American History Chapter 19: The Cold War

1. American History Chapter 19: The Cold War II. The Cold War Heats Up.

2. Objectives • Find out how the Marshall Plan, the Berlin Airlift, and NATO helped to achieve American goals in postwar Europe. • Realize how Communist advances affected American foreign policy. • See how the Cold War affected American life at home.

3. Bell Ringer • “The buck stops here.” • What does this say about Truman? • What was the biggest challenge Truman confronted when he took office? • Setting the scene - 644

4. A) The Marshall Plan • Europe destroyed • US should help restore the war-torn nations so that they might create stable democracies and achieve economic recovery – trade partners • Marshall Plan: 1947 US plan for economic assistance to war torn Europe. • USSR – US is buying friends • 17 countries 13 billion dollars

5. B) The Berlin Airlift • Democracies create West Germany – USSR creates East Germany • West Germany creates new currency • Stalin sees this as a threat and shuts off all access to West Berlin - blockade • Truman doesn’t want to give up West Berlin or war – 15 month airlift – 13,000 tons of food a day – bomber pilots now bringing food • May 1949 blockade over

6. C) NATO • USSR used its veto power in the UN to prevent help in postwar problems • France asked US to form an alliance – US with Canada's help formed NATO • NATO – multinational collective security defense alliance in West Europe • US, Canada, Belgium, Britain, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, and Portugal • Collective security – mutual military assistance – an attack on one is an attack on all. • US now involved in Europe since the Monroe Doctrine • Warsaw Pact – USSR military alliance with satellite nations in Eastern Europe

7. D) Communist Advances • 1949 Truman announces that the USSR has detonated a nuclear bomb – panic grips the nation (Los Angeles) • Establishes the Federal Civil Defense Administration • Build a new thermonuclear bomb – hydrogen • China falls to communism several weeks later – Nationalists flee to Taiwan – Mao takes Beijing • Traitors in US allowed this to happen!

8. E) The Cold War at Home • Anti-communist scare spreads throughout the US – many citizens civil rights violated • Truman started a loyalty program and had the FBI do background checks on gov’t employees – Loyalty Review Board • HUAC – Congressional committee that had its own loyalty program – attacked government agencies and Hollywood movie industry • Hollywood 10: 10 Hollywood personalities that refused to answer questions – served 6 months to 1 year in jail for contempt. • Blacklist: list circulated among employers, containing the names of persons who should not be hired. • No movies about social problems – only entertainment

9. McCarran-Walter Act: reaffirmed the quota system for each country – discriminated against immigrants from Asia and from Southern and Central Europe • Truman vetoed it calling it un-American – Congress overrode the veto. • Alger Hiss convicted of lying to a federal grand jury – served four years • Rosenbergs convicted of espionage and passing on nuclear secrets – executed • Later Julius Rosenberg and Hiss really were guilty.

10. Review • How did the Marshall Plan, the Berlin airlift, and NATO help to achieve American goals in postwar Europe? • How did Communist advances affect American foreign policy? • How did the Cold War affect American life at home?