The Cold War Era - PowerPoint Presentation

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The Cold War Era

This time period is marked by

fear/paranoia

Nuclear weapons are supposed to be a “deterrence” but instead increase tension between the countries

Soviet Union and United States never go to war directly, they instead fight their conflicts in other countries (

eg

. Korea, Vietnam,

etc

).

Recall, August

6, 1945- U.S dropped the world’s first atomic bomb

In 1949, the Soviet Union tested its first nuclear bomb, triggering a nuclear arms race between the West and the SovietsSlide3

The Arms Race

One of the main features of The Cold War area was a highly competitive Arms Race

On November 1

, 1952

the United States explodes the first hydrogen bomb at a test site in the Marshall Islands.

The mushroom cloud was 8 miles across and 27 miles high; Less than a year later, the Soviets announce their first test of a hydrogen bomb in KazakhstanSlide4

The U2

In 1960, U2 was a spy plane

Able to fly 6000km at high altitudes

Could take photos of Soviet bomber bases and missile sitesSlide5

Results of the

R

ace

USA USSR

450 ICBMs

250 Medium range missiles

2,260 Bombers16,000Tanks32 Nuclear submarines

260 Conventional submarines76 Battleships and carriers

76

ICBMs

700

Medium range bombers

1,600 bombers

38,000 Tanks

12 Nuclear submarines

495 Conventional submarines

5

0

Battleships and cruisersSlide6

Both sides built more and

more…

By 1980:

The USA had more 9000 warheads. The USSR had more than 6000!

MAD: Mutually Assured DestructionSo many weapons in such a state of readiness that neither side would dare to launch a surprise attack (a first strike)

Any conflict was sure to end in the utter annihilation of both sides. No rational person could start such a war, it was hoped.Slide7

The H-Bomb: (1952- USA

)

The

Atom

Bomb (fission) The

Hydrogen Bomb (fusion)Yield 10 kiloton 10 megaton (smallish) (1000 times as powerful) Fireball

300 m. 4.8 km.Total Destruction radius

1.6 km. 17.7 km

.Flash burns

(2nd

degree burns)

2.4

km. 32 km.Slide8

The Cold War in Canada

Duck and Cover

At the height of the Cold War, the possibility of a nuclear attack was a real concern not just in the United States but also in Canada

The Canadian government created materials such as films and pamphlets to advise citizens what to do in case of a nuclear attack

.

Is the choice of a turtle an appropriate mascot to use to explain what to do if a nuclear attack occurs? How effective do you think the “duck and cover” response would be in the event of a nuclear attack?

What does this suggested response reveal about 1950’s knowledge of nuclear weapons? Slide9

Canada’s

P

rime

M

inister, John

Diefenbaker (1957-1963) This bunker was built to house gold reserves, military, scientific, and politicalpersonnel in case of nuclear attack The DiefenbunkerSlide10

The Red Scare

The western world feared the Soviets and spread of communism in their nations because….

Communism

is equated with the fear of losing individualism and unique identity

Aspect

of sharing wealth so that everyone is the same was seen as a negative ideology Propaganda – fear the dirty, rotten, commies.Slide11

The

Gouzenko

Affair

Espionage:

Spying on one another for secrets

. Igor Gouzenko worked at the Soviet embassy in Ottawa (as a spy for the Soviets)

He found out in 1945 that he and his family were going to be sent back to Russia Turned himself in and alerted North America of a Soviet

spy ring Took documents proving spy ring to Canadian government Gov’t did not believe him until the Soviet officials tried to capture and send him back to Russia

COMMUNIST SPIES IN CANADA! Slide12

Rosenburg Spy Case - 1951

On

March 29, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are convicted of selling U.S. atomic secrets to the Soviet Union.

The

Rosenbergs

were sent to the electric chair in 1953, despite outrage from liberals who portrayed them as victims of an anti-communist witch hunt. Slide13

Canada

and the Cold War

Our political, economic and military alliance with other western nations through

NATO

(North Atlantic Treaty Organization) 1949

The coordinated air protection of North America with the United States. This was called

NORAD

(North American Air Defence) . The two countries would cooperate to detect and intercept Soviet air craftSlide14

North Atlantic Treaty

Organization, 1949

-Military Alliance between:

Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and the United States

- Created

to protect members from communist Soviet Union - An attack on one is an attack on all members Warsaw Pact: Established by the Soviet Union to counter NATO in 1955 - includes eastern European communist states. A collective defense treaty to control Eastern Europe with Soviet military forcesU.S.S.R., Poland, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Albania, East Germany

NATO: North Atlantic Treaty OrganizationSlide15

Air defense system (radar) between USA and

C

anada

Located in the arctic

Designed to alert us of possible soviet attacks

NORAD, 1955Slide16

Early Warning Systems Slide17

Canada is strategically located!

Soviet bombers could be stopped and shot down over Canada (nice if you’re American)

Canadians would get the protection of the world’s largest military power