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Mr. McCormack
American History II
Central Dauphin High School
Chapter Nineteen – The Cold War
I. WWII Allies became Cold War Rivals
A. A Cold War is a hostile peace, a period in which nations oppose one another without resorting
to direct, open confrontation
B. The desperate struggle against the Axis nations gave common cause to the WWII Allies
C. As the end of the war drew near, divisions among the Great Powers began to appear
1. The Soviet Union had a history of poor relations with western Europe and America
a. The western states resented the fact that Stalin had cooperated with Hitler by
signing a non-aggression pact and invading eastern Europe
b. The Soviet Union resented the fact that the western states had sent troops to
Russia in 1917 to support the anti-Communists (Whites) during the Bolshevik
Revolution
c. The United States had refused to recognize or conduct diplomacy with the USSR
until 1933
2. Britain and the United States shared many of the same priorities and values (democracy,
capitalism)
a. The western allies fought to bring political freedom and economic opportunity to
Europe
b. Free and prosperous nations would best serve America’s need for allies and
trading partners
c. Western allies wanted to see strong international organizations, particularly to
help with development (i.e. the World Bank, International Monetary Fund)
3. The Soviet Union under Josef Stalin had very different interests (communism) from the
western Allies
a. Soviets, having been twice invaded in forty years, wanted to ensure that its
neighboring countries would help protect them
i. Satellite nations would serve as a buffer against the west
ii. Neighbors should be receptive to the spread of communism
b. Soviets felt entitled to some restitution in light of its 18 million war deaths and
terrible losses
c. Soviets were suspicious of international organizations, believing them to be tools
of western influence
D. The Great Powers attempted to reconcile their differences through conferences
1. Yalta Conference
a. Churchill, Stalin, and Roosevelt met at the Black Sea port of Yalta in February,
1945
b. The Allies agreed to divide Germany into four zones of control (Soviet,
American, British, and French) pending eventual reunification
c. The Allies further agreed to divide the city of Berlin into similar zones
d. Roosevelt and Churchill rejected Stalin’s demand for $20 billion in war
reparations
e. Roosevelt extracted a promise from Stalin to declare war on Japan within three
months of Germany’s surrender
f. The west expected fair and free elections in the Nazi territories freed by the
Soviets, but Stalin intended to ensure that those areas would remain friendly to the
USSR
g. All sides agreed to create a new international peacekeeping organization
h. Many historians believe that Roosevelt, ailing and nearing death, was
overwhelmed by Stalin during their negotiations, to the lasting detriment of the
people of Eastern Europe
2. Potsdam Conference
a. Following Churchill’s electoral loss and Roosevelt’s death (April 12, 1945), the
new leaders, Clement Attlee and Harry Truman, meet with Stalin in Potsdam, a
suburb of Berlin, in July, 1945
b. The western allies continued to push for free elections (especially in Poland) and
Stalin continued to press for reparations
c. During the conference, Truman informed Stalin of America’s successful atomic
weapons program, increasing Stalin’s concern about America’s strength
E. The Great Powers created an international organization to ensure world peace, The United
Nations
1. The UN was inspired by the failed League of Nations
2. The American public and Congress rejected a return to isolationism and supported the
UN
3. Delegates from 50 nations gathered in San Francisco in April, 1945, to negotiate the UN
Charter
4. The Charter, written as a treaty, established that members would abandon war as a
method of conflict resolution, act collectively to stop wars that did occur, and promote
justice and cooperation to solve problems
5. The UN would have two committees to handle most of the organizations’ business
a. The General Assembly
i. Composed of representatives from all member nations and the occasional
observer (non-member states or non-governmental organizations)
ii. All representatives would be treated as equals
iii. The General Assembly has little actual power, but can exercise
persuasive authority, establish its own budget, and elect its own officers
iv. The first Secretary General of the UN was Trygve Lie of Norway
b. The Security Council
i. Composed of representatives from eleven nations
1. Five nations occupy permanent seats on the council and can
exercise an absolute veto over any council business
a. United States
b. USSR
c. Britain
d. France
e. China
2. Six nations hold temporary seats on a rotating basis
ii. The Security Council has the power to authorize the use of force, impose
sanctions, and otherwise act as the UN enforcer
iii. The Security Council can only function if the five permanent members
are in agreement, otherwise a stalemate results
II. The Division of Germany
A. The four Allied zones were supposed to be reunited into a new, independent Germany after the
war
B. The Soviet Union, possessing the largest individual zone, resisted efforts to unify Germany
1. Stalin desired to keep Germany weakened because Germany had twice attacked Russia
2. Stalin installed a totalitarian communist government in his zone and didn’t want to see it
replaced by a democratic government
C. The western Allies announced their plan to unify their three zones in March, 1948
1. The Federal Republic of Germany, or West Germany, with its capital in Bonn
2. Included the western zones of Berlin even though the city was surrounded by Soviet
territory
D. The Soviets announced the creation of the German Democratic Republic, or East Germany, in
1949
E. Soviet troops crushed an East German revolt in 1953
III. Soviets Dominate Eastern Europe
A. Soviets organize and install communist governments in areas that had been occupied by the
Red Army at the end of the war
B. Ironically, the west largely abandoned eastern Europe to Communist domination after fighting
to free it from Fascism
C. Poland
1. Stalin fulfills his promise to hold elections in Poland, but not until 1947
2. By that time the Polish Communist party had eliminated all political opposition
3. The Soviet Union sent troops to crush a Polish uprising in 1956
D. Albania
1. Communist guerillas expelled German forces in 1944
2. All anti-communist parties were silenced before elections were held in 1945
E. Bulgaria
1. Soviet troops occupied the country in 1944
2. Communist control was secure by 1948
F. Czechoslovakia
1. Communist candidates won 40 percent in the 1946 election, but their popularity suffered
due to Communist repression in neighboring countries
2. Communists plotted to take power by installing an all-Communist police force, staging
rallies, strikes, and violent uprisings
3. Communist control was secure by 1948
G. Hungary
1. Communist candidates lost the election in 1945
2. Soviet troops remained in Hungary and demanded Communist control of the police
3. The police arrested anti-Communist leaders
4. Communist candidates won the 1947 election
5. Soviet troops crush a Hungarian uprising in 1956
H. Romania
1. Soviet troops forced the Romanian king to appoint a Communist prime minister in 1945
2. The prime minister forced the king’s abdication in 1947
I. Finland
1. Finland remains democratic and neutral, but was forced to sign a treaty of cooperation
with the USSR in 1948, giving the Soviets control over its foreign affairs
2. Finland was forced to surrender approximately ten percent of its territory to the USSR
J. Yugoslavia
1. Communists gained control in 1945 under Josip Broz, more popularly known as Tito
2. Tito refused to take orders from Stalin, especially after Stalin tried to have him
overthrown in 1948
K. Baltic Republics
1. Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia were independent countries between the world wars
2. The USSR absorbed the Baltic Republics in 1945
IV. The West Reacts to Soviet Expansion
A. In February, 1946, Stalin delivered a speech in which he predicted the ultimate triumph of
communism over capitalism
B. In March, 1946, Winston Churchill delivered a response to an American audience in Fulton,
Missouri
1. Churchill warned of the coming Soviet menace and its threat to world peace
2. Churchill coined the term “Iron Curtain” to describe the invisible barrier that was
separating Europe into a free west and communist east
C. In early 1946, American diplomat George Kennan dispatched a telegram from Moscow that
analyzed Soviet policies
1. Kennan warned that the comunists put no faith in peaceful coexistence with the west
2. Kennan argued that the communists could not be easily defeated, but their expansion
could be contained by patient, firm vigilance
3. Kennan argued that communism “bears within it the seeds of its own decay” and that it
would eventually collapse on itself
4. While many believed containment was too moderate a policy, it became the cornerstone
of American policy
5. The Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991 would appear to be a partial vindication of
Kennan’s prediction
D. Truman first applied the policy of containment in 1947
1. The USSR had been threatening Turkey since 1945 in an attempt to gain control of the
Dardenelles (the straight connecting the Mediterranean and Black Seas)
2. The Soviets were encouraging communist revolutionaries in the Greek civil war
3. Britain, suffering from post-war devastation, could not afford to help the Greeks and
Turks, so they suggested that the United States do so
4. Truman agreed to help, and in March, 1947, announced his proposal to a joint session of
Congress
a. His announced principles become known as the Truman Doctrine
b. The United States would assist free peoples who resisted attempted conquest by
armed minorities or outside pressures (a veiled reference to the Soviet Union)
5. Congress approved $400 million in aid to Greece and Turkey
E. Truman feared that Western Europe would be the next target of Soviet expansion
1. Economic recovery in Europe was proceeding slowly
a. The devastation left by WWII was unprecedented in European history
b. Twenty-one million people were left homeless
c. One in five homes in France and Belgium were uninhabitable
d. Twenty percent of the Polish population had been killed
e. Industry and transportation were ruined, and agriculture suffered from shortages
of livestock and equipment
f. The cost of rebuilding France alone was estimated to be three times that
country’s GDP
2. People desperate for relief were more likely to turn to radical ideologies (including
communism)
F. Truman and his new Secretary of State, George C. Marshall, developed a plan to aid Europe
1. European nations would develop proposals for recovery programs and receive American
financing
2. This plan, announced in June, 1947, became known as the Marshall Plan
3. Adopted by Congress in 1948, the US provided about $13 billion in assistance to
seventeen countries over four years
4. The Soviet Union and its satellites refuse assistance, fearing American scrutiny and
interference
5. The majority of aid went for food, feed, fertilizer, fuel, raw materials, and machinery
that was purchased from American suppliers
F. American assistance “saves Europe” and accomplished four main goals
1. Charity – it helped the devastated people of Europe
2. Security – it stabilized the democratic governments of Europe that would be strong
American allies
3. Commerce – it opened new markets for American goods
4. Politics – it halted the spread of communism
V. The Cold War Grows Hot
A. Berlin Blockade
1. Following the creation of West Germany, West Berlin became a prime destination for
people seeking to escape communist domination
2. Stalin grew determined to close the escape route
3. Stalin uses the creation of West Germany as an excuse to blockade (cut off trade with)
West Berlin in June, 1948
4. Faced with the prospect of losing the city or watching its 2.5 million people starve,
Truman resolved to defeat the blockade
a. Fighting the Soviet Union was not an attractive option – most American soldiers
were returning home, and everyone was tired of war
b. Using nuclear weapons to intimidate the Soviets seemed too strong a reaction
c. Truman resolved to bypass the blockade by creating an airlift operation to supply
the city
5. Berlin Airlift
a. From June, 1948, to September, 1949, the airlift flew over 200,000 flights and
moved about 13,000 tons of goods
b. The airlift was so successful that the city was receiving more supplies after the
blockade than it had before
c. The airlift provided necessities, but American pilots began the unofficial
“Operation Little Vittles” to provide treats to the children of Berlin
i. Began by Lt. Gail Halvorsen when he dropped treats to children by
making a parachute out of a pocket handkerchief
ii. Many Americans donated candies and handkerchiefs to support the
efforts
iii. Halverson, who wiggled the wings of his aircraft to signal the release of
a package, earned the nickname “Uncle Wiggly Wings”
iv. Twenty-three tons of candy was dropped in 250,000 parachutes
B. Defensive Alliances Formed
1. With the possibility of deadlock in the United Nations, nations consider regional
alliances to secure peace
2. Louis St. Laurent, the foreign minister of Canada, proposed a defensive alliance of
democratic, peace-loving nations to defend western Europe from the Soviets
3. Truman and most American supported the idea
a. Truman did not want America alone to guarantee European security, so Canadian
involvement was crucial
b. Truman overcomes the objections of his critics, including Sen. Robert Taft of
Ohio, who feared that defensive alliances made war more likely
4. Twelve nations joined together in April, 1949, to form the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO)
5. Each nation vowed to regard an attack against one member of the alliance as an attack
against them all, an idea known as collective security
6. The communist nations reacted to NATO by forming the Warsaw Pact, a similar
alliance, in 1955
7. Although the Warsaw Pact is now defunct, NATO continues to exist and provides for
military coordination between the allies in such places as Afghanistan and the former
Yugoslavia
C. Soviet Nuclear Advances
1. In 1949, the Soviet Union detonates its own atomic bomb, eliminating America’s
military advantage
2. In response, Truman authorizes research into a more powerful thermonuclear weapon
(H-bomb)
3. The Soviet nuclear program greatly benefited from the work of communist spies in
America
4. The USA detonated the first H-bomb in 1952, once again establishing its superiority
5. To help allay American fears of nuclear attack, Truman created the Federal Civil
Defense Administration in 1952 to distribute information on how to survive a nuclear
attack
a. Experts mocked the education efforts (“duck and cover,” air raid drills, etc.)
b. By the late 1950s, civil defense became a major government priority
D. Truman Loses China
1. The Chinese Civil War, abandoned during WWII as both Communists and Nationalists
join forces to fight Japan, begins again in 1945
2. The Communists were in a much stronger position in the countryside, while Nationalists
relied on northern cities for support
3. Truman provided some assistance to Chiang Kai-shek until 1947, when he determined
that China was a lost cause
a. Chiang’s government grew increasingly unpopular due to harsh laws,
corruption, and high taxes
b. Truman preferred to focus his efforts on saving Europe
4. Mao Zedong’s communist army captured the Chinese capital of Peking (Beijing) in
1949
5. Chiang Kai-shek and his remaining forces escape to the island of Formosa (Taiwan),
where they continued to claim to be the true government of China
6. Despite Soviet efforts, Chiang Kai-shek’s government retained its position at the United
Nations
7. Many blamed Truman for allowing the communists to win in China, and all sides grew
more committed to containing communist expansion in Asia
8. China (People’s Republic of China) and Taiwan (Republic of China) still have not
settled this dispute as both sides proclaim their hopes of eventual reunification, although
Taiwan has a growing independence movement
E. War in Korea
1. Korea, a Japanese territory since 1905, was divided in 1945
a. The Soviet Union fulfilled its pledge to Roosevelt by declaring war on Japan on
August 6, 1945
b. Soviet troops crossed into Korea, but were not engaged in any major battles
c. Japan decided to surrender just eight days after the Soviet declaration, though
more as a reaction to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki than to
Soviet actions
d. The Korean peninsula was split at the 38th parallel, with the northern zone going
to the Soviets and the southern zone going to the United States
e. North Korea
i. Led by Kim Il Sung, communist dictator
ii. Capital city – Pyongyang
iii. Larger population
iv. More industry
v. Larger, more powerful military
f. South Korea – Republic of Korea (ROK)
i. Led by Syngman Rhee, pro-American leader
ii. Capital city - Seoul
2. American and Soviet troops withdrew from the peninsula in 1949, leaving the two zones
to negotiate the terms of their own merger
3. Kim Il Sung considers uniting the country through use of force, but neither of his
communist sponsors, Mao or Stalin, was willing to permit the war
a. Stalin, busily engaging the Americans over Europe, does not want to risk
American intervention in Asia
b. Mao had not yet finished his war against the Nationalists
4. In March of 1950, Secretary of State Dean Acheson omitted South Korea as a focus of
American interest in the Pacific during a speech to the National Press Club
a. Kim Il Sung interpreted that omission to mean that the US would not defend
South Korea
b. Stalin consented to the invasion
5. North Korean troops crossed into South Korea in June, 1950, and quickly advanced deep
into the country
a. Within a few weeks, the only unconquered territory is a small perimeter of
ground near the port of Pusan
6. Truman, shocked and outraged, determined to take action
a. Truman broke with precedent by taking authority for military action from the
UN rather than the US Congress (as required by the Constitution)
i. Without a declaration from Congress, this is not technically a “war”
ii. More accurately described as a “police action”
b. The Security Council acted without Soviet participation, since the Soviets were
boycotting to protest the continued presence of the Chinese Nationalists
c. The Security Council voted without opposition (Yugoslavia abstained) to
condemn North Korea and call on member states to defend South Korea
d. Sixteen nations contribute to the international force, most conspicuously the
United States (80% of the total troops), Britain, Australia, and the Philippines
e. Taiwan offered to send troops, but the offer was rejected to avoid involving the
communist Chinese
f. The first American troops to see action take part in Task Force Smith
i. The American forces grew soft after WWII, so they were poorly prepared
ii. Task Force Smith suffered many casualties and was forced to retreat - a
disaster for the American military
7. Truman appointed General Douglas MacArthur commander of the UN forces
a. MacArthur, hero of both World Wars, was in Japan at the head of the occupying
and reconstructing force
b. MacArthur realized that the North Koreans had advanced so quickly that their
supply lines were stretched dangerously thin
c. MacArthur concluded that an attack at the North Korean army’s rear would
sever their supply lines and lead to their retreat or surrender
8. Allied troops repulsed the North Korean invasion
a. MacArthur led a successful amphibious assault at Inchon
b. By the fall of 1950, MacArthur has predicted victory by Christmas
c. As the Allies moved closer to the Chinese border (the Yalu River), China warned
MacArthur to halt his advance
d. MacArthur underestimated the Chinese willingness to intervene
9. Hundreds of thousands of Chinese troops, supported by Soviet aircraft up to 60 miles
away from the Yalu River, drove the Allied army back
10. The opposing forces settled into a stalemate along a line not far from the 38th parallel
11. MacArthur developed plans to break the stalemate
a. Truman refused his request to use nuclear weapons, fearing that the Soviet Union
would use its own bombs in retaliation for an attack on China
b.Truman refused to support an invasion of mainland China by the Taiwanese
c. MacArthur wrote a letter to Joseph Martin, the Minority Leader of the House of
Representatives, expressing his displeasure with Truman
d. MacArthur’s letter was made public in March, 1951, to Truman’s embarrassment
and MacArthur’s regret
12. Truman fired MacArthur on April 11, 1951, and replaced him with General Ridgeway
a. The president’s decision was extremely unpopular
i. Over 250,000 telegrams arrive within two days to protest the decision
ii. One Republican senator considers introducing articles of impeachment
b. Congress invited MacArthur to deliver his farewell address upon his retirement
(“Old soldiers never die, they just fade away.”)
13. The fighting continued until a cease-fire was signed in July, 1953 (North and South
Korea are still technically at war after nearly 60 years)
14. Legacies of the War
a. For the World
i. Communist expansion is checked
ii. An estimated two million people (including about 10% of the population
of North Korea) were killed
iii. Atrocities are committed on both sides (North Korean tortures,
American massacre at No Gun Ri, etc.)
iv. Relations between East and West are poisoned for decades
b. For the United States
i. Korea is the first war in which the armed forces were integrated (blacks
and whites served together)
ii. Americans accepted greater presidential war powers (and a smaller role
for Congress)
iii. Fifty-four thousand Americans were killed and many Americans grew
disenchanted with the war’s limited success
iv. Americans accepted a huge expansion of peace-time military spending
(and the establishment of a military-industrial complex that employed
nearly four million people)
v. Although often called the Forgotten War, Americans have erected a
monument in D.C.
F. American Intervention in Latin America
1. Since the early nineteenth century, the United States pursued the Monroe Doctrine,
which aimed to prevent European powers from re-colonizing the Western Hemisphere
2. Combined with the Truman Doctrine, the official American policy was to keep
communism out of the Americas
3. Communism was proving increasingly popular in Central and South America
a. Poverty in the region was extreme and widespread
b. Most governments were plagued with corruption and mismanagement
c. Severe inequalities were suffered by many, particularly native populations
d. Many industries were dominated by foreign (especially American) businesses
4. Military Intervention
a. The United States sent troops to Nicaragua and Honduras to save pro-American
regimes
b. The CIA helped overthrow the government of Guatemala in 1954 to help protect
the property of the United Fruit Company
5. Diplomatic Efforts
a. The United States and 18 other nations joined in a defensive alliance (the Rio
Pact) in 1947
b. In 1948, the United States helps found the Organization of American States
(OAS) to increase cooperation among the nations of the hemisphere
G. American Intervention in Southeast Asia
1. US involvement in Southeast Asia began when France required aid to retain its colony
of Vietnam
2. When an international conference divides Vietnam into a communist north and a
democratic south, the US continues to provide aid to South Vietnam
3. The US slowly escalates its involvement in the conflict until it becomes a full-blown
war
H. American Intervention in the Middle East
1. Palestine
a. Britain conquered the area known as Palestine (modern Palestine, Israel, and
Jordan) from the Ottoman Empire in 1917, during WWI
b. Britain received an official mandate to govern the area from the League of
Nations in 1922, although the goal was to prepare it for self-governance
c. During British rule, many European Jews began migrating to Palestine, the
Biblical homeland of their religion
d. At first, few Arabs protested the migration, but opposition soon mounted
i. The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Ayman al-Husseini, led Palestinian
resistance
ii. Palestinian Arabs revolt against Britain, and Britain suppresses them
with force
e. Britain responds to the opposition by imposing a restrictive quota on Jewish
migration
i. Many Jews try to skirt the law and sneak into Palestine, particularly after
German persecution escalates
ii. Some Jewish leaders try to persuade Hitler to negotiate for Jewish
migration to solve his Jewish problem, but nothing comes of it
f. During WWII many Jews and Arabs enlist to fight for Britain, but the Grand
Mufti of Jerusalem travels to Yugoslavia and actively encourages Bosnian Muslims
to fight for the Axis
g. After the war, the world feels great remorse for the Holocaust and the idea of
creating a safe haven or homeland for the Jews (an idea called Zionism) gains
popularity
i. Many sites for this homeland, including Germany and Ethiopia, were
proposed
ii. Jewish leaders insisted on founding their homeland in Palestine
h. Britain resolved to partition Palestine to create the Jewish state, and the UN
votes to approve the plan on November 29, 1947
i. The new state of Israel declares its independence in May, 1948
j. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen declared war on
Israel on the same day
i. The United Nations strongly condemned the Arab aggression
ii. Arab states seem to have the advantage in men and arms, but suffer from
poor leadership and lack of coordination between the various armies
k. The Israelis were victorious after several years of fighting that became known as
the Arab-Israeli War
i. Israel expands its borders into land previously reserved for Palestinian
Arabs
ii. Jordan take control of the West Bank, and Egypt takes control of Gaza
l. The war created more than one million refugees
i. 600,000 Jews left their homes in Arab countries
ii. More than 750,000 Palestinians left their homes in Israel
iii. The issue of permanently settling the Palestinian refugees has never
been resolved, with most still living in camps and expecting to return to
their ancestral lands
m. The US and Britain supported Israel, but the USSR largely supported Arab
interests
2. Egypt
a. In 1956, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, upset at Western support for
Israel, sought Soviet support for his country by purchasing tanks from
Czechoslovakia
b. In response to these overtures, the US and Britain cut off aid to Egypt
c. Nasser responded by seizing control of the British owned Suez Canal, a vital and
valuable transportation link between Asia and Europe
d. Acting in loose concert with Britain and France, Israel invaded the Sinai
peninsula in hopes of opening the canal to its shipping and to hunt down terrorists
e. French and British troops invaded Egypt to protect the canal
f. Fearing Soviet reprisals, Eisenhower forced the British and French to withdraw
3. Lebanon
a. A pro-western government, dominated by Christians, was struggling to suppress
a revolt in 1958
b. The United States sent troops to support the friendly government
4. Iran
a. Iran was ruled by a pro-American monarch, the Shah
b. In 1952, the Shah lost control to a nationalist leader
c. Fearing that the new leader would be less supportive, the US backed groups to
restore the Shah to power
5. Eisenhower proclaimed his policy toward the Middle East in the Eisenhower Doctrine
a. January, 1957
b. Safeguard the independence of the Middle East against communist aggression
I. The Arms Race
1. The United States and the USSR competed for superiority in weapons technology
a. 1945 – USA detonated the first atom bomb
b. 1949 – USSR detonated its first atom bomb
c. 1952 – USA detonated the first hydrogen bomb
d. 1953 – USSR detonated its first hydrogen bomb
e. Between 1954 and 1958 the United States tested 19 nuclear bombs
f. A bomb tested in 1954 was 750 times more powerful than the Nagasaki bomb
2. Each country tried to ensure that its arsenal would deter all future attacks
a. MAD – Mutually Assured Destruction
b. An attack by either the US or USSR would be suicidal since each possessed
enough nuclear weapons to annihilate the other
c. Deterrence ensured relative peace despite continuous suspicion and conflict
3. Each country relied upon a different attack strategy
a. The United States relied upon long-range bombers which were often kept
airborne 24 hours a day
b. The Soviets relied upon long range rockets (ICBMs – Intercontinental Ballistic
Missiles)
4. Advanced Soviet rockets allowed them to successfully launch the first man-made
satellite (Sputnik) into orbit
5. Americans, fearful that Sputnik signaled that the Soviets were becoming more
advanced, pour more money into military and scientific programs
6. Both USA and USSR engaged in brinkmanship
a. Brinkmanship – risking war to achieve your diplomatic ends without actually
“plunging over the edge of reason” and going to war
b. Adlai Stevenson, a Democratic governor, compared brinkmanship to playing
Russian roulette (eventually, it’s suicide)
7. On May 1, 1960, Soviets shot down an American U-2 spy plane
a. The plane, flying 15 miles high, was thought to be beyond Soviet attack
b. Eisenhower denied the plane’s purpose, but the pilot, Gary Powers, survived and
admitted to the mission
c. Powers spent almost two years in a Soviet prison before being exchanged
VI. The Cold War at Home
A. Perceived weaknesses in Truman’s leadership and suspicions about Democrats being “soft” on
communism contributed to Republican gains in the 1946 elections
B. Truman became convinced that he needed to take strong action to assure Americans of the
government’s trustworthiness
1. The exposure of several Soviet spy rings in 1946 caused Truman to take the suspicions
seriously
2. The Loyalty Program
a. Launched by Truman in 1947
b. All new employees hired by the Federal government would be investigated
c. The FBI would check on all current employees
d. Anyone accused of disloyalty would be brought before a Loyalty Review Board
i. Civil rights of the accused were sometimes violated
ii. It became very hard to clear your name once accused
iii. Although several million employees were investigated, only a few
hundred were actually fired
C. The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)
1. Established by the House of Representatives in 1938
2. Conducted probes of Communist influence in the government, unions, and the movie
industry
a. In September and October of 1947, many Hollywood writers, directors, actors,
and producers were called to testify before the committee
b. Committee Chairman J. Parnell Thomas, R-NJ, feared that communists were
spreading propaganda through cinema
c. Ten of the accused (Hollywood Ten) refused to answer the charges, were held in
contempt of Congress, and served sentences of 6 months to a year in prison
d. Having held communist ideas was no crime, but anyone exposed as a present or
former communist would be shunned (or blacklisted)
D. McCarran-Walter Act
1. Senator Pat McCarran, D-NV, became convinced that most communists in the US were
immigrants from countries with communist governments
2. In 1952, he proposed the McCarran-Walter Act to reaffirm the immigration quotas that
were established in 1924
a. This law discriminated against immigrants from southern and eastern Europe as
well as those from Asia
b. The law was passed over President Truman’s veto
E. Uncovered Espionage
1. Alger Hiss
a. Alger Hiss had worked for the State Department
b. Whittaker Chambers, a former communist and Time magazine editor, accused
him of being a communist in the 1930s
c. Hiss denied the allegations and sued Chambers for slander
d. Chambers then accused Hiss of being a Soviet spy
e. HUAC held hearings in 1948
f. Although the spying charges were too old to be brought, Hiss was convicted of
lying to a grand jury and sentenced to four years in prison in 1950
g. Although Hiss always maintained his innocence, post-Cold War research
revealed that he was, in fact, guilty
2. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
a. Married couple accused of passing nuclear secrets to the Soviets
b. Convicted of espionage and executed in 1953
c. Rare case of the US executing a female
d. Although many believed that the Rosenbergs were merely innocent victims of
the Red Scare, post-Cold War research revealed that Julius was guilty (less proof
exists to prove that Ethel was also guilty)
F. Senator Joseph McCarthy, R-WI
1. Senator McCarthy chose the threat of communism to be the theme of his reelection bid
in 1952
a. He made the baseless allegation that there were 205 known communists in the
government
b. The hysteria that resulted from his allegations helped him become immensely
popular
2. McCarthy was put in charge of his own investigatory committee in the Senate
3. McCarthy was a bully who used flimsy evidence, rumors, and falsehoods to smear and
discredit his opponents
4. Few dared cross McCarthy for fear of being labeled a communist
a. Senator Margaret Chase Smith, R-ME, did denounce McCarthy in June, 1950,
for having debased the Senate with his disreputable tactics
b. Senator Smith’s denunciation included the famous Declaration of Conscience,
which argued for the preservation of the right to criticize and protest
c. Broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow also opposed McCarthy
5. McCarthy began to lose popular support when he tackled larger targets
a. McCarthy accused General George C. Marshall of being part of a communist
conspiracy for letting China fall to Mao Zedong
b. When one of his aides was drafted, McCarthy charged that the army was
dominated by communists
i. McCarthy’s public hearings on the Army were broadcast across the nation
ii. Most Americans were horrified by McCarthy’s tactics
6. The Senate officially censured McCarthy on December 2, 1954