Cold War Notes

What caused the Cold War?

• US & USSR only superpowers after WWII.– Each wanted to be strongest.

• Different political and economic systems.– Democracy (US) vs. Dictatorship (USSR)– Capitalism (US) vs. Communism (USSR)

Post-War Europe

• Germany & its capital, Berlin, were divided between US, Britain, France, & USSR.

• Results in East Germany & West Germany

• Satellite Nations in Eastern Europe

• “Iron Curtain”

• “The West”

The Cold War Heats Up

• American policy: containment

• Stop the spread of Communism.

• Communism is like a disease.

The Truman Doctrine

• Aid should be sent to any nation trying to stop communists from taking over.

• Turkey & Greece

The Marshall Plan

• $13 billion to help rebuild sixteen nations in western Europe.

• Successful in preventing communist expansion and creating trade partners.

The Berlin Airlift

• Soviets blockade West Berlin for 327 days in effort to unify Berlin under communism.

• Food and supplies airlifted by U.S. and Britain.

• West Berlin saved.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

• Defensive military alliance

• Ten original members including United States, Britain, and Canada.

China Falls to Communism

• Mao Zedong (Communists) versus Chiang Kai-shek (Nationalists)

• Nationalists flee to Taiwan after Communist victory in 1949.

Why?• surrender of Japanese in Korea to U.S.

(South) and Soviet Union (North)

- communism in North Korea

- democracy & capitalism in South Korea

• North Korea invades South Korea

- invasion very successful

- American policy of containment requires

American involvement

What happened?• Douglas MacArthur and American

forces drive North Korea back to

China’s border

- China enters Korean conflict against

American forces

- MacArthur urges Truman to use

atomic weapons against China

* Truman wants limited war

* MacArthur relieved of command

- armistice sets boundary at 38th parallel