The Cold WarCh. 26 and 27

Major Events during the Cold War!

• Containment

• The United Nations

• Truman Doctrine

• Marshall Plan

• Formation of NATO

• Korean “Conflict”

• McCarthyism

• Space Race

• Bay of Pigs

• Cuban Missile Crisis

• Civil Rights Movement

• Afghan War

• Chernobyl Disaster

• Berlin Wall

Remember the tensions…

• The United States didn’t recognize communist Soviet Union until 1933.• US had joined the White Army, but were beaten by the

communist Reds during the Russian Revolution.

• After the Yalta Conference…• Joseph Stalin didn’t hold the promised free Polish

elections.• Red Army occupied Poland and supported their

communist dominated Gov’t.• He entered the war with Japan much later than FDR

would have liked.

• He and Truman weren’t best buddies.

The United Nations

• Everyone agreed on the establishment and need for this.

• A new international peacekeeping organization.• Remember the League of Nations?

• Failed b/c the United States didn’t join.• April 1945 – delegates from 50 nations met to

adopt a charter for the UN.• Said people would solve problems diplomatically and

try to prevent war when possible.• The US, Soviet Union, Great Britain, France and

China had permanent seats on the council and a veto over proposed policies.

Truman vs. Stalin

Truman vs. Stalin

• Truman

• President of the US

• Democratic Gov’t

• Wanted free Polish elections.

• Didn’t want the Soviet Union to spread communism to satellite nations.

• Stalin

• Leader of Soviet Union.• Communist Gov’t• Didn’t want Poland to

have unsupervised elections.

• Wanted to spread communism and influence to satellite nations.• Countries subject to the

Western Borders of the Soviet Union.

• Poland, Romania, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, etc.

The Cold War

• Was a long-standing conflict b/w the U.S. and the Soviet Union that began immediately after WWII

• Was more of a competition than a war

• Contrasts b/w Communism and Democracy led to the Cold War:• Political

• Economical

• Philosophical

U.S. Aims Versus Soviet Aims in Europe

• US wanted to:• Encourage democracy in other

countries to help prevent the rise of new totalitarian governments

• Gain access to raw materials and markets for its booming industries

• Rebuild European gov’ts to ensure stability and create new markets for American goods.

• Reunite Germany, believing that Europe would be more secure if Germany were productive and less bitter about defeat.

• SOVIETS wanted to:• Encourage communism in other

countries as part of the worldwide struggle b/w workers and the wealthy.

• Transfer the industrial equipment of Eastern Europe to the Soviet Union to help rebuild its war-ravaged economy.

• Control Eastern Europe to balance the U.S. influence in Western Europe.

• Keep Germany divided and weak, since the Germans had waged war against Russia twice in 30 years and had caused most of the 20 million Soviet deaths in WWII.

The Iron Curtain

• In a Feb. 1946 speech, Joseph Stalin predicted the ultimate triumph of communism over capitalism.

• Winston Churchill, defeated for re-election, responded with his famous “Iron Curtain” speech.

The Iron Curtain• “From Stellin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an

iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of …Central and Eastern Europe…The Communist parties, which were very small in all these Eastern States of Europe, have been raised to pre-eminence and power far beyond their numbers and are seeking everywhere to obtain totalitarian control…This is certainly not the Liberated Europe we fought to build up. Nor is it one which contains the essentials of permanent peace.”

• - Winston Churchill: March 5, 1946

Containment

• In February 1946, George F. Kennan, an American diplomat in Moscow, proposed a policy of containment.

• This was an effort to block the Soviets’ attempts to spread their influence by creating alliances and supporting weaker countries.

• The policy of containment began to guide the Truman administration’s foreign policy.

Truman Doctrine

• On March 12, 1947, Truman asked Congress for $400 million in economic and military aid for Greece and Turkey.

• The President also declared that the U.S. should support free peoples throughout the world who were resisting takeovers by “armed minorities” or “outside pressures.”

• This statement became known as the TRUMAN DOCTRINE.

Causes and Effectsof the Cold War

• Causes• US and USSR clash over

the postwar administration of Poland.

• USSR’s totalitarian Gov't is increasingly at odds with Western ideals.

• Stalin pledges to ensure the survival of the Soviet system, while Churchill urges the West to oppose it.

• Effects• US adopts a policy to

“contain” communism.• Truman Doctrine offers US

aid to countries opposing communism.

• NATO and Warsaw Pact are formed.

• Fear of communism at home leads to a climate of suspicion in American culture.

Marshall Plan• American policy makers didn’t want to repeat mistakes

made post WWI era.• Let’s help war-torn nations build back up, so they can stand

up to communism.• Truman Doctrine helped and so did this!!!

• Marshall Plan called for the nations of Europe to draw up a program for economic recovery from the war.• The US would support them with $$$.• Sec. Of State George Marshall unveiled this in 1947.

• Soviet Union refused to join and encouraged its satellite nations to do the same.

• US pumped $13 billion to different nations through this.

West Germany

• West Germany benefited greatly from the Marshall Plan.

• Remember the 4 zones of occupation?• By 1948, the US, GB and FR became convinced

that the USSR wouldn’t allow the reunification of Germany so they merged their three occupation zones to create the Federal Republic of Germany…West Germany.

• Soviets responded by forming East Germany.

Berlin Airlift

• Capitalist West Berlin and Commuist East Berlin were symbols of the growing Cold War.

• People tried to flee East Berlin and Stalin blockaded the entrance (escape route) to West Gremany, and cut off supplies.

• Truman instead of starting a war, started the Berlin Airlift.• Moving supplies into West Berlin by plane.• Made more than 200,000 flights to deliver food, fuel...

• Soviets gave up in 1949 and airlift stopped.

Construction of the Berlin Wall, 1961

NATO and Warsaw Pact

• April 1949 – Canada, US, and other European nations (Belgium, GB, Denmark, FR, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norwary, and Portugal)

• Formed the North Atlantic Treaty Org.• “An armed attack against one or more of them, shall

be considered an attack against them all.”• Collective security.

• Soviet Union responds creating Warsaw Pact• Same thing as NATO, but with USSR and satellite nations.

… Another one bites the dust-ah!The People’s Republic of China

• China falls to Communist Mao Zedong.• Mao – USSR supported

• Promised starving people food

• US supported Jiang Jieshi • Corrupt gov’t, lined pockets with US aid

• People blame Truman.• China – ¼ world’s landmass & 1/3 pop

• UN will not recognize Mao’s gov’t

Senator Joseph McCarthy• 1950, he charged that

the State Dept. knowingly employed more than 200 Communists.• Could never prove

anyone

• But…. Lasting effects?

• Used FBI and other gov’t groups to hunt down communists and sympathizers.

McCarthyism• Accused: gov’t officials, military personnel, and

many big Hollywood names.• All accused brought before Senate for hearings and to

name others.

• Truman warned of fear and hysteria that could result.

• Many reputations ruined, careers in shambles, some committed suicide.

• Fell from power when he accused the army and it was televised.• America saw him as a bully.

• He badgered witnesses, twisted words, and laughed at the suffering of others.

Korean War

• As WWII was ending, the Allied powers had all agreed that when Japan was defeated, Korea would become an independent state.

• General Douglas Macarthur's plan called for the creation of an artificial line at the 38th parallel in Korea.

• The line essentially split the country in half.• The Japanese forces above the parallel surrendered

to the Soviet Union, and those to the south to the Americans.

Korean War• June, 1950, the Communist

gov’t of North Korea launched a full-scale military invasion of South Korea, a capitalist country.

• The Soviet Union was modeling the N. Korean gov’t after its own Communist gov’t.

• The United Nations (U.N.) Security Council voted 9-0 to hold N. Korea accountable for the attack.

Korean War

• The U.N. decided to send peace keeping troops (mainly made up of U.S. soldiers)

• Not wanting to call this a war, President Truman termed it a “conflict,” that needed police action from the military.

• He put General MacArthur in command of the U.N. forces.

• He did such a great job, that the U.N. thought the job had been accomplished by Sept. of 1950.

• BUT, they made a big miscalculation.

Korean War

• MacArthur underestimated the Chinese and went against orders.

• He was too confident and arrogant, and he threatened China with a powerful U.S./U.N. attack without clearing it first with Truman.

• Needless to say, he was fired and replaced with General Matthew Ridgway.

Korean War

• Back home, General Dwight D. Eisenhower and his running mate Richard Nixon won the presidential election of 1952.

• Eisenhower “Ike,” inherited the war and promised to get the country out, ASAP.

• He kept his promise!

Gen. Dwight “Ike” Eisenhower

Korean War

• Fighting continued for more than 2 yrs, until an armistice was signed on July 27, 1953.

• In the final analysis, the war cost everyone in lives and materials and left no country satisfied – certainly not the U.S.

• *TOTAL: 36,940 Americans gave their lives in the Korean Theater.

• Read page 857

The Postwar Years at Home

• Economy

• Mood of the American public

• Domestic Politics and Policy

• Demands for Civil Rights

Economy• Economic prosperity following WWII and Korean

Conflict.

• Suburban America begins to emerge, as well as CONSUMERISM!

• In part due to the GI Bill• Homes & college tuition to veterans

• Buying what you want, not what you need

• America didn’t rely on aircraft to carry nuclear weapons, so the US lagged behind the Soviet Union in missile development.

Levittowns

• 1950 – Diner’s Club becomes the nation’s first credit card.

• 1953- Two thirds of all American families own televisions

• 1956 – Construction begins on 40,000-mile interstate highway system, known as the Eisenhower Interstate System. (He modeled it after seeing the Autobahn in Germany)

• 1954 – McDonald’s becomes the nation’s first fast-food chain.

• 1956 – A majority of American workers hold white-collar office jobs for the first time in U.S. History.

• 1957 – First nuclear power plant is built

The Mood of the 1950sMany Americans enjoyed the stability and prosperity of the 1950s, while some young people began to rebel against their

parents’ society!

New books & Rock-n-RollChallenged

Values of thetime

Women are Expected to work

At home, raiseThe family

And help thehusband

Many experienceNew found

Commitment toReligious beliefs

And practices

Many young people Stay in school,

Rather than leavingFor a job,

Graduation ratesIncrease!

After the depress.and war, Amer. Value prosperity

and security

People have more

free time for entertainment

and fun

1950s

Domestic Politics and Policies

• Truman• Energetic personality,

outspoken style

• Extended New Deal-style programs with his “Fair Deal.”

• Frustrated by strong opposition in Republican-controlled Congress

• Eisenhower• Calm personality, talented

diplomat

• Belief in limiting size and power of government

• Favored big business and corporate America

• Stop Soviet influence in Middle East.

Both presidents continued New Deal era commitments to helping people and both opposed communist expansion around the world.

!

Eisenhower’s Presidency 1953-1961

• Major Political Events during his administration• McCarthyism

• Korean War

• Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

• Troops sent into Little Rock, Arkansas to enforce school desegregation

• NASA created in (1958)

• Halted exports to Cuba when Fidel Castro seized American property.

• Sputnik

Space Race

• Oct. 4, 1957 Sputnik I launched by Soviet Union

• Jan. 31st, 1958 U.S. launched Explorer I

• April 12th, 1961 Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space; 3 wks later Alan Shepard 1st American in space.