The Cold War

1. The Cold War Chapter 26

2. 1945: A Critical Year • US & USSR cooperation during WWII was temporary • Resentment over war time actions

3. Yalta Conference • February 1945 • Roosevelt, Stalin, Churchill • Work out future of Germany and Poland • USSR wanted $20 million in reparations • Poland became difficult issue • Stalin agreed to elections but communist control

4. The United Nations • International peacekeeping organization • April 1945 – 50 Nations • Peace, Justice, Cooperation • General Assembly = all nations • Security Council = US, USSR, England, France, China + 6

5. Truman Takes Command • Roosevelt dies on April 12, 1945 • VP Truman becomes President • Only been VP for 3 months

6. Potsdam Conference • Attlee, Truman, Stalin • Continuation of Yalta • Truman tried to scare Stalin with “secret weapon” • Stalin knew about atomic bomb due to spies

7. Post-War Goals • America • Wanted Poland to be Democratic • Keep Europe and Asia capitalist • Would allow for large market for US made goods • Soviet Union • Rebuild= 17 million dead, destruction of country • Establish satellite nations • Satellite nation – Country subject to Soviet domination • Spread Communism

8. Soviets Tighten Their Hold: Satellites • Took countries they had freed from Nazis • Called Eastern Bloc • Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia in 1948 • Hungry & Romania in 1949 • East Germany = German Democratic Republic (1949) • Only Finland & Yugoslavia stood up to Stalin

9. Iron Curtain • February 1946 • Stalin predicts triumph of communism • Created Cominform = help spread Communism • March 1946 • Churchill states Europe has been divided by “Iron Curtain” • Set tone for the Cold War

10. Cold War • 1946 – 1991 • US vs. USSR • Political & Economic conflict with military tensions • No direct military engagement = “Cold”

11. Containment • Policy by US • Long term, patient vigilance • Containment – resist growth of communism • Some said it was too moderate

12. Truman Doctrine • US would help any nation fight back Communism • Turkey and Greece • Given lots of aid to help maintain democratic governments • Doctrine would last 40 years

13. Marshall Plan • Secretary of State George Marshall • June 1947 • US & Europe: rebuild to pre-war state • USSR invited, said No • Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov = US “buying its way in” • 17 countries gave $$$$$ • US = $13 billion • Gained trade partners

14. Berlin Airlift • By 1948, knew Stalin wouldn’t reunite Germany • Allies merged = Federal Republic of Germany • Capitalist W.B. vs. Communist E.B. • Symbol of Cold War Struggle • Stalin blocked all shipments to West • 15 months airplanes dropped 13 tons of supplies • Lifted May 1949

15. NATO • North Atlantic Treaty Organization • April 1949 • Canada proposed “associates of peace-loving states” • 12 nations agreed to collective security • Collective Security – mutual military assistance • Soviets created Warsaw Pact to counteract

16. Soviet Atomic Threat • September 1949 • USSR tests Atomic bomb • US Response = Hydrogen Bomb (1952) • Created Civil Defense Administration • Books and PSA’s on how to survive nuke

17. China Falls to Communism • USSR & China had been struggling since 1920s • 1949 – Mao Zedong’s army took Beijing • Nationalist Chiang Kai-Shek took democratic government to Taiwan

18. Cold War at Home: Communists Among Us • After Depression, many Americans became Commies • Left party when economy came back • Red Scare caused past to haunt them

19. Loyalty Program • Try to find Commies and spies • 1947 – All federal employees subject to investigation • Any suspicion caused guilt • Never could clear name • 100s removed from jobs

20. HUAC • House Un-American Activities Committee • 1938 – Senator Joseph McCarthy of WI • Find commies in Hollywood • Films and TV contained communist ideas

21. Hollywood 10 • Writers, directors, actors, producers • Called to testify before Congress • None spoke, 6 months to year in prison • Blacklist – people who should not be hired • Burle Ives, Danny Kaye, Orson Wells, Charlie Chaplin

22. McCarran-Walter Act • 1952 • New immigration quotas • Communist countries reduced to almost nothing • Truman veto, Congress overturned

23. Spy Cases • 1948: Alger Hiss • High ranking State Department official • Accused by Whittaker Chambers (former Commie) • Hiss sued for slander • Case was too late • Jailed 4 years for perjury • Probably wasn’t a spy

24. Spy Cases • 1950: Julius and Ethel Rosenberg • Passed atomic secrets to the Soviets • Convicted of espionage • Executed by electric chair • Julius was spy, Ethel probably not

25. Korean WarDividing Korea • Pre-WWI – Japan annexed Korea • Harsh rule • 1945 – Japan lost WWII, lost Korea • 38th Parallel – Soviet North, American South • Koreans wanted unity

26. War Begins • 1950 – Northern troops invade South • US believes Soviets pushed them to invade (wrong) • Clear aggression met with force

27. UN Police Action • Truman brought aggression to UN • China left council so they could not veto • US won action • Truman sent US forces to Korea and Taiwan • Didn’t get war declaration from Congress • United Nations Command • 16 Nations sent troops • US was 80% • Lead by Gen. Douglas MacArthur

28. Waging War • MacArthur hit supply lines • Left North without • US pushed north to reunite • China got scared of US being close • Sent their troops to defend N. Korea • US pushed back to 38th Parallel • Stalemate developed

29. MacArthur’s Letters • MacArthur wanted to break stalemate • Truman told him to wait • MacArthur sent letter to congressman, who leaked it • MacArthur is fired by Truman for insubordination

30. The End? • Truman kept war limited • Dragged for 2 years • Eisenhower inherited • Peace talks stalled • Ike threatens to use nukes • 1953 Truce – still there

31. Effects of the Korean War • Frustrated Americans • 34,000 killed, 103,000 wounded • No result, limited victory • 1st war with racial integration • Caused huge increase in military spending • Created military-industrial complex

32. McCarthy Era – The Rise • WI Senator Joseph McCarthy • McCarthyism – smear tactics, baseless accusations • Being accused by him meant you lost everything • Went after everyone and anyone, feared

33. McCarthy Era – The Fall • His Aide was drafted • McCarthy claimed the army was run by commies • Army claimed he wanted special treatment for his aide • April 1954 – Army-McCarthy Hearings on TV • People watched in horror as McCarthy bullied • Lost his credibility and power

34. Southeast Asia • July 1953 – Ended Korean War • US moved troops to Vietnam to help France keep hold • Vietnam became divided (N/S) • Aided South Vietnam but resisted conflict (for now)

35. The Middle East • 1947 – UN created Israel • Arab Palestine and Jewish Israel • Both saw same land as holy • US backed Israel • US tried to keep oil nations from falling to communism

36. Suez Crisis 1956 • Egypt’s ruler Nasser tried to get Soviet support • US and UK cut off aid to Egypt • Nasser seized UK’s Suez Canal • French & British attacked Egypt to get canal back • US convinced them to withdraw • Egypt kept canal • Eisenhower Doctrine • US would use force to safeguard countries in Middle East against Soviet aggression

37. Latin America • Suppress Communist here too • US had control of 10 LA countries economies • Invaded, helped put US-friendly leaders in place • 1948 – OAS = Organization of American States • 1954 – CIA overthrows government of Guatemala • Restore American property

38. Arms Race: Growth of Nuclear Arsenals • 1953 – US tests Hydrogen Bomb • 1954 – USSR tests Hydrogen Bomb • Deterrence – making the military power of US so strong that no enemy would dare attack • US conducted 19 tests in the Pacific • One burned fishermen 90 miles away

39. Brinkmanship • US used fear of nuclear war for Cold War objectives • Brinkmanship – ability to get to the verge without getting into war • Most Americans saw this as “playing Russian roulette with the life of our nation”

40. Cold War in the Skies • US used planes to drop bombs • USSR used ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles) • 1957 – USSR launches Sputnik • May 1960 – Soviets shot down US U-2 spy plane • US claimed it wasn’t spy plane • USSR held pilot hostage • US was embarrassed