Gaddis Chapters 1-2:

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.