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Unit 4: The Cold War
I. Yalta and Potsdam
A. “Big Three” - Roosevelt (US), Churchill (Britain) and Stalin (USSR)
- Discussed plans for post-war world
B. Yalta Conference: agreement that shaped international affairs for the future
- Created world peacekeeping organization, United Nations (UN)
- Called for free elections and democratic govts. in liberated nations
- Stalin refused to honor Poland (crucial buffer between W. Europe & USSR)
C. Potsdam Conference: Truman replaced Roosevelt
- Germany and Austria were divided
- Berlin was divided into four zones (US, British, French & Soviets)
II. The World after the War
A. UN formed to promote world peace
B. Nuremberg Trials: tried high-ranking Nazi officials
- Exposed horrors of the Holocaust
- No defense for “crimes against humanity”
C. Birth of Israel: November 1947
- Palestine was divided into two states: Muslims (P) and Jews (I)
- Israel was given Jerusalem…the “Holy Land”
- Effects still felt today  constant conflict between Jews and Muslims
III. Allies Became Enemies
A. US and USSR stood alone as super powers
- Conflict was due to political & economic differences
- US: spread capitalism & democracy
- USSR: spread communism & create satellite states
- Focused on central and eastern Europe  Germany
B. “Iron Curtain” separated Communist, Eastern Europe from Capitalist, Western Europe
- Struggle for global dominance began
IV. Containment
A. US policy to prevent Soviets from expanding communism
B. Marshall Plan: provided economic aid to assist Europe’s recovery after the war
- US loaned more than $13 billion to W. Europe (avoided communism from spreading)
C. Truman Doctrine: provided economic aid to assist countries to fight communism
- Greece and Turkey: aid helped Greek army defeat rebels
D. Berlin Blockade: Soviets blockaded traffic between W. Germany & Berlin
- Stalin initiated due to merging of US, British & French zones (created W. Germany)
- Raised fears of takeover and deprived W. Berlin of crucial supplies (food & fuel)
E. Berlin Airlift: 6/26/1948 – response to Soviet blockade
- US & British flew food & supplies to more than 2M people
- Known as Operation Vittles: lasted 321 days
- Soviets lifted blockade on May 12, 1949
F. Germany officially became two nations in 1949: W & E Germany
G. NATO was formed to defend one another from communist attack
- US, Canada, Iceland & nine other W. European nations
- Warsaw Pact was Soviet response to NATO (countries in E. Europe)
V. Truman Era
A. Demobilization: women gave up jobs to vets to be “…stay at home moms”
B. New laws: termination pay, unemployment comp & insurance benefits
C. GI Bill: eased transition to civilian life & nine million took advantage
- Provided loans for homes and businesses & provided college tuition
D. Election of 1948
- Truman (D) vs. Dewey (R)
- Headlines announced Dewey the winner – WRONG!
- Postwar prosperity & relentless campaigning was Truman’s ticket back to White House
E. Fair Deal: Truman’s social and economic program
- Increased min. wage, affordable housing, expanded Soc. Security & voter protection laws
- Invested in cleaning up cities and building highways
- Sustained post-war economic boom
F. Truman’s policy of containment supported nations that resisted communism
VI. Korean War
A. Civil War in China: Nationalists (N) vs. Communists (C)
- US supported Nationalist, but Communists won
B. Allies divided Korea along 38th
- Soviets got N. Korea: well-equipped and trained troops
- US got S. Korea, but troops pulled out in 1949
C. War broke out: June 25, 1950
- Started when N. Korea crossed 38th parallel and attacked S. Korea
- Truman ordered forces to defend S. Korea
- S. Korea was in dire straits; needed ground troops ASAP
- US and 15 other nations joined UN effort
- MacArthur named Commander of the UN forces
D. Fierce fighting along the Pusan front
- Surprise attack planned from behind; attacked near port city of Inchon
- Captured capital of Pyongyang
- UN forces reached the Yalu River, border between China/N. Korea
- MacArthur boasted, “I’ll have the boys’ home by Christmas”
E. Unexpected turn of events
- Chinese troops attacked from across the border
- Drove UN forces back below the 38th
F. Truman/MacArthur clashed: Truman didn’t want expanded war; Mac wanted air strikes against China
- MacArthur criticized Truman in letter that went public
 Truman relieved Mac of command for insubordination
- UN forces pushed N. Koreans and Chinese back
G. Election of 1952: Eisenhower defeated Truman
- Ike vowed to “…bring the Korean War to an early and honorable end.”
H. End of the war: Ike threatened the use of nukes
- 7/27/1953: cease-fire signed
I. Effects of the war
- Countries divided along 38th parallel
- UN casualties = 136,000
- Communist casualties = 1.5 million
- US forces remained stationed along the border
- Communism was contained!!!
VII. New Red Scare
A. Growth of domestic communism
B. Soviet influence in Eastern Europe
C. Communist takeover in China
D. Involvement in Korean War
E. HUAC established by Congress: investigated disloyalty
- Hollywood Ten: writers who refused to cooperate
- Blacklisting: refusing to hire suspected communists
VIII. Spies
A. Internal Security Act of 1950
- Required organizations to register w/ govt.
- Right to arrest people suspected of treason
B. Whitaker Chambers confessed to being a Soviet spy
- Accused Alger Hiss, State Dept. official, of spying
- “Pumpkin Papers” implicated Hiss
- Hiss found guilty and sentenced to five years
C. Rosenberg’s were convicted of supplying Soviets w/ A-bomb info
- Worldwide protests, “…innocent victims of Red Scare.”
- Executed in June 1953 for spying
IX. McCarthyism
A. Senator (R) Joseph McCarthy from Wisconsin
B. Wanted to expose communists in the US govt. and exploit fear
- Few challenged him and fear continued to grow
- Opponents didn’t want to be seen as communist sympathizers
C. Army-McCarthy hearings proved to be his downfall
- Joseph Welch, army attorney, was attacked by McCarthy
- Americans viewed McCarthy as a bully
- In 1954, Senate voted 67 to 22 to condemn him
- Many lives and careers had already been ruined
X. Fears at Home
A. Pop-culture began to reflect fear of communism
- Magazines and TV (Twilight Zone)
B. Movies: more than 40 anti-communist films between ’48-‘54
- Golden Age of Science Fiction
C. Bomb shelters built to protect against nuclear attack
XI. Eisenhower
A. Programs established to strengthen economy and meet basic needs
B. Economic prosperity
- Personal incomes increased  60 % of Americans in middle class
- Consumerism: appliances, homes, vacations  led to intro of credit cards
- Increased enrollment in college
C. Foreign policy, “New Look”
- Massive retaliation: use of nukes to fight communism
- Brinkmanship: go to the brink of war to avoid communism
- Tough talk, but no direct action related to nuke attacks
XII. Nuclear Age
A. Constant threat of nuclear war
B. Hydrogen bomb developed: more powerful than A-bomb
- Arms race began and Soviets began testing
C. Fear was prominent in America
- Led to bomb shelters, & “duck and cover” drills
- Activists promoted peace, but fear prevailed
D. Sputnik launched in October 1957
- Soviets gained the advantage, first to space
- Proved America was lagging behind
- US rushed to launch in January 1958
E. NASA was established in late 1958 to conduct space research
XIII. Cold War Moves and Crises
A. CIA (est. 1947): used covert operations to advance position & gain advantage
- First in Iran, Operation Ajax and then Guatemala to overthrow Arbenz
B. Suez Canal Crisis: canal connected Mediterranean and Red Sea
- Britain, France & Israel attacked Egypt  raised possibility of WWIII
- Soviets threatened to crush British, French & Israeli forces
- US joined Soviets in condemning aggression  war was avoided
C. Eastern Europe - Khrushchev called for destlanization after Stalin died
- Suggested capitalism and communism could peacefully co-exist
D. U-2 incident: Gary Powers spy plane shot down over USSR led to mistrust
E. Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis
- Naval blockade ordered in Cuba over nuclear installations  kept USSR out
XIV. End of the Cold War
A. Russian leader was Mikhail Gorbachev when USSR collapsed
- Soviet Union became Russia again and started democratic rule
B. US leader was Ronald Reagan & US became lone superpower
C. Berlin Wall was built initially to keep E. Germans from escaping to W. Berlin
- Started tearing it down in 11/1989
- German reunification became official in 10/1990
- Signaled end of the Cold War!
XV. A Prosperous Nation
A. Changing workforce
- Automation: equipment used to increase efficiency in factories
- Change in corporate structures: middle management w/ assistants (women)
- Decline in labor unions
B. Nation on the move
- Sun Belt grew
- Highway Act: national system of road travel
- People moved to suburbs & commuted
- AZ experienced post-war boom
- Population increased due to invention of air conditioner
- Economy boomed: copper was “king” (Copper State)
C. Life in the ‘Burbs
- Houses were inexpensive - Spacious rooms w/ large yards
- baby boom
- activities geared for families and kids
- ideal woman viewed as stay-at-home mom
D. Golden Age of Television
- 1949-1953: less than one million to more than 20 million
- Early stars: Milton Berle and Lucille Ball, I Love Lucy
E. Social critics
- J.D. Salinger: The Catcher in the Rye
- Jack Kerouac: “Beat” author who encouraged people to reject traditional society and find
themselves through their own path
F. Silent Generation: teenagers and college students of the time
- Mad magazine
- James Dean: Rebel Without a Cause
- Marlon Brando
G. Musical revolution
- Elvis: biggest rock-n-roll star of the 1950’s
- defined teenage culture of the times
- girls went crazy: waist-up only on TV
- Racial integration
- Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Buddy Holly
- Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and Little Richard
- mirrored battle over civil rights in the South