The Roots of the
Cold War
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Defined as an era of high
tension and bitter rivalry
Brewing since the 20s
However, the U.S. and
Soviets were allies against
the Nazis
Argued over war strategy
A-bomb is unleashed
• 17,000 tons of TNT
• 1,000,000 tons of TNT
The Iron Curtain
Descends
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Concern over Soviets in
Eastern Europe
• Yalta and Potsdam
Conferences
Soviet concern of a strong
Europe that might invade its
land
• Sought a barrier of Sovietfriendly nations
The Iron Curtain
Descends: 2
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Communism spreads
through puppet regimes
and Soviet-dominated
states
The Iron Curtain
• A sharp division emerges
and separates Europe
into two distinct factions:
 Western democracies
 Soviet communism
• Germany and Berlin is the
perfect example
Yalta
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Feb 4 to 11, 1945
Big Three: FDR, Churchill,
Stalin
Provisions
• Divide Germany
• Veto power in UN
• Soviets to join against Japan
3 months after defeat of
Germany
• Poland to have elections
Potsdam
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July 16 to Aug 2, 1945
Big Three: Truman,
Atlee, Stalin
Provisions
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Germany in Four Zones
Reparations from Germany
War criminals
Potsdam Declaration to
Japan: we’ve got a
weapon (detonated on day
one of the conference)
U.S. Responds
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Europe is economically
devastated once again
George Marshall (Sec. of
State) called for massive
American aid
The Marshall Plan
• $13.4 billion to 17 countries
(’48-’51)
• Mostly to France, GB, and
Italy; Stalin and the Soviets
refuse
U.S. Responds: 2
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What should the foreign policy
be?
Containment
• Est. by George Keenan
• Resist Soviet attempts to expand
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Truman Doctrine
• Aid to Greece and Turkey
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“the policy of the U.S. to support free
peoples who are resisting subjugation
by. . . Outside pressures. . .”
Crisis in Berlin
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Germany divided into four
occupation zones; Berlin
as well
Am./GB/France combine
zone and it becomes the
Federal Rep. of Germany
June 1948: Soviet
blockade of West Berlin
• 2.1 million cut off
Crisis in Berlin
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Berlin Airlift
• U.S. airlifted in
7,000 tons per day
• 280,000 flights in
total over the span
of a year
NATO is formed
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Widening conflict with the
Soviets concerned Western
European countries
Belg., Fr., Lux., Neth., U.K.,
then U.S., Can., Den., Ice.,
It., Nor., and Port.
An armed attack against one
is an attack against all
Today: 26+
Soviets formed the Warsaw
Pact
1949 – Yikes!!!!!!
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Soviet Union successfully
detonates an A-bomb
• U.S. aircraft picks up
radioactivity in the
North Pacific
China falls to Communism
• Next slide
China Falls
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U.S. supported Chiang Kaishek (and his Nationalist
Party). He is forced to flee
to the island of Taiwan.
Mao Zedong (Tse-tung)
and his Communist Party
win. They quickly took
over after the Japanese
withdrew.
China Falls: 2
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Asia is different than
Europe
U.S. invested billions in
Chiang
China was mostly peasant
Changes how the U.S.
views Ho Chi Minh in
French Indochina
(Vietnam)
HUAC
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House Un-American
Activities Committee
• Had been around since the
30s, but gained publicity in
the late 40s
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Hollywood Ten
Even Robert Oppenheimer
was stripped of top-secret
security clearance
Truman and Loyalty
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Claims of Communists in the
federal government
• 3 million investigated
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The Smith Act
• Crime to call for the overthrow of
the government
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McCarran Act – Communist
organizations must register
with the government; Pres.
Could detain suspected
subversives; etc.
• Truman vetoes, but it’s
overridden
Spy Cases
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Alger Hiss
• Former Communist
party member
Whittaker Chambers
Klaus Fuchs
• Atomic secrets to the
Soviets
Rosenbergs
• Death sentence:
executed in 1953
McCarthyism
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1950 – in WV senator
Joseph McCarthy claims he
knows the names of 205
communists in the State
Dept. Later he said 57
Helped explain China falling
and the Soviets getting the
bomb
He got involved in elections
In 1954 he attacked the
Army
Korean War, 1950-53
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After WWII Korea is divided at the
38th Parallel
North Korea (Kim Il-Sung) invades
South Korea (Syngman Rhee)
U.N. force led by U.S. (Soviets
don’t vote) defend the South
China joins the North
MacArthur wants to bomb China;
Truman fires him
Stalemate and Truce
Peace Corps, 1961
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Designed to promote world
peace and friendship by sending
American volunteers to
underdeveloped countries to live
among the people and show
them how to raise their standard
of living.
• Schools, train workers for modern
machinery, methods of sanitation,
Alliance for Progress, 1961
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Major effort to aid Latin America
Aid
• $20 billion over 10 years (long-term
longs, low interest loans)
Trade
• Expansion of trade, especially coffee
and tin
Reform
• Free schools, eradicating malaria,
building public housing, land to
peasants, equal tax burden
Bay of Pigs, 1961
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U.S. wants Castro out
Planned during Ike’s Adm.
American trained and armed
exiles storm Cuba
Castro’s forces are waiting for
them
It’s a disaster
Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962
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Soviets were bringing offensive
bombers and missiles into Cuba and
building missile bases
Kennedy informs them and then
orders a blockade
“If you launch missiles from Cuba,
we will launch a full attack on you.”
Stand-off ensues
Khrushchev backs down and removes
the missiles
Cold War Terms
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Brinkmanship -
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MAD –
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Domino Theory -
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“If the tiger ever stands still, the
elephant will crush him with his
mighty tusks. But the tiger will not
stand still. He will leap upon the
back of the elephant, tearing huge
chunks from his side, and then he
will leap back into the dark jungle.
And slowly the elephant will bleed
to death. Such will be the war in
Indochina.”
Vietnam War, ?-1973
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Post WWI – asked for independence but
was denied
French Indochina – allowed to come
back after WWI
WWII era – Ho Chi Minh had celebrated
with U.S. soldiers
Communists seek control
• Elephant and a tiger quote
• Battle of Dien Bien Phu
• Geneva Conference
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Geneva Accords
• Laos and Cambodia were
recognized as independent
• Vietnam divided at the 17th parallel
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North is communist (Hanoi)
South is non-communist (Saigon)
• Elections to be held in 1956
• The U.S. and South Vietnam did not
sign this
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Formation of SEATO (1955)
• Collective defense of Southeast Asia
from the spread of Communism; 8
countries sign it
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For two years both sides rally
support
• 1956 – the elections never take place
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U.S. becomes the backer of South
Vietnam
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Advisors and then troops during
the early 1960s
South Vietnam and the U.S. vs.
the North Vietnamese Army
(NVA) and the Vietcong (South
Vietnamese communist
guerillas)
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964)