The Cold War
U.S.
leaders
hoped
to
continue
its
Creating World Peace & Prosperity
trade dominance in Western Europe,
Asia, & Latin America
■At the end of WW2, the major
The
USA
was
the
largest
supplier
world powers addressed the
of funds for both, so the USA had
global
economy
peace-keeping:
the greatest
control&
over
policy
–To rebuild war-torn Europe,
the International Monetary Fund
& World Bank were created
–The United Nations replaced
the League of Nations in 1945
The U.S.,
U.S.S.R,
England,
France, &
Nationalist
China made
up the
Security
Council
All 50 member nations
were represented on the
General Assembly
Each member
of the
Executive
Council has
veto power
over other
members
An army!
The Beginning of the Cold War
The USA supported the Russian White Army
■Theagainst
Cold Lenin’s
War was
era of
Redan
Army
distrust, threat of nuclear war, &
Stalin agreed to allow self-determination
ideological
expansion
between
in Eastern Europe…but never did
the superpowers, USA & USSR:
– The first inkling of the Cold War began
during the Russian Civil War (19171921) & Soviet pullout of WW1
–But, American-Soviet tensions
heightened at the Yalta &
Potsdam WW2 conferences
The Cold War Begins
■In July 1945, Truman first met Stalin
at Potsdam to discuss post-war
Europe & ending the war with Japan
Truman, a rookie, was a
“Wilsonian idealist” &
hoped for international
cooperation
Stalin had ruled Russia for
2 decades, was a cautious
realist, & believed the USSR
needed to protect itself
Because
Britain,
France,
the
USA,
&
USSR
AtPotsdam
Yalta,
Stalin
agreed
to allowof the
selfCold
War
Divisions
was
the
conclusion
could determination
not agree on German
war
reparations,
in Eastern
Europe
American-Soviet
alliance
thatzones at
Germany was divided into occupied
brought
an end
World War
2
By Potsdam,
hadtoextended
his control
theStalin
Potsdam
Conference
over Eastern Europe to create a buffer zone
between the USSR & its future enemies
Potsdam presented a major Cold War theme:
Because they could not agree on how do
govern Europe, Truman & Stalin divided it
The Iron
Curtain
Capitalism &
Democracy
Communism &
Totalitarianism
The USA began to view Stalin in the 1940s as
a new Hitler—a dangerous threat & an
aggressive dictator desiring world domination
Containment
■Truman’s Secretary of State,
George Marshall, began a policy
of Containment in 1947
–Strong resistance to the USSR
would stop Russian expansion
“A long-term,
patient
but
firm,
and
vigilant
& the spread of communism
containment of Russian expansionist
–The U.S.
initiated
containment
policies…
Will not
lead to any
immediate
victoryin
but3will
eventually
force the
USSR to
phases:
Truman
Plan,
live in peace with the West”
Marshall Plan, & NATO
The Truman Doctrine
■Soviet pressure on Greece &
led totoU.S.
fears
ThisTurkey
commitment
stopping
the of
spread of
Russian
influence
continents
Communism
was
viewed byon
the3Soviet
Union
as –Taking
an informalGreece
declaration
of a lead
cold war
might
to
communism in Iran & all of Asia
–Then, into Egypt & all of Africa
–Then, all of Europe through Italy
■The Truman Doctrine offered
U.S. assistance to any nation
threatened by Communism
The Marshall Plan
■European nations had difficulty
recovering after WW2 which led to
U.S. fears of Communist coups in
Europe
■The Marshall Plan offered aid to
help Europe recover
–Industry revived & Western
Europe became a bonanza for
U.S. trade & consumer goods
–The “Communist threat” ended
NATO
This is a major departure from the
■Fears
of
Soviet
aggression
led
to
traditional U.S. policy of isolationism
the formation of the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization in 1949:
–To provide collective security for
Western Europe, the USA,
Canada, Greece, & Turkey
–The Cold War now had an
ideological (Truman Doctrine) &
economic (Marshall Plan) base
& military enforcement (NATO)
The USSR responded in 1955 with
the formation of the Warsaw Pact
NATO initiated as a result of a Soviet
coup in Czechoslovakia in 1948
The Berlin Blockade
■In 1948, the USSR responded to
Containment by cutting off all
traffic to Berlin in East Germany
–Truman allowed food, fuel, &
supplies to be airlifted into
West Berlin & moved several
U.S. bombers to England
–The standoff lasted 2 weeks
until Stalin lifted the blockade
The Cold War
Expands
The Military Dimension
The new air force was the preferred military
■By of
1947,
3 new
wereto
agency
the Cold
War agencies
due to its ability
created
the &
military
couldattacks
better
deliver
nuclear so
bombs
deter enemy
respond to threats to U.S. security
–Dept of Defense to direct the
army, navy, & the new air force
–Central Intelligence Agency to
collect & manage information
among all gov’t agencies
–Nat’l Security Council to advise
the president on nat’l security
The The
SovietNuclear
testing ofArms
the atomic
bomb
Race
motivated the USA to regain its advantage; In
The
American
monopoly
on
nuclear
weapons
1952, the U.S. tested the 1st hydrogen bomb
technology
endedpowerful
in 1949 when
thea-bomb)
USSR
(1,000
times more
than the
successfully tested their own atomic bomb
The Soviets responded with their own
h-bomb in 1953
The Cold War in Asia
■By 1952, Asia also was divided:
The U.S. refused to recognize Communist
–After
WW2,
the
U.S.
helped
China & continued its diplomatic relations
a Japanese
democracy
&
with create
the Kuomintang
Nationalists
in Taiwan
signed a U.S.-Japanese alliance
–In 1949, Truman “lost” China
after a Mao Zedong’s defeat of
Chiang Kai-shek & Kuomintang
–In 1950, China signed a mutual
assistance treaty with the USSR
Chinese Civil War
VS.
Nationalist Leader
Chiang Kai-shek
(Kuomintang)
Communist Leader
Mao Zedong
The Military Dimension
■In 1950, the NSC created a new
nat’l defense plan, NSC-68:
–Labeled communism a
“fanatical” & “permanent” threat
NSC-68
came
in
to political
the
Soviet
NSC-68
military,
economic,
&
towas
thea U.S.
& response
rest
of the
world
development
of an atomic
bomb
&&
psychological
examination
of
the
USSR
–Pledged
the
U.S. tonot
only to
the
“loss”
of
China
communism
China in order to develop an appropriate
contain
communism
but
to
American responses to these threats
liberate communist countries
policy
paper
became
“blueprint”
–Recommended
the
3This
months
after
NSC-68
was aexpansion
written,
its of
forU.S.
the appeared
Cold
War
&
shaped
U.S.
actions
assessment
correct
when
North
Korea
military,
stockpiling
nuclear
theU.S.
nextmilitary
20 years
attackedweapons,
Southover
Korea;
buildup began
& covert operations
The Korean War
■The showdown between the U.S.
& USSR in Asia came in Korea:
–After WW2, Korea was divided
along the 38° with USSR in the
North & the USA in the South
–Soviet-trained North Korea
attacked across the 38° in 1950
–The United Nations condemned
North Korea & sent (U.S.) troops
Truman was unable to
end the Korean War
United
Nations
North
Korean
Chinese
Invasion
Counter-Attack
Advance
JuneOctoberSeptemberSeptember
January
1951
October
19501950
Eisenhower made the Korean War
a campaign issue in 1952
The Korean War
■MacArthur hoped to unify Korea
but Truman feared a world war
■In 1953, the 38° was restored
under Eisenhower, but:
–Truman achieved his original
goal to defend South Korea
–The U.S. showed its dedication
to fight (not just talk) in the war
against the Communists
The Cold War
at Home
The Cold War at Home
■Truman’s
policy was
The
Republicandomestic
Congress overturned
thenot
as successful
his foreign
Wagner
Act with theas
Taft-Hartley
Act policy
that
weakened
unionsAmericans
by forcing members
–Post-war
found to
swear
an
anti-communist
oath
prices too high & supply too low
on new consumer goods
–Union members went on strike
to demand their share of
wartime company profits
–In the 1946 mid-terms, Repubs
took back the House & Senate
The Cold War at Home
■Reelection
1948 seemed
remote
He attacked thein“do-nothings”
Republicans
–Truman
facedvoters
strong
opposition
He reminded
that
the
from
Republican
Dewey,
Democrats
ended theThomas
Depression
Progressive
Henry
Wallace,
&
The Republicans couldn’t attack
Dixiecrat
Thurman
Truman’s Strom
Cold War
successes
–With nothing to lose, Truman
campaigned across the country
–The “FDR coalition” of farmers,
labor, urban, black voters held
together to keep Truman in office
Truman and the Fair Deal
■Truman’s Fair Deal tried to extend
FDR’s social aid programs:
–Called for increasing minimum
wage & Social Security benefits
–Wanted national heath insurance
–Fair Employment Practices
Commission to end economic
discrimination against blacks
■Repubs & southern Democrats
blocked all Fair Deal legislation
The Federalists
the
TheinLoyalty
Issue
1790s used the Alien &
■Fear
of radicalism
is a recurrent
Sedition
Acts
theme
in
U.S.
history;
In
the
The Know-Nothings attacked
1940s &in1950s,
American fears of
foreigners
the 1850s
Communism
grew
as
a
result
of:
The Red Scare after WW1 was
–The
of China
to communism
aimedfall
at radicals
& foreigners
–The successful testing of an
atomic bomb by the USSR
–The discovery of American spies
–Fear of an unseen conspiracy
The Loyalty Issue
Alger
Hiss
in the
Dept was accused
■The
fear
of State
Communism
abroadof
being
a
USSR
spy
(the
“pumpkin
papers”)
nd
led to a 2 Red Scare in America:
–Fears of Soviet espionage led to
House Un-American Activities
Committee to rid gov’t of spies
–Loyalty
Review
Board
fired
gov’t
Manhattan Project employee Klaus Fuchs
fornuclear
“reasonable
doubt”
admitted workers
to providing
plans to the
USSR
Dept jailed
members
Ethel–Justice
& Julius Rosenberg
were11
executed
for
the Communist
Partydespite
for a
leakingof
atomic
secrets to the USSR
lack of
hard evidence
plotting
a socialist
revolution
Used a barrage of treasonable actions
McCarthyism
in overwhelmed
Action
against
the accused that
the defendant’s
ability to respond
■In 1950
Joseph McCarthy
(R-WI)
accused 205 State Dept workers
of being Communists; Began a
4½ year attack on “Communists”
■McCarthyism was popular
because it offered an easy
solution to the Cold War: defeat
McCarthy
findagencies,
a single confirmed
He
attackedfailed
U.S. to
gov’t
especially
the
atU.S.
home
&&
avoid
Communist
the
gov’t
never
had
theenemy
StateinDept,
of harboring
spiescostly,
moreentangling
than 50% approval
rating
among voters
policies
abroad
Conclusions
■Cold War foreign policy dominated
American thoughts throughout the
1940s & early 1950s:
–Defense spending increased
dramatically
–The nuclear arms race made
people anxious about the future
■With Eisenhower’s election in 1952
American anxieties subsided as
the Cold War became more covert