The Cold War

The Cold War

Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944

“The GI Bill” • 8 Million Veterans went to

school– Vocational, technical, college and

universities

• It cost $14.5 Billion in tax payer dollars

• $16 Billion in loans for homes farms and small businesses

National Defense Budget [1940-1964]

The “Iron Curtain”The “Iron Curtain”

From Stettin in the Balkans, to Trieste in From Stettin in the Balkans, to Trieste in the Adriatic, an the Adriatic, an iron curtainiron curtain has descended has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lies across the Continent. Behind that line lies the ancient capitals of Central and Eastern the ancient capitals of Central and Eastern Europe.Europe. -- Sir Winston Churchill, 1946-- Sir Winston Churchill, 1946

The Arms Race:The Arms Race:A “Missile Gap?”A “Missile Gap?”

} The Soviet The Soviet Union Union exploded its exploded its first A-bomb in first A-bomb in 19491949

} Now there Now there were two were two nuclear nuclear superpowerssuperpowers

Truman Doctrine [1947]Truman Doctrine [1947]

1.1. Civil War in Greece.Civil War in Greece.

2.2. Turkey under pressure from the Turkey under pressure from the USSR for concessions in the USSR for concessions in the Dardanelles.Dardanelles.

3.3. “…“…it must be the policy of the it must be the policy of the united States to support free united States to support free peoples who are resisting peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside armed minorities or by outside pressures”.pressures”.

4.4. The U.S. gave Greece & Turkey The U.S. gave Greece & Turkey $400 million in aid.$400 million in aid.

Marshall Plan [1948]Marshall Plan [1948]

1.1. ““European Recovery European Recovery Program.”Program.”

2.2. Secretary of State, Secretary of State, George MarshallGeorge Marshall

3.3. The U. S. should provide The U. S. should provide aid to aid to allall European nations European nations that need it. This move that need it. This move is not is not against any country or doctrine, but against any country or doctrine, but against hunger, poverty, against hunger, poverty, desperation, and chaos. (You would desperation, and chaos. (You would have to make political reforms and have to make political reforms and accept certain outside controls)accept certain outside controls)

4.4. $12.5 billion of US aid to Western $12.5 billion of US aid to Western Europe extended to Eastern Europe Europe extended to Eastern Europe & USSR, [but this was rejected]. & USSR, [but this was rejected].

Post-War GermanyPost-War Germany

Berlin Blockade & Airlift Berlin Blockade & Airlift (1948-49)(1948-49)

NNorth orth AAtlantic tlantic TTreaty reaty OOrganization (1949)rganization (1949)

v United StatesUnited States

v BelgiumBelgium

v BritainBritain

v CanadaCanada

v DenmarkDenmark

v FranceFrance

v IcelandIceland

v ItalyItaly

v LuxemburgLuxemburg

v NetherlandsNetherlands

v NorwayNorway

v PortugalPortugal

v 1952: Greece & 1952: Greece & Turkey Turkey

v 1955: West 1955: West GermanyGermany

v 1983: Spain1983: Spain

Warsaw Pact (1955)Warsaw Pact (1955)

U. S. S. R.U. S. S. R.

AlbaniaAlbania

BulgariaBulgaria

CzechoslovakCzechoslovakiaia

East East GermanyGermany

HungaryHungary

PolandPoland

RumaniaRumania

Mao’s Revolution: 1949Mao’s Revolution: 1949

A 2A 2ndnd CommunistCommunistPower!Power!

The Korean War: A The Korean War: A “Police Action” (1950-“Police Action” (1950-

1953)1953)

Syngman RheeSyngman Rhee

Kim Il-SungKim Il-Sung

““Domino Theory”Domino Theory”

Joseph McCarthy

• Junior Senator from Wisconsin• Accused Sec. State Acheson of knowingly

employing 205 Communists– Later said only 57– Then could find none

• Won national visibility• Held Senate hearings accusing everyone

from Hollywood to the U.S. Army– The Army was the final straw

• Senate condemned him for “Conduct unbecoming a member”

• 3 years later he died of chronic alcoholism

Sputnik I (1957)Sputnik I (1957)

The Russians have beaten America The Russians have beaten America in space—they have the in space—they have the

technological edge!technological edge!

Nixon-KhrushchevNixon-Khrushchev“Kitchen Debate”“Kitchen Debate”

(1959)(1959)

Cold War ---> Cold War --->

TensionsTensions

<--- Technology <--- Technology

& Affluence & Affluence

U-2 Spy Incident (1960)U-2 Spy Incident (1960)

Col. Francis Gary Col. Francis Gary Powers’ plane was Powers’ plane was

shot down over shot down over Soviet airspace.Soviet airspace.

Khruschev Embraces Khruschev Embraces Castro,Castro,19611961

The Berlin Wall Goes Up The Berlin Wall Goes Up (1961)(1961)

CheckpoinCheckpointt

CharlieCharlie

The Ideological StruggleThe Ideological StruggleSoviet &

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:

« Espionage [KGB vs. CIA]

« Arms Race [nuclear escalation]

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

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

Premier Nikita Premier Nikita KhrushchevKhrushchev

About the capitalist About the capitalist states, it doesn't states, it doesn't depend on you depend on you whether we whether we (Soviet Union) exist.(Soviet Union) exist.If you don't like us, If you don't like us, don't accept our don't accept our invitations, and don'tinvitations, and don'tinvite us to come invite us to come to see you. Whether to see you. Whether you like it our not, history is on you like it our not, history is on our side. our side. We will bury youWe will bury you. -- . -- 19561956

De-Stalinization De-Stalinization ProgramProgram

An Historic Irony: Sergei An Historic Irony: Sergei Khrushchev, American Khrushchev, American

CitizenCitizen

Who buried who?Who buried who?

Radio Free Europe/Radio Radio Free Europe/Radio LibertyLiberty

Paris, 1961Paris, 1961

Khrushchev & JFK meet to discuss Berlin Khrushchev & JFK meet to discuss Berlin and nuclear proliferation. Khrushchev and nuclear proliferation. Khrushchev

thinks that JFK is young, inexperienced, thinks that JFK is young, inexperienced, and can be rolled.and can be rolled.

Ich bin ein Ich bin ein Berliner!Berliner!

(1963)(1963)

President President Kennedy tells Kennedy tells Berliners that Berliners that

the West is the West is with them!with them!

Bay of Pigs Debacle Bay of Pigs Debacle (1961)(1961)

Cuban Missile Crisis Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)(1962)

Cuban Missile Crisis Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)(1962)

We went eyeball-to-eyeball with the We went eyeball-to-eyeball with the Russians, and the other man blinked!Russians, and the other man blinked!

Cuban Missile Crisis Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)(1962)

Vietnam War: 1965-1973Vietnam War: 1965-1973