history

Analyze various views regarding Western European unity from 1946 to 1989
Mason Azais
World History II
Mr. Andrew Ulrich
May 25, 2013

Abstract The two world super powers The United States and Russia are in deep conflict trying to be dominant over one another. Forming Alliances NATO and Warsaw to push different governments and rule over Europe post World War II from the years 1946 to 1986. But in more than just foreign affairs there was a race to become the most scientifically advanced.

The whole world was looking at Europe differently as a result of World War 2. NATO Countries wanted it to be a more capitalists while countries falling under the Warsaw pact wanted it to be more communist. Thus starting the Cold War. Both pacts were an odd fighting for control. Their control meeting in Germany splitting in half separated by what was called the iron curtain. In the Cold War system, much of which is still intact, the United States obviously played a central role; within the western bloc, the U.S. clearly was the dominant power; within the western world, America was a kind of “hegemony.” (Trachtenberg, 1999) NATO wanted it to be more capitalist because they thought it would prevent more war and they could balance out economies. With The NATO half of Europe the people were fed well and taken care of through the forces.
Warsaw wanted all of Europe for more land and power. With the communist government in control the people would come to a decline through starvation and not having enough wealth to sustain them. With America noticing the decline the started an airlift to transport food and necessities to the eastern half. The USSR the head of Warsaw put up what was called the iron curtain (seen in image 1) to block any outside help. The Iron Curtain was both a physical and an ideological division that represented the way Europe was viewed after World War II. To the east of the Iron Curtain were the countries that were connected to or influenced by the former Soviet Union. This included part of Germany (East Germany), Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, and Albania (until 1960 when it aligned with China). While Yugoslavia was Communist politically it was not considered to be a part of the Eastern Bloc or behind the Iron Curtain. Joseph Broz Tito, the president of Yugoslavia at the time, was able to maintain access with the west while leading a communist country. (Wise Geek, 2013). This in turn ended up starving more and more. Since the U.S was not firing or invading any of their land could not declare war at least they had no reason to. Many years would go by were Germany was split between four countries (Great Britain, France, U.S, and the USSR) until France ran away from the tension and gave their land to the U.S and so did Great Britain because they wanted to stick to themselves. This huge gain of land greatly increased the rivalry between the two world super powers.
Howe ever the ownership over land and the tension over seas was the not only rivalry these two super powers had. Since the start of the atomic age it was a race to see who could build the bigger more destructive weapon. But one of the most important expeditions was the “Race to Space”. The challenge was to see who could reach beyond earth the fastest with a head start the USSR moved more quickly and was the first to launch a satellite into space later sending an animal, and then sending the first human Yuri Gagarin. (seen in image 2). “No time should be lost in launching an aggressive Man-in-Space program” (Johnson, 1958). While the U.S had a late start they were the first to do “the big one” landing a man on the moon and bringing back samples. During the atomic age and with advancements in nuclear warhead there was a great scare of Russian attempts to attack the United States starting what would be a devastating nuclear war. Both countries would live in fear for thirteen days. Although it is firmly believed the U.S had their missiles pointed at Russia in bases stationed south of Russia. Russia had every right to be scared so they formed an alliance with already war torn Cuba with the rise of Dictator Fidel Castro. With rumor of this mass missile transfer and surveillance footage taken from an American U-2 spy plane showing missile sites being built America was forced to set up a naval blockade (shown in image 3) to stop Russian ships. Luckily letters exchanged between United States President John F. Kennedy and Russian Soviet Leader Khrushchev made arrangement to remove weapons from countries that could potentially threaten one another’s homeland. Marking the end of The Cold War in 1989 was the tearing down of the Berlin wall which was a symbol of the iron curtain falling. The great rivalry between these two countries had simmered down and peace in Europe regained some normalcy. “We welcome change and openness; for we believe that freedom and security go together, that the advance of human liberty—the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace” (Gorbachev, 1989). In the end Russia and America had come to an understanding and terms on how to coexist with one another in a more peaceful state.

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Reference

Facing History and Ourselves, (2013). Tearing Down the Berlin Wall: Finding Hope in Transition. Retrieved from Facing History and Ourselves online http://tj.facinghistory.org/reading/tearing-down-berlin-wall-finding-hope-tran Ford Library Museums, (unknown). Race for Space. Retrieved from Ford Library Museum online http://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/museum/exhibits/ColdWar/SpaceRace.html Wise Geek, (2013). What was the Iron Curtain? Retrieved from Wise Geek online. http://www.wisegeek.org/what-was-the-iron-curtain.htm