COLD WAR

1. COLD WAR

2. Origins of the Cold War • 1917 Russian Revolution • 1919 Red Scare • 1941-1945 Distrustful Allies • 1946 Russian Domination of Eastern Europe • Satellite State • Warsaw Pact • Iron Curtain

3. Initial U.S. Response • Containment • U.S. policy designed to limit the expansion of USSR expansionism and the spread of communism • Truman Doctrine 1946 • President Truman’s economic and military initiative to protect Greece and Turkey from totalitarian rule and communism • Marshal Plan (George Marshall) 1947 • U.S. plan to provided economic aid to European countries suffering after World War II. Goal was to prevent the countries from choosing communism.

4. Situation Heats Up • Berlin Airlift 1948 • Creation of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) in 1949 • USSR tests atomic weapon in 1949 – arms race begins • Communist Revolution in China 1949 birth of People’s Republic of China • China and Russia create an alliance

5. Korean War • Korea had been liberated from Japan during WWII. • The USSR temporarily controlled the north and the U.S. the south – divided along the 38th parallel • 1950 Communist North Korean forces attacked South Korea • U.N. sent in a U.S. dominated force that pushed the North Koreans all the way back to the Chinese border (led by Douglas MacArthur) • China warned it wouldn’t tolerate hostile forces near its border – MacArthur ignored warning. • China struck, pushing U.N. forces all the way back to the 38th parallel • MacArthur wanted to bomb China – Truman said shut up, MacArthur kept talking, got fired • Peace talks began in 1951 • Armistice in 1953 • Communism was contained in Korea

6. Second Red Scare • Loyalty Review Board • Smith Act and McCarran Internal Security Act • House Un-American Activities Committee • Alger Hiss and Julius and Ethel Rosenberg • Joseph McCarthy 1950-1954 • Went after “Communists” • Working class supported him because most of his “victims” were wealthy • Strong popular support cowered his Republican and Democratic critics – Republicans also didn’t mind that he was hurting Democrats • Public got a taste of his work when he went after the army in televised hearings • His bluff was called and support declined when people saw him in action. • He was censured by the Senate

7. Cuban Revolution • Fidel Castro defeated the Cuban dictator in a coup during 1959 • Because Castro nationalized industries (American) and created a Communist government, the U.S. is alarmed. • Eisenhower cut off trade with Cuba. • In 1961, President Kennedy gave the CIA the authority to attempt a coup against Castro with Cuban exiles. • Invaded at the Bay of Pigs • The forces had to surrender, there was no uprising. • Cuban Missile Crisis October 1962 • U.S. learned that USSR was building missile silos in Cuba • President Kennedy ordered a blockade of Cuba • Secretary Khrushchev challenged the U.S. blockade, but eventually backed down • Considered to be the closest the U.S. and USSR came to war

8. Vietnam War • France tried to regain Vietnam after the Japanese took it during WWII • Vietnam not having it – fought back and France was forced to give it up in 1954 • Vietnam was divided between governments controlling the north (Ho Chi Minh) and south • The U.S. provided financial support the South (Ngo Dinh Diem) Vietnamese government • Domino Theory

9. Vietnam War • Kennedy sent military advisors into Vietnam (16000 by 1963) • President Johnson used Gulf of Tonkin incident as a reason to get Congress to escalate U.S. action • April, 1965 U.S. combat troops in Vietnam • Strong support and criticism of U.S. military action in Vietnam – created credibility gap between government and citizens • Tet Offensive 1968 – North Vietnamese attacked U.S. forces. The U.S. fought back and handed a major defeat to the Vietcong – but the devastation was viewed by millions on television – public opinion turned against the war • May, 1968 – peace talks under way in Paris and U.S. escalation is over, but the war goes on • Nixon’s Vietnamization • U.S. invaded Cambodia in 1970 – major protests (Kent State) • Massacre at My Lai • Armistice – Paris Accords January, 1973 U.S. leaves Vietnam • 58,000 dead and $118 billion spent

10. Space Race • Soviet Union was the first country to launch a satellite into orbit • Sputnik was launched in 1957 while the American space program experienced failures • U.S. responded by increase funds for science and math education and the creation of NASA

11. Cold War 1970s-1989 • Nixon and China • Arms Control • Ronald Reagan • Soviet Union “evil empire” • Military and arms buildup • Support for Latin American dictators fighting communist (leftist) groups • Overthrow of Communist regimes (Nicaragua and Grenada) • Iran-contra Affair • Gorbachev and Reagan • Soviet reforms • Arms reduction • Afghanistan

12. End of Cold War • George H. W. Bush diplomat and president • Gorbachev ends support of Communist governments • Gorbachev and Bush sign arms reduction treaties • Revolutions throughout eastern Europe (1989-1990) • Soviet republics declare independence • Failed communist coup gives death blow to USSR • Russia Republic with its president ,Boris Yeltsin, becomes dominant state

13. Review • What event brought the U.S. and USSR closest to war? • The Marshall Plan provided ___ to European countries. • ___ worked to contain the spread of communism in Latin America. • During __ the U.S. was successful in containing the spread of communism in East Asia. • Military alliances created during the Cold War included the USSR’s ___ and the U.S.’s ____. • The reforms of ___ during the late 1980s were one of the factors leading to the disintegration of the Soviet Union. • Military response to the ___ was successful, however, American public opinion turned against the Vietnam War. • President Kennedy authorized an invasion of Cuba at ____. • The launching of __ frighten Americans and gave the USSR temporary supremacy in space. • The 1950s Red Scare was used by ___ to his and the Republican Party’s advantage.