| I. The Western World: An Overview a. Western Europe rebounded out of the rubble of WWII. b. During the postwar years, standards of living rose dramatically. c. Many other changes were shaping the western world. A. The Cold War in Europe a. E. Europe made Warsaw Pact and w. democracies created NATO. b. The Berlin Wall was built and was a symbol of the cold war that lasted over a 40 year period. c. Both sides tried to avoid nuclear warfare and after the war, nations tried to end problems. B. Recovery and Growth in Western Europe a. Under the Marshall plan, W. nations recovered quickly from WWII and a major goal of the parties was to promote welfare. b. The OPEC oil crisis in 1973 was a real oil shock. c. Because of a shift in economy, service industry was created and replaced product industry. C. Toward European Unity a. Economic cooperation helped Europe�s recovery with the creation on the European Coal and Steel Community. b. 1957, the nations signed a treaty and created the Common market to expand free trade and controlled 37% of world trade. c. The EU wanted unity but nationalists were strong and rejected the thought. D. Social Trends a. After 1945 the pace of social change sped up with the classes blurred and opportunities were plentiful. b. There was mass immigration due to recession. c. Women made great strides with more legal and economic equality and women were able to work outside the home. II. The Western European Democracies a. The Tour de France went through the �Chunnel� which linked a land route from Britain and continental Europe. b. The Chunnel was a symbol of the future and the increased ties. c. NATO, EU, and the Common Market helped cooperation. A. Britain: Government and the Economy a. Margaret Thatcher denounced welfare and hurt the government even more. b. Britain shrank after countries got independence and it gave up its power to the US but remained large in NATO and the UN. c. Ireland won independence from Britain but N. Ireland remained under British power. Catholics wanted freedom, Protestants wanted Britain. B. France: Revival and Prosperity a. Bloody colonial wars in Vietnam and Algeria drained the country. b. General Charles de Gaulle made peace with the Algerians and worked hard to restore French prestige and power. c. Nationalized some industries and expanded social welfare benefits after the war. C. Germany: Reunited at Last a. Germany was torn apart by the conflict with the Allies but West Germany managed to have an economic boom and was affiliated with NATO. b. There was no economic boom in East Germany and mass migration led to the building of the Berlin Wall and with Willy Brandt the reunification of Germany was in sight. c. In 1989 the Berlin wall was dismantled and chancellor Helmut Kohl was the chancellor of united Germany. D. Other Democratic Nations of the West a. Norway, Sweden and Denmark had great social welfare programs that were beneficial. b. In Italy, the country was divided and corruption and scandals and the Mafia corrupted the country. c. Spain, Portugal and Greece were slower developers economically but after the death of bad leaders they were able to expand. III.North American Prosperity b. JFK said that the US would help anyone at any cost for liberty. c. The US sought to contain communism, extend civil rights and ensure economic prosperity. d. Canada also built democracy and prosperity. A. The United States and the Cold War a. The US was the main power in 1945 with the atomic bomb but the USSR then had the bomb and the US declines to make alliances anymore but helps globally with problems. b. McCarthy accused thousands of Americans of harboring communist sympathy. c. After the Cold War, peace was trying to be instated by the US but many problems were evident. B. Economy and the Role of Government a. In 1945, the US produced 50% of the world�s manufactured goods. b. In the 1960s, the government expanded social programs under President Kennedy. c. In the 1980s, conservatives challenged costly social programs and the growth of government. C. The Civil Rights Movement a. During the 1950s and 1960s segregation about African Americans was very high. b. Martin Luther King JR. was a leader for the civil rights movement. c. Congress outlawed segregation and protected the rights and this inspired Native Americans and Hispanics to go for equality. D. The United States and the Global Economy a. Interdependence brought problems such as inflation and the Third World debt crisis. b. The US lost manufacturing jobs to the developing worlds. c. Still the US remained a rich nation and a magnet for immigrants. E. Postwar Canada a. Canada enjoyed a postwar economic boom because of rich oil and gas deposits found in the western provinces. b. A challenge for Canada had been the immense impact of the US. c. Environmental problems between Canada and the US have been another major problem. IV. The Soviet Union: Rise and Fall of a Superpower a. Nikita Khrushchev believed that capitalism was doomed and Soviet communism was the wave of the future. b. Khrushchev�s prediction never came true. c. Efforts at reform led the Soviet empire to disintegrate with stunning speed. A. Stalin�s Successors a. USSR emerged from WWII as a superpower but brought few rewards to the Soviet people. b. Khrushchev was leader after WWII and made a policy of de-Stalinization. c. Brezhnev took over USSR until 1982 and he was suppressive against his dissidents. B. The Soviet Economy a. 1957, Sputnik was sent into orbit and was a great tool of propaganda against the West. b. Neither Khrushchev nor Brezhnev was able to solve the economic problems or match the successfulness of the West. c. Low output was due to inefficiencies in central economic planning. C. Foreign Policy Issues a. 1955, Khrushchev set up the Warsaw Pact to defend communism against NATO but it was used to suppress dissent. b. As nations emerged, the US or USSR supplied them with military and economic aid. c. Brezhev created the Brezhev doctorine that stated the right to intervene militarily in the Warsaw Pact nation. D. Collapse of the Soviet Empire a. Gorbachev sought to end costly Cold War tensions and he launched glasnost and perestroika. b. This rapid change brought turmoil and shortages occurred and prices soared. c. 1991 Gorbachev resigned as president, Soviet republics declared independence and the USSR ceased to exist. E. The Russian Republic a. Yeltsin had problems with older generations wanted order and Russia still didn�t have any traditions. b. To solve economic problems and gain western aid, Yeltsin has to privatize more state-run industries and collective farms. c. Still with its large military and nuclear arsenal, Russia excercised influence as a world power. F. The Other Republics a. Conflicts between pro-communist and pro-democracy was a huge problem. b. They wanted stability and growth in the standard of living for the Russian people. c. New nations endured hard times as they switched to market economies. V. A New Era in Eastern Europe a. Before 1914, most of E. Europe was divided among the old German, Russian, Austrian, and Ottoman empires. b. Many small nations gained independence after WWI only to overrun byt the Nazi. c. In 1989, E. European nations won independence. A. In the Soviet Orbit a. Stalin forced his satellites to contribute to the rebuilding of Soviet industry. b. Despite some economic progress, many people despised the communist monopoly on power. c. Tito set a communist government in Yuogslavia but he pursued a path independent of Moscow. B. Poland�s Struggles Toward Democracy a. Poles wanted freedom within the Soviet bloc but Stalin clamped down on persecution on the Roman Catholic Church. b. In 1980, economic hardships ignited strikes of shipyard workers to organize an independent trade union called Solidarity. c. In the late 1980s, Gorbachev declared he wouldn�t interfere with E. Europe and he legalized Solidarity. C. Revolution and Freedom a. Eastern European nations were set out to build stable governments and free-market economies. b. Many nations wanted to join NATO and the other western organizations but this was controversial due to the fact Russia was anti-western. c. Centuries of migration and conquest left E. Europe with contrastingly diverse communities. D. War Comes to Sarajevo a. After Tito�s death and the fall of communism, a wave of nationalism tore Yugoslavia apart. b. There were 3 main groups, Croats, Muslims, and Serbs and there was major conflict. c. There was a huge war in Sarajevo even though it was independent. E. Looking Ahead a. 1995, US brought the parties to Ohio and made agreements there. b. 1990s Bosnia became a test case for western powers in the post-Cold War world. c. International court at Hague held trials for those accused of war crimes in Bosnia were held. |