Yalta and Potsdam Yalta and Potsdam Section 1 – 798-803

• In early 1945, the “Big Three” met in the town of Yalta in the Soviet Union.– Big Three = Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston

Churchill, Joseph Stalin.– During the Yalta Conference, the Big Three worked

out an agreement that:• Supported the creation of a world peacekeeping

organization.• Called for elections and democratic

governments in the nations being freed from Axis control.– Stalin would not honor this agreement

because he opposed the democratic ideal.

Yalta and PotsdamYalta and Potsdam• In April 1945, FDR died, and VP Harry Truman was

sworn in as president.• In July 1945, Truman, Churchill, and Stalin met in

Potsdam, Germany for the Potsdam Conference.– They agreed to:

• Divide Germany into four zones of occupation. – The U.S., Great Britain, France, and the

Soviet Union would each control a zone.» Germany’s capital, Berlin, was in the

Soviet zone. It would also be divided into four zones.

The World after WarThe World after War• In an effort to prevent future wars,

representatives from 50 nations met in San Francisco in 1945 to write the United Nations(UN) charter.– United Nations = An international

organization that works for world peace.

The World after WarThe World after War• In late 1945, the allies held war crimes trials in

Nuremberg, Germany.– The purpose of the Nuremberg Trials was to try

Nazi officials for crimes against humanity – mainly the Holocaust.• 12 Nazi officials were found guilty and

sentenced to death.• Many others were imprisoned.• Many Nazis committed suicide before they

could be convicted or escaped to countries in Central and South America and created false identities.

The World after WarThe World after War• The Nuremberg Trials exposed the horrors of the

Holocaust and as a result, many people favored the creation of a Jewish homeland.– Great Britain had occupied Palestine since WWI.

• In 1948, the UN General Assembly divided Palestine into two states – one Arab and one Jewish.– The British Army moved out and the

independent Jewish state of Israel was formed.»David Ben-Gurion was Israel's first

Prime minister.

The World after WarThe World after War

• Since 1948, the area shared by Israel and Palestine has been in a constant state of tension and violence.– There have been brief periods of peace, but

neither side wants to accept the other.– During conflicts, the well equipped and trained

Israeli military and intelligence services have proved a formidable force.• As a result, Israel has been able to expand its

territory at the cost of many Palestinians losing their homes.–Currently, Israel is about the size of New

Jersey.

Allies Become EnemiesAllies Become Enemies• During WWII, the U.S. and the Soviet Union(SU)

worked together to defeat Germany.– After Germany’s defeat, they returned to the

unfriendly relationship they had prior to the war.• The conflict was based on two very different

economic and political ideas.–U.S. = capitalism and democracy–SU = communism

Allies Become EnemiesAllies Become Enemies

• Both countries wished to spread their particular ideas around the world however; the immediate postwar conflict focused on Germany.– Western Allies = Wanted Germany to be

united, demilitarized, and independent.– SU = Feared an independent Germany

(Rightly so, they lost 24 million people in WWII.)• The SU created an Iron Curtain or buffer of

communist “satellite states” in Eastern Europe.

Allies Become EnemiesAllies Become Enemies• Winston Churchill first used the phrase “Iron

Curtain” to describe the SU’s domination of Eastern Europe.

• In time, the phrase Cold War would be used to describe the U.S. and SU competition for world power.

Allies Become EnemiesAllies Become Enemies• During the Cold War, which raged from the late

1940s to the late 1980s, the Red Scare was a topic of discussion.– Anti-Communist propaganda showed

democracy’s distrust of communism.

Allies Become EnemiesAllies Become Enemies

• Also during the Cold War, especially from the early 1950s to the mid 1960s, Nuclear War was a topic of discussion.

• Cities and towns across the U.S. made plans for a possible nuclear attack.– Communities had air raid drills and built air

raid and fallout shelters.– Families built fallout shelters in their homes or

on their properties.– The government printed pamphlets and other

information on what to do in the event of a military and/or nuclear attack.

The Marshall PlanThe Marshall Plan• General George C. Marshall became Truman’s

Secretary of State in 1947.– He felt that European countries that were

rebuilding after WWII had greater needs than they could afford to fulfill. • This situation was a threat to world peace and

to the U.S. economy which depended on trade with those countries.– Congress approved the Marshall Plan in

1948.» Between 1948 and 1951, the U.S. gave or

loaned more than $13 billion to Western European countries.

ContainmentContainment

• At the start of the Cold War, the U.S. started the foreign policy of containment = the effort to prevent the SU from expanding into strategically important areas.– In 1948, the U.S., Great Britain, and France joined

their areas of occupied Berlin into one area which was known as West Berlin.• In response, the SU blocked all rail and road

traffic from East Germany(the SU zone) into West Berlin.–Not only were food supplies running low, but

the SU reduced the amount of coal available for heat and cooking, and they cut the electricity to only 4 hours a day.

ContainmentContainment• The U.S. government saw a need to help the

people of West Berlin because they were down to only 36 days worth of food.– They also wanted to avoid direct confrontation

with the SU, so…• The Berlin Airlift was launched. U.S. and

British planes flew tons of food and other supplies that were distributed to more than 2 million West Berlin residents.–The Berlin Airlift continued for 11 months.

• In 1949, Germany was split into West Germany(democratic) and East Germany(communist).

ContainmentContainment• In 1949, The U.S., Canada and 10 Western

European nations formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). – NATO nations agreed to defend one another if

attacked.• Also in 1949, the SU exploded its own atomic

bomb.• In 1955, the SU copied the NATO model by

creating the Warsaw Pact.– The SU and its Eastern European satellite

nations agreed to protect one another if attacked.

ContainmentContainment• By the early 1950s, tension around the world had

increased as the Cold War became more global in its reach.– The U.S. quadrupled its defense budget and

developed more powerful nuclear weapons.

Returning to Peace Returning to Peace Section 2 – 804-807

• Following WWII, the U.S. had the challenge of returning to a peacetime economy.– 15 million Americans were discharged from the

armed services and needed jobs.• The government created the GI Bill of Rights to

help veterans.– The GI Bill offered affordable home and

business loans.» Since veterans could afford homes, the

construction industry boomed. Since they started businesses, existing companies supplied them and prospered.

Returning to PeaceReturning to Peace• The GI Bill also offered financial aid to attend

colleges and technical schools.– Veterans were able to enter the workforce at

higher wages.• Because they were earning good money,

they could also purchase more things, thus stimulating the economy even further.

Labor UnrestLabor Unrest

• Following the end of the war, rationing was cancelled, and people who had reasonable incomes rushed to buy goods.– Prices on goods skyrocket because of supply

and demand.• By mid 1946, millions of workers went on

strike demanding higher wages to compensate for the tremendous increase in prices on the goods they wished to buy.–Labor unions across the country

leveraged business owners with massive walkouts.

Labor UnrestLabor Unrest• Republicans in Congress wanted to weaken the

power of unions.– They set their sights on closed shops =

workplaces where job applicants must join a union before being hired.• Ohio senator Robert Taft proposed the Taft-

Hartley Act = made closed shops illegal and made union leaders swear they were not Communists.–Gave the president the power to prevent

strikes by forcing striking union to take a mandatory 80-day “cooling off” period.

–Truman vetoed the bill, but Congress overrode his veto.

The 1948 ElectionThe 1948 Election

• Because of problems with unions, many Americans began to doubt Truman’s ability to be president.– In 1948, the Republicans nominated Thomas

Dewey and Earl Warren for president and vice president.

– Many southern Democrats from Truman’s own party would not support him b/c of his pro-equality stance towards African American voting rights• These members became Dixiecrats when they

joined the new States’ Rights Party.• Many other Democrats left the party to join

other parties that didn’t support Truman.

The 1948 ElectionThe 1948 Election

• Despite negative reaction towards his policies, Truman campaigned hard while delivering hundreds of speeches.– In the end, it all paid off as Truman won the

election.

The Cold War in Asia The Cold War in Asia Section 3 – 808-811

• During the 1920s the Chinese Nationalist Party and the Chinese Communists began a civil war.– In 1934 100K Communists, led by Mao

Zedong, retreated 6K miles to northwestern China. Their flight is known as the Long March.

The Cold War in AsiaThe Cold War in Asia

• The Nationalists and the Communists joined to fight the invading Japanese during WWII, but resumed the civil war after WWII ended.– In 1949, the Communists defeated the

Nationalists and forced them to flee to the island of Taiwan. • The People’s Republic of China was formed

on the mainland.–Mao Zedong was its leader from 1949

until his death in 1976. It remains a Communist nation today.

The Cold War in AsiaThe Cold War in Asia• Japan controlled Korea from 1910 until 1945. – After WWII, the US and Soviet Union split

Korea, and each country established its own form of government in the half it occupied. • Northern half = pro-Soviet Democratic

People’s Republic of Korea.• Southern half = Republic of Korea.–When both the U.S. and S.U. militaries

pulled out of Korea in 1949, both the North and South Korean governments claimed the entire country.

The Korean WarThe Korean War• When the S.U. withdrew in 1949, they left a well-

equipped and trained North Korean(N.K.) Army behind. – In June 1950, N.K. forces advanced across the

38th parallel = the line of latitude that divides the two Koreas.• Two days after the invasion, the UN called

on its member countries to support South Korea.–Truman ordered U.S. Air and Naval

forces to assist the South Korean(S.K.) troops.

The Korean WarThe Korean War

• By September 1950, the NK Army had driven UN forces to the port city of Pusan.– At Pusan, the UN forces created a perimeter defensive

line to hold back the NKs.

The Korean WarThe Korean War• The Pusan perimeter was holding, but a breakout was

needed to turn the tide of the war.– UN military leaders devised a plan to attack the

NKs from behind.• The UN landed a force at Inchon which is

northwest of Pusan.– They attacked the NKs from behind, and in

just over a month they had captured the NK capital of P’yongyang.

The Korean WarThe Korean War• The UN forces, under the command of US Army

general Douglas MacArthur drove the NK Army north almost all the way to Yalu River that separates NK from China.– Quite unexpectedly, the Chinese entered the war

on the side of NK and sent hundreds of thousands of troops across the Yalu River, and they attacked the UN force.• The Chinese pushed the UN forces back below

the 38th parallel.

The Korean WarThe Korean War• Hundreds of thousands of NK citizens began to flee

south to escape the advancing Chinese and the war.– These people are so desperate to escape, they’re

crossing a bomb-damaged bridge.

The Korean WarThe Korean War• President Truman did not want the war to go beyond

the borders of Korea.– MacArthur knew that, but still ordered air strikes

on Chinese cities and ground attacks on the Chinese coast.• For disobeying orders, Truman fired MacArthur.

MacArthur returned to the US and was given a hero’s welcome.–Many Americans disagreed with Truman’s

policy to not attack China.

The Korean WarThe Korean War

• By the spring 0f 1951, The UN forces counterattacked and pushed the NK and Chinese forces back across the 38th parallel. – There, both sides dug in and fighting settled

into a standstill.• Peace negotiations began in the summer of

1951.

The End of the WarThe End of the War• President Truman did not seek re-election as he

felt that most Americans blamed him for the Korean War.

• The two nominees for the 1952 election were:– Democrat = Adlai Stevenson– Republican = Dwight D. “Ike” Eisenhower.• He pledged to end the war and that

probably was the main reason why he won.

The End of the WarThe End of the War• The war dragged on for two more years until a cease-

fire was signed in the summer of 1953.– Casualties:

• U.S. = 155,000• NK and Chinese = 1.5 million

• Today, almost 40K U.S. military personnel are stationed in Korea, many of which patrol the 38th parallel with our South Korean Allies.– The NKs have approximately 1 million soldiers on

the opposite side of the line.

A New Red ScareA New Red Scare Section 4 – 812-815

• The Cold War created strong fears of Communism in the U.S.– The new Red Scare started in the late 1930s and

reached its height in the late 1940s and early 1950s.• Many Americans were concerned about:

– the growth of the U.S. Communist Party– The SU’s expanding control over Eastern

Europe– Communist success in China– Communist involvement in the Korean War

A New Red ScareA New Red Scare• In 1938 Congress created the House Un-American

Activities Committee (HUAC).– HUAC’s purpose was investigate disloyal citizens

and harmful foreign influences.– In 1947 HUAC began widely publicized public

hearings of suspected Communists.• Most times the citizen(s) who were accused of

being Communist had their rights violated.• Many American citizens, especially those

working in the State Department and Hollywood became Blacklisted as a result of the HUAC hearings.– They had a very difficult time finding employment.

Spies in GovernmentSpies in Government• In 1947 President Truman created the Loyalty Review

Board to do background investigations of thousands of federal workers.– No Communists were ever found, though some

people did lose their jobs b/c it was suspected that they were not loyal to the U.S.

• In 1950 Congress passed the Internal Security Act which had two main points:– All organizations thought to be Communist had to

register with the government.– The government could arrest people suspected of

treasonous activities during times of national emergency.

Spies in GovernmentSpies in Government• The most prominent Cold War spy case involved

the conviction and execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg.– The Rosenbergs received atomic weapons

information from Ethel’s brother who was working in Los Alamos NM on the Manhattan Project.• They passed this information on to the SU.

McCarthyismMcCarthyism• Senator Joseph McCarthy began a campaign to

find Communists in the U.S. government.– McCarthy felt that the spread of communism

was due to government leaders who were involved in making foreign policy.• He accused members of the U.S.

government of being Communists w/o offering any solid proof = McCarthyism.

McCarthyismMcCarthyism• Many Americans were looking for an explanation

for the spread of communism in Eastern Europe and Asia and, McCarthy gave them one.– McCarthy’s accusations had no “substance” to

them, but many Americans wanted a reason for the spread of communism around the world and he gave them one.

McCarthyismMcCarthyism• In late 1953, McCarthy’s accusations went too

far when he claimed that there were Communists in the U.S. military.– He and his supporters in the Senate held

televised hearings called the Army-McCarthy Hearings.• Over time, the Army’s attorney was able to

prove that McCarthy was a fraud and a bully.• McCarthy’s supporters in the Senate turned

on him after his lies were exposed.

McCarthyismMcCarthyism• Following the Army-McCarthy hearings, the

senator continued to work in the Senate, though his reputation had been severely damaged.– Eventually his presence in the Senate was

largely ignored and he died of complications from alcoholism as the age of 48.

Chapter 26

• All information for this PowerPoint taken from “Call to Freedom” – Holt, 2005