The cold war begins

1. The cold war begins Chapter 18

2. American and Soviet systems differ • The united states and the soviet union had only been through their opposition to nazi Germany • Other than that there was nothing else in common – US is a democracy and the Soviet Union was a dictatorship run by joseph stalin • After wwii Stalin set up satellite states in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria.

3. Trouble at potsdam • Truman left Potsdam feeling as though the soviet union was “planning world conquest.” • This was due to the fact that Stalin would not allow free elections in his satellite nations after previously saying he would • Tensions between the united states and the soviet union will take place for a 46-year struggle known as a cold war

4. The iron curtain • The iron curtain refers to the spread of communism across eastern Europe • Various other countries will have communist movements supported by the soviet union • Greece, turkey • The Truman doctrine granted aid to Greece and turkey while showing us opposition to the spread of communism

5. containment • The us policy to keep communism contained within its borders – seeking a prevention to the spreading of communism • In 1948, congress approved the marshal plan which the united states gave out $13 billion in grants and loans to western European nations which were low on supplies including food • Aid was offered to soviet satellite states but Stalin refused to accept it

6. East and west Germany • The front lines of the Cold War was in Germany. The zones that were controlled by France, Great Britain, and the United States were combined to form West Germany. • The Soviets controlled East Germany • The Allies controlled the eastern part of berlin, the capital of Germany • Stalin stopped all highway, waterway, and railway traffic in West Berlin. All trade and travel were stopped. There were food shortages, medical needs, and clothing shortages in west Berlin. • For almost a year the United States and Britain supplied West Berlin through an airlift which included the dropping of supplies to West Berliners. • This Berlin Airlift had shown how far the united states would go to prevent areas or nations falling to communism.

7. NATO • The Berlin Airlift demonstrated that Stalin could be contained if Western nations were prepared to take forceful action • In 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) formed to provide military alliances to counter Soviet action • In 1955, West Germany joined NATO – in response the Soviets signed the Warsaw Pact which was an alliance of eastern communist countries – The Soviet Union took power over this alliance

8. Chinese civil War • Since about 1917, the Soviets had hoped to spread communism to every corner of the world • Civil War divides China as a nationalist leader Jiang Jiesha was fighting against communists led by Mao Zedong. • The Soviet Union supported Zedong whereas the United States sent billions of dollars in aid to Jiesha as the US feared a communist superpower in Asia • Zedong and the Communist win the Chinese Civil War, renaming China – People’s republic of china • Americans were SHOCKED! Not only was China under control of sworn enemies of the united states but communist regimes controlled about one fourth of the world’s landmass and one third of its population

9. Korean war • Once controlled by japan – Korea was divided into two separate countries after world war II – the Soviets installed a communist government in the north and the united states provided aid to a noncommunist south korea • Once American troops left South Korea in 1949, the North was building up an attack on the South – In 1950, the North Koreans attacked the south , took over their capital of Seoul and forced the South Koreans to retreat • Truman decided against appeasement, and sent in Americans to south korea – through the united nations the united states entered these soldiers in combat, with the aid of japan and other nations

10. Korean war • General MacArthur, a WWII hero, led the campaign in korea. • MacArthur sent his troops behind enemy lines into north korea to cut off their supplies – this strategy worked as the north Koreans retreated back into North Korea • MacArthur and the South Korean troops were then attacked by North Korea’s Chinese allies and retreated • MacArthur wanted to launch a full attack on asia but Truman wanted limited war – MacArthur, enraged, sent a letter criticizing Truman, Truman fired him for insubordination – MacArthur was seen as a national hero

11. Effects of the Korean War • Troops still fought in various stalemates in Korea until about 1953 – the stalemate and the Korean war became an issue in the presidential election of 1952 • Eisenhower was elected President with the promise of pulling troops out of Korea – a cease-fire was signed in 1953 • The cease fire is still in effect today • There was no victory in the Korean war – north korea remained a communist country allied with china and the soviet union and south korea remained a noncommunist country allied to the united states and the major democracies • Truman set a new precedent by declaring war without congressional approval • The Korean War led to increased military spending – by 1960, nearly half of the federal budget was military spending with more than one million soldiers stationed around the world • The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization was formed to prevent the spread of communism in asia

12. The Cold War expands • On September 2nd, 1949, the United States discovered the soviet union tested an atomic bomb – this news shook americans as the US was no longer the monopoly of atomic weaponry • In 1952, the United States successfully tested a hydrogen bomb – the next year the soviets did too • An arms race of weaponry occurred between the united states and the soviet union – both countries hoped that this program of mutually assured destruction would prevent any nuclear war but the world was a scary place!

13. Eisenhower and the soviet union • Eisenhower sets up a policy of brinksmanship – focusing more on stockpiling nuclear weapons and the planes and submarines to transport them, rather than on conventional forces like military troops and tanks • Nikita Khrushchev became the new leader of the soviet union in 1953 when joseph stalin dies. Khrushchev was not as cruel as Stalin to the people of the soviet union but was still a determined communist opponent of the united states

14. Unrest behind the iron curtain • Several uprisings occur in Hungary and Poland against communist rule – the soviets used tanks and violence to put down the uprisings • Violence occurred in the 1956 Olympic games between Hungary and the Soviet Union during a water polo match – “blood in the water match”

15. Eisenhower doctrine • The Eisenhower doctrine – states the united states would use force to help any middle eastern nation threatened by communism • Eisenhower used the CIA to fight in its struggle against communism – they would investigate communist spies and foreign affairs

16. The cold war goes into space! • On October 4, 1957 the Soviet Union launches Sputnik – the first satellite in space – the following month they will launch a larger satellite with a large dog • The United States feared we were behind in technology and that the soviets were spying on us • The United States passes the National Defense Education Act used to create more science teachers and created NASA

17. The cold war at home • Truman and the red scare • Federal Employee Loyalty program allowed the us government to screen federal employees for signs of political disloyalty • Smith Act – made it unlawful to teach or advocate the violent overthrow of the us government • House un-American Activities committee – allowed the house of representatives to investigate possible activities by fascists, Nazis, or communists. • Hollywood ten shows that freedom of speech was limited during the red scare • People fear nuclear attacks by communist countries • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKqXu-5jw60

18. Spy cases worry Americans • Alger hiss – a federal employee sentenced to five years in prison on suspicion of being communists, charged by Richard Nixon • Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were executed on charges of passing confidential information to the soviet union

19. McCarthyism • Little known Wisconsin senator joseph McCarthy was put in the national spotlight through his accusations against people he thought were communists • He pressed charges for things that could not be proven – he claimed to have a list of known federal employees who were communist but he never had shown anyone a list • McCarthy gets reelected and becomes popular due to Americans fear of communism • 0nce McCarthy appeared on television after pressing charges against various army members Americans could see his bullying tactics and how he twisted the truth – McCarty's reputation was negatively impacted and his popularity would decrease • The end of the Korean war and the end of McCarthyism led to an end of the red scare as people did not like the limits on free speech and the lack of open, honest debate.