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The Cold War
1945 - 1960
Chapter 18
American and Soviet Systems Differ
• The United States and the Soviet Union had only been allies through their
opposition to Nazi Germany
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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 WW2 Stalin set up satellite states in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary,
Romania, and Bulgaria.
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” (click on Cold War for the video)
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
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Greece, Turkey
• The Truman Doctrine granted aid to Greece and Turkey while showing us
opposition to the spread of communism
Containment
• The United States’ policy to keep communism contained within its borders
was seeking a prevention to the spreading of communism
• In 1948, congress approved the Marshall 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
East and West Germany
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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 shortages of food, medical supplies and clothing 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.
The Berlin Airlift had shown how far the United States would go to prevent areas or nations
falling to communism.
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) was 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.
Chinese Civil War
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Since about 1917, the Soviet Union had hoped to spread communism to every corner of the world
Civil War divided China as nationalist leader Jiang Jiesha was fighting against communists leader
Mao Zedong.
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The Soviet Union supported Mao Zedong whereas the United States sent billions of dollars in aid to Jiesha as the
United States feared the possibility of 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 the
world’s population.
Korean War
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Once controlled by Japan – Korea was divided into two separate countries after
World War II – the Soviet Union installed a communist government in the north and
the United States provided aid to noncommunist South Korea
Once American troops left South Korea in 1949, the North was planning an attack
on South Korea – In 1950, the North Koreans attacked South Korea , 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 soldiers into combat, with
the aid of Japan and other nations.
Korean War
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General Douglas 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 back to South Korea.
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MacArthur wanted to launch a full attack on Asia, but Truman wanted limited war –
MacArthur was enraged and sent a letter to the House Republican leader that criticized
Truman. Truman fired MacArthur for insubordination. MacArthur was seen as a national
hero
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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
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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 (SEATO) was formed to prevent the spread
of communism in Asia
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 United States no
longer held a monopoly of atomic weaponry.
• In 1952, the United States successfully tested a hydrogen bomb – the next
year the Soviet Union successfully tested a hydrogen bomb as well.
• 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. The world was a scary place.
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.
Unrest Behind the Iron Curtain
• Several uprisings occur in Hungary and Poland against communist rule – the
Soviet Union 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”.
Eisenhower Doctrine
• The Eisenhower Doctrine – states the United States would use force to help
any middle eastern nation threatened by communism
• Eisenhower used the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to fight in its
struggle against communism – they would investigate communist spies and
foreign affairs.
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 the United States.
• The United States passes the National Defense Education Act used to create
more science teachers and created NASA.
The Cold War at Home
• Truman and the Red Scare
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Federal Employee Loyalty program allowed the U.S. government to screen federal
employees for signs of political disloyalty
Smith Act – made it unlawful to teach or advocate the violent overthrow of the U.S.
government
House Unamerican Activities Committee (HUAC) – 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
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKqXu-5jw60
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
McCarthyism
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Little known Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy was put in the national spotlight
through his accusations against people he thought were communists
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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
Once McCarthy appeared on television after pressing charges against various army
members Americans could see his bullying tactics and how he twisted the truth –
McCarthy'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.