The Cold War: A Global Divide & Political Competitions

1. Early Cold War 1945-1968

2. The Cold War Emerges WHAT was the Cold War? • Competition for world influence • Colored politics for 40+ years after World War II • Divided the world into the Eastern Bloc & Western Bloc WHY was the Cold War? • U.S. & Soviet Union emerged as “super powers” • U.S.-U.S.S.R. aims clashed at the Yalta Conference over: • Status of post-war Germany • Fate of Soviet-occupied territories

3. HOW was the Cold War waged? • Military build-up • Post-WWII, U.S. held an atomic monopoly, continued nuclear testing, & targeted Russian cities • Soviets had the largest army in the world, occupied Eastern Europe, & developed atomic weapons • The policy of deterrence led to an escalating arms race & Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)

4. HOW was the Cold War waged? • Containment policies sought to end the spread of communism • Truman Doctrine aided nations fighting communist aggression • Marshall Plan provided aid to war-torn Europe • Brinkmanship as a policy meant meeting threats with a willingness to go to war (at least in theory)

5. HOW was the Cold War waged? • Early conflicts • Berlin Airlift (1948-1949) – Allied nations defied Soviet blockade of East Germany • U.S. provided aid to Greece & Turkey to assist in containment • Alliance systems were built around Cold War lines • NATO – U.S., Canada, and most of Western Europe • Warsaw Pact – Soviet Union & its satellites • OAS – U.S. and Latin American allies work to create a “”security zone”

6. The Iron Curtain Churchill used the term Iron Curtain to describe the divisions between Communist and capitalist nations in Europe.

7. The Second Red Scare • Truman created a federal employee Loyalty Program in 1947. • The National Security Act created the National Security Council and the CIA • The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) investigated suspected communists in the U.S., including those in Hollywood. Studios compiled a blacklist of those with “Communist leanings.” • Alger Hiss and Julius & Ethel Rosenberg spy cases reinforced fears that Soviet spies were stealing secrets. • The threat of nuclear war led to Civil Defense initiatives like “Duck and Cover”

8. The Chinese Civil War • Mao Zedong won support for the Communists by improving land distribution, schooling & healthcare. • Jiang Jieshi’s Nationalist Party lost support because of harsh treatment, high taxes, & corruption. • When the Communists took power in 1949, the Nationalists fled to Taiwan.

9. The Korean Conflict • In June 1950, the Korean War broke out when North Korean troops invaded South Korea. • The United Nations sent forces to defend South Korea and restore peace. • General MacArthur pushed north, but a stalemate developed after China intervened. • A truce signed in 1953 left Korea again divided near the 38th parallel.

10. The McCarthy Era • Senator Joseph McCarthy claimed to have a list of 250 Communist government employees. • Few were willing to speak out against him. • In early 1954, McCarthy’s crusade turned on the army. • The Army hearings on TV turned McCarthy’s supporters against him.

11. The Arms Race Takes to the Skies • To carry bombs to their targets, the Soviet Union developed long-range rockets (ICBMs). • In 1957, one of these was used to launch Sputnik, the 1st artificial satellite to orbit Earth. • The U-2 incident prompted a desire to match—and surpass—Soviet weapons technology. • The massive expenditures for weapons technology & arms dealers’ access to the U.S. government led President Eisenhower to warn about the influence of the “military-industrial complex.”

12. The Cold War in the Middle East • The Baghdad Pact (1955) was signed in response to U.S. pressure • 1958 – Iraq withdrew & began negotiations with the Soviet Union • American actions in the Suez Crisis revealed the complex nature of Cold War politics & led to the issuance of the Eisenhower Doctrine

13. The Space Program • Soviet launch of the Sputnik satellite (1957) inspired the U.S. to work toward placing a manned spacecraft in orbit. • April 1961 – Soviet Yuri Gagarin became the 1st human in space. • Funding for NASA was increased & American astronauts made initial space flights in 1961 & 1962. • July 20, 1969 – American astronaut Neil Armstrong became the 1st to walk on the moon.

14. Bay of Pigs Invasion When Fidel Castro took over Cuba in 1959 & developed ties to the Soviet Union, the CIA trained a group of Cubans to invade Cuba. JFK approved the resulting April 17, 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, a military & diplomatic disaster. The U.S. lost credibility. Berlin Wall The Soviets built the Berlin Wall to separate the Communist and non-Communist sections of Berlin in August 1961. Cold War Under JFK

15. The Cuban Missile Crisis • October 16, 1962 – American spy plane photos showed construction of Soviet missile bases in Cuba. • The Cuban Missile Crisis brought the superpowers to the brink of nuclear war. • JFK authorized a naval “quarantine” around Cuba. • In the end, Khruschev agreed to remove missiles from Cuba. The U.S. agreed to end the quarantine, stay out of Cuba, & remove missiles from Turkey. • In addition, the U.S. & Soviet Union signed the Limited Test Ban Treaty (1963) banning nuclear testing above the ground.

16. Background of the War • Domino theory – If one country fell, others would follow • 1954 – Geneva Accords divided Vietnam into: • Communist North (Ho Chi Minh) • Anti-Communist South Vietnam (Ngo Dinh Diem) • November 1963 – Military leaders seized control of South Vietnam & assassinated Diem • Viet Cong, communist guerrillas, made gains

17. Intensifying the War • Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964) granted the President broad powers • After 1964, LBJ began a gradual escalation of the war • 1965 – 25,000 U.S. soldiers --> 1968 – 536,000 • Split public opinion: • Hawks vs. Doves

18. American Troops Superior weapons Unprepared for heat, terrain, or guerrilla tactics Lacked support Viet Cong Troops Fought as guerrillas “Home field advantage” Built & hid in underground tunnels Battlefield Conditions

19. Weaponry • Land Mines • Saturation Bombing • Fragmentation Bombs • Agent Orange • Napalm

20. Troops & supplies entered South Vietnam via the Ho Chi Minh Trail, which passed through Laos & Cambodia The Ho Chi Minh Trail

21. The Tet Offensive: A Turning Point • VC & North Vietnam launched the Tet Offensive (January-September 1968) • Both sides were guilty of brutal atrocities: • My Lai – U.S. soldiers massacred hundreds of civilians • Major psychological victory/turning point for the Viet Cong

22. Youth Reactions to the War • Teach-ins became a popular means of expressing antiwar sentiment • Draft resistance rose – Conscientious objectors opposed fighting on moral or religious grounds • At first, college students could receive a deferment – eliminated in response to complaints that they were unfair

23. The Election of 1968 • Support for war decreased & Johnson chose not to run for reelection • Candidate Robert Kennedy was assassinated before the convention • 1968 Democratic Convention – police attack on protesters televised • VP Hubert Humphrey won the Democratic nomination • Republican Richard Nixon won the election in a close race