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Cold War
Origins of the Cold War
Even before the end of World War II, tensions were
building between the United States and the Soviet
Union Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R., or Soviet Union,
for short).
 They had different ideas about government and
economics and how the world should run after the
war.
The U.S. is democratic, which is a type of
government.
 We choose representatives to make laws.
 The economic system in the U.S. is called free
enterprise.
 In a free enterprise system, individuals are free
to own or work for a business of their choosing.
 Consumers and business owners control the
economy.
 Another name for a free enterprise economy is
capitalism.
Socialism spread through Europe after the war.
 The government owns major industries
such as banks, airlines, railroads, and
power plants.
 People own stores, farms, and most
factories.
 Government, consumers, and
businesses control the economy.
Communism
 The government owns all the
stores, factories, farms, banks,
utilities, transportation
systems, and so on.
 The government has complete
power.
 The U.S.S.R. was run by a
dictator, or a ruler with
absolute power.
 The people do not vote.
 The leaders in the United
States wanted nations to stop
having wars and work together
using democracy.
The U.S. wanted
 “open door” trade around
the world
 to end communism.
The U.S.S.R wanted:
 to spread communism and
then control all Communist
countries.
 did not want democracy and
capitalism
A World Divided
 In 1949, 12 allied nations:
Belgium, Canada, Denmark,
France, Iceland, Italy,
Luxemburg, Netherlands,
Norway, Portugal, United
Kingdom and the U.S.
 signed a treaty: North
Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO)
 They supported democracy
President Harry S. Truman signed the document that made
the United States a NATO member in 1949. Leaders of
Congress stood behind him at the signing ceremony.
 The U.S. and its allies became known as the Western
Bloc.
 Eastern Bloc: Poland, Czechoslovakia, Albania,
Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Yugoslavia, and East
Germany fell under the U.S.S.R’s control after the war.
All but Yugoslavia signed the Warsaw Pact in
response to NATO. The countries that signed
agreed to be under Soviet control.
Prime Minister Winston Churchill said,
“an iron curtain has descended” across Europe.
• After he said this, people often referred to the Eastern
Bloc as being “behind the iron curtain.”
• U.S. President Harry Truman promised to help any
country that U.SS.R tried to turn Communist.
• This policy was called the Truman Doctrine, or the policy
of containment.
The city of Berlin in Germany was
divided at the end of WWII.
 The eastern part was under Soviet Control.
 The western part was controlled by the Allies.
 Thousands fled from the eastern side to the
west.
In August 1961, the Soviets built a wall to
prevent people from leaving East Berlin.
 Army soldiers guarded the
wall.
 People who tried to cross
were killed.
 The Berlin Wall became the
symbol of Communist
dictatorship.
Discussion Question:
The Cold War was a fight between
capitalist countries and Communist
countries. Write what you think are
good and bad aspects of capitalism
and communism.
Vocabulary: Words to Know
1. Free Enterprise: the economic system used by the U.S,
where individuals are free to own or work for a business
of their choosing, and consumers and business owners
control the economy
2. Capitalism: ownership of the means of production,
distribution, and exchange of wealth is owned by private
businesses.
3. Socialism: the government owns major industries such
as banks, airlines, railroads, and power plants, but the
people can own stores, farms and factories.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Communism: the government controls the
economy, where all the goods are equally shared
by the people, but often a dictator holds the
power.
NATO: created by 12 countries, including the U.S,
that supported democracy over communism.
Western Bloc: the countries including the U.S.
that were against the U.S.S.R. and the spread of
communism.
Eastern Bloc: countries controlled by the
U.S.S.R. after WWII- Poland, Hungary,
Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Albania, and East
Germany.
Warsaw Pact: created in response to NATO, the
Eastern Bloc signed and agreed to be under
Soviet political and military control.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Iron Curtain: a term Winston Churchill used
to describe the political barrier between the
Soviet Bloc and Western Europe from 19451990.
Truman Doctrine: President Harry
Truman’s promise to help any country that
the U.S.S.R. tried to turn Communist; also
known as the policy of containment.
Berlin Wall: barrier created after WWII by
the Soviet Union that isolated West Berlin
from the rest of Germany.
Domino Theory: theory that if one nation
comes under communist control, that
neighboring nations will also come under
Communist control.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
House Un-American Activities Committee
(HUAC): group formed to investigate and find
Communists hiding in America.
McCarthyism: the movement that was extremely
opposed to communism, and used unfair
investigating practices.
Red Scare: federal action by the U.S. Government
against aliens and citizens suspected of being a
Communist or a Communist sympathizer.
Nuclear arms race: race between the U.S. and
U.S.S.R after World War II to create nuclear
weapons.
Cold War: political tension and military rivalry
between the U.S and the U.S.S.R. It was called the
“cold war” because there were no military
attacks on either side.