ODUMUNC 2015 Issue Brief For The Historical Crisis Committee

ODUMUNC 2015Issue Brief for theHistorical Crisis CommitteeThe Rise of the Cold War: 1949By: Connor Clarke and Sean McGuffinOld Dominion University, Model United Nations SocietyIntroductionThis body is a meeting between western-oriented governments struggling to cope with a rapidseries of events that made the early rise of the Cold War among the most frightening geopoliticalexperiences ever. It begins in the late summer of 1949, covering events of the early Cold Warperiod. The major goal of this simulation is to find solutions to the enormous momentum behindrising Soviet influence across the globe, without causing World War III.BackgroundBy the end of summer 1945, Allied forces led by Britain, China, the Soviet Union (USSR) andUnited States, had defeated Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. The close of the war reached acrescendo on 6 and 9 August 1945 when the United States demonstrated the destructive power ofatomic weaponry, killing a combined 140,000 people in a flash. With occupation forces invadingfrom east and west, Europe was divided into rival spheres of influence. The Soviet Unioncontrolled most of Central and Eastern Europe, which included Bulgaria, Romania,Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, and the eastern third of Germany (including half the dividedcity of Berlin). By 1947 sympathetic Communist Party governments were in control of all thesecountries. The countries of western and northern Europe remained largely democratic andaligned with the United States, as were non-democratic Greece, Iran, Portugal, Spain and Turkey.Stalin, Truman and Churchill meet in Potsdam, Germany, July 1945Copyright Old Dominion University Model United Nations Society. All rights reserved.

ODUMUNC 2015Issue Brief for HCC: Rise of the Cold WarTruman DoctrineTo prevent the continued spread of Communism, the United States implemented the TrumanDoctrine. In 1947 this initiative promised military assistance to any anti-communist governmentsacross the globe facing Soviet pressure, initially meaning Greece, Iran and Turkey. With the newmilitary support, these military-ruled or dictatorial governments were able to defeat communistforces or balance Soviet regional pressure.Another threat posed by communism was in the war destroyed countries of Europe. Ashistory has shown, radical ideas and movements take hold in nations that are extremelyimpoverished and when people have nothing more to lose. Once the Second World War ended,many European countries fit this description. To help these countries recover and becomeprosperous, the United States began the Marshall Plan and over the next 3 years will be givingeconomic aid to many countries in Europe to help them rebuild and prevent their fall intocommunism.Berlin AirliftWhile Eastern Germany remained under Soviet control, the capital of Berlin, located in thenewly created East Germany (The German Democratic Republic, GDR), was divided in two. Thewestern two-thirds (The Federal Republic of Germany, FRG) was dominated by the westernallies of World War Two: Britain, France and the United States. In 1948--last year--the Sovietsbegan a blockade of West Berlin, stopping all road and rail traffic from West Germany. The goalof this blockade was to prevent the Western nations from providing the city with food andsupplies, giving control to the Soviets.To counter the Soviet blockade, American, Australian, British, Canadian, and other airforces began a twenty-four hour, seven day a week airlift of food, fuel and medical supplies tothe western half of the city. The Soviets made little effort to stop this aerial convoy, either fearingattacks on the transport fleet would ignite another European war, or believing the airlift wouldprove unsuccessful. By May of the 1949, the Soviets ended the blockade around Berlin. Verysoon after the end of blockade, Western and Eastern Germany formed as independent countries,and Berlin remained divided.Copyright Old Dominion University Model United Nations Society. All rights reserved.

ODUMUNC 2015Issue Brief for HCC: Rise of the Cold WarNot a simulation: negotiating the NATO Treaty in Washington, 1949NATOEarlier this year (1949), the governments of 12 countries (Belgium, Canada, Denmark,France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom,and the United States) formed a collective defensive alliance called the North Atlantic TreatyOrganization or NATO. The purpose of this alliance is to deter Soviet attack against thesenations. According to Article 5 of the NATO Treaty (the Washington Treaty), an act on anyindividual member of the alliance is considered to be an attack on all members, and all memberswill respond with force or assistance. If the alliance wants to pursue any actions outside ofdefensive efforts all decisions must be unanimous.The first NATO Secretary General, Lord Ismay, joked that the purpose of NATO is to“Keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down.” Although, some militaryexperts believe that the inclusion of the new West German state is a military necessity, manyallies remain keenly suspicious of German militarism, the cause of two world wars. Others notethat any war with the Soviet Union almost certainly will be fought on German soil, and withoutGerman manpower and future industry, NATO will lack sufficient resources to defend against theSoviets. There has been talk of expanding the alliance to include other states in an effort tocontain communism.Marshal PlanAfter the War many countries were in ruin. Much of the major industry and agriculturehad been destroyed making unemployment and huger common throughout the continent. Areaslike this are breeding grounds for communism. As said by the former US military governor ofGermany "There is no choice between being a communist on 1,500 calories a day and a believerin democracy on a thousand".Copyright Old Dominion University Model United Nations Society. All rights reserved.

ODUMUNC 2015Issue Brief for HCC: Rise of the Cold WarTo counter this the US Congress approved an aid program requested by Secretary of StateGeorge Marshall, designed by Under-Secretary of State Dean Acheson, for several billion USdollars to flow to the war-torn countries of Europe Communist Party control and to repair and restart industry and economies. Widely known as the Marshall Plan, this program is America’s firstmajor foreign aid program. It is very controversial in the United States, widely suspected as afoolish give-away by many prominent critics.In addition humanitarian food aid is starting to flow to Asia and other parts of the worldfor similar reasons, and it seems to be doing just that, staving off starvation though out the world.The US Congress has approved millions of dollars for the effort but added the condition that nochanges to the program are allowed without its approval.Europe divided: NATO, Neutrals and the Warsaw PactRest of the WorldOutside of Europe, Communism is making major gains, particularly in Asia. For the firsttime in Korean history, the Korean Peninsula is split into two countries. The northern half iscontrolled by the Korean Communists Party under the leadership of Kim Il Sung. It is recognizedby the Soviet Union as the legitimate government of all of Korea. The southern half is under thehard anti-communist President Sigmund Rhee, but lacks popular support or the industry andmanpower of the northern half of the peninsula.The ongoing civil war in China between the nationalist and communists is another majorCopyright Old Dominion University Model United Nations Society. All rights reserved.

ODUMUNC 2015Issue Brief for HCC: Rise of the Cold Warconcern. China contains a major percentage of the global population and if it falls tocommunism, much of Asia could follow. Although the Chinese Nationalists under GeneralChiang Kai Shek cooperated with the Chinese Communist Part under Chairman Mao Tse Tung todefeat Japan, the two sides are locked in a bitter war for control of China.After the devastation of the Second World War many of the European empires in Africaand Asia have come into jeopardy. The British Empire released India and Pakistan in 1947. Atthe moment Communist/nationalist rebel movements are fighting for independence in Malaysia.French Indo-China is also in a hard struggle with the communist Viet Minh trying to makeVietnam (the biggest part of French Indo-China) an independent nation.In Java, the Netherlands is fighting to preserve it’s archipelago empire against IndonesianNationalist Rebels, who do not seem to have communist connections; these rebels throughguerilla tactics control parts of the country side while the Dutch forcers are in the cities. Thereare current negotiations between the two sides on possible independence of Java and the otherislands, with the rebels aspiring to create a new nation they call Indonesia. Africa still remainslargely colonized, but the independence movements are gaining momentum though out.Chinese Nationalist leader general Chiang Kai ShekCopyright Old Dominion University Model United Nations Society. All rights reserved.

ODUMUNC 2015Issue Brief for HCC: Rise of the Cold WarMajor IssuesSoviet Nuclear Bomb:Western intelligence agencies know that the Soviet Union is developing their own atomicbomb. Opinions differ on when they will complete it, but most agree that they will not be able totest until somewhere between 1953 and 1954. Prominent experts, like Major General LeslieGroves, commander of the U.S. Manhattan Project that created the first nuclear weapons, believethe Soviet Union is too backward to complete a nuclear weapon in less than 25 years, or before1970.All governments of this body recognize the threat of a Soviets nuclear weapon, whichwould equalize the biggest American advantage, and must take action to delay the Soviets fromtesting. It is known that the Soviets have an effective network of spies, and all nations must act toprevent material or information, especially that relating to atomic weaponry, from falling into thehands of the Soviets or their allies.Once the Soviets are able to produce nuclear weapons, the balance of power betweencommunist and anti-communist governments will change drastically. The Soviets will be able todefend their interests with nuclear weapons, and the potential cost of a conflict between thenations and the Soviets increases drastically and our ability to counter their influence willsignificantly decrease.Chinese Civil War:The current military situation of the Chinese civil war is heavily favoring the communist Chineseforces (CPC). The CPC has captured many of the major cities of China, including the capital ofanti-communist Nationalist forces, Nanjing. Soviet advice and assistance is helping the CPC.The CPC also enjoys the support of much of the rural population, promising them an end tocorruption and brutal taxation, and promising land reform. The corruption and inefficiency of theChinese Nationalists is a major problem for the United States, wasting much of Washington’said, which ends up in foreign banks, and undermining the willingness of Nationalistsympathizers to commit themselves.To prevent a communist takeover of China, quick drastic action needs to be taken, butwhether it can be effective is hard to say. Efforts to prevent corruption among Nationalistcommanders, and to insure proper use of military aid, and strategies to win over the ruralpopulation, need to be implemented as soon as possible. This issue is very time sensitive. Manyexperts believe Nationalist forces could be defeated as soon as the end of the year. If China joinsthe Soviet Union with a successful Communist revolution, the two biggest powers in Asia andthe world will be able to cooperate on matters of grand strategy, undermining anti- communistgovernments throughout Asia.Copyright Old Dominion University Model United Nations Society. All rights reserved.