Lesson 1
The Division of Europe During the Cold War (The Iron Curtain)
What do you see in this picture?
On which side of the barrier is there a man with a machine gun?
The man looking under the barrier is British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Why would he be looking under this barrier?
Where do you think this barrier is located?
Why is there a barrier between these two areas?
Why would the train tracks end at this barrier?
Notice how the barrier hangs much like a shower curtain and it is also studded. What do you think that this barrier represents?
Lesson Objectives: SWBAT
1.) Interpret the meaning of the term Cold War.
2.) Compare and contrast the capitalistic United States and their aims with the communist Soviet Union and their aims in Europe in the post WWII era.
3.) Analyze the term containment and how it related to the Cold War.
4.) Develop an idea of what the Iron Curtain meant, and construct a map of how it divided Europe.
From friends to foes
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The United States and the Soviet Union emerged from WWII as two "superpowers" with vastly different political and economic systems. Although the United States and the Soviet Union were allies during WWII, their differences led to a bitter Cold War that almost lasted until the 21st century.
Definition of Cold War - A conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States in which neither nation directly confronted the other on the battlefield. The Cold War would dominate global affairs and U.S. foreign policy from 1945 until the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Leaders at the Beginning of the Cold War
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| Harry Truman- U.S. President (1945-53) | Josef Stalin - Ruled Soviet Union (1922-53) |
How did the United States and the Soviet Union differ and what were their conflicting aims in Europe?
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United States |
Soviet Union |
| Capitalistic - private citizens control almost all economic activity. | Communist - the state controlled all property and economic activity. |
| People elect the president and congress from competing political parties. | The Communist Party establishes a totalitarian government with no opposing parties. |
| Angry with Stalin because he used to be an ally with Adolf Hitler. Stalin only supported the allies after Hitler invaded the Soviet Union. | Stalin resented the Western Allies' delay in attacking the Germans in Europe. He thought the attack would draw Germans away from the Soviet Union. |
| Wanted to create a new world order in Europe after WWII, in which all nations had the right to self-determination. | Encouraged communism in other countries as a part of the worldwide struggle between workers and the wealthy. |
| Wanted to rebuild European governments to ensure stability and create new markets for American goods. | Wanted to control Eastern Europe to balance U.S. influence in Western Europe. |
| Looked to reunite Germany, believing Europe would be more secure if Germany were productive. | Looked to keep Germany divided and weak so that it would never again threaten the Soviet Union. |
| Gain Access to raw materials and markets in Europe for its industries. | Rebuild its war-ravaged economy using Eastern Europe's industrial equipment and raw materials. |
The Iron Curtain
The Iron Curtain was a term used to describe the division of Europe after World War II into the communist east and the democratic west. The term "Iron Curtain" was coined by British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, in a speech he made in Fulton, Missouri (Iron Curtain Speech).
Europe is clearly divided. Did you notice anything unique about Germany?
What type of problems might a divided Germany cause?
Why do you think Germany is divided into East and West Germany?
After Germany was defeated in World World II, The Americans , the British, the French, and Soviets divided Germany into four zones. The American, British, and French zones together made up the western two-thirds of Germany, while the Soviet zone comprised the eastern third. Berlin, the former capital, which was surrounded by the Soviet zone, was placed under joint four-power authority but was partitioned into four sectors for administrative purposes. The allied Western Berlin was separated from the Soviet Eastern Berlin. On August 13th, 1961, the Berlin Wall was erected, surrounding West Berlin.
The Berlin Wall
Iron Curtain
Do you think that any problems may occur because Berlin is located in East Germany? Why or why not?
Since there was no written agreement with the Soviets guaranteeing free access to Berlin by road or rail, Stalin took advantage. In an attempt to take over the western part of Berlin, Stalin closed all highway and rail routes into West Berlin in June of 1948. As a result, no food or fuel could reach that part of the city.
Since there is no way to get into West Berlin by road or rail, how else could the allied powers get supplies to West Berlin?
The Berlin Airlift
For 327 days, U.S. and British officials had planes fly food and supplies into West Berlin (277,000 flights). West Berlin survived because of the airlift.
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Stalin continued to install communist governments in Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Poland. These countries were known as satellite nations. Stalin stated in a speech that communism and capitalism were incompatible and that another war was inevitable.
How would these communist governments be a threat to the U.S. and their allies?
What would you do to stop the further spread of communism?
Containment
In February of 1946, George F. Kennan, an American diplomat in Moscow, proposed a policy of containment. By containment he meant taking measures to prevent any extension of communist rule to other countries.
George F. Kennan's Policy of Containment
Can we be friends again?
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American Soldiers (left) and Soviet troops greet each other at Torgau on the Elbe River in their historic 1945 meeting after defeating Germany.
What is the Iron Curtain? Do you think it will last long? Why or why not?
Name 4 ways in which the U.S. and the Soviet Union Differ.
Do you think that U.S. and Soviet relations will improve from this point or deteriorate? Why?
Do you believe that the policy of containment will succeed in the future? Why or why not?
PA Standards: 8.3.12 A, B, D
8.4.12 A, C, D
