The Iron Curtain Falls on Europe

Roots of the Cold War

Cold War: era of high tension and bitter rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union

Iron Curtain: A term reflecting Churchill’s belief that communism had created a sharp division in Europe

Containment and the Domino Theory

Containment: The policy that the U.S. adopted in the late 1940’s of stopping the spread of communism in a variety of ways

Domino Theory: The thought that if countries such as South Korea and South Vietnam fell to communism from North Korea and North Vietnam, this would create a chain reaction in Asia and that other nations would also fall to communism

The Truman Doctrine

Truman Doctrine

Truman stated that aid would help many different governments resist Soviet expansion

Marshall Plan and Berlin Airlift

Marshall Plan: U.S. spent over $13 billion in 17 countries so that “conditions in which free institutions” would exist

Berlin Airlift: 400,000 tons of supplies were delivered.◦ Soviets put a blockade on

Berlin◦ Only way to deliver supplies

was by air◦ 70 U.S. and British died in

airplane crashes◦ 280,000 total flights made

NATO

NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Portugal, U.S.

◦These five joined Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the UK to form an alliance against the Soviet Union in case of war

GI Bill and Baby Boom

GI Bill: FDR signed this bill so that GI’s could make a smooth adjustment into civilian life◦Money for schooling◦Loans◦Help finding work

Baby Boom: More Americans began having families the 2 decades following WWII

Fair Deal and Beyond…

Fair Deal: Truman’s post war plan for the country

◦ Similar to the New Deal◦ Congress did NOT support his

program◦ Few of his ideas became laws

Universal Declaration of Human Rights: ◦ Everyone is free and equal◦ Called to end slavery,

torture, and inhumane punishment

◦ A variety of other civil rights and liberties

Mao Zedong

Threat of Communist China

Mao Zedong: Chinese Communist dictator

◦ Leader of Chinese Revolution

◦ Overthrew Chang Kai-shek (he fled to Taiwan)

◦ Held in high regard in China

◦ Although China's population almost doubled during the period of Mao's leadership (from around 550 to over 900 million), his rule from 1949 to 1976 is believed to have caused the deaths of 40 to 70 million people.

Examples of Cold War “Hot” Conflicts

KOREAN WAR

VIETNAM WAR