The Cold War: Ideological Differences & Political Alliances

1. Lesson 1 • 1. In 1949, a number of European countries formed a military alliance with the United States and Canada to provide mutual help if attacked. NATO was formed because these countries feared the spread of Communism. • 2. Germany and Berlin were split into four zones. When the Western Allies decided to unify their zones into West Germany, the Soviets blockaded West Berlin. Instead of breaking the blockade, the Western powers flew in supplies. The Soviets finally lifted it.

2. Lesson 2 • 3. Mao collectivized farmland, industry, and commerce in the Great Leap Forward. Food production went down because of droughts as well as the peasants' hatred of the system. Close to 15 million people died of starvation. • 4. The Red Guards were a group of dissatisfied young people. They went through China to eliminate any ideas, customs, or habits that did not align with Mao's Little Red Book.

3. Lesson 3 • 5. A proxy war takes place when two conflicting powers support opposing sides in local wars instead of fighting each other directly. Two proxy wars were the Korean War and the Vietnam War. • 6. The United States and the Soviet Union realized that they were glad that they had not entered a nuclear world war. They took steps to prevent any possible future crisis from escalating to such a war.

4. 21st Century Skills • 7. The revolution lasted about ten years (from 1966 to 1976). When Mao Zedong died, a group of reformers led by Deng Xiaoping took power and ended the revolution. • 8. In 1949, China set up a Communist regime after winning the Chinese civil war. It declared that it would support wars meant to liberate nations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. • 9. The Soviets and China agreed to a partition of Vietnam. The plan was to hold elections in two years. When this didn't happen, President Johnson sent troops to prevent the Communists from gaining control of the whole country. • 10. No, it was not. China and the Soviet Union split after the Communists won the Vietnam War and other countries in Southeast Asia did not fall into Communist hands.

5. Exploring the Essential Question • 11. Students' answers should concentrate on explaining each event and how it led to conflict and how the political relationship between the two countries was influenced. The graphic organizer should show events such as: pro-Soviet regimes set up in liberated countries (1945), Truman Doctrine (1947), Berlin Airlift (1948), NATO (1949), China sets up a Communist regime (1949), Korean War (1950–1953), Warsaw Pact (1955), Cuban Missile Crisis (1962), Vietnam War (1965–1973).

6. Document-Based Questions • 12. Berlin was divided into four zones: the Soviet Sector, the French Sector, the British Sector, and the American Sector. • 13. If people did not live where they worked, they would have had to find a new job, which probably meant that some remained unemployed. Buildings torn down to build the wall forced relocation of businesses and homes. • 14. Students' answers should include the following: • discussion of the goal of the United States to prevent the spread of communism; how the domino theory drove foreign policy; how the goal of the United States was to prevent World War III. • contrasting the conflicts by discussing how the domino theory was proven wrong after the Vietnam War and diplomatic ties were formed between the United States and China in 1979 and between the United States and the Soviet Union after the Vietnam War.

8. Reviewing the Enduring Understanding • What were the major ideological differences between the United States and the Soviet Union? (Answers may include that the United States has a democratic system of government with an economic system based on capitalism. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union had a Communist system of government that controlled all aspects of the economy.) • How did the ideological differences between the United States and the Soviets lead to new political alliances? (Answers may include that both countries feared each other and for that reason created new political alliances. The United States and its European allies formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The United States also formed alliances called the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) and the Central Treaty Organization (CENTO) to stop Soviet expansion to the east and south. The Soviet Union and its European allies formed the Warsaw Pact. ) • How did the ideology of the United States lead to new political policies? (Answers may include that the Truman Doctrine gave financial aid to countries threatened by Communist expansion, and the Marshall Plan rebuilt war-torn Europe in an effort to stop the spread of communism in countries experiencing economic problems. The United States adopted the policy of containment to keep Communism within its existing borders and prevent it from spreading to other countries.) • How did ideological differences between the United States and the Soviet Union lead to conflict in Europe and the arms race? (Answers may include that the United States and its allies wanted a separate West German government, which the Soviets opposed with a blockade of Berlin. This conflict led to the creation of the Berlin Wall, which separated East Germany and West Germany. Both the United States and the Soviet Union built up their nuclear arsenals as a deterrent to a first strike by the other side.) • Why did the United States support Chiang Kai-shek in China? How was Communist ideology reflected in new policies after Mao Zedong took control of China? (Answers may include that the United States supported Chiang Kaishek for ideological reasons because Chiang Kai-shek led the Nationalists and opposed communism. Mao Zedong's Communist Party created a government policy that redistributed land, collectivized farms and later combined them into vast communes, and nationalized industry in an attempt to ultimately create a classless society. Mao tried to eliminate old customs and cultures and imprisoned those who disagreed with him.)