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Module 12 – The cold war. Lesson 1 – The Origins of the Cold War. c. Key terms & people. A. HARRY S. TRUMAN. U.S. president at the end of WWII and the beginnings of the Cold War between the U.S. & the Soviet Union ( USSR )
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Module 12 – The cold war Lesson 1 – The Origins of the Cold War
A. HARRY S. TRUMAN • U.S. president at the end of WWII and the beginnings of the Cold War between the U.S. & the Soviet Union (USSR) • The US & USSR were actually polaroppositesin terms of political structure & economics (check out this graph & video – Former Allies Clash) • Tensions were strong between Stalin (USSR) & Truman for the following reasons… • We were upset that Stalin signed the non-aggression pact w/Hitler in the beginning of WWII & only joined the Allies after Hitler invaded the USSR • Stalin was upset that the Western Allies didn’t immediately go to war with Germany once the USSR was invaded • Stalin was also upset when he found out at the Potsdam Conference that we had secretly developed an atomic bomb • We were upset when Stalin went back on his word to allow democratic elections in Poland after the war, deciding against it at the Potsdam Conference
B. SATELLITE NATION • Nations such as Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, & Poland that became dependent upon & dominated by the USSR • Stalin’sjustification for takingcontrol of these Eastern European nations revolved around the fact that the USSR suffered heavydevastation on its own soil & lost an estimated 20 million people (half of them civilians) during the war. By dominating this region of Europe, the Soviets felt they could stop future invasions from the west
C. IRON CURTAIN • A phrase uttered by Winston Churchill in response to the Soviet Union’sdomination of satellite nations in Eastern Europe • “A shadow has fallen upon the scenes so lately lighted by the Allied victory. . . . From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe. . . . All these famous cities and the populations around them lie in . . . the Soviet sphere, and all are subject in one form or another, not only to Soviet influence but to a very high and . . . increasing measure of control from Moscow.” —Winston Churchill • This phrase came to stand for the division of Europe between free democracies in the West & communist governments controlled by Moscow in the East • When Stalinheard these comments by Churchill, he declared them a ‘call to war’
D. COLD WAR • Check out this chart(US/USSR aims in Eastern Europe – Former Allies Clash) • The conflictingUS & Soviet aims in Eastern Europe led to the Cold War (a conflict between the US & the Soviet Union in which neither nation directly confronted the other on the battlefield) • The Cold War would dominateglobal affairs & US foreign policy from 1945 until the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 • Is this Cold War about to be re-ignited (2016 Pres. Election)?
E. CONTAINMENT • Truman believed it was time to stop ‘babying the Soviets’ • This new stance required the development of a new foreign policy • In 1946, George F. Kennan (American diplomat in Moscow) proposed this policy of containment – any measures to prevent the extension of Communist rule to other countries (these measures would include diplomatic outreach & financial assistance to countries that need our help in resisting Soviet influence)
F. CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY • This new, increasingly complex set of foreign relations during the Cold War required the US to develop more intelligence gathering organizations to keep a watchfuleye on what the Soviets were up to • These organizations would collectinformation about Communist activity, both in Europe and at home • It all began in 1947 when Trumansigned the National Security Act which created 2intelligence agencies (the National Security Council or NSC & the Central Intelligence Agency or CIA) • The CIAgatheredintelligence from the military & the state department & also performedcovert (secret) operations in foreign countries with the intent on containing the global spread of Communism
G. TRUMAN DOCTRINE • In an effort to curb further economic ruin & political instability in Europe following the devastation of WWII, Truman came up with the Truman Doctrine in an effort to containSoviet expansion in Europe. • The idea was that if a nation was in economic ruin, it became politically unstable. If it was politically unstable, revolutions could occur & if revolutions occur, Communism could spread into this country (go back to Trotsky’s Communist International & the Iron Curtain) • The solution lay in pumping$ into the struggling western European nations so they wouldn’t fallvictim to communist influence • On March 12, 1947, Truman asked Congress for $400 million in economic & military aid for Greece & Turkey (2countries on the verge of a communist takeover) • “I believe that 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. I believe that we must assist free peoples to work out their own destinies in their own way. I believe that our help should be primarily through economic and financial aid which is essential to economic stability and orderly political processes. . . . Collapse of free institutions and loss of independence would be disastrous not only for them but for the world. Discouragement and possibly failure would quickly be the lot of neighboring peoples striving to maintain their freedom and independence. . . ”
H. MARSHALL PLAN • The rest of Europe was still in direstraights & neededUS help in a bad way (millions in refugee camps waiting to be resettled & the bitter winter of 1946-7 that damagedcrops & frozeriverscuttingoffwater transportation & causingfuel shortages) • Sec. of State George Marshall came up with this plan in June of 1947 where he proposed that the US will provideaid to all European nations that needed it stating that this plan was not directed ‘against any country or doctrine but against hunger, poverty, desperation, & chaos’ • Over the next 4 years, 16countriesreceived around $13 billion in aid through this plan • He even offeredassistance to the USSR & its allies but Stalinrefused!
I. BERLIN AIRLIFT • With Western Europe now rebounding nicely due to the Truman Doctrine & Marshall Plan, the Cold War turned its attention toward Germany & more specifically, Berlin • In 1948, Britain, France & the UScombined their 3zones into 1 nation (West Germany). However, the city of Berlinlie totally within Soviet East Germany • Berlin was divided into 4 occupation zones as well. This meant that the French, US, & Britishzones in Berlin were trapped & there was nowritten agreement with the USSRguaranteeing free access to Berlin • Taking advantage of this technicality, Stalinclosed all highway & rail routes into West Berlin in June of 1948. As a result, nofood or fuel could reach the 2.1 million residents in West Berlin & had only enough food to last5 weeks • The US & Britishinitiated the Berlin Airlift flyingfood/supplies into West Berlin that lasted327days where planes took off & landed every few minutes around the clock (277,000flights bringing 2.3 million tons of supplies) By May of 1949, the USSR realized that it had been beaten & lifted the blockade. This was a huge embarrassment for Stalin & a huge boost for American prestige & power around the world
J. NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION • The Berlin Blockade increasedWestern European fear of Soviet aggression • As a result, 10Western European nations (Belgium, Denmark, France, Britain, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, & Portugal) joined the U.S. & Canada on April 4th, 1949 to form a defensive military alliance called the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) • These 12NATO member nations pledgedmilitary support for one another in case any member was attacked • The US also pledged to help the other member nations rebuild their defense capabilities asCongressauthorized$1 billion towards that end • Turkey & Greeceentered in 1952 with West Germany joining in 1955 • NATO had a military force consisting of more than 500,000troopswith 1000s of planes, tanks, & other military equipment
d. Study questions This section is really just an overall review of the ‘KeyTerms & People’ Section
A. WHAT WERE THE GOALS OF US FOREIGN POLICY IN THE EARLY COLD WAR? • Containment of Soviet/Communist expansion • Truman Doctrine providing$ for economic/military support for those nations battlingcommunist influence • Marshall Plan providing$ for any/all nationssuffering from hunger, poverty, & chaos • ProtectingWest Berlin w/Berlin Airlift • Building the NATO military alliance
B. WHAT DID STALIN DO TO MAKE PRES. TRUMAN DISTRUST HIM? • Stalinwentback on his word when he promisedFDR that he would allowdemocratic elections in Poland & other Eastern European nations following WWII • Then, at the Potsdam Conference, he toldTruman that he would nothonor that promise
C. DESCRIBE THE TRUMAN DOCTRINE & HOW AMERICA REACTED TO IT? • Truman promised$ for economic/military aid to any nationfightingincursions from any foreign nation (Soviet influence) • There was some criticisminternally that this $ should be spent on domestic issues but in the end, Truman had the full support of the U.S. Congress which votedto send$400 million in aid to Turkey & Greece between 1947 & 1950
D. WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THE NATO ALLIANCE? • The purpose was to create a military alliance among 10 European nations, along with the US & Canada where they could protect themselves from Soviet expansion/aggression
E. WHAT NECESSITATED THE BERLIN AIRLIFT? • Stalinblocked all highways & rail routes into West Berlinpreventing the residents from getting any fuel/food
