Section 1:
-United States thrived after WWII, the Soviet Union did not (there were numerous differences between the two nations).
-Stalin felt that because Russia lost so much during WWII they should be compensated.
-United States had previously had isolation as a policy
-Stalin was the only original leader left after World War Two, of the Big Three.
Section 2:
-Stalin wanted Russian domination.
-He did not want any opposition. (Feared but worshipped)
-Wants land (old territories lost to Germans, and new territories)
-For the time being he needed cooperation from the US and Britain.
-He was a violent dictator who did not hesitate to use purges.
-He believed that history would repeat and Capitalists would fight each other
-Paranoia,
Section 3:
-had been naturally isolated because of geography
-Roosevelt had four great wartime priorities: sustain allies, secure allied cooperation in sharing the postwar settlement, new collective security organization, settlement sound have to be "sellable" to the American people.
-No reversion to isolationism.
-Britain wanted to simply survive, no matter the costs. Wanted a balance of power.
Section 4:
-During WWII Soviets were needed to create a second front (both political and military significance) (pg 19)
- Divided Europe into "spheres of influence", this included dividing Germany. (Britain, France, and the US shared the West and the Soviets got East Germany)
-leaders had different hopes
-US had little incentive to include Russia in the occupation of Japan (only US gets Japan)
-The common causes quickly diminished, meaning US and USSR do not have to work together.
-Beginning of arms race- bigger bombs (each side), US dropped atomic bombs on Japan. (Stalin knew about the bomb through spies)
-US starts the policy of containment: contain communism/Russia (came from Kennan's long telegram).
-Marshall plan- help rebuild Western Europe. (people would like Westerners more than the Russians)
Section 5:
-United States relied on the bomb to deter Russia
-China is communist, with USSR
-Sino-Soviet Treaty (each will aid the other in the event of an attack)
-ESPIONAGE!
-McCarthy- pointing fingers at people (maybe you are a spy)
Section 6:
-Korean war
-Stalin urged North Korea to attack, this blatant attack brought US backing for S. Korea.
Section 7:
-FEAR
-BOMBS- man will be its own enemy
Chapter 2
Section 1:
- Nuclear war could get back
-advancements change the nature of war
-Clausewitz
-many dangers of total war
-Humans are violent
Section 2:
-Harry Truman is the only person to ever order an atomic bomb to be dropped
-Made it so the President is the only one with the decision to drop the bomb
-change in human behavior- If weapons can be used they will (changed this)
Section 3:
- Wanted Stalin to see the bombs ability
-Soviets get their own bomb in August of 1949
Section 4:
- US concerned with Chinese troops chasing S. Koreans
-US has many more weapons than Russia (about 74:1)
- Did not detonate a bomb because of the political costs and military situation (also what would they target)
-Korean war lasted another 2 years (only after Stalin's death did they reach a cease-fire, Stalin wanted the war to continue).
Section 5:
- SUPER-BOMB (both US and USSR), US testing obliterated a Pacific Island ,and the birds.
- US- if you can build one....do it!
Section 6:
- Can be no rational use of weapons of this magnitude in war
- New Leaders for US and USSR
-Eisenhower had an original different idea than Roosevelt (did not believe the nature of war had changed, thought nuclear weapons could be used)
-BRAVO American test (this showed the capacity of what many weapons could do, if just one could do that much damage)
-Nuclear Danger
Section 7:
- Eisenhower will only plan for total war
- his ideas are changing
-nuclear war changed the meaning of "total war"
Section 8:
-Khrushchev in power (USSR), does not want to use weapons
- He likes to threaten with things he does not have (ex-rocket weapons, Suez Canal crisis) (pg 70)
- Wanted the West out of Berlin, US says no
- He visited the US
Section 9:
- US spy plane, the U-2- made flight over Russia to look at the Weapons (was not legal, but Russia could not really do anything about it0
- confirmed that Russia did not have as many weapons as they said
-J.F.K takes office- many mishaps in his first months
- Called Khrushchev's bluff
Section 10:
- Russia sends missiles to Cuba
- Khrushchev is emotionally committed to Cuba
- Cuba is communist (without the help/urging of Russia)
- Each side positioning missiles facing the other side
Section 11:
- Kennedy wants to get rid of Nuclear War
- McNamara creates a new plan (some problems)
- Limited test ban= no more nuclear testing in the atmosphere (1963)
- Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty= banned all defenses against long-range missiles (1972)
- because of the fear of a horrible nuclear war one did not materialize
Section 12:
- Might be a book about the Cold War
- Nuclear Weapons made countries see that they each had a stake in each other's survival (each had the trigger, but now have to learn to live with this.
