made it clear. Furthermore, US government had to justify the use of aproximately 1 billion dollars in the so called Manhattan Project, which was a secret program that produced the two atomic bombs with the support of Great Britain and Canada.

As expressed in the speech Truman made in December 15, 1945, detailing his feelings on his decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan, the main reason of why he decided to took this action was because he wanted to end the war as quicky as posible, however this wasn’t the only motive. Truman had to justify the cost of the Manhattan Project, he wanted to prevent a communist expansion around Europe and Asia. In addition to this, US president used as an excuse the attack of Pearl Harbor, and decided to drop the bomb to demonstrate US nuclear power.

 

2nd Class- Trigger of the Cold War

In this second class, we first saw some videos, and then we talked about the situation of Germany (1948- 1949) and the terms of NATO.

Videos

The Origin of Godzilla: Inspired in the nuclear power, a metaphor to the atomic bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The Sound of Stalin subbid: cartoon of an american portraying Staling aims.

Duck and Cover (1951): How to survive a nuclear atomic bomb?

Berlin before the Crises

• The 5 Ds proposed at Postdam were applicated.
• Germany was divided in two, controlled by five powers.
• Germany was administrated by the Allied Control Council (Acc) and Berlin was under the Kommandatura.

Berlin Crises (1948)

• Division of Berlin in two.
• Two ideas about economic future of Germany: Pastorlization (USSR) and Industralization (West).
• Deutsche Mark.

The Berlin Blockade (June 1948- May 1949)

Berlin’s occupied sectors were four: USA, Great Britain, France and the USSR. Stalin blockade the western powers.

Video: How was Germany after the Second World War. (In this video is mentioned that the Soviet Union anex Eastern Poland).

Berlin Airlif:As the allies were unable to supply Berlin through land, they designed a scheme of three flight routes.

Aftermath of the Berlin Blockade

• Germany was divided into the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the Democratic  Republic of Germany (East Germany) until 1990.
• The Iron Curtain became permanent.
• The two superpowers began an Arms Race.
• In 1949, the Allies set up the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as a military alliance to resist Soviet Russia.

     NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also called the Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on 4 April 1949. The organization constitutes a system of collective defense.

New Concept: Collective Defense

An arrangement that commit support between members if there was an attack by any external party.

Increase of Mutual Suspicions (1949- 1953)

•         Soviet Atomic Bombs: Tsar Bomba, H- Bombs (hydrogen bombs). 
•     Mao Zedong controls China: The People’s Republic of China was established on October 1,     1949. It was the culmination over two decades of civil and international wars.
•          McCarthy begins Communist witch hunt.

1st Class- Origins of the Cold War

In this class our teacher prepared a PPT, showing us the plans, speeches and doctrines that increased tensions in Europe between 1945-1949.

What happened after the conferences Yalta and Postdam (1945)?

There where a series of disgreements between two superpowers: USA and the USSR, over Europe. Moreover, the developing nuclear arms race lead to growing tensions. 

Baruch Plan - 1946

It was a proposal by the US government to the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission (UNAEC). The United States, Great Britain and Canada called for an international organization to regulate atomic energy and as a response Truman build a plan.

The plan was for: 1) Extend the exchange of basic scientific information for peaceful purposes.

                             2) Implement control of nuclear power for peaceful purposes.

                             3) Eliminate, from national armaments, weapons adaptable to mass destruction.
                             4) Establish safeguards.

Salami Tactics - 1946

USSR foreign policies to increase their political control in Eastern Europe. 

Step 2: George Kennan's Long Telegram- February 1946.

It proposed a new approach to US- Soviet relations and defined the terms of the Cold War.

Step3: Churchill's Curtain Speech- March 1946.

President Churchill stated that the world was now divided in two, as the USSR made a communist frontier, barrier between the West and East. 

Truman Doctrine- March 1947

It became the foundation of the president's foreign policy and placed the U.S in the role of global policeman, supporting democracy.

Marshall Plan- June 1947

It was basically the European Recovery Program (ERP), in which USA gave economic support to help rebuild European economy.

Molotov Plan- July 1947

Was a response of the Soviet minister, Molotov, to the Marshall Plan and the Truman doctine, in order to provide aid to rebuild the countries in Eastern Europe. 

• Comecom was established in 1949, to ease economic development in eastern European countries that belonged to the Soviet bloc.

Tensions increased ( 1947- 1949)

1. Red Army ocuppied eastern Europe: creation of the concept 'satellite state', countries that support the Soviet regime.
2. "Mr. X" Article by George Kennan (1947): to contain USSR sphere in Europe.
3. Czechoslovakia coup d' état (1948): Communist Party of Czechoslovakia assumed total control over the Czechoslovakian government.
4. Treaty of Brussels (17 March 1948): contained a mutual defense clause.
5. Creation of Bizonia and Trizonia (1947- 1948): economic integration of British and US zones (Bizonia). And economic integration of French and Bizonia (Trizonia).