The Cold War

1945 - 1991

Cold War Defined

• First used in 1947

• Political, economic and propaganda war between US and Soviet Union

• Fought through surrogates

Terms

• Domino Effect

• Brinksmanship

• Iron Curtain

The Cold War [1945-1991]: An Ideological Struggle

Soviet & Eastern Bloc

Nations[“Iron

Curtain”]

US & the Western

Democracies

GOAL spread world-wide Communism

GOAL “Containment” of Communism & the eventual collapse of the Communist world.[George Kennan]

METHODOLOGIES:

1. Espionage [KGB vs. CIA]

2. Arms Race [nuclear escalation]

3. Ideological Competition for the minds and hearts of Third World peoples [Communist govt. & command economy vs. democratic govt. & capitalist economy] “proxy wars”

4. Bi-Polarization of Europe [NATO vs. Warsaw Pact]

Prevent the further spread of communism

Negotiating settlement of outstanding differences.

Truman Doctrine

The Marshall Plan

Supporting non-communist governments throughout the world

George Kennan [“X Article”]: CONTAINMENT

Goals Means Actual Application

Significant Shift in US Foreign Policy

No longer Isolationist

Significant Shift in US Foreign Policy

No longer Isolationist

Marshall Plan - 1947

• Massive aid program to rebuild Europe

• $13 Billion between 1948-1952

• “…restoring the confidence of the European people in the economic future of their own countries and of Europe as a whole.”

Truman Doctrine - 1947

• Pledges to provide American economic and military support to any nation combating communism

• Supports containment

Berlin Airlift – June 1948- May 1949

• Soviet Union asserts power in Berlin

• Blockades all land access to the city

• US and British planes airlift 1.5 million tons of supplies

• 200,000 flights

• Soviets lift the blockade

• Brinksmanship

Military Alliances

• North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

• The Warsaw Pact

• “Collective Security”

China - 1949

• Mao and the Communists claim victory in China

• Mao visits Moscow – signs a Treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance

The Soviet Union has the Bomb• Sooner than

expected

• The Arms Race is on

Alger Hiss – 1948-50

• Accused of passing secrets to the Soviets– Paved the way for the McCarthy period– Seen as an attack on the New Deal or the

best example of the communist threat in the American government.

Rosenberg Spy Case - 1951

• Ethel and Julius Rosenberg are convicted of selling US atomic secrets to the Soviets

• Executed in 1953

Korean War

[1950-1953]

Korea 1950

• Korea divided after WWII• June 25 North Korean communists invade South

Korea• Truman orders US assistance• UN establishes an international fighting force• China enters the conflict• Standing army• Military-industrial complex

End

Cold War 1945 to 1960• Historic US – USSR issues.• Problems at the end of WWII

• Yalta• Eastern Europe – Poland 1945• World Bank and IMF

• Causes of the Cold War• US View• USSR View

• Partitioning• Germany• Korea• Iron Curtain

• Kennan’s Long Telegram (Containment) 1946• Greece & Turkey – Truman Doctrine 1947• Marshall Plan 1947• Organization of American States 1947• National Security Act 1947

Cold War 1945 to 1960• Berlin Crisis and Airlift 1948• The Big Turn - 1949

– NATO created 1949– Russian Atomic Bomb 1949– Fall of China 1949

• Korean War begins 1950 – 54• Eisenhower elected in 1952• New Look Military (Massive Retaliation) 1952• Hydrogen Bomb 1952 (Russians 1953)• Liberation rhetoric (Containment) and The Domino Theory• CIA supported Iranian coup 1953 (Shah becomes dictator)• Stalin dies 1953 (Khrushchev 1955)• CIA supported Guatemala coup 1954

Cold War 1945 to 1960

• Dien Bien Phu 1954• Division of Vietnam• US involvement begins

• West Germany joins NATO 1955• Warsaw Pact formed 1955• Suez crisis 1956• Hungarian uprising 1956• Sputnik 1957• NASA created 1958• U.S. Marines sent to Lebanon to promote political stability 1958• Cuban revolution 1959• U-2 incident 1960

Cold War 1945 to 1960

McCarthyism Loyalty Oaths Society in during the Cold War

Novels Films

Hydrogen Bomb - 1952

• Nov 1 – US Explodes in first hydrogen bomb

• Less than a year later the Soviets follow suit.

National Defense Budget [1940-1964]