1945-1991
Conf lict between 2 nations that does not involve direct, open
warfare.
Both countries build up military forces in hopes to intimidate
the opposing country, and compete to gain inf luence over the
governments of other nations.
 January 1945:
 FDR, Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin met to discuss post
war future of Europe.
 Results:
 Soviets would enter war against Japan in return for Asian
territories.
 Germany would be divided into 4 zones of control. (US,
USSR, France, and England)
 Soviets would allow free elections in Eastern Europe.
 Formation of the United Nations:
 Signed in June 1945 by 50 nations including the US and USSR.
 Hope was that UN would allow the world’s nations to settle
disputes peacefully, thereby avoiding war.
United States
Soviet Union
 Created a policy of
 Soviets occupy most of
containment
 Both limited military
action and nonmilitary
means would be used to
contain Soviet
communist expansion
in areas of the world
that were of strategic
importance to the US.
Eastern and Central
Europe.
 Go back on there word! Do
not allow elections but
instead occupy nations
with troops
 Coined the Iron Curtain
 Described the wall of
isolation that the Soviets
created between E. Europe
and the rest of the world.
 Truman Doctrine
 The US would give
assistance to people
anywhere who were
attempting to resist
communism and Soviet
expansion.
 Marshall Plan
 US aid to war torn Europe
to help rebuild the nations
of Europe.
 13 billion was sent from
1948-1951 and not one
Western European nation
fell to communism who
was aided by this plan.
 US, France, and England
announced they were combining
their controlled areas of
Germany and forming the
Republic of West Germany.
 This included the areas
within the capital of Berlin
which lay deep inside Soviet
occupied Germany.
 Soviets responded by imposing a
blockade on Berlin and cutting
off all transportation routes.
 By not allowing supplies into
West Berlin the Soviets
hoped this would force the
West out.

Berlin Airlift
Unwilling to give in Truman sets up a
airlift of food, fuel, and other supplies
to West Berlin.
 Lasts day and night for 10 straight
months.
 Stalin realizing blockade failed, ended
it in May 1949.


Germany officially divided into 2 nations
Federal Republic of Germany or West
Germany
 German Democratic Republic or East
Germany


This crisis confirmed the Cold War
existence between the US and USSR.
Each nation built up their military
forces to try and intimidate the other.
 European nations began choosing sides
as well.

 April 1949:
 10 countries including the US
formed an alliance pledging to
come to each others aid if
attacked.
 North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO)
 To protect against Soviet
aggression built up a huge
military force.
 1955:
 Warsaw Pact
 Soviets created a mutual
defense alliance with the
Communist governments of
Eastern Europe under its
control.
 1950s the US changes its policy.
 No longer wanted to take
limited action in strategic
locations.
 US committed itself to fighting
against communist
movements wherever they
arose and combating
expansion world wide.
 China
 Long Civil War ended in
1949.
 Communist forces under
Mao Zedong formed the
People’s Republic of China.
 The Chinese government
under Chiang Kai Shek
defeated by Mao was forced
to flee to Taiwan.
 The US officially recognized
the government of Taiwan
(Formosa) as the official
government of China.

National Security Act: 1947
Army, navy, air force, and marines were
unified under the Department of
Defense.
 Created the Joints Chiefs of Staff which
heads each of the military branches
coordinating military policies.
 National Security Council established
to keep President updated on military
and foreign affairs.
 Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
established to collect info on other
countries, evaluate it, and pass it on to
foreign policy makers.

American people believed Communists
sympathizers had penetrated all levels
of government.
 Led to a massive hunt to search out and
uncover Communists.


People feared CIA would spy on the
American people. Truman promised it
would not.
The Red Scare


Hollywood:
Rumored to be filled with Communists
and reacting to public and government
pressure the film industry created a
blacklist
 People whose loyalty was suspicious
and would be barred from working in
Hollywood.


Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
Convicted of passing secret
information to the Soviets about the
Atomic bomb.
 They maintained their innocence but
were convicted, sentenced to death,
and executed in 1953.

 McCarthyism
 1950-1954 the search for Communists was dominated by
Senator Joseph McCarthy from Wisconsin.
 McCarthy publicly attacked many people alleged of being
Communist with no proof.
 His unfounded and baseless accusations ruined the lives and
careers of many people and heighten the paranoia in our
country.
 A new word was coined “McCarthyism” – the use of
unproved accusations against political opponents.
 McCarthy’s downfall came in 1954 when he turned his
investigation on the US Army and highly ranked and
respected officers.
 Loss of public support and the Senate’s reprimand ended his
influence.
1st large scale jet
vs jet dogfights
10 : 1 Kill ratio in
favor of US

Korean War: 1950-1953







North Korean forces invaded South Korea.
(Nations divided at 38th Parallel after WW II)
Suspecting the Soviets were behind the
invasion the US acted quickly
UN condemned action sent troops composed
of mainly US troops to stop invasion.
Pushed North Korean troops back until
China entered war on North Korean side.
UN troops were able to push them back to
the 38th Parallel.
2 more years of bitter fighting along the
parallel finally ended with a ceasefire in 1953.
Ceasefire



Created a narrow demilitarized zone along
the 38th Parallel where military forces could
not enter. (1 ½ miles on each side)
Neither sided achieved victory, 1000s of
Americans and nearly 2 million Chinese and
Koreans died, and nearly no change in
territory.
War did send a message to the Soviets that
the US was willing to put money and lives on
the line to fight Communist expansion.

Broke the policy of containment and instead
moved towards a new policy of massive
retaliation should the Soviets attack any other
nation.

Brinkmanship or pushing the Soviets to the
brink of war before the Soviets would agree to
become reasonable.

Created an arms race between the 2 nations.
 Created hydrogen bombs that were much
more powerful then the Atomic bomb
 Developed IRBM’s and ICBM’s

Laid 40,000 miles of highway in US under the
Federal Highway Act
 Roads were built to improve military
mobility in case of an attack it had other
results.
 Automobile and oil industries

Civil Defense Administration
 Educated public in case of a nuclear
attack
 Air raid drills, bomb shelters
 Sputnik
 Successful Soviet launch of a
satellite into space.
 Failure of US satellite Vanguard was
an embarrassment.
 Led to Creation of the National
Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA)
 US first successful satellite launch
was Explorer in 1958.
 Marked beginning of Space Race.
 Project Mercury was nation’s first
program to put a man in space.
 Led to increased funding for
teaching science and technology
in schools.
 Started to pull ahead in the space
race.

Egypt




Egypt took control of Suez Canal.
Israel, France, England attacked Egypt to
overthrow gov. and protect oil shipments.
Soviets threaten missile attacks and the 3
nations backed out.

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
Hungary


Soviet tanks poured in to crush a revolt.
US condemned action but did not act.
Vietnam
Guatemala


CIA helped overthrow the gov.
Cuba





French losing war in 1950s asked US for help.
US did not help and Vietnam was temporarily
split into 2 countries by the Geneva Accords
until free elections.
Fidel Castro overthrew gov. became a
dictatorship and turned to Soviets for help.
CIA planed to overthrow Castro
Bay of Pigs – 1500 CIA trained Cuban exiles
were suppose to land, spark an uprising, and
overthrow gov.
Plan was crushed by Castro and the Cuban
exiles were captured.
U2 Incident


American spy plane shot down over USSR
territory.
Soured relations and heightened the tensions
of the Cold War


Cuban Missile Crisis
 US spy plan revealed that Soviets
were building nuclear launch sites
on Cuba.
 Kennedy ordered a blockade of Cuba
until Soviets agreed to remove
missiles.
 Promised to destroy any Soviet ship
that tried and break the blockade.
 After a few tense days the Soviets
ships approaching Cuba turned
back, and the Soviets agreed to
remove the missiles from Cuba.
Closest world had come to Nuclear war
 1963 – a hot line was established
between Moscow and DC allowing
instant communication in a time of
crisis.
 2 countries tried to establish better
relationships.
 Space Race Revisited
 Yuri Gagarin becomes 1st
person to orbit the Earth.
 Alan Shepard Jr becomes 1st
American to make a space
flight.
 Not happy with being 2nd,
Kennedy promises to “put a
man on the moon and bring
them back safely by the end
of the decade”
 July 1969
 American Neil Armstrong
took the 1st human steps on
the moon.

Domino Theory
 Applied to nations of Southeast Asia.
 If one nation fell to the Communists,
others would follow.
 US wanted to prevent Vietnam from
becoming the 1st domino.

Southeast Asia Treaty Organization
(SEATO)
 US and 7 other nations pledged joint
action against any aggressor. (1954)

Berlin Wall
 Built in 1961 against US protest and
after a large number of East Germans
fled to West Germany through West
Berlin.
 The Soviets and East Germany
erected a wall that completely cut
communications.
 After Ho Chi Minh defeated the
French in 1954 Vietnam was
divided into 2 nations.
 North Vietnam
 Controlled by the
Communists
 South Vietnam
 Controlled by the non
communists supported by
the US.
 Suppose to be reunited in 1956
after free elections. The
elections were never held.
 Ngo Dinh Diem gained power in
the South and refused to hold
elections.
 This was supported by US
because most South Vietnamese
favored Communism.
 Diem tried to destroy forces
working against them but, they
organized into the National
Liberation Front or the Vietcong.
 In 1959 a war started between
the Vietcong and South
Vietnam.
 1963 Diem was assassinated by
the South Vietnamese military.
 A coup JFK supported but
not the assassination.
Estimated 500,000 birth defects from agent orange

LBJ needed Congressional support to
escalate US involvement.

Gulf of Tokin
 Allegedly North Vietnamese forces
attacked US destroyers.

Gulf of Tokin Resolution
 Allowed President to take all
necessary measures to repel any
armed attack against American
forces.

LBJ used this resolution to escalate US
involvement
 By 1968 500,000 troops and a intense
bombing campaign was under way.
 Ho Chi Minh Trail was one target of
the bombing
 Brought weapons and supplies
into South Vietnam from the
North.

Fighting was difficult for American forces.
 Dense jungles, muddy trails, swampy
areas
 Vietcong blended into society, did not
know friend from enemy.
 South Vietnamese military not a
effective fighting force.

New Weapons
 Napalm
 Air Cavalry (search and destroy)
 Agent Orange
 Toxic herbicide that killed jungle
vegetation.
 Contaminated many US soldiers
and caused severe health
problems.

American war tactics caused enormous
casualties for North Vietnam and the
Vietcong but it did not seem to matter.
 As the war dragged on protest
erupted.
 Hawks vs Doves
 Hawks – supported war
 Doves – leave Vietnam
 Opposition to the Draft
 All males a the age of 18 had to




register for the draft.
Majority of soldiers came from
poor or working class backgrounds
Full time college students mainly
from middle and upper classes got
excused.
People claimed their religion or
moral beliefs did not allow them
to fight in any war
End the draft, ends the supply of
soldiers, therefore the war
 Tet Offensive
 Turning point of the war.
 North Vietnam and the
Vietcong launch a series
of assaults.
 Attack American bases.
 Penetrated the American
Embassy.
 Took one of South
Vietnam’s most
important cities – Hue
 US finally drove assault
back but:
 The American public
and media grew more
critical of US
involvement.
 Saw Vietcong killing
Americans in the US
embassy on TV.
 Contradicted reports
that US was winning the
war.
 Nixon wanted to remove US troops

Final Straw
 Civil war breaks out between
communist and non-communist
forces in neighboring Cambodia.
 Nixon invades and destroys
communist forces.
 Congress and American people
outraged that US attacked a
neutral nation and that Nixon
overstepped his Presidential
authority.

Sparks series od deadly protest in US
 May 4, 1970 Kent State –
 4 students shot and killed and 9
wounded by National Guard.
 May 15, 1970 Jackson State –
 2 students shot and killed.
but he wanted to do it in a way it did
not look like defeat.
 3 Part Plan
 Began drafting less soldiers and
promise to eliminate draft all
together.
 Turn more and more
responsibility for fighting the
war over to South Vietnamese
Military and withdraw US troops
slowly. (Vietnamization)
 Authorized bombings of
neighboring nations of Laos and
Cambodia to destroy enemy
supply routes. (keep secret)
Peace is at Hand

Nixon begins massive bombing of North
Vietnam.

Paris Peace Accords of 1973





 More than 1,000,000 Vietnamese
Forces North Vietnam to negotiate for
peace.
 US Forces South Vietnam to accept the
peace terms.


Legacy of Vietnam
Officially ended the war.
US would remove all troops.
North Vietnam would return all
POW’s.
1975
North Vietnam attacks again.
No US help South Vietnam falls in
April 1975 to Communist forces.
 US left many supporters behind to face
the consequences from Communist
forces and their leaders.





lost their lives.
58,000 Americans died with
300,000 wounded, many
permanently.
Cost 150 billion dollars.
Soldiers returning home did not
receive a hero's welcome and were
largely ignored because people
wanted to forget.
Many soldiers were listed as MIA’s
and still are today.
Memorial erected in DC to honor all
who were KIA or MIA in 1982.
 Expanded US military to fight a tough war on Communism.
 Built new tanks, aircraft, ships, and nuclear weapons.
 Proposed Strategic Missile Defense (“Star Wars”)
 A shield against enemy missiles.
 Scientists could not develop technology to make it work.
 Soviet Union chose Mikhail Gorbachev as its new leader.
 Instituted a policy of glasnost or “openness”
 Open Soviet society to new ideas and western ideas.
 Soviet economy was in bad shape Gorbachev wanted to stop
wasting money on expensive nuclear weapons.
 Tried to convince Reagan to end the nuclear arms race.
 Gorbachev wanted to end the
arms race so he could focus on
the economic problems in his
country.
 START Treaty (Strategic Arms
Reduction Treaty)1991
 Marked first time 2 nuclear
powers agreed to destroy
existing nuclear weapons.
 Soviet people became impatient
with Gorbachev and for the 1st
time could voice their concerns.
 Led to protests and unrest.
 Many Soviet republics
demanded independence.

Communist control in Eastern Europe
started to crumble and Gorbachev
encourage reform.
 Berlin Wall fell in 1989
 East Germany and West Germany
reunited in 1991.

A coup was staged by Soviet Communist
military generals to take Gorbachev
hostage.
 After a couple days the coup
collapsed and Gorbachev was
released.
 This accelerated democratic reform.
 15 Soviet republics declared their
independence
 Yeltsin outlawed the Communist
Party.

In December 1991, Gorbachev announce
the end of the Soviet Union.