Chapter 29The Cold War

The Cold War

Origins of the Cold War

The Collapse of Peace

Society and Politics After the Cold War

Origins of the Cold War

Soviet-American Tensions Different visions of the post-war world

US: nations shed military alliances; used democratic international mediators

Soviet Union: sought to control areas of strategic influence

Wartime Diplomacy 1943: Tensions began because the Allied refused

to invade as the Soviets fought Germany on the Eastern front and because disputes over the governance of Poland were unresolved at the Tehran Conference

Origins of the Cold War

Yalta Big Three (Churchill,

Truman, Stalin) meet in 1945 to create the UN

Disagreements: The future of the Polish government; finally agree to give each other a German “zone” US: German

reconstruction Soviet Union:

Heavy reparations

The Collapse of Peace

Failure of Potsdam The new US President Truman wanted to “get

tough” with Soviets; mentioned he had a “powerful new weapon”

Stalin received newly independent nations Failure: Frequent disagreements led to future

discontent (Soviet extension of totalitarian control in new nations)

The China Problem The US had a vision of an open world “policed” by

the major powers Problem: the Chinese government, unpopular and

corrupt, believed America had imperialist motives in China and gave conflicting consideration to the Soviet Union and the US

The Collapse of Peace

The Containment Doctrine US no longer wanted an

“open” world but a “contained” Soviet (and communistic) expansion

Doctrine: Military and economic efforts to prevent communism; “domino theory” (if one falls, all will fall)

The Marshall Plan 1947 plan by Secretary of

State George Marshall to aid all European nations to strengthen pro-US governments against communism

The Collapse of Peace

Mobilization at Home Established Atomic Energy Commission to control

nuclear research National Security Act of 1947 created the

Department of Defense and the Central Intelligent Agency

The Road to NATO Truman merged German “western zones” into

West Germany Reevaluating Cold War Policy

NSC-68 report: US should lead the noncommunist world and oppose communist expansion everywhere; expanded military power

German “Zones”

German “zones” were divided between the Soviet Union, US, France, and Great Britain at the Potsdam Conference

Berlin Blockade City of Berlin was also

divided into four zones 1948-1949: Soviets

blocked aid into Berlin Western Allies

organized the Berlin Airlift

“Operation Little Vittles”

Strategically, how could the Soviets take control of Berlin so easily?

Society and Politics After the War

Problems of Reconversion Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 provided

education and economic aid to returning soldiers; increased spending prevented economic collapse

Problems: high inflation, union strikes, and displaced minorities and women as soldiers returned to labor

Fair Deal Rejected Fair Deal: liberal reforms; opposed by Republicans

who wanted to reduce government spending, cut taxes for the wealthy and refused to raise wages

Republicans also sought to decrease the power of unions through the Taft-Hartley Act, making “closed-shop” illegal (requiring union membership before being hired)

Society and Politics After the War

Election of 1948 Truman sought re-election;

Dixiecrats and progressives refused full support

Republicans nominated Dewey; Truman won and Democrats won House and Senate

Fair Deal Revived Minimum wage increase,

Social Security expansion; desegregated the armed forces

Nuclear Age Nuclear weapons viewed with

fear though awed the public with technological advancements

The Korean War

The Divided Peninsula Korea divided at the

38th Parallel (Communist North, Syngman Rhee’s South)

North invaded south in 1950 in hopes of reuniting; US won UN resolution for support of South Korean armies – result was “containment” and “liberation”

The Korean War

From Invasion to Stalemate MacArthur advanced into the North; Chinese

entered conflict with Korea in late 1950 UN armies retreated to 38th Parallel; stalemate

until 1953 Truman wanted peace, MacArthur opposed it

(relieved of command in 1951) Limited Mobilization

War led to limited mobilization: Truman created the Office of Defense Mobilization to combat rising inflation, the government seized railroads and steel mills during union strikes, and increased government spending stimulated the economy

Unable to quickly end a “small” war, fear grew of communists at home

The Korean War: Recap

When: June 25, 1950 – July 27, 1953 What: Conflict between the Communist North

(supported by the Soviets) and non-Communists in the South of Korea (supported by the US); the US entered the war to stop communism from spreading (containment policy); if one country falls to communism so too will surrounding countries (domino theory)

Before the war: After WWII, Korea was divided along the 38th Parallel into Soviet (North) and US (South) zones of occupation; after awhile, their relationship grew increasingly strained and the North invaded the South

During the war: Frontlines went back and forth around the 38th Parallel, agreement was made and war ended; about 5 million soldiers and civilians died

The Crusade Against Subversion

HUAC and Alger Hiss “Red Scare” was

prompted by fear of Stalin and growing Communism

Republicans sought to use those feelings to win support against Democrats; Congress created HUAC

Former State Department official Alger Hiss was investigated revealing he complied with communists further increasing fear

The Crusade Against Subversion

Federal Loyalty Program and the Rosenberg Case 1947: Truman began program to determine

“loyalty” of federal employees as the FBI monitored radicals

1950: Congress passed the McCarran Internal Security Act forcing communist groups to register with the government

The Rosenberg’s were questioned following the Soviet explosion of an atomic bomb

Anticommunist hysteria was now at the national, state, and local levels

The Crusade Against Subversion

McCarthyism 1951: Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy leveled

charges of communist agents in the State Department and other agencies; his subcommittee was at the fore of anticommunism

Republican Revival Korean stalemate and anticommunism

sentiments led to the Democrats’ disappointments

Democrats nominated Adlai Stevenson; Republicans nominated General Dwight Eisenhower (and Richard Nixon as his running mate)

Eisenhower won by a huge margin; Republicans gained control in both Houses of Congress

The Cold War: Videos

Harry S Truman Truman on Ending a War: Atomic Bombs (2:55)

The Korean War Unforgettable: The Korean War (5:43)

The Cold War The Cold War (2:31)

The “Red Scare” Project VENONA vs. Rosenbergs (2:54) Red Scare and HUAC (5:33) 1950: The Hollywood Ten (15:02)

Nuclear Weapons 1951: Duck and Cover (9:15)