The Beginning of the The Beginning of the Cold WarCold War

Events From 1946-1960

Clash of InterestsClash of Interests

Cold War◦ Post WWII to 1990 – time

period of increasing tensions between the US and USSR

Soviet Interests◦ Security – control all

countries between Germany and the Soviet Union

◦ Communism superior to Capitalism

◦ Suspicious of capitalism – saw it as the source of conflict and a threat to communism

US Interests◦ Increase economic

growth around the world – including Germany

◦ Capitalism superior to Communism

◦ Suspicious of communism – wanted to promote democracy, individual rights and capitalism

Tensions Between NationsTensions Between Nations

Yalta ConferenceYalta Conference

USSR – Joseph Stalin

US – Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Great Britain – Winston Churchill

Germany divided into 4 zones of occupation

Germany would pay reparations for causing the war

Yalta ConferenceYalta Conference

Yalta ConferenceYalta Conference

• FDR dies – Harry Truman becomes US president• USSR fails to follow agreements at Yalta – tensions increase

• FDR dies – Harry Truman becomes US president• USSR fails to follow agreements at Yalta – tensions increase

Truman Takes ControlTruman Takes Control

Truman Takes ControlTruman Takes Control

Other issues at Potsdam◦Declaration of Liberated Europe not upheld –

USSR creates satellite nations (nations which contained Soviet-imposed communist governments)

Communist satellite nations increase – iron curtain (division of communist nations of Eastern Europe and the West) descends on Europe

Europe after Potsdam

Europe divided after WWII amongst the Soviet Satellite States of Eastern Europe and the Western European Democracies.

Iron Curtain = Dividing line in Europe between the two powers

US Policy of US Policy of ContainmentContainment

Chapter 26 Section 2Chapter 26 Section 2

Containing CommunismContaining Communism

USSR behavior? Why?USSR behavior? Why?George Kennan (US George Kennan (US diplomat in Moscow) diplomat in Moscow) writes the Long Telegramwrites the Long Telegram

Russia’s insecurity and fear Russia’s insecurity and fear of the West – reason why it of the West – reason why it would be impossible to would be impossible to reach agreements with reach agreements with RussiaRussia

Kennan proposes Kennan proposes containment containment (keeping (keeping communism within its communism within its present territory through present territory through diplomatic, economic, diplomatic, economic, and military actions)and military actions)

Containing CommunismContaining Communism

Soviets Invade Iran and Soviets Invade Iran and the US use military action the US use military action to intimidate USSRto intimidate USSRTruman DoctrineTruman Doctrine – – Truman requests $400 Truman requests $400 million to fight Soviet million to fight Soviet aggression in Turkey and aggression in Turkey and GreeceGreeceMarshall Plan – US would – US would give aid to Europe to give aid to Europe to rebuilt after WWII – rebuilt after WWII – designed to decrease the designed to decrease the appeal of communismappeal of communism

The Berlin CrisisThe Berlin Crisis

US, Britain, and France US, Britain, and France combine their zones in combine their zones in Berlin and allow West Berlin and allow West Berlin to have its own Berlin to have its own governmentgovernmentIn response, The Soviets In response, The Soviets block all road and rail block all road and rail traffic into East Germany, traffic into East Germany, hoping to force the hoping to force the Americans to renegotiate Americans to renegotiate West Berlin’s statusWest Berlin’s statusTruman sends long range Truman sends long range bombers to Berlin with bombers to Berlin with atomic weapons.atomic weapons.

Berlin AirliftBerlin Airlift – eleven – eleven months of food, medicine, months of food, medicine, and coal to West Berlinand coal to West BerlinUS joins US joins NATONATO (North (North Atlantic Treaty Atlantic Treaty Organization) – military Organization) – military alliance with Western alliance with Western EuropeEuropeSoviets respond to NATO Soviets respond to NATO with the creation of the with the creation of the Warsaw PactWarsaw Pact – Military – Military alliance between Soviets alliance between Soviets and Eastern Europeand Eastern Europe

The Berlin CrisisThe Berlin Crisis

The Cold War Spreads EastThe Cold War Spreads East

Nationalist and Nationalist and Communist forces Communist forces battle in a civil war for battle in a civil war for control over China – – Communists win Communists win creating the People’s creating the People’s Republic of ChinaRepublic of China

China and USSR sign China and USSR sign a treaty of friendship a treaty of friendship and alliance in 1950and alliance in 1950

The Cold War Spreads EastThe Cold War Spreads East

US keeps Communist US keeps Communist China out of the UN, China out of the UN, but allows Taiwan to but allows Taiwan to staystay

US sees Japan, not US sees Japan, not China, as its ally in China, as its ally in defending Asia from defending Asia from communism communism

Korean WarKorean War

While disarming While disarming Japanese troops in Japanese troops in Korea after WWII, the Korea after WWII, the USSR stayed in North USSR stayed in North Korea, while the US Korea, while the US stayed in South Koreastayed in South Korea

General MacArthur criticizes Truman for General MacArthur criticizes Truman for not using more force and is then firednot using more force and is then fired

Truman committed to Truman committed to limited warlimited war (war (war fought to obtain a limited objective)fought to obtain a limited objective)

Major turning point in the Cold WarMajor turning point in the Cold War: US : US began a major military buildup to fight began a major military buildup to fight communism.communism.

Korean WarKorean War

CHAPTER 26 SECTION 3

The New Red Scare

A New Red ScareA New Red Scare

1945 – Americans fear subversion (an effort to secretly weaken a society and overthrow its government)

1947 –Loyalty Review Program which screened federal employees for their loyalty Leads to more American fears of

communism FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover

urges the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) to hold public hearings on Communist subversion

1948 – Whittaker Chambers testifies that government officials were also Communist spies Alger Hiss – accused, denied, and

was then convicted of perjury (lying under oath)

A New Red Scare

Soviets create an atomic bomb

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg who were charged with heading a Soviet spy ring Rosenberg couple were

executed in 1953 though some believed them to be innocent

1946 – American cryptographers crack the Soviet spy code under Project Verona – becomes public knowledge in 1995 (indicts the Rosenberg couple with strong evidence.)

“A Conspiracy So Immense”

Senator Joseph R McCarthy – 205 Communists in Gov.

McCarthy denounces the Democratic party as corrupt politicians and protectors of Communists – He wins a seat in the Senate

1950 – McCarran Act –illegal to “combine, conspire or agree with any other person to perform any act which would substantially contribute to the establishment of a totalitarian government”

“A Conspiracy So Immense”

McCarthy accused and searched for Communists based on poor, little, or no evidence and fear.

McCarthyism: to ruined reputations without proper evidence

Army-McCarthy hearings – McCarthy accuses army of employing communists – McCarthy looses popularity

Life During the Cold War Era

Communism and the threat of the atomic bomb dominated life in the 1950s

Fallout (radiation left over from an atomic blast)

Americans began to build fallout shelters

Time of contrast: Images of the Cold War

fear filled popular culture The country enjoyed

immense postwar prosperity and optimism

CHAPTER 26 SECTION 4

Eisenhower’s Policies

Eisenhower’s New Look

Dwight D. Eisenhower – WWII hero – wins the 1952 election against Adlai Stephenson

How to win the Cold War: Strong military + strong economy

More atomic weapons (conventional weapons too expensive) = “New Look” defense policy

Massive retaliation – threaten the use of nuclear weapons on any Communist state who tried to take territory through force

B-52s, ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles), and Submarines could be used to deliver nuclear weapons

October 4, 1957 – USSR launches 1st satellite into space known as Sputnik. US feels they are falling behind in missile technology

Congress creates NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and passes the National Defense Education Act (NDEA)

Brinksmanship in Action

The Korean War armistice was signed after Eisenhower threatened to use nuclear weapons – stopped communism from spreading

1954 – China threatens to take over two islands from the Chinese Nationalists in Taiwan – Eisenhower threatens nuclear conflict and the Chinese retreat

Eisenhower uses the threat of nuclear power to stop the Soviets from attacking during the Suez Canal Crisis.

Fighting Communism

Brinksmanship would not work against internal Communist revolutions

Eisenhower creates the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) to use covert (hidden) operations to stop Communism

CIA operations took place in mostly developing nations Iran and Guatemala in the 1950s

Nikita Khrushchev becomes prime minister after Stalin’s death

Eastern European countries revolt against their communist-imposed governments

Khrushchev uses military force to put down revolts

Continuing Tensions

Eisenhower and Khrushchev meet at a summit in Paris to alleviate tensions

Summit stopped after Khrushchev finds out about a U2 spy plane that is shot down over Russia (Francis Gary Powers)

Eisenhower warns of the military-industrial complex (relationship between the military establishment and the defense industry) in a democracy