What was the Cold War
and how did the U.S.
“fight” it?
United States vs. Soviet Union
United States
(U.S.A.)
Soviet Union
(U.S.S.R.)
Democracy
Communist
Bill
of Rights
Freedom
religion
of
Capitalism
dictatorship
Unquestioned
loyalty to
government
Atheism
Communism

The Cold War was a period after
World War II that involved the
political, economic, and military rivalry
between the U.S. and Soviet Union.

This rivalry resulted from a competition
for world power and influence between
the two superpowers.

Beginning under President Harry S.
Truman, the U.S. adopt a foreign
policy of containment to stop (Soviet)
communism from spreading.
President
Harry S. Truman
(1945–1953)

Examples of containment during the
Cold War include:
PostWWII
Europe
1. The U.S. using the Truman Doctrine
and Marshall Plan to provide aid to
European nations threatened by
communism after WWII.
X
X
Nations that received help
under the Truman Doctrine (1947)
Nations that received help
under the Marshall Plan (1948)
ProSoviet
Pro-American
Divided Germany (1949–1990)
2. The U.S. airlifting supplies to proAmerican West Berlin, from 1948 to
1949, after the city was blockaded by
the Soviet Union.
Berlin airlift
(1948–1949)
(Berlin Wall 1961–1989)
3. The U.S. and other western nations
forming a military alliance called the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization to
provide collective security against
potential communist aggression.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (1949–present)
4. The U.S. sending armed forces to
Korea in 1950 to prevent communist
North Korea’s attempted takeover of
non-communist South Korea during
the Korean War, . . .
North Korea
(communist)
South Korea
(noncommunist)
Korean War Casualties:
U.S. Dead: 36,516
U.S. Wounded 92,134
North Koreans Dead: 215,000
North Koreans Wounded 303,000
South Koreans Dead: 137,899
South Koreans Wounded 450,742
. . . which helped Korea remain a
divided nation when fighting during
the war ended in 1953.
Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) today