Download Chapter 19: The Cold War At the end of WWII

Chapter 19: The Cold War
At the end of WWII, conflicting goals for the future of Europe led to growing hostility between the
United States and the Soviet Union. The relationship between the Communist Soviet Union and the
Western democracies began to fall apart.
I.
Origins of the Cold War
A. The post war relationship between the Soviet Union (USSR) and the US, began with a
disagreement about the future of Poland.
B. The USSR wanted to rebuild after WWII, in ways that would protect its own interest.
C. After the war the USSR quickly took control of several Eastern European countries.
D. The Truman Doctrine called for the US to take a leadership role in the world community
of nations. The US would support any nation that tried to resist Soviet Control. As a
result, congress approved $400 million in aid for Greece and Turkey.
As the Cold War intensified, American foreign policy focused on rebuilding and unifying Western Europe.
At home, Americans began to suspect Communist infiltration of their own society and government.
II.
The Cold War Heats Up
A. The Marshall Plan committed the US to support European nations in their rebuilding
effort.
B. A goal of the Marshall Plan was to help create stable democracies that could resist
communism.
1. The USSR leaders viewed the Marshall Plan as a direct threat to their security.
2. They felt the US was using its wealth to buy influence and power in Europe.
3. They felt that a strong, rebuilt, Western Europe was threat to its satellite nations in
Eastern Europe.
C. The US joins The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It’s goal was to form a
collective security among member nations.
D. In response to the formation of NATO, the USSR creates the Warsaw Pact. The
members were the USSR’s satellite nations of Eastern Europe.
E. President Truman’s Federal Employee Loyalty Program was an effort to expose
communist in the United States.
F. Members of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) charged numerous
Hollywood figures with being sympathetic to Communist ideas.
G. As a result of the federal government hunt for communist, some peoples civil rights
were violated.
To repel a Northern Korean invasion of South Korea, American and United Nation (UN) troops fought
against Communist forces for three years. The result was a divided Korea along the 38th parallel.
III.
The Korean War
A. Japan controlled Korea for the first half of the 20th century.
B. At the end of WWII Korea was divided into a Southern pro-American government and a
Northern pro-Communist government.
C. The communist took over China after winning the Chinese Civil War. This alarmed
Americans and led to the actions that started the Korean War.
D. The Korean war became bogged down in a stalemate, where neither side could gain an
advantage over the other. As a result South Korea was free of Communism.
E. General McArthur wanted to break this stalemate, by opening up a second front by
attacking the Chinese mainland.
During the 1950’s, the Cold War spread around the world. At home, McCarthyism caused fear and
distrust.
IV.
The Continuing Cold War
A. Joseph McCarthy effect the American society by encouraging a widespread fear of
communism.
B. The US became involved in the affairs of Asia to contain the growth of Communism
C. The US became involved in the affairs of the Middle East in an attempt to prevent the
USSR from dominating the oil rich Arab nations.
D. The US became involved in Latin America to protect US financial investments in Latin
America, and to eliminate the elements of Communism.
E. After the USSR successfully tested it’s own atomic bomb, this added to the US fear of
being attacked by the USSR.
F. Deterrence is the policy of the US, the goal is to make the military power of the US and
its allies so strong that no enemy would dare to attack for fear of retaliation.