The Cold War
APUSH:
Chapter 36: The Cold War Begins
What Is The Cold War?

Intense rivalry between the U.S. & Soviet
Union
Essential Question

1. What were the origins and developments
of the cold war?
Origins of The Cold War:
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1. Ideological Differences: Communism vs.
Capitalism
(economic, political, philosophical disputes)
2. Competition for global power & Influence
3. Mutual Distrust
4. Atomic Weapons – “Arms Race”
American Presidents – Cold War
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1. Harry Truman 1948-1952
2. Dwight D. Eisenhower 1952-1960
3. John F. Kennedy 1960-
Joseph Stalin (Soviet Union)_
United Nations

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Charter of United
Nations (1945)
1. “maintenance of
international peace and
security”
2. 5 permanent
members
U.S., Soviet Union,
Britain, France, China
3. 15 members in total
Origins of Cold War (after WWII)
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1. Joseph Stalin
(Soviet Union)
Established Spheres
of Influence
In Eastern Europe
Origins of Cold War

2. Eastern European
nations Became
Soviet “satellites”
(1946-1948)

3. Soviets refused to
sign plan eliminating
atomic weapons
Origins of Cold War

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4. Soviets refused to
allow free elections in
Eastern Europe
5. Stalin hoped to
establish “communist
block”
clear violation of war
conference
agreements
Winston Churchill :

“An iron curtain has descended across
Europe” - 1946
Policy of Containment
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President Truman interested in “containing
communism from spreading”
Possible Soviet domination a threat to U.S.
Truman Doctrine (1947): funding to assist
countries in repelling a possible communist
take over
Marshall Plan

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A Plan to re-build war
torn Western Europe
$3 billion over 4 yr
period
Proposed by: George
Marshall, U.S.
Secretary of State
Berlin Airlift, 1948
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Joseph Stalin
Cut off city of Berlin
from Western contact
Blocked all routes into
Berlin with Soviet troops
Why?
tired of U.S. intrusion in
European affairs
Berlin Blockade, 1948
Berlin Airlift, 1948
American planes
delivered supplies
to city
 For 11 months

Berlin Airlift- American “Candy
Bombers”

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American servicemen
Flew over Berlin and
dropped candy for
city’s children
Alliances…

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President Truman joined
alliance with W.
European countries,
Canada, Iceland
NATO –North Atlantic
treaty organization
Alliances…
Stalin’s response:
 Warsaw Pact –
1955
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Communist Eastern
European military
alliance
Once a member, a
nation can NEVER
leave!
The Atomic Race Begins
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Superior large scale
weapons
Soviet Union exploded
first A- Bomb 1949
1952 U.S. developed
Hydrogen bomb
1,000 X’s stronger
than A-bomb
U.S. Domestic Policy

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1. National Security Act (1947)- created
the Department of Defense, the National
Security Council, and Central Intelligence
Agency (CIA)
2. NSC-68- secret document discussed
Soviet plans for world domination,
encouraged U.S. to build up military
Containment in Asia

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China “fell” to
communism 1949
1950 Mao Tse- Tung
and Joseph Stalin
signed pact
2 large nations =
“communist block”
Korean War
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1945 Allies divided Korea
Border between North &
South 38th Parallel
North Korea = communist
China and Soviet Union
supplied weapons
Korean War
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N. Korea invaded
South Korea, June
1950
U.S. authorized
“police action” of
military force to
liberate South Korea
Conflict ended in
“stalemate”
Dwight D. Eisenhower
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Became President,
1952
American foreign
policy : He would
support nations who
sought liberation from
communism
Eisenhower’s Policies
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1. “brinkmanship” – U.S. would push
aggressor nation to the “brink “of nuclear
war, forcing them to back down
2. “massive retaliation” – U.S. would
release arsenal of nuclear weapons on any
threat
Geneva Convention, 1954
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French lost colonies in
Indochina
Geneva Convention
agreed to split up
territory:
Vietnam, Laos,
Cambodia
Divided Vietnam into
communist north, anticommunist south
Eisenhower Doctrine, 1957
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Policy designed to counter Soviet influence
in the Middle East by offering military aid to
those countries seeking help from resisting
Communist aggression
Joseph Stalin died, 1953
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Nikita Krushchev took
over Soviet Union
1958 demanded
removal of westerners
from Berlin
Eisenhower called
meeting…
Tense Times…
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Soviets discovered American U-2 spy
plane
And it was shot down 2 weeks before
meeting…
John F. Kennedy
Elected President
1960
 Defeated Richard
Nixon
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Berlin Wall

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Soviets began
construction, 1961
To prevent East
Berliners from
escaping to West
President Kennedy
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Traveled to Berlin,
1963
Did not stop
construction
Proclaimed support for
people in Berlin
"Ich bin ein Berliner."
Castro Communizes Cuba
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Dictator Batista
overthrown by Fidel
Castro 1959
Established
communist state
Asked Soviets for Help
U.S. cut off diplomatic
relations w/ Castro
Bay of Pigs
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April 1961
U.S. planned Invasion
of Cuba
Attempt to overthrow
Castro
Failure
Embarrassment to
President Kennedy
Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962
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Fidel Castro &
Khrushchev joined
forces
U.S. spy plane
discovered
Building of nuclear
missile sites in Cuba
Kennedy Ordered …
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Removal of missiles
U.S. enacted naval blockade against Cuba
Khrushchev agreed to remove missiles if…
U.S. agreed never to invade Cuba again ,
and remove their missiles from Turkey
American Espionage “ Red Scare”
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Fear of spies in the
U.S.
Julius and Ethel
Rosenberg – accused
of delivering atomic
secrets to Soviets
Convicted of treason &
espionage 1951
Sentenced to death
Senator Joseph McCarthy
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
.
Wanted to uncover &
prosecute American
Communists
Used media to his
advantage
His accusations mostly
false
Hearings televised
Modern day “witch
hunt”
Living in Fear…
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Threat of nuclear war
Bomb shelters
People purchased
canned goods/water
“duck and cover” drills
in schools
Living In Fear…
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The National Highway
Act 1956
Created interstate
freeway system
42,000 miles of road
Interstate Highways…
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Meant to provide :
quick evacuation ,
emergency landing
of planes, transport
of missiles
Space Race
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1. Russian Space Satellite Sputnik
launched 1957
2. U.S. created National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA) 1958
Congress allocated millions to better
prepare students in math, science, foreign
languages
Cause of Cold WAR?
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View #1: Stalin wanted world domination,
U.S. had no choice but to defend
democratic, capitalist values.
View #2: Truman adopted an aggressive
foreign policy, and sought to create
American spheres of influence throughout
world
Chapter 37: The
Eisenhower Era
1952-1960
Popular Culture & American Society
in the 1950’s
1950’s Popular Culture
Servicemen’s Re-adjustment Act,
1944
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Also known as the
“G.I.” Bill
Huge impact on
American society &
economy in the
1950’s
Opportunities for
WWII Veterans
G.I. Bill Offered…
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1. University
education
2. Vocational
Training
3. Small business
loans
3. Home loans
Universities
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Award 2x’s as
many degrees in
1950 as opposed to
1940
8 million vets used
G.I. funds to attend
Colleges
&Universities
1950’s Prosperity
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Credit Cards:
Diner’s Club,
American Express,
1958
Low interest home
loans
Who is the 1950’s The Middle
Class?
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1. At least some college
education
2. Men work – white
collar jobs, or blue collar
management
3. Own 2 cars
4. Own suburban home
5. Stay at home wife, 2
kids
6. mostly white
“Auto Mania”
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Cars Facilitate
movement
85% of homes built
in 1950’s built in
the suburbs.
Growth of Suburbs
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Tract homes built
en masse in the
1950’s
“Levittowns”emerged (planned
communities in
suburbs)
Levitt Construction company- east
coast
Growth of Suburbs
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Average home
price 1950’s:
$11,500 - $14,500
Lakewood, Ca- 1st Planned
Community in L.A.

STEP 1
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STEP 2
Lakewood, Ca- 1st Planned
Community in L.A.
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STEP 3
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STEP 4
“White Flight”
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White, middle
class Moved to
suburbs
Loans denied to
minorities
60% of Americans
owned homes by
end of 50’s
National Highway Act 1956
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“Interstate”
Highways unified
nation
$40 billion
41,000 mile
construction project
Popular Culture Along Highways
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The emergence of
fast food chains,
motels, shopping
malls
Baby Boom
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50-75 million
babies born
between 19461964
“at home” mothers
depicted in popular
culture
Women in the 1950’s
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1950’s Middle
Class ideal: stay at
home mom
Husband earns
enough money so
wife does not have
to work
Television Culture
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9 in 10 homes had
T.V. sets by 1960
Facilitated the
spread of “fads”
1950’s Fads
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Hula Hoops!
Records!
Barbie!
Telephone booth
stuffing!
Rock N’ Roll
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Term coined by DJ
Alan Freed 1951
Controversial
Society concerned
about teenagers
Rebellious Youth in Film
James Dean “Rebel Without a
Cause” (1955)
 Marlon Brando –
“ The Wild One”
(1954)
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Disneyland
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Opened in
Anaheim, CA 1955
Price of admission:
$1
The Construction of Disneyland…
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Does Disneyland represent the social
idealism of the 1950’s??
Poverty and Urban Blight
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By 1960, 35 million
people lived below
poverty line
Inner city
deteriorated into
slums
Reality of the
ignored
1950’s Reality:
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1. Racism, discrimination, segregation
2. Popular Culture depicts white middle
class experience
3. Poverty, urban blight, inequality