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Transcript
THE COLD WAR • Although the Soviet Union and the United States had been allies during World War II, their alliance came apart once the war was ended. • Three views on the cause of the Cold War: • All the fault of the Soviet Union… • All the fault of the United States… • All of the above • United States and Soviet Union had radically different visions of the post-war world. • America believed that the nations of the world should participate in international trade and democracy. – free and open trade necessary to prevent another Depression – wanted to "share" concept of democratic self-determination with the rest of the world • . The Soviets were largely concerned about establishing greater security. – suffered military and civilian losses of 20 million + during the war – feared that Germany would regain its strength and launch another attack – to ward off another attack and defend its borders, USSR encouraged friendly regimes in Eastern Europe – this denied the United States free access to markets and the opportunity to export its vision of democracy • competition for control created tension – rebellions in Iran, Turkey and Greece – Dean Acheson – the “Rotten Apple Theory” of communist spread – Later, Americans would rename this same idea the “Domino Theory • The Truman Doctrine (1947) – President Truman asked Congress for $500 million in aid for Greece and Turkey to put down Communist uprisings • “The free peoples of the world look to us for support in maintaining their freedoms." – Policy of “containment” to end the spread of communism – Later used as a justification for US involvement in Korea, Vietnam, & other nations – Critics of the Doctrine wondered: • When is revolution the self-determination of a free people and when is it a Communist aggression orchestrated by the Kremlin? • The Marshall Plan, the Berlin Airlift and NATO • George Marshall, US Secretary of State, proposed that providing economic aid to European countries would help create stability and would resist Communism – $13 billion in aid was spent by the US BERLIN AIRLIFT • Soviet Union cut off western links to Berlin, which was located inside the Soviet-occupied zone – response to growing American economic and military power in Europe • Truman ordered a massive, year-long airlift of medical supplies, food and clothing for West Berliners – Eventually, the Soviets lifted the blockade • Soviet Union sponsored Communist revolutions Czechoslovakia, Romania, and Hungary (194849) • North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was created to defend Western Europe – An attack on any of member nation was equal to an attack on all 12 nations – US provided the primary military and monetary ($) support Civil War in China • Communist leader Mao Tse-tung (Zedong) pushed Nationalist leader Chiang KaiShek out of China to Formosa (aka Taiwan) – US recognized the ousted Nationalists’ Republic of China as official, while Chairman Mao’s Communist People’s Republic of China held power • The Cold War Domestic Policy – the Second Red Scare • Congress organized the House Un-American Activities Committee (1938) • investigations after WWII focused on left-wing Americans who were accused of being “Communist sympathizers” – Hollywood movie-makers were allegedly spreading communist messages – Actors, writers, and directors were “blacklisted” • Alger Hiss, a New Dealer under Roosevelt, was accused of having spied for the USSR in the 30s {he was finally cleared of all charges in 1992 • McCarthyism – Senator Joseph McCarthy used the anti-communist mood to further his name in politics – “Subversives” were accused of communist activity with no grounding in fact – Conformity: political and social – it was dangerous to be different – When Eisenhower took office in 1952, the climate changed and the tables turned against McCarthy • “Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency