The Cold War
The Red Scare of the 1950’s
Origins of the Cold War
• Cold War - the bitter state of conflict between the
USA and the USSR for more than 4 decades. It came
about as a result of the end of WWII.
– The Russians had not received formal diplomatic
recognition for their new country from the USA until
1933. 16 years after RED OCTOBER!
– Hitler and Stalin signed a non aggression pact in
1939 which Stalin thought ensured that the Germans
would not attack him! He was wrong!
– After Hitler attacked the Russians in 1941, the USA
and USSR ended up being on the same side!
World War II
• Hitler commits suicide in
April of 1945.
• German surrender is May
8th!
• Question is what to do with
Germany?
• Big Three - USA, Britain
and USSR meet at Yalta for
a conference!
• Tensions on all sides were
high!
Conference at Yalta –April 1945
• Germany divided into 4 zones
controlled by USA, USSR, Britain
and France.
• USSR felt that USA had waited
until last possible minute to
launch War in Europe.
• Stalin felt that they had fought
Germans by themselves and
won at Stalingrad!
• Therefore, the USSR should get
to carve up the map too!
Other tensions
• USSR - They had been left out of Atomic Bomb Project!
• USSR - Huge amount of casualties and loss of life in
WWII because of Nazi Aggression!
• USA - had failed to recognize diplomatic autonomy of
USSR!
• Americans at first compared Russian heroic stand at
Stalingrad to the Alamo.
– However, more and more information about life in the Soviet
Union hinted at a deeper and darker secret!
• Stalin had starved 1,000’s in 1933-35 and had
imprisoned all political opposition by 1945!
Post War Differences
UNITED STATES
SOVIET UNION
• USA fought WWII to
protect it’s vision of
American Dream!
• Share Democracy with the
World!
• Promote American
economic interests!
• Create worldwide markets
for American products!
• To the victor go the spoils!
• Class struggle would allow
workers to triumph!
• Remove resources from
private business and give
control to the state!
• Proletariat - working
class people would work
for the common good of
all!
• Wanted friendly nations on
their Western border!
Clash over Poland -1945
“Give em hell Harry”
• US wanted Poland to
remain Democratic!
• USSR says it in own best
interests that they have
control there!
• US President Truman tells
Soviets they will not be
involved in Poland!
• No formal declarations
made but the two become
bitter enemies!
The Iron Curtain Speech
• 1946 - Winston Churchill gave a
famous speech in which he
denounced the goals of the
Soviet Union.
• He claimed that we could not
allow the Soviet Union to create
an Iron Curtain in Europe.
• That Iron Curtain would
separate the capitalist West
from the Communist East!
• That would be utter disaster!
United Nations
• April of 1945 - delegates from
50 nations meet in US to form
alliance designed to be a
peacekeeping force for the
World!
• Goals:
– settle disagreements
peacefully
– Stop war before it starts
– Protect interests of member
nations!
• Five countries dominate: USA,
USSR, GB, FR and CHINA
Containment Policy (Truman)
• USA wanted to control
Soviet Union without
war!
• Goal: Keep Soviet Union
from expanding and
becoming powerful!
• Two Methods to achieve
this!
• Truman Doctrine
• Marshall Plan
Truman Doctrine
Key Point: Opposite position of the Monroe Doctrine!
• Harry S. Truman believed in taking charge.
• US was afraid that Turkey & Greece would become
Communist Nations in the late 1940’s!
• He need help from Congress & the American people!
• 1947 - Began series of speeches designed to scare the
the American public.
• Each speech outlined the threat of the Communists in
Russia and how they could infect the World with
hatred!
Marshall Plan
• Named for George C. Marshall , US Secretary of
State.
• 1947 - US will provide economic aide to countries
that have an economic plan of development!
• The USSR claimed that this was just a new form
of “Dollar Diplomacy”.
• 16 Western European nations asked for $17
billion and received $13 billion over a four year
period!
• US received strong trading partners in Europe
and European countries !
• USA airlifted supplies, food and medicine into
West Berlin in 1948 because Soviets were trying
to take over!
Berlin Airlift -1948
Background:
• Berlin had been divided up
in 1945!
• Soviets wanted to control
the entire city!
• The city itself was located
inside of the Soviet zone
but was important
because it had been the
capital of Germany.
• US felt it was important to
control the city!
• Berlin was divided into
East West sections!
Formation of NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
• 1949 - Twelve Nations in the Alliance, led by the
United States said that an attack against one would
be an attack against all of them!
• The first time since the American Revolution that the
USA would be involved in European Affairs.
• 1949 - China taken over by the Communists. This is
considered a stain on Truman’s administration!
• Also, the communists in the USSR detonated their
first Atomic weapon - with secrets stolen from the
USA!
Containment Policy of Ike
• Eisenhower succeeded
Truman as President in
1953!
• His Secretary of State
wanted to roll back the
clock to time when
Communism did not
exist!
• Eisenhower knew this
to be impossible!
• He knew that the USA
could not change
policies of satellite
nations!
KOREA
• Korea - occupied by the
Japanese for Decades.
• Had hoped for it’s
independence once Japan
was defeated!
• USSR set up a govt. north
of the 38th Parallel.
• USA did the same in the
South.
• 38th Parallel served as
dividing line!
• Communist Northern
forces cross the 38th
parallel in effort to unify
country under one govt.
• Truman mistakenly takes
this for act of USSR
aggression!
• USA asks for help from UN
and gets unanimous
approval for military
exercise in Korea!
• UN Forces were to drive
Communists from the
country!
June 1950
Douglas MacArthur
• US Commander in
Korea.
• Wanted to attack the
North and split their
forces in half!
• Did it and then proposed
attacking China!
• Truman refused!
• MacArthur criticized
Truman in public and
Truman fired him for
insubordination in 1951!
Korean War ends 1953
• Border were almost exactly the same as in 1951.
• 54,000 American soldiers killed in Korea.
• 1/3 of US budget now consumed by defense
spending!
• US would continue the pattern again just a few
years later!
COUNTRY
Dead
Wounded
Republic of Korea
United States
All others
Total
592,000
54,000
6,000
623,000
1.3 million
104,000
100,000
1.5 million
Other US involvement
• Domino Theory - policy of Eisenhower administration.
– Says that if one S.E. Asia nation falls to communists then
they all will!
– US Gets involved in conflicts in the following places
• Vietnam - country divided at 17th parallel between
communists in North and capitalists in South! US
Support!
• Middle East - UN created state of Israel in 1948 as a
homeland for the Jews who had none! Violence
erupted. Israel annexed Palestinian lands and created
a larger country.
– US supported both sides, one for political reasons (Suffering of
Holocaust) the other for economic! (OIL from Arab World)
Latin America
• US got involved in affairs
of Latin American
countries in the 50’s as
well!
• US troops occupied
Honduras, Nicaragua and
Panama.
• US financed a Revolution
in Guatemala, as well as
CIA sponsored terrorism!
• Cuba received aide from
USSR up until 1990’s!
The Cold War at Home
Running Scared in the United
States
House Un- American Activities
Commission
• Truman Loyalty Program - Truman said that the “threat
to all our liberties” had to be stamped out no matter the
cost!
• Federal Loyalty program established in 1947. FBI
investigated people and reported to the Loyalty Review
Board!
• People who were accused often found it difficult to clear
their name, even if they had done nothing!
• The House started it’s own program to investigate loyalty!
• HUAC – (House Un American Activities Commission) created
so that Congressmen could investigate and determine
involvement of foreign people in US Govt. affairs!
Probe of Hollywood
• HUAC- began a probe of the
Motion Picture Industry and
accused artists, writers and film
stars of being Communists!
• Hollywood Ten - Called to
testify before Congress, they
refused to answer questions and
were put in jail for contempt of
court. Names were put on black
list! Most never worked again in
Hollywood
Spy Trials of the 1950’s
• The Rosenbergs -were
accuse of being spies for the
Soviets in 1951. They Were!
• Convicted of treason and
espionage they were
electrocuted in 1953.
• Hiss Trial- Alger Hiss was a
State dept. official accused of
being a communist!
• Case was never fully proven
and he went to jail for perjury
and served 4 years!
McCarthy & the Red Scare
• Wisconsin Senator
campaigning in WV in 1950.
• Claimed to have a list of 205
Communist sympathizers who
worked for our Govt.!
• Claimed that Communism
was infiltrating the country!
• Actually had no such list!
• Later reduced number to 57!
• Expanded his manipulation!
Commies are everywhere!
• McCarthy attacked the Secretary of State, labeled him
a “pompous diplomat in striped pants!”
• He called George Marshall a failure for his inability to
prevent the fall of China to the Communists!
• McCarthy gave journalists what they wanted and
skillfully used the media to play out his role!
• By 1953 - 50% of people polled in the USA thought
McCarthy was doing a good job!
• 1000’s of people were called to testify! Many lost their
jobs or were labeled guilty for not answering questions
or for failure to provide proper responses!
Fall of McCarthy
• Went after every segment of
American life but went to far
when he went after US Army!
• Army - McCarthy hearings lasted
for 36 days.
• McCarthy went over the line and
accused high ranking officials of
treason.
• He picked the wrong dog to
tangle with!
• McCarthy loses!
Impact of McCarthyism
» Civil Service workers and Govt. employees were
screened in anti-communist crusade!
» Subway workers, fire dept. employees and public
service workers were dismissed across country!
» University Professors dismissed for not “ratting out”
their colleagues.
» Reservation Indians were denied supplies one year
because there way of life was “wrong”
» Latinos faced deportation even if they were citizens
because of their race
Red Scare Events (1950’s)
• McCarren Internal Security Act (1950) - Communist
organizations must register with the Attorney General.
• J.Foster Dulles - New US Secretary of State in
Eisenhower administration.
– Calls for Massive retaliation and liberation in Europe rather
than containment of Communism.
– MAD policy - Mutually Assured Destruction policy. You
attack us, we attack you!
• S.E.A.T.O. -formed in 1953. Regional defense pact of
South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia created by J.
Foster Dulles.
• Suez canal - Built in 1957. Contains a Pledge for
economic & military aid to any Middle Eastern nation
threatened by Communism!
Red Scare Events (1950’s)
• Hydrogen Bomb - US explodes 1st hydrogen bomb in
1952 on Bikini Atoll Island.
• U2 Spy Plane -American pilot Gary Powers is shot
down over the USSR. He was paraded on Soviet TV to
embarrass the USA!
• Death of Stalin (1953) - Soviet leader dies. New
leader is Nikita Kruschev. He promises to bury
capitalism and peaceful coexistence!
• Aid to Vietnam - 1955-1961. US gives Vietnam over
$1 billion dollars in economic and military aid.
• Domino Theory is born!
• Cuba Goes Communist (1959) - Fidel Castro comes
to power!
Cold War Events (1960’s)
• Bay of Pigs Invasion - (1961) CIA Sponsored invasion
of Cuba designed to remove Castro from power. Failed!
• Berlin Wall erected (1961) - East Germany sealed off
from West Germany by the Communists!
• Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) - WWIII almost happens
here! USSR tries to put ballistic missiles into Cuba just
90 miles from coast of Florida!
• Vietnam War (1961-1975) - US is embarrassed by
inability to reach a clear and defined victory! Nixon
eventually ends the war with “peace with honor”.
• Paris Accords – (1975) signed by the US and North
Vietnam. It ends the Vietnam War officially.
Cold War Events (1970’s)
• Nixon in China - (1972) - President Richard M. Nixon
goes to China to try to bring about détente’ between
the USSR and USA. Leads to SALT I treaty! Meets with
Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev.
• Camp David Accords (1978) - Single greatest
achievement of the Carter administration. Brings about
peace between Egypt and Israel. Leader of Israel =
Menachem Begin Leader of Egypt = Anwar Sadat
• SALT 2 -(1979) Strategic Arms Limitations Treaty signed by Jimmy Carter. Limits the # of nuclear
weapons held by US and USSR.
• Iran-Hostage Crisis (1979) - Islamic fundamentalists
led by Ayatollah Khomeni take 52 American embassy
workers hostage and hold them for 444 days. Released
Jan. 20, 1981
• Olympic Boycott -(1980) US chooses to boycott the
Olympics because USSR had invaded Afghanistan in
1979.
Cold War Events (1980’s)
• SDI - (1980) - Also called the “Star Wars” plan. Reagan
wanted to put system into space that would shoot down
missiles from rival nations before they could hit US targets!
• Arms Limits - Treaties signed in 1985 & 1986 between
USA and USSR to reduce nuclear weapons.
• Iran-Contra (1986) - Advisors to President Reagan sold
arms to Iran to help them fight Iraq. Then used profits to
support Contra rebels fighting Sandinista Government in
Nicaragua. Lt. Col. Oliver North called before
Congress to testify about his role in the cover-up.
• Glasnost (1988) - Policy of Mikhail Gorbachev to open up
Soviet Union and try to improve relations between West
and East!
Cold War Events (1990’s)
• Berlin Wall falls (1989) - East Germans tear down the
wall that separates their city. Two Germanies are unified in
1990.
• Persian Gulf War (1991) - first War with Iraq. US and
other UN nations fight Saddam Hussein and push his troops
out of Kuwait.
• USSR breaks up (1992?) - Form the Commonwealth of
Independent States. Boris Yeltsin becomes leader of Russia.
• START I & II - (1991-92) Strategic Arms Reduction Treaties:
Two treaties to reduce Nuclear weapons negotiated by
President Bush. No one will have more than 3,000 nuclear
weapons each!
• COLD WAR IS OFFICIALLY OVER!