The Cold War and the
Americas:
1945 - 1981
S
DO NOW:
S Write down everything you
know about the Cold War
(including who was involved
and what the reasons were
behind it)
Agenda: Day 70
S Do Now: Knowledge of the Cold War
S Notes (7)
S Cold War Terminology Activity
S Berlin Blockade
S Cartoon Analysis
S Truman Doctrine Policy Analysis
The Cold War
S A contest of ideology, diplomatic movements, military
activities, and political actions involving two
protagonists, the United States and the Soviet Union,
locked in a contest for dominance and engulfed the rest
of the Americas in the process
Cold War Terminology Activity
S As a group decide on two advantages and two disadvantages of
the capitalist and communist systems.
S Do you think the Western world was afraid of the idea of
communism or the political implementation?
S If, as Lenin suggested, communist groups have leaders, does this
mean they are not truly communist?
S Which countries are still communist today? How are these
countries seen by the Western world?
Differences Between the USSR and
the United States
S The USA followed democratic and capitalist policies, while
the USSR pursued a communist line
S The USSR feared that opening up to trade would allow
‘harmful’ capitalist influences into the country
S At the end of the war, Germany was divided between the
USA, the USSR, France and Britain
Berlin Blockade
S Video:
Political Cartoon Analysis
S What are the implications of this political cartoon?
S What does this cartoon foreshadow? Explain!
S Do you think that this is still true today? Why or why not?
Why Was Communism Deemed
“Bad?”
S Communism was regarded as a totalitarian
system- when a government has absolute
control over all aspects of life, and suppresses
opposing views
S This interpretation dominated historical
thinking in the West, justifying Western
attitudes towards the USSR
President Harry Truman
President Truman
S President after FDR’s death in 1945
S Adopted a hard-line approach to the USSR
S This asserted him in his new role and pressure from anti-
communist groups in the USA
S Authorized the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan in
August 1945
Containments Under President
Truman
S After the Second World War the leaders of the United
States came to focus on Europe and Asia, treating their
Latin American neighbors as an afterthought
S Stability, not democracy became a goal in the fight against
communism
S The Truman administration felt it was imperative that Latin
America needed to remain non-communist and friendly to
the global goals of the United States
Do Now: Day 70
S How do leaders come up with ideas for
policies? What would be the challenges
to creating a policy or law in order to fix
a problem? Who is responsible when it
does not work as it was intended?
Policy of Containment
S A series of strategies to prevent the spread of communism
S First tested in Greece to support the government against
communism rebels
S Truman asked Congress to approve $400 million in
economic and military aid to Turkey and Greece
Truman Doctrine
S Truman declared “I believe that it must be the policy of the
United States to support free people who are resisting
subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures.”
S Stated that the world was faced with a clear choice: freedom
with a capitalist democracy, or repression with communisma global struggle between two very different ways of life
S To prepare for this fight against communism two new
agencies were created: Central Intelligence Agency and the
National Security Council
Truman Doctrine Analysis
S Historians have attributed several motives to Truman for
introducing his doctrine in 1947. These motives include:
S 1) gaining global economic power
S 2) demonizing the USSR in the minds of the public
S 3) winning the presidential election/Truman’s personal views
about the value of democracy
S 4) basic diplomacy to protect Greece and Turkey
S 5) a need to provoke the USSR
S 6) becoming the world’s policeman
In groups of three, choose three of these motives and research it
further using the links provided. Then write an argument for
and against each motive as a reason for the introduction of the
Truman Doctrine.
Examples
S Truman was compelled to implement the Truman Doctrine
because he wanted to show the rest of the world the horrible
face of the Soviet Union. He did this to demonize the USSR
and encourage the rest of the world to do the same. Some
would say the policy was created in order to gain global
economic power, but according to an article from the New
York Times, Truman wanted the American opinion and
other nations to view communism and specifically the
Soviet Union in a negative light.
Truman Doctrine
Analysis Links
S http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/truman_doctrine.htm
S http://www.trumanlibrary.org/teacher/doctrine.htm
S http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/24491/john-lewis-
gaddis/reconsiderations-the-cold-war-was-the-trumandoctrine-a-real-tur
Implementing Policy
S Given the information that you have learned about the Cold
War you will be creating a policy for the United States to
deal with the Cold War
S You must create a policy to deal with communism and have
a detailed plan with how you would deal with Russia and
Latin America