Cold War 1

The Cold War 1945-1960

I. Origins of the Cold War

 After WW II, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as rival superpowers, each strong enough to greatly influence world events.

Former Allies Clash

 Political difference =  Economic difference =

 During WW II, Stalin was mad about the delay in opening the Western Front and the secrecy of the A-bomb; the US was mad about his alliance with Hitler.

1. The United Nations

. April 25, 1945 50 nations met in San Francisco to establish this new peacekeeping body which was intended to promote peace

2. Truman Becomes President

. Many Americans doubted his ability to serve as president, but what important qualities did he possess that would help him?

3. The Potsdam Conference – July 1945

. Final wartime conference (Stalin, Atlee and Truman) in Germany . What did Stalin promise at this meeting?

Tension Mounts

1. Soviets Tighten Their Grip on Eastern Europe

. Stalin installed communist governments in many Eastern European nations . Why were these satellite nations set up?

2. US Establishes a Policy of Containment

. George Kennan proposed a policy of CONTAINMENT

. Europe was now divided into two political regions and the symbol of this division was the so-called “Iron Curtain” – Who coined this phrase? Cold War 2

Cold War in Europe

 Cold War – a conflict between the US and USSR in which neither nation directly confronts the other on the battlefield (1945-1991)

1. The Truman Doctrine

 US policy (1947) aimed at stopping the spread of communism by helping nations with military and/or economic support.  Where was it used first?

2. The Marshall Plan

 Secretary of State George Marshall proposed that the US provide aid to all European nations that needed it. Why was this necessary?

 The Marshall Plan – 16 nations received some $13 billion in aid and by 1952 Western Europe was flourishing and the Communist appeal was fading.

3. Superpowers Struggle over Germany

 At the end of WW II, Germany had been divided into zones (occupied by the US, France, England - west, USSR - east)  1948 US, France, England decided to unify their zones into one nation, but what was the problem with Berlin?

Berlin Blockade

. Stalin responded in June 1948 by closing all highway and rail lines into Berlin so that he could take all of Berlin. . The 2.1 million residents had food for 5 weeks

Berlin Airlift

. American and British officials flew food and supplies into West Berlin for 327 days and by May 1949, Stalin had lifted the blockade

The NATO Alliance = North Atlantic Treaty Organization (April 4, 1949)

 10 western European democracies joined with the US and Canada and formed a defensive military alliance

 would support each other if one was attacked  1st US military alliance in peacetime  kept a standing military force of 500,000 troops Cold War 3

II. The Cold War Heats Up

China Becomes a Communist Country

 In China, there were (2) leaders struggling to gain control for decades:

1. Chiang Kai-shek  Leader of the Nationalist government and supported by the US  Poor leader whose government was inefficient and hopelessly corrupt

2. Mao Zedong  Led a Communist movement in China that was gaining the support of the peasant farmers, especially in northern China. (had support of USSR)

 These two actually cooperated to defeat the Japanese in WW II, but when the war was over Civil War erupted between the two groups they led.  What was the result in China?

American Reacts to Communist Takeover

 The American public was stunned that the world’s largest country had become a communist nation.  What did this lead to in America?

The Korean War

 Japan had controlled Korea since 1910 and ruled it until 1945.  Japanese troops north of 38th parallel surrendered to the USSR, and those south of the line surrendered to the US.  Similar to Germany, 2 nations (1 communist, 1 democratic) were formed  Republic of Korea (southern, democracy); People’s Republic of Korea (northern, communist)

1. North Korea Attacks South Korea

th  On June 25, 1950, North Korean forces swept across the 38 parallel in a surprise attack on South Korea – conflict became known as the Korean War

 PHASE 1 of the fighting  North Korean troops drove deep into South Korea and captured Seoul  The UN Security was asked for help and voted yes  Why did the USSR not VETO the military action?

 16 nations sent 520,000 troops; over 90% were Americans. Who was in charge? Cold War 4

The United States Fights in Korea

 PHASE 2 of the fighting  The North Koreans pushed the UN and South Korean forces almost off the Korean peninsula; they held onto a small defensive position around Pusan

1. MacArthur’s Counterattack - PHASE 3 of the Fighting  On September 15, 1950, MacArthur launched a surprise, amphibious invasion behind enemy lines at Inchon (west coast of Korea)  MacArthur had trapped much of the North Korean army and began to chase the rest up through North Korea towards the Yalu River.

2. The Chinese Fight Back - PHASE 4 of the Fighting  The Chinese were worried that MacArthur would continue into China and they unleashed a “Red Wave” (300,000 soldiers) into North Korea.  What was the result of this?

3. MacArthur Recommends Attacking China  What was MacArthur’s recommendation to Truman?

 By April 1951, the UN forces had retaken Seoul and had moved back to the 38th parallel.

4. MacArthur versus Truman

 MacArthur continued to urge for a full-scale war against China and began to publicly criticize President Truman  What did Truman do and how did the American people react?

5. Settling for Stalemate  The Soviet Union suggested a cease-fire in the summer of 1951 and peace talks began that resulted in two points:

1.

2.

 Results of conflict = Korea was a stalemate, the US did repel the North Koreans and contain communism, but Korea was still divided Cold War 5

III. The Cold War at Home

Fear of Communist Influence

 Was there good reason to be concerned about USS? Yes; domination of Eastern Europe, Communist China, 80,000 Americans claimed membership in communist party during WW II.

1. Loyalty Review Board – March 1947  Set up by Truman to investigate government employees and to dismiss those who were found to be disloyal to the US government  212 were dismissed for security reasons, many others quit – WHY ?

2. The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)  Began to investigate Communist influence in the movie industry (1947)  Who were the “Hollywood Ten”?

 Hollywood executives instituted a blacklist – a list of people whom they condemned for having a Communist background; their careers were ruined.

3. The McCarran Act  This act made it unlawful to plan any action that might lead to the establishment of a totalitarian dictatorship in the US  Truman vetoed the bill, but Congress overrode his veto.

Spy Cases Stun the Nation

1) Alger Hiss  In 1948, a former Communist spy named Whittaker Chambers accused Hiss of spying for the USSR. What was his proof?

 What role did Richard Nixon play in this case?

2) The Rosenbergs  The USSR exploded an atomic bomb much sooner than American scientists predicted; Americans wondered if spies were responsible for leaking secrets.  Ethel + Julius Rosenberg were implicated in the case and sentenced to death  1st US civilians executed for espionage Cold War 6

McCarthy Launches his “Witch Hunt”

 the most famous anti-Communist activist was Senator Joseph McCarthy, a Republican from Wisconsin –  Why did he charge Communists were taking over the government?

1. McCarthy’s Tactics

 He made one unsupported accusation after another; this became known as McCarthyism (DEFINE)  He accused members of the State Department and even the Democratic Party for allowing the Communist infiltration – Why did he do this in the Senate?

2. McCarthy’s Downfall

 In 1954 McCarthy made accusations against the US Army which resulted in a nationally televised Senate investigation.  What was the result of these hearings?

3. Other Anti-Communist Measures

 By 1953, 39 states had passed laws making it illegal to advocate the violent overthrow of the government – what right did these laws violate? Cold War 7

IV. Two Nations Live on the Edge

Brinkmanship Rules US Policy

1. Race for the H-Bomb  The scientists who developed the atomic bomb believed a thermonuclear weapon or hydrogen bomb (67x powerful than A-bomb) could be built.  US exploded the 1st H-bomb on November 1, 1952 in South Pacific; Russians in August of 1953

2. The Policy of Brinkmanship  John Foster Dulles – Secretary of State under Eisenhower proposed the policy of brinkmanship (DEFINE)

 What were the effects of this policy?

The Cold War Spreads Around the World

 Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)  Used spies to gather information abroad  Began to carry out covert operations to weaken or overthrow governments unfriendly to the United States.

1. Covert Actions in the Middle East and Latin America  One of the CIAs first covert actions tool place in Iran when Iran’s Prime minister Mohammed Mossadegh n ationalized Iran’s oil fields.

 What did the CIA do here?

. In 1954, the CIA took covert action in Guatemala out of fear of Communist influence in this Central American country.

2. The Warsaw Pact  West Germany was allowed to rearm in 1955 and join NATO  How did the USSR respond to this action?

3. A Summit in Geneva  In July 1955, Eisenhower traveled to Switzerland to meet with Soviet leaders.  Although, nothing concrete came out of this, it was a step towards peace.

4. The Suez War  Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal and would not allow ships headed for Israel to pass through – all nations were supposed to have access  What happened next? Cold War 8

5. The Eisenhower Doctrine

 January 1957, Eisenhower warned that the US would defend the Middle East against an attack by any Communist country.

6. The Hungarian Uprising

 The Hungarian people, tired of Soviet domination in their country, rose in revolt and called for a democratic government.  The Soviet response was swift and brutal

 Soviet tanks rolled into Hungary and killed 30,000 Hungarians and executed the resistance leader – Imre Nagy.  What did the US and the UN do?

The Cold War Takes to the Skies

 After Stalin’s death in 1953, Nikita Khrushchev took control of the USSR and pushed for peace between the two superpowers.

1. The Space Race

 Competition for national prestige; the Soviets had the early lead.  IDENTIFY Sputnik

2. A U-2 is Shot Down

 The CIA began making secret high-altitude flights over Soviet territory; the planes were U-2 spy planes that took detailed photos of troops and missiles.  Many American officials wanted to stop these flights, but one more flight was authorized. WHAT HAPPENDED?

3. Renewed Confrontation

 Eisenhower at first denied the U-2 had been spying, but eventually agreed to stop the flights.  What was a significant result of the U-2 incident?