Cold War Conflicts

US vs. USSR

Orig

ins Tensions begin to

develop during WWII when the Communist USSR and Democratic US become suspicious of what the other is up to.

Bret

ton

Woo

ds

Syst

em

1. Set up by Roosevelt to discuss global issues

a. Included all nations but the Axis powers

2. Created a number of organizationsa. World Bank- help rebuild and develop economies

b. International Monetary Fund (IMF)- help prevent trade deficitsc. US Dollar created as the

world’s reserve currencyd. Gold standard created

3. Germany is divided into four zones: British French American USSR

The

Unite

d Na

tions 1. April 25, 1945: 50

nations gather together to create this peacekeeping body2. Becomes an arena for

the two superpowers

Pres

iden

t Tru

man

1. Becomes president after the sudden death of FDR2. Honest and had a

willingness to make tough decisions

Pots

dam

Co

nfer

ence

1. First test of Truman as a diplomat2. Big Three present:

US, GB, and USSR3. US wanted new world

order4. USSR wanted controlling interest in Eastern Europea. Stalin creates satellite nations

Euro

pe D

ivide

d1. Western Europe:

Democratic2. Eastern Europe: Communist bloca. The “iron curtain”- represents the division of

Europe

Cold

War

in

Euro

pe

A conflict between the US and USSR in which neither nation directly confronts the other on the battlefield.

Cont

ainm

ent &

Th

e Iro

n Cu

rtain

1. Truman’s foreign policy becomes the US taking measures to prevent any extension of Communist rule to other countries2. Iron Curtain- the barrier

that isolated Soviet controlled Eastern European countries from Western Europe

Trum

an D

octri

ne

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

a. So…aid those countries

trying to resist being controlled by communism

The

Mars

hall

Plan

1. Created to help the nations of Western Europe recover from the war by the US giving aid to those nations that needed it.

The

Berli

n Ai

rlift

1. Stalin sees opportunity to take the western held region of Berlin by creating a blockade

2. The city had only enough

food for 5 weeks3. US and GB respond by

sending planes every few minutes for 327 days

with enough supplies to help the trapped citizens

4. By 1949, Stalin had lifted the blockade

NATO

Allia

nce

1. 12 member group that was created to combat Soviet aggression

2. Becomes a defensive military alliance that includes:a. Belgium, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the

Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Canada, and the

United States

The

Col

d W

ar

Heat

s Up

(Asia

)

1. China becomes a Communist nationa. Nationalists vs. Communistb. Chiang Kai-Shek vs. Mao

Zedong2. Civil war develops after WWIIa. Eventually Mao and the

Communists push the Nationalist onto the island of Taiwan.

b. This nation is recognized by the US

Korean War

1. At end of WWII Japanese

troops surrendered on the

Korean Peninsula to both

US and Soviet troops.

2. The dividing line for who to

surrender to was the 38˚

parallel

Two

Natio

ns

Deve

lop

3. Republic of Korea (South Korea)- US zone, led by Syngman Rhee, capital in Seoul

4. Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea)- Soviet zone, led by Kim Il Sung, capital in Pyongyang

Surp

rise

Atta

ck!!

5. June 1950: North Korea invades South Korea and begins the Korean War6. SK petitions UN for

help, vote passes, Truman sends troops into SK.7. Troops headed by

General Douglas MacArthur

US Fi

ghts

in

Kore

a1. MacArthur’s Counterattack

a. Used tanks, heavy artillery,

and fresh troops in an amphibious attack that pushes the troops all the way to the Chinese border

Chin

ese

Resp

ond 1. Chinese join the war

on the side of North Korea2. Push UN troops back

to 38˚ parallel

Atta

ck C

hina

!?1. MacArthur suggests

attacking China2. Rejected but troops do push to parallel

3. Creates a stalemate

MacA

rthur

vs.

Trum

an

1. Disagreed over the invasion of China

2. As a result of continued “sabotage” Truman fires MacArthur3. Then presents arguments to Congress to support

his stand on continued peace with China

Stalemate it is

1. Peace comes in 1951:

a. Cease-fire line at 38th

b. DMZ created

2. Leads to change from

Democrat to Republican

President and

3. Hunt for ‘communist’

Americans

Chan

ges i

n Po

licy

1. Shift from focus on political pressure to military pressurea. Expands European containment policies to Asiab. Developed SEATO

(Southeast Asia Treaty Organization)c. Sending aid to French

forces fighting in Vietnam