THE COLD WAR
BEGINS
{
U.S. HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY
CHAPTER 13

39 countries set up parameters of UN




General Assembly – every member nation with one vote
Security Council – 11 members, 5 permanent – Britain, U.S.,
France, China, Soviet Union
April 25, 1945: 50 countries officially organize UN & sign
the charter on April 26
Security Council is responsible for international peace &
security & could ask members to use military force if
necessary
UNITED NATIONS


February 1945: FDR, Churchill, & Stalin meet to discuss what to
do after war
Key Issue: Poland.




Agreement: FDR & Churchill would recognize communist
government set up by Soviets & Stalin would involve members of
the prewar Polish government & allow for free elections
Declaration of Liberated Europe: asserted that the people of
Europe would be allowed to choose their form of government
through free elections
Germany: divided into 4 zones controlled by Britain, France, U.S.,
& Soviet Union. Reparations for war damages could be paid with
trade goods & products, half of which went to Soviet Union
SEE MAP PG. 319
YALTA CONFERENCE
From Left: Winston Churchill, FDR, Joseph Stalin





Two weeks after Yalta, Soviets pressured king of Romania
into having a communist government
U.S. accused Soviets of violating Declaration of Liberated
Europe
Soviets refused to allow 3 non-communist members into
Polish government. No free elections either
April 1 – FDR informed Soviet Union that their actions were
unacceptable
COLD WAR: era of confrontation & competition between
nations that lasted from about 1946 to 1990
RISING TENSIONS


Soviet Security: wanted Germany weak & countries in between
them & Germany to be under their control. Stalin believed
communism to be a superior economic system that would replace
capitalism & accepted Lenin’s theory that capitalist nations would
try to destroy communism
Economic Differences:



U.S. = capitalistic economy where private citizens controlled
almost all economic activity; voting by people elected a president
& congress from competing political parties.
Soviet = communistic economy where the state controlled all
property & economic activity; Communist Party established a
totalitarian government with no opposing parties
FDR & advisers were convinced that economic growth through
world trade was key to peace (Internationalism ideal).
SOVIET CONCERNS &
U.S. ECONOMY



December 1946: Resolution makes genocide punishable
internationally
Convention of the Prevention and Punishment of the
Crime of Genocide: 1st human rights treaty
Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948: chaired by
Eleanor Roosevelt. Inherent dignity of every human & a
commitment to end discrimination
UN RESPONSES TO THE
WAR




July 1945 – Meeting of the “Big Three” – U.S., Britain, Soviet
Union. Truman wanted Germany’s economy to revive through
industrialization. Soviets wanted reparations to be paid.
Truman was against heavy reparations. Suggested that Soviets
take reparations from their zone & offered them a small amount
of industrial equipment from the other zones with payments
toward these with food shipments. Stalin did not like this as his
zone was mostly agricultural.
Truman will pressure Stalin to keep his promise at Yalta for free
elections by a secret ballot with a multiparty system in Poland.
Stalin will not do this.
Truman learns of the success of atomic bomb tests & hinted to
Stalin about the new, powerful weapon (bully tactic). Stalin knew
he had to accept the terms in order to get some reparations.
POTSDAM CONFERENCE




Presence of Soviet army in Eastern Europe ensured that
pro-Soviet communist governments would be established
in Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, & Czechoslovakia
(satellite nations)
March 5, 1946: Former British Prime Minister Winston
Churchill coins the phrase “iron curtain” falling across
Eastern Europe with the communist takeover. For 43 years
these term will be used to describe communist nations of
Eastern Europe & Soviet Union.
SEE ANALYZING PRIMARY SOURCES PG. 321
SEE MAP PG. 322
IRON CURTAIN DESCENDS

THE LONG TELEGRAM
 Message sent by George Kennan explaining his views of
the Soviets & their behavior

Soviets view of the world came from a traditional sense of
insecurity & fear of the West which was intensified by the
communist ideas of Lenin & Stalin

Kennan proposed what becomes the basic American
policy throughout the Cold War: containment
CONTAINING COMMUNISM



After the war, Soviet troops in northern Iran were
supposed to withdraw. Instead they stayed & Stalin
demanded access to Iran’s oil supplies & would begin to
help local communists in northern Iran set up a separate
government
America saw the actions as a Soviet push into the Middle
East. Message was sent to Stalin to withdraw & the USS
Missouri was sent into the eastern Mediterranean
Soviet forces withdrew as they were promised a joint
Soviet-Iranian oil company which Iranian parliament
later rejected
CRISIS IN IRAN




Stalin wanted control of the Dardanelles in Turkey as it provided
a strategic route from the Black Sea into the Mediterranean.
Truman will make a show of force sending the Missouri & the new
aircraft carrier Franklin D. Roosevelt to protect Turkey & the
eastern Mediterranean
Britain was trying to assist Greece in fighting against Greek
communist guerillas who were trying to take over the Greek
government. Britain will not be able to continue to assist Greece &
informed Truman
Truman Doctrine: Truman will ask Congress for $400 million to
fight communist aggression in Greece and Turkey. Goal is to aid
those who worked to resist being controlled by others. It pledged
the U.S. to fight the spread of communism worldwide
SEE PRIMARY SOURCE PG. 324
TRUMAN DOCTRINE
Cartoon Represents the growing
feeling in America in 1946 that
the Soviet Union was effectively
‘conquering’ eastern Europe.
Stalin – as one of the Big Three –
is depicted as a policeman (one
of those in charge with keeping
order in the world), but he is
abusing his position by taking
‘territorial gains’. The cartoon is
also critical of Truman & the
United Nations, who are
depicted as weak, dithery, &
ultimately complicit in Stalin’s
expansionism – because they are
allowing it. The message of the
cartoon is essentially a call for
the U.S. government to take a
tougher line with the USSR – it is
saying that the US needs to
adopt what was later called ‘the
Truman Doctrine’







Proposed by Secretary of State George C. Marshall, June 1947
Economic Recovery Program (Marshall Plan): pumped billions of
dollars of aid to European nations to use to rebuild their
economies, or to aid in the battle “against hunger, poverty,
desperation, & chaos”.
Truman saw the Marshall Plan & Truman Doctrine essential for
containment of communism
Soviets rejected this type of assistance.
The region’s recovery through this plan weakened the appeal of
communism & opened new markets for trade
In 1949, Truman proposed assistance for underdeveloped countries
outside the war zone. Point Four Program will aide them with
scientific advances & industrial progress
SEE CHART PG. 325
MARSHALL PLAN





Western Europe’s prosperity depended on Germany’s recovery but
Soviets wanted reparations to be paid. American officials
concluded Soviets were trying to undermine Germany’s economy.
U.S., Britain, & France will merge their zones, setting the Federal
Republic of Germany (West Germany) & allowed the Germans to
have their own government. They merged their zones in Berlin as
well (West Berlin).
Soviet zone will become the German Democratic Republic (East
Germany) with East Berlin
Soviets were convinced that they would never get their reparations
& would blockade West Berlin in June 1948
Berlin Airlift - June 1948 to spring 1949: Truman sent bombers to
bases in Britain & would begin flying supplies into Berlin instead
of troops. This symbolized American determination of
containment & to not give into Soviet demands
BERLIN AIRLIFT






North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) – formed April
1949.
12 countries: U.S., Canada, Britain, France, Italy, Belgium,
Denmark, Portugal, Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, &
Iceland.
Agreed to come to the aid of any member who was attacked.
1st time U.S. committed to maintaining peace in Europe
6 years later, NATO allowed West Germany to rearm & join
its organization. Soviets were alarmed & organized a
military alliance in Eastern Europe with 7 countries known
as the Warsaw Pact
SEE MAP PG. 326
NATO







Communist forces led by Mao Zedong & the Nationalist
government led by Chiang Kai-shek continued their civil war that
they had suspended to fight against the Japanese during WWII
U.S. will send $2 billion in aid to the Nationalist government to
keep them in power. The funds were squandered this advantage
due to poor military planning & corruption.
1949: Communists had captured Beijing & support for Nationalists
declined.
August 1949: U.S. discontinued aid & Nationalists fled to Formosa
(Taiwan.
October 1949: People’s Republic of China (communist nation) is
formed
1950: China & Soviet Union signed a treaty of friendship &
alliance.
U.S. will use its veto power in the UN Security Council to keep
representatives of the new communist China out of UN
CHINESE REVOLUTION


General Douglas MacArthur was in charge of occupied
Japan & was to introduce democracy & keep them from
threatening war again.
With changes in China U.S. decided to allow for the
recovery of Japan’s industrial economy, looking at Japan as
the key to defending Asia
NEW POLICIES IN JAPAN




At end of WWII: American & Soviet forces entered Korea to
disarm Japanese troops. They divided Korea at the 38th
parallel of latitude. Soviets controlled the north, American
troops the south.
Talks to reunify Korea broke down. Communist Korean
government organized in the north, American-backed
government controlled the south. Soviets provided military
aid to North Koreans who built an army.
June 25, 1950: North Korean troops invaded the south, driving
back South Korean forces
Truman saw this as a test of the containment policy & ordered
naval & air power into action. He obtained support from the
UN stating the Soviet Union was boycotting the Security
Council over the China policy. UN agreed to send troops.
THE KOREAN WAR



Truman orders MacArthur to send American troops from Japan to Korea.
The American & South Korean troops were driven back to the port of
Pusan where they resisted the North Koreans, giving MacArthur time.
September 15, 1950: MacArthur orders an invasion behind enemy lines at
the port of Inchon. Taking the North Koreans by surprise they will retreat
back across the 38th parallel. Truman gave the order to pursue them
beyond the 38th parallel. MacArthur pushed them back to the Yalu River,
the border with China
China Enters the War: UN troops advanced passed the river despite
warnings from communist China. Chinese forces then began fighting
forcing the UN forces back across the 38th parallel. MacArthur demands
approval to expand the war against China asking for a blockade of
Chinese ports, use of Chiang Kai-shek’s forces & the bombing of Chinese
cities with atomic weapons
THE KOREAN WAR


Truman Fires MacArthur: Truman refused MacArthur’s
demands. MacArthur will publicly criticize the president &
argued that it was a mistake to keep the war limited.
Truman fired MacArthur for insubordination in April 1951.
MacArthur returned home to parades & a hero’s welcome.
Truman will be supported by Congress & military leaders
who supported his decision to be committed to limited war
in Asia.
SEE POLITICAL CARTOON PG. 329
THE KOREAN WAR



Armistice Ends Fighting: By mid-1951 UN forces had pushed the
Chinese & North Korean forces back across the 38th parallel. July 1951
– peace negotiations began in Panmunjom. Dwight D. Eisenhower is
elected president in 1952 & traveled to Korea. He will hint to the
Chinese that the U.S. might use a nuclear attack against Korea. July
1953 – negotiators signed an armistice (NOT a treaty) with a battle line
near the prewar boundary (38th parallel) & created a demilitarized
zone (DMZ) separating them. American troops are still based in Korea
to help defend South Korea’s border.
Changes in Policy: U.S. will embark on a major military build up to
help contain communism as the Cold War now expanded into Asia. In
1954, U.S. signed defense agreements with Japan, South Korea, &
Taiwan. Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) is formed in
954. Aid will flow to French forces fighting Communists in Vietnam
SEE MAP PG. 327
THE KOREAN WAR
Chinese Troops




September 1945: Igor Gouzenko walked out of Soviet Embassy
in Ottawa, Canada with information showing a Soviet effort to
infiltrate government agencies in Canada & U.S. to obtain
information on the atomic bomb.
This escalated into a general fear of communist subversion
State & local governments, universities, businesses, unions,
churches, & private groups began to purge communists from
within their organizations
Taft-Hartley Act 1947: required union leaders to take oaths
that they were not communists. Union leaders did not object &
launched efforts to purge their own organizations.
A NEW RED SCARE


Truman set up the Federal Employee Loyalty Program
which included the Loyalty Review Board which was to
investigate ALL federal employees & to dismiss those
found to be disloyal to U.S. government or a part of any
organization that was considered “subversive”.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) led the investigation
of some 14k people. 2k quiz their jobs under pressure, 212
were fired for “questionable loyalty”
LOYALTY REVIEW
PROGRAM


House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)
formed in 1938 to investigate subversive activities in U.S.
J. Edgar Hoover will go before the committee in 1947
asking them to hold public hearings on Communist
subversion not just against communists but against
“communist sympathizers” & “fellow travelers”. FBI,
under Hoover’s leadership, will infiltrate groups suspected
of subversion & wiretap thousands of phones
HUAC

1947 – HUAC will focus on the film industry as it was
believed communists were sneaking in propaganda into
films. Committee pointed to pro-Soviet films made during
WWII when Soviet & U.S. were allies. Ronald Reagan
(future president) was head of the Screen Actors Guild &
testified before the committee that there were communists in
Hollywood. HUAC then put ten screenwriters
(“Hollywood Ten”) on the stand. They all used their 5th
amendment right to protect themselves from selfincrimination & refused to testify. Producers will then create
blacklists of individuals who was believed to be a
communist or who refused to cooperate with the committee
HUAC ATTACKS
HOLLYWOOD
REFERENCING TODAY

Whittaker Chambers testified on HUAC that several
government officials were former communists or spies. He
named Alger Hiss who served in FDR’s administration,
attended Yalta Conference, & helped organize the UN.
Chambers accused Hiss of giving him secret State Department
documents. Hiss denied all of this & of knowing Chambers.
Committee was going to drop the case until Richard Nixon
(CA representative & future president) convinced them to see
who lied. Chambers produced copies of documents &
microfilm to prove Hiss was lying. Jury agreed & convicted
Hiss of perjury. Soviet cables released in the 1990s by the
National Security Agency proved Hiss’ guilt.
ALGER HISS

September 3, 1949 Soviets exploded an atomic bomb. In
1950, German physicist Klaus Fuchs admitted to giving the
Soviet Union info about atomic bomb. He implicated Ethel
& Julius Rosenberg. FBI arrested the Rosenbergs who were
minor members of the communist party & were charged
with being spies. Rosenbergs denied the charges stating
that they were being persecuted for being Jewish & having
radical beliefs. They were convicted of espionage &
sentenced to death. Appeals & pleas were denied & they
were our first U.S. civilians executed in June 1953 for
espionage.
THE ROSENBERGS


American & British cryptographers cracked the Soviet
Union’s spy code allowing them to read messages between
Moscow & the U.S. Messages confirmed extensive Soviet
spying & ongoing efforts to steal nuclear secrets. Existence
was revealed in 1995. These documents provided strong
evidence that the Rosenbergs were guilty
SEE ANALYZING SUPREME COURT CASES PG. 333 –
Watkins v. United States 1957
PROJECT VENONA




Joseph R. McCarthy will give a speech to a Republic women’s group in
W.VA stating that he had a list of 205 names of individuals were
communists working in the government. He will continue on accusing
Democratic Party Leaders of corruption & of protecting communists.
He would target Secretary of State Dean Acheson & George C.
Marshall.
McCarthy’s list will NEVER appear.
Internal Security Act (McCarran Act): made it illegal to attempt to
establish a totalitarian government in the U.S. & required all
Communist0related organizations to publish their records & register
with the U.S. attorney general.
Truman was unwilling to punish people for their opinions & vetoed
the bill. Congress overrode his veto in 1950. U.S. Supreme Court cases
eventually will limit the act’s ability.
MCCARTHYISM




McCarthy is appointed chairman of the Senate subcommittee on
investigations. These became witch-hunts. McCarthy’s will
damage reputations with vague, unfounded charges. This
becomes known as McCarthyism
In 1954 McCarthy began looking for Soviet spies in the U.S. Army.
Hearings were televised & he will bully officers, harassing them &
accusing them of misconduct. Support began to fade away from
McCarthy.
McCarthy then went after a young lawyer in Joseph Welch’s firm
(lawyer for Army) who had been a member of communist-front
organization during law school (his past). Welch exploded back at
McCarthy saying things that many had been thinking.
Senate will pass a vote of censure against McCarthy. He remained
in Senate losing all influence & died in 1957.
MCCARTHYISM


Americans would race to develop the hydrogen bomb (Hbomb) which would be more powerful than the atomic bomb
before the Soviets. November 1, 1952 America would have
success. They would be shocked as the Soviets did this a year
later. Preparations for Americans in case of a Soviet attack
including bomb drills & bomb shelters.
These attempts to make people feel safer would not have
protected them from fallout – radiation left over after a blast.
Many will build backyard fallout shelters
FACING THE BOMB

Cold War themes will appear in films, plays, television,
dance tunes, & popular fiction







I Was a communist for the FBI (1951)
Walk East on Beacon (1952)
The Crucible (1953) – serves as a cautionary tale about how
hysteria can lead to false accusations
I led Three Lives (TV, 1953)
“Atomic Boogies” & “Atom Bomb Baby” – songs
Tomorrow! – novel describing the horrific effects of nuclear
war
Hiroshima – non-fiction book by John Hersey. 6 firsthand
accounts of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima
POPULAR CULTURE IN
COLD WAR

“MORE BANG FOR THE BUCK”

Eisenhower believed that the key to victory against
communism was not military might but having a strong
economy as well. U.S. needed to show the world that the free
enterprise system could work to help communists from
gaining support
Eisenhower knew that to maintain a huge army was
expensive & turned to the nation not being afraid of using
nuclear weapons in all forms. By using nuclear weapons,
Eisenhower was convinced that this was the best way to deal
with communism. Policy became known as massive
retaliation
Eisenhower reduces military spending but builds up the
nuclear arsenal from 1k bombs in 1953 to over 18k bombs in
1961


EISENHOWER’S POLICIES


Eisenhower’s policy of brinkmanship worried many
Americans. He will use this policy during several crises
that arise.
Taiwan Crisis 1954: Communist China wanted to take
over Taiwan which was under control of the Chinese
Nationalists who had fled there. China will begin shelling
the islands & Eisenhower will ask Congress to authorize
the use of force to defend Taiwan. Warning was then
issued to China that U.S. naval forces will defend Taiwan
& nuclear bombs will be used. China backs down.
BRINKMANSHIP


The Suez Crisis: Egypt wanted assistance building a dam on the
Nile River which Secretary of State Dulles attempted to obtain
from Congress. It was discovered that Egypt bought weapons
from communist Czechoslovakia & deal was withdrawn.
Egyptian troops seized the Suez Canal which was under control
by an Anglo-French company & were going to sue the profits to
build the dam. October 1956 – Britain & France invade Egypt.
Eisenhower is furious & puts nuclear forces on alert. Pressure by
the U.S. will cause Britain & France to back down allowing for the
Soviet Union to win a diplomatic victory & opening the way for
other Arab nations to accept Soviet aid
SEE ANALYZING PRIMARY SOURCES 337
BRINKMANSHIP



Eisenhower knew the policy of brinkmanship would not work all the time.
So he would use covert operations that were conducted by the Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) to assist.
Most of CIA’s operations were in developing nations with primarily
agricultural economies that were looking to industrialize & looked to the
Soviet Union’s model to accomplish this. The covert operation would
overthrow an anti-American leader & replace them with a pro-American
leader.
IRAN & GUATEMALA
 Iran 1953: Iranian Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh nationalized the
Anglo-Iranian Oil Company & was going to make an oil deal with Soviet Union.
Pro-American shah of Iran tried to force Mossadegh out of office, failing & fled
into exile. CIA sent agents to organize riots & arrange a coup against Mossadegh
& returned the shah to power.
 Guatemala 1954: Jacobo Arbenz Guzman is elected president with communist
support in 1950. He will take over large estates & plantations including those
owned by United Fruit Company (U.S.). Communist Czechoslovakia delivered
arms to Guatemala & CIA began training the Guatemalan opposition. These
forces than invaded in 1954, forcing Guzman out of office
CIA



Stalin dies in 1953 & Nikita Khrushchev becomes the new
Soviet leader in 1956. He attacks Stalin’s policies & stated
that there were many ways to build a communist society in
his speech to Soviet officials.
CIA obtains copies of the speech & distributed them
throughout Eastern Europe. Many countries were
frustrated with communist rule.
October 1956 – uprising in Hungary against communist
rule. Khrushchev will send in the Soviet tanks & crush the
rebellion as he never implied that the Soviet Union would
tolerate an end to communism. U.S. does nothing
SOVIET UNION’S
CHANGE



President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt will use covert
means to help spread pan-Arabism – the idea that all Arab
people should be united into one nation, working with Jordan
& Syria to make this happen
Nasser’s links to the Soviets & feared that he was going to
take control of the Middle East caused Eisenhower to ask
Congress to authorize the use of military force against
communist aggression in the Middle East. This becomes
know as the Eisenhower Doctrine.
July 1958: Nasser & the Soviets seized power in Iraq.
President of Lebanon asked U.S. for help. Eisenhower sent in
5k marines to Beirut. Once situation was stabilized troops
were withdrawn
EISENHOWER DOCTRINE



Khrushchev supported coexistence with capitalist countries
but accused them of starting an arms race. In 1957, Soviets
launched Sputnik, 1st satellite, putting them into space. This
begins what becomes known as the “space race”. January 31,
1958 U.S. launches its first successful satellite
Khrushchev then demanded Allied troop withdrawal in
West Berlin. Secretary of State Dulles refused & stated that
NATO would respond by use of brinkmanship if needed.
Khrushchev will back down.
Khrushchev will visit the U.S. in 1959 at Eisenhower’s
invitation & both agreed to hold a summit in Paris in 1960.
SOVIET ADVANCES


Before the summit an American U-2 spy plane is shot down
over the Soviet Union. Eisenhower stated that it was a
weather plane until Khrushchev produced the pilot, Francis
Gary Powers. Eisenhower refused to apologize stating that
this was to protect American security. Khrushchev broke off
the summit.
In January 1961, Eisenhower leaves office warning
Americans to be on guard against the influence of the
military-industrial complex in a democracy. Eisenhower
avoided war & contained communism but he had sent
military advisers to South Vietnam to train their army & had
to watch Fidel Castro establish a communist regime in Cuba.
SPY PLANE INCIDENT