The Early Cold War Era
1945-1960
I. Lasting Impact of WWII
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The Nuclear Age
The greatest change coming out of WWII
was the introduction of the nuclear age.
Not only did the atomic bomb end the
war, but it also changed how future wars
would be fought.
Both Truman and Stalin were aware of
this and neither trusted the other.
I. Lasting Impact of WWII
With the war now over, each viewed the
other as the new enemy.
 When Truman learned at the Potsdam
Conference that the atomic bomb had
been successfully tested, he could not wait
to tell Stalin that the US had a weapon of
mass destruction.
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I. Lasting Impact of WWII
Stalin, who already knew about the
weapon through Soviet spies, simply
nodded as said he hoped it would end the
war.
 Stalin was determined to see his own
country develop a similar weapon.
 As a result, a nuclear arms race between
the US and USSR began.
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I. Lasting Impact of WWII
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Over time both sides continued to develop
even more powerful weapons, including
missiles capable of destruction thousands
of times greater than the two atomic
bombs used on Japan.
I. Lasting Impact of WWII
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Radar and Sonar
Radar was invented by the British and
helped them defeat Germany’s air force
by giving the RAF advanced notice of
German attacks.
Today, radar is used for commercial
airplanes as well as for military purposes
Sonar was also invented during the war
to detect objects under the water.
I. Lasting Impact of WWII
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Microwave Technology
American engineer Percy Spencer
discovered microwave technology by
accident.
While working on radar technology, he
noticed the candy bar in his pocket had
melted.
He later discovered that the technology
he was working with could be used to
cook food much faster than conventional
ovens.
I. Lasting Impact of WWII
By the 1950s, the first home microwave
ovens were on the market.
 By the 1970s, affordable countertop
models were available.
 This contributed to the change in women’s
roles by providing more freedom and less
time in the kitchen.
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I. Lasting Impact of WWII
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Computers
During the war the need for devices that
could make fast calculations and decode
enemy messages became critical.
Computer technology proved important.
I. Lasting Impact of WWII
The first computers were huge and took
up entire rooms.
 Over time, technological advances led to
their size decreasing as their abilities
increased.
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I. Lasting Impact of WWII
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Additional Innovations
New medical technology appeared
during the war, including antibiotics like
penicillin.
New technology and equipment also
made farming more productive and
efficient.
I. Lasting Impact of WWII
Radios became smaller and more portable
– making them more popular.
 Radios soon became standard features in
cars and helped spread a nationwide
youth culture during the ‘50s and ‘60s.
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II. The Cold War Begins
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Conflict in Europe
Following WWII, tensions were high
between the western Allies and the
Soviet Union.
Neither side trusted the other.
Stalin was determined that the USSR
would not be invaded again.
II. The Cold War Begins
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He decided that he must maintain control
over Eastern Europe in order to keep a
buffer between the USSR and the
nations of the West.
Stalin established satellite nations, or
countries controlled by the Soviet Union,
in several Eastern European countries.
II. The Cold War Begins
Winston Churchill said in a speech, “A
shadow has fallen…an iron curtain has
descended across the continent.”
 “Iron Curtain” became a phrase used to
refer to the dividing line between
Communist nations in Eastern Europe and
Democratic nations in Western Europe.
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II. The Cold War Begins
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US Post-War Policies in Europe
1946: US diplomat George Kennan
recommended that the US and its allies
focus on a strategy of containment.
Kennan believed that Eastern Europe
was firmly in Soviet hands and could not
be saved from Communism.
II. The Cold War Begins
So, the US and its allies should focus on
containing Communism to those countries
it which it already existed and not let it
spread any further.
 The Truman Doctrine stated that the US
would not hesitate to intervene and aid
nations overseas to resist Communism.
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II. The Cold War Begins
The Marshall Plan provided nations in
war-torn Europe with much needed
financial support from the US
 The purpose of the Plan was to help
prevent Communist revolutions, which are
often started due to economic hardships,
in Western European nations.
 Marshall received the Nobel Peace Prize
as a result.
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II. The Cold War Begins
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A Divided Germany
When WWII ended, the Allies divided
Germany among themselves.
US, Britain, France, and the USSR all
received a portion of Germany.
The German capital, Berlin, was also
divided the same way.
II. The Cold War Begins
US, Britain, and France saw this division
as temporary and believed Germany
would become united again under a
democratic government.
 But, Stalin had no intentions of giving up
the Soviet-controlled areas.
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II. The Cold War Begins
US, Britain, and France unified their
sectors into one nation, West Germany,
and declared West Berlin to be part of this
new nation.
 USSR responded by establishing East
Germany and East Berlin under
Communist rule.
 Thousands from East Germany fled to
West Berlin to escape Communism.
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II. The Cold War Begins
Stalin decided to force the West to
surrender its portion of Berlin by
blockading the city.
 Truman then authorized the Berlin Airlift
– using planes to deliver supplies and food
to those in West Berlin.
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II. The Cold War Begins
The Soviets finally gave up in May of
1949, but this bitterness served to fuel the
fires of the “Cold War”.
 “Cold War” was first used in 1947 by
Bernard Baruch; it referred to the tension
between the US and the Soviet Union that
dominated both nations’ foreign policies for
decades.
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II. The Cold War Begins
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China and Korea
1949: China became a Communist
nation following a revolution.
Mao Tse-Tung (Zedong) led the
revolution and assumed power as the
new leader.
II. The Cold War Begins
Korea was among the countries liberated
from Japan during WWII.
 Since both the US and the Soviets played
a role in its liberation, the Allies divided the
nation along the 38th parallel.
 North Korea became a Communist
nation.
 South Korea established a pro-US
democracy.
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II. The Cold War Begins
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The Korean War (1950-1953)
June 1950: The Korean War began
when North Korea crossed the 38th
parallel.
The United Nations decided to come to
South Korea’s aid, and Truman chose
Gen. Douglas MacArthur to lead the
troops.
II. The Cold War Begins
MacArthur’s troops pushed the enemy
back across the 38th parallel and
advanced to the Chinese border.
 The Chinese sent troops across the Yalu
River to help the North Koreans.
 MacArthur asked Truman to authorize the
use of nuclear weapons against China, but
Truman refused.
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II. The Cold War Begins
A stalemate soon developed.
 Truman fired MacArthur after the general
criticized Truman’s handling of the war.
 After 2 more years of fighting, both sides
signed a truce in 1953.
 This agreement left the country divided at
almost the same point as before the war
began.
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II. The Cold War Begins
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The Founding of Israel
The Holocaust increased support for the
founding of a Jewish homeland.
May 14, 1948: With the full support of
the newly formed United Nations, the
new state of Israel officially became an
independent Jewish state.
II. The Cold War Begins
Arab nations greatly resented the decision
to give part of Palestine to the Jews.
 They claimed the entire region belonged to
Arabs.
 Israel’s boundary also had an impact on
the Cold War.
 The US and Israel became allies and the
Soviets began supporting the surrounding
Arab nations.
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II. The Cold War Begins
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The Eisenhower Doctrine
Elected President in 1952, Dwight D.
Eisenhower (military hero of WWII) was
concerned about the spread of
Communism and Soviet aggression.
He believed strongly in the domino
theory – if one nation falls to
Communism, then its neighbors would
soon fall as well.
II. The Cold War Begins
1957: The Eisenhower Doctrine stated
the US would not hesitate to aid any
country in the Middle East that asked for
help resisting Communist aggression.
 1958: US troops were sent to Lebanon to
help them resist Communist-backed rebel
forces.
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II. The Cold War Begins
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The U-2 Incident
Nikita Khrushchev became the Soviet
leader in 1953 following the death of Stalin.
Khrushchev met with President Eisenhower
in the US and invited Eisenhower to
Moscow…trying to improve US-Soviet
relations.
II. The Cold War Begins
But, in May 1960 a US U-2 spy plane was
shot down over the Soviet Union and
Khrushchev cancelled the invitation.
 The US denied conducting spy missions
but admitted to it later when the Soviets
provided evidence.
 Eisenhower refused to apologize, and the
U-2 Incident further contributed to the
hostility between the two nations.
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III. Kennedy, Communism, and Cuba
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The Bay of Pigs
1959: Fidel Castro overthrew the
Cuban government and seized much of
the land (including US property).
Eisenhower broke off diplomatic relations
with Cuba and Castro.
III. Kennedy, Communism, and
Cuba
With US support lacking, Castro allied
himself with the Soviet Union and Cuba
became a Communist nation.
 When John F. Kennedy succeeded
Eisenhower as President in 1961, he
approved an operation to help anti-Castro
Cubans in an invasion of their homeland.
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III. Kennedy, Communism, and
Cuba
The invasion landed at the Bay of Pigs on
April 17, 1961 and was a terrible failure
and a huge embarrassment to Kennedy.
 Many wondered if Kennedy had what it
took to defend democracy against
Communism.
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III. Kennedy, Communism, and
Cuba
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The Berlin Wall
Khrushchev was determined to stop the
large flow of refugees from East
Germany into West Germany through
Berlin.
The Soviets build a wall that separated
Communist East Berlin from democratic
West Berlin.
III. Kennedy, Communism, and
Cuba
Anyone who attempted to cross the wall
without permission risked being shot on
the spot.
 For more than 25 years, the Berlin Wall
stood as a symbol of the Cold War.
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III. Kennedy, Communism, and
Cuba
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The Cuban Missile Crisis
Despite the failure of the Bay of Pigs
invasion, Castro still felt threatened by
US forces.
Castro secretly allowed the Soviets to
put nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90
miles from Florida.
US spy planes spotted these missile
sites in Oct. 1962.
III. Kennedy, Communism, and
Cuba
JFK responded by authorizing a naval
blockade of the island.
 For 13 days, the world watched as the
Cuban Missile Crisis brought the two
superpowers to the brink of nuclear war.
 Khrushchev finally agreed to withdraw the
missiles in exchange for a US pledge not
to invade Cuba.
 The US also secretly told the Soviets they
would removed its own missiles from
Turkey.
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IV. International Alliances of the Cold War
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The United Nations
The Cold War basically divided the world
in half between the countries that allied
with the US and those who allied with the
USSR.
The United Nations (U.N.) was created
after WWII in hopes of avoiding conflict
by providing a place to negotiate rather
than go to war.
IV. International Alliances of the Cold
War
A Security Council was established
within the U.N. that included
representatives from the US, USSR, Great
Britain, France, and China.
 In addition to these permanent members,
other nations could serve two-year terms
on temporary seats.
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IV. International Alliances of the Cold
War
To this day, the Security Council has the
authority to investigate disputes and even
authorize military action.
 Such actions, however, require the
approval of all five permanent members.
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IV. International Alliances of the Cold
War
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NATO and the Warsaw Pact
Because most nations did not possess
nuclear weapons, many relied on
alliances to provide security.
April 1949: The US and several
European nations signed the North
Atlantic Treaty to defend one another
during an attack.
IV. International Alliances of the Cold
War
This treaty formed NATO (North Atlantic
Treaty Organization) which would provide
a combined military force if such as attack
occurred.
 A few years later, other countries
(including West Germany) became part of
NATO as well.
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IV. International Alliances of the Cold
War
The Warsaw Pact was the USSR and its
allies’ answer to NATO.
 The Pact was formed in 1955 and unified
the Communist countries of Eastern
Europe in a similar pledge to defend one
another if attacked by NATO.
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V. The Postwar United States
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The Rise of the Middle Class
Congress passed the G.I. Bill to help
returning WWII soldiers assimilate back
into American society.
The Bill provided veterans with money
for education and loans for purchasing
homes.
V. The Postwar United States
Because of the Bill, large numbers of
“common people” for the first time could
afford to buy their own homes.
 Developers like William Levitt became rich
by building entire communities of new
houses as the new middle class
emerged.
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V. The Postwar United States
These “Levittowns” led to the
development of suburbs.
 Suburbanization (the rapid growth and
spread of suburbs) changed US culture.
 More people purchased houses and cars,
and commuted to cities for work and
entertainment.
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V. The Postwar United States
Suburbs also led to more racial division.
 Most middle class whites moved out of
urban areas, leaving cities to be occupied
mostly by lower-income minorities.
 The nation also experienced a population
explosion known as the “Baby Boom”.
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V. The Postwar United States
Baby Boomers are those born between
1946 and 1964.
 With the war over, spouses were reunited
and couples got married.
 Many of these people started or expanded
their families.
 What resulted was a “boom” in the number
of babies born in the US during the late
‘40s and early ‘50s.
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V. The Postwar United States
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Education
The G.I. Bill had lasting effects on
education.
Prior to the war, most working-class
citizens did not go to college.
However, with the benefits offered to
veterans, many returning soldiers
enrolled in colleges, despite their social
class.
V. The Postwar United States
US population became more educated
and middle class grew as college degrees
led to better paying jobs.
 Most parents eventually sent their “Baby
Boom” kids to college as well.
 For the first time in US history, getting a
college degree became the social norm
among middle class citizens.
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V. The Postwar United States
However, most universities were still
segregated so African Americans did not
have the same opportunities as white
Americans to go to college.
 The Cold War also impacted education in
K-12 schools.
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V. The Postwar United States
1958: Congress passed the National
Defense Education Act to provide more
school funding and to increase the
emphasis on science, math, and foreign
languages.
 The Act’s intention was to propel the US
ahead of the Soviet Union in both the
space race and in nuclear technology.
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V. The Postwar United States
Prosperity and Consumerism
 With the end of the war, the US entered a
period of great prosperity.
 The Depression ended because of jobs
created during the war.
 However, due to rationing and the shift to
wartime production citizens couldn’t
purchase everything they wanted.
V. The Postwar United States
People began buying sewing machines,
washing machines, refrigerators, and
televisions (new invention).
 America once again became a consumer
society.
 Advertisers promoted products trying to
make customers feel they had to have
them.
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V. The Postwar United States
Many of their efforts were aimed at
housewives.
 One department store executive said,
“…we must make women unhappy with
what they have…we must make them so
unhappy that their husbands can find no
happiness or peace in their excessive
savings.”
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V. The Postwar United States
People were judged more and more by
what kind of car they drove, what clothes
they wore, and what house they lived in.
 Many began using credit cards to
purchase new items immediately.
 Result: People stopped saving money,
and debt increased.
 Shopping centers and malls popped up
across the nation…especially in the
suburbs.
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V. The Postwar United States
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Women in Society
With men home from the war “Rosie the
Riveter” put down her tools and returned
to the kitchen.
A woman’s role remained primarily that of
a housewife…raising children, cleaning
house, and cooking meals.
V. The Postwar United States
Some women resisted the idea that a
woman’s role was primarily that of a
housewife, but most did not.
 These role images were reflected in the
nation’s most popular television shows.
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V. The Postwar United States
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A New Red Scare
During the Depression many Americans
had joined the Communist Party, or at
least, sympathized with Communist
ideas.
That would soon come back to haunt
them.
V. The Postwar United States
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, the
government investigated and arrested
many people with alleged connections to
the Communist Party.
 This period became known as the second
“Red Scare”
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V. The Postwar United States
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Government Policies Dealing…
Concerned with the threat of
communism, President Truman signed
the National Security Act in 1947.
This Act created the National Security
Council and the Central Intelligence
Agency (CIA).
V. The Postwar United States
The CIA became the first peacetime
intelligence agency and is responsible for
covert (secret) operations meant to ensure
national security.
 Originally, the CIA’s top mission was to spy
on the Soviet Union and its allies.
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V. The Postwar United States
Congress also relied on the House UnAmerican Activities Committee (HUAC)
to expose Communists in government and
society.
 1947: HUAC called in a number of writers,
actors, producers, etc. to testify about the
suspected Communist-controlled movie
industry.
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V. The Postwar United States
Out of fear that they might be targeted, a
number of movie executives developed a
Hollywood blacklist (actors, producers,
etc. suspected to be Communists).
 Many of those on the “list” never worked in
Hollywood again.
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V. The Postwar United States
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Joseph McCarthy
Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy
believed Communists had infiltrated high
levels of government and the US military.
Communist aggression in Korea helped
McCarthy and his ideas gain popularity.
V. The Postwar United States
Eventually, McCarthy had to defend his
views in a series of televised hearings.
 By the time the hearing ended in June
1954, most citizens viewed McCarthy as
paranoid at best and downright crazy at
worst.
 “McCarthyism” began to collapse and the
fear that “Communists are everywhere”
subsided.
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V. The Postwar United States
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Preparing For Possible War
1951: The Selective Service Act allowed
the government to draft men between the
ages of 18 and 26.
National Highway Act of 1956 called for
the construction of the interstate highway
system.
V. The Postwar United States
Interstates improved mobility for citizens,
would allow military troops to move
quicker, and would allow cities to be
evacuated much faster.
 During his farewell address, Eisenhower
warned of a growing “military-industrial
complex”.
 That is, industry has a financial incentive
for war (War = more money).
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