Happy Thursday!!!
• Turn in vocab and pick up an agenda on the
stand in the front
• Did you know: The tombstone of Mel Blanc,
the famous voice of cartoon characters Bugs
Bunny, Sylvester the Cat, Tweety Bird and
Porky Pig, reads: “That’s all folks.”
Cold War
Origins
Origins
• The Cold War lasted from the end of WWII
until the collapse of the Soviet Union (USSR)
in 1991
• The US and Soviet Union represented very
different fundamental values
– The US represented democratic political
institutions and a free market economic system
• Capitalism- private citizens control all economic
activity
– The Soviet Union was a totalitarian government
with a communist economic system
• The state controlled all property and economic activity
What is a “cold war”?
• A war fought using methods that are short of
actual fighting
– Arms race- US and USSR built large military
forces and nuclear weapons to scare each other
– Alliances- US and USSR created alliances to
protect themselves and friends from attack
– Proxy wars- at times war broke out between a
nations friendly to US and a nation friendly to
USSR- each side sent money, supplies, troops
– Propaganda- each side created and spread
information to influence world opinion
Make mine freedom
United Nations
• 50 nations- INCLUDING U.S.
• Charter resembled the League of Nations
• Initial successes:
– Created Israel and preserve peace in the Middle East
– Guided former colonies to independence
– Set up a benefit organization (UNICEF)
• Failure- to control the use/build up of nuclear
weapons
Eastern Europe
• The Soviets faced a lot of death in WWII and for that
they justified their claims to Eastern Europe
– Felt they could stop future invasions from the west
• Stalin installed communist gov’ts in Albania,
Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania and
Poland
– Called satellite nations
• Europe was now divided into 2 political regions
• Winston Churchill of Britain made a speech creating
the phrase “iron curtain”
– Stood for the division of Europe
Germany Divided
• West Germany- democratic and friendly
with US
• East Germany- communist and friendly
with USSR
• Berlin was divided as well
– West-democratic and capitalist
– East- communist and command economy
The Truman Doctrine
• “Containment of communism”
• Guiding principle of American foreign policy
throughout the Cold War
• Didn’t want to roll it back but wanted to keep it
from spreading and to resist communist aggression
into other countries
• Truman asks Congress for $400 million in military
aid for Greece and Turkey to fight communism
• Created alliances- most famous being NATO
NATO
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization
• Formed as a defense alliance among the US and
western European countries (12 nations in total) to
prevent a Soviet invasion of Western Europe
– “an attack on 1 is an attack on all”
• Soviet allies in the eastern Europe formed the
Warsaw Pact
– for nearly 50 years both sides maintained large military
forces facing each other in Europe
Marshall Plan
• Western Europe was in chaos
• June 1947, Sec of State George Marshall
proposed the US provide aid to all European
nations
• Over the next 3 year, 16 countries receive
about $13 billion in aid
Berlin Airlift
• Remember Berlin is split but is located right in the
middle of USSR territory
• 1948- Stalin attempted to push the US, GB and FR
out of Berlin by blocking rail and road traffic in
and out.
– Thought W. Berlin would suffer from lack of supplies
and eventually get absorbed into USSR
• US Air Force supplied West Berlin by air for a
year forcing an end to the blockade
• Later the USSR built a wall around West Berlin
– prevent a US invasion of East Germany and to separate
E and W Germany
Communist Takeover in China
• Revolution in 1949: Nationalists v.
Communists
– Communists win- Mao Zedong
• increased American fears of communist
domination of most of the world
• The communist nations of China and the
Soviet Union eventually became rivals for
territory and diplomatic influence
– Later President Nixon exploited this in 1970s
Korean War
• At the end of WWII, Korea split into procommunist North and pro-democratic South along
the 38th parallel
• North Korean forces attacked South Korea in 1950
– UN voted to help defend South Korea
– US forces made up 90% of UN force
• American involvement reflected the policy of containment of
communism
• Us led forces under Douglas MacArthur counter-attacked
North Korean forces
• China Sent 300,000 troops to help N. Korea
Result of Korean War
• End in a stalemate at 38th parallel
– Success or failure?
• 1953- Armistice signed ending war
– 38th parallel line still divides North and South
Korea
– Containment of communism successful
– US casualties= 54,000 dead
Happy Monday
• Pick up an agenda
• Start the SOL quiz on the back
• Take out cold war packet, I will come
around and check that you have completed
the first 3
Cold War
Cold War at home
Post WWII America
• GI Bill- paid part of college tuition, a years
worth of unemployment benefits, low
interest loans
– Helped families get new homes in suburbscookie cutter towns
• Baby Boom- 40s-60s the birthrate in US
soared- largest generation in the nation’s
history
Levittown
Changing Roles
• Women were often reluctant to give up their
independence after the war
– Most left their jobs and went back home however
– Women were homemakers and images were glorified
by tv shows
• African-American veterans demanded more civil
rights
– Truman attempted to expand civil rights but Congress
shut it down
– Jackie Robinson 1947
– Dixiecrats- led by Strom Thurmond to protest
Truman’s efforts
Medical advances
• Dr. Jonas Salk- developed a vaccine for
polio
• Dr. Benjamin Spock- Common Sense Book
of Baby and Child Care
– Advised parents not to spank or scold children
– Mothers need to be home
Interstate Highway system
• After WWII Americans bought a lot of cars
– Suburban living required cars
• President Eisenhower authorized the
building of a nationwide highway network
– In turn encouraged more development
– Long-haul trucking replacing need for railroads
• Disneyland opened in 1955
Consumerism and Leisure
• People bought lots of stuff!!
– Washing machines, dishwashers, microwaves,
freezers, televisions, tape recorders, record
players, grills, pools, toys etc.
• Recreational activities– Fishing, bowling, boating, golf, baseball,
basketball, football (on tv too!)
Social conformity
• Fast food restaurants standardized what people
ate
• Corporations didn’t want individual thinkers
– Personality tests to make sure you “fit in”
• Idea was to not draw unwanted attention to
yourself
• Everyone following the “American Dream”
Subculture 1950s
• Beat movement- social and literary
nonconformity of artists, poets and writers
– Went against conformity
• Rock ‘n’ roll- heavy rhythm, simple
melodies and lyrics
– Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard
– Condemned by adults- lead to teenage
delinquency
Pop Culture
• TV was HUGE!
– People having TV in their house
• 1948-0.4%, 1954- 55.7%, 1958-83.2%
– FCC-Federal Communication Commission to
regulate
– Stereotypical portrayal of women and
minorities
Threat of Nuclear War
• The fear of communism and the threat of nuclear war
affected American life throughout the Cold War
– US developed the Hydrogen bomb- more powerful than
atomic bomb
– USSR developed one too!!
– US encouraged math and science programs in schools in
order to get ahead of the Soviets
• During the 1950s and 1960s American schools
regularly held drills to train children what to do in case
of nuclear attacks
– “duck and cover”
• American citizens were urged by the gov’t to build
bomb shelters in their basements
Fear and Paranoia
• The Soviet domination of Eastern Europe and the
Communist take over in China fueled a fear that
communism would spread around the world and to
the US
– At the height of WWII, about 80,000 Americans claimed
membership in the Communist Party
• People thought they had loyalty to USSR
• Loyalty Review Board- set up to investigate gov’t
employees and dismiss those found to be disloyal to
the US
– List of 91 “subversive” organizations was formedmembership in these groups were grounds for suspicion
HUAC
• House Un-American Activities Committee
• Investigated Communist influence in the movie
industry
– Believed the Communists were sneaking propaganda
into films
• “Hollywood Ten”- group of actors that refused to
testify- sent to prison
• Hollywood execs issued a blacklist- list of people
condemned for having communist background
– Actors, writers, producers and directors (about 500 in
total)
How to spot a communist
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQVXH
lMvOoU
Spies in the US
• Alger Hiss- accused of spying for the USSR
– Document “found” that were said to have been written by Hiss
– Convicted of perjury and sent to jail
• Julius and Ethel Rosenberg- accused of spying for the
USSR
– When the USSR exploded their atomic bomb quickly, people
thought that they were spying on the US
– Rosenbergs were activist in the American Communist Party
– Denied the charges and said they were being persecuted b/c
they were Jewish
– Found guilty of espionage and sentenced to death
Space Race
• 1957- the USSR launched Sputnik 1- satellite
– People thought it was used to either spy on the US or
launch missiles at the US
• April 12, 1961- Soviet cosmonauts went into
space
– Kennedy saw this as a challenge and set out to send a
man to the moon
• July 20, 1969- Neil Armstrong took his first steps
on the moon
– Universities expanded their science programs
McCarthyism
• Republican from Wisconsin
• Took advantage of people’s concerns about
communism
• Recklessly accused many American gov’t officials and
citizens of being communist
– Based these accusations on flimsy or no evidence
• Led to the term McCarthyism- making of false
accusations based on rumor or guilt by association
• 1954, McCarthy made accusations against the Us Army
which resulted in a nationally televised Senate
investigation
– McCarthy bullied the witnesses and alienated the audience
The Cold War in Virginia
• The heavy military expenditures throughout
the Cold War benefited Virginia’s economy
proportionately more than any other state
• Hampton Roads was home to several large
naval and air bases
• Northern Virginia- home to the Pentagon
and numerous private companies that
contracted with the military
Election of 1960
• John F. Kennedy (D) vs. Richard Nixon (R)
– TV played a huge role in election
• First televised debate- favored Kennedy
• Kennedy’s inaugural address- rally the US
– US would “pay any price, bear any burden, meet
an hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in
order to assure the survival and the success of
liberty”
– “ask not what your country can do for you; ask
what you can do for your country”
Happy Wednesday!!
• Take out your cold war packet so I can
check them
• Pick up an agenda on the stand in the front
and do the SOL quiz on the back
• Did you know: Pat Sajak, Host of Wheel of
Fortune is a Vietnam Veteran
Cold War
Cuba and Vietnam
Castro and Cuba
• Fidel Castro led a communist revolution that
took over Cuba in 1959
– Relied on support and aid from USSR
– Many Cubans fled to Florida
• Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961)- failed attempt to
overthrow Castro by Cuban exiles that had been
trained by CIA
– Kennedy accepted blame for the failure-humiliating
defeat for the US
13 Days of Terror
• In 1962, the USSR stationed missiles in
Cuba- Cuban Missile Crises
– Nikita Khrushchev (USSR) gave Castro missiles
– US spy planes (U2) photographed these missiles
• President Kennedy ordered the Soviets to remove their
missiles
– 13 days, US and USSR on brink of nuclear war
• Naval confrontation resulted in the USSR backing
down
– “We are eyeball to eyeball, and the other fellow just
blinked.”- Dean Rusk (Sec. of State)
• Resolution- USSR removed missiles in
exchange for US pledge not to invade Cuba
Vietnam
• American involvement in Vietnam reflected the policy of
containment
– US provided France with economic and military support to
keep control of Vietnam
• Ho Chi Minh= communist leader of North Vietnam who
wanted to unite all of Vietnam under communist rule
• DOMINO THEORY- Eisenhower believed that if one
country in SE Asia fell to communism, other would
follow- like dominoes
• Dien Bien Phu (1954)- N. Vietnamese forces defeated
French- Vietnam divided- North-Communist, Southanticommunist
US Involvement in Vietnam
• When France left Vietnam, the US continued to provide
economic and military support to S. Vietnam to resist the
spread of communism
• Vietcong (procommunist S. Vietnamese fighters)
– Ho Chi Minh Trail- supply route through Laos and
Cambodia along which the Vietcong received
weapons and supplies from N. Vietnam
• Kennedy sent US military advisers to train S.
Vietnamese army
– Assassinated in Dallas, TX by Lee Harvey Oswald in
Nov. 1963
• Shakes the nation’s confidence and begins a period of
internal strife and divisiveness especially over Vietnam
American military build-up
• Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) agreed with JFK that a
communist takeover in S. Vietnam would be a disaster
• Tonkin Gulf Resolution (1964): granted LBJ broad
military power in Vietnam to escalate the conflict
(but no official war declaration)
– Led to increased military buildup of operations
• the scale of conflict grew larger over the course of the 1960s
• American military forces repeatedly defeated the N.
Vietnamese forces in the field, but couldn’t force an end on
favorable terms
Escalation
• Pleiku (1965): Vietcongs attack US air base.
US steps up bombing raids and use land
troops for the first time
• Operation Rolling Thunder (1965): full scale
bombing attacks- obvious escalation of war
• Tet Offensive (1968): Jan. 30- the Vietcong
launched an attack on over 100 towns and
cities in S. Vietnam and 12 US air bases
– Lasted for about a month
– American public increasingly turned against the
war
American strategy
• In March of 1965, Johnson began dispatching tens of thousands of
US soldiers to fight in Vietnam
– The draft was implemented to increase troops
• Vietcong used hit-and run -tactics
– Lived amongst civilians so it was hard for the US to know who was on their
side and who wasn’t
– Also built elaborate tunnels so they can withstand air raids
• American strategy was the wear down the enemy by
continuing harassment
• Another strategy was to keep the Vietcong from winning
support from S. Vietnam’s rural population
– Green Berets (US Army Special Forces) sent in to win the
people over
• US dropped napalm (a gasoline-based bomb) and Agent Orange (a
leaf –killing toxic chemical) to expose the tunnels and hideouts
Reactions to President Johnson
• LBJ’s popularity plummeted after the Tet
offensive
• In public opinion polls taken at the end of
Feb 1968 showed nearly 60% of Americans
disapproved of his handling of the war
• LBJ decides not to run in election of 1968
Discontent at home
• Vietnam became America’s first “living room war”
– Combat footage appeared nightly on the news
• Thousands of men attempted to find ways around the
draft
– Medical exemptions, college deferment
– Many African-Americans fought in the war b/c it was
harder for them to dodge the draft
• Those who opposed the war but couldn’t dodge the
draft often resorted to alcohol and drug use while in
Vietnam
Country divided
• Those who opposed the war were known as doves,
those who supported US involvement were called
hawks
• Free Speech Movement (FSM) and Students for a
Democratic Society (SDS) spread to college
campuses
– Protests were held on a number of college campuses as
well as in cities like Washington DC
• Encouraged people to burn their draft cards
Counterculture
• A movement made up mostly of white middle-class
college youths who had grown disillusioned with the
war in Vietnam and injustices in America
– Hippie era, AKA “Age of Aquarius”
• Made a lasting impression in art and music
– Andy Warhol- criticized the “cookie cutter” lifestyle
– Woodstock
• Conservative Response- “revolutionary terrorism”
was a threat on campuses and cities
– Helped propel Nixon into office
Nixon and Vietnamization
• Nixon wins the election of 1968
– Campaigned on a promise to restore law and order
– Also promised to end the war
• Summer 1969, Nixon announces the first US troop
withdrawals
– War continued against N. Vietnam
– “Vietnamization”- gradual withdrawal of US troops in
order for S. Vietnamese to take over more active
combat roles
Mishandling of the war
• My Lai massacre (1969): Americans found out
that a US platoon killed innocent civilians in My
Lai
– People were outraged!
Cambodia
• By 1970 it seemed like the war was winding down
• April 30, 1970, Nixon announced that US troops
had invaded Cambodia to clear out Vietcong
supply centers
– Had not notified Congress
– Congress passed the War Powers Act: the president
must report to Congress within 24 hours after
committing troops to a foreign conflict, or enlarging
American combat units in foreign nations
• College students burst into protest
– Closed down some 1,200 campuses
Kent State
• Kent State University in Ohio
• Massive student protest led to the burning of the
ROTC building
• The local mayor called in the National Guard
• May 4, 1970, the Guards fired into a crowd of
protesters
– Wounded 9 and killed 4 (2 weren't even involved)
Result of Vietnamization
• Ultimately Vietnamization failed when
South Vietnamese troops proved unable to
resist invasions by the Soviet- supplied
North Vietnamese Army
• In 1975, both North and South Vietnam
were merged under communist control
Legacy of War
• Demonstrated power of the American public
• Casualties- 58,000 killed, 303,000 wounded
– 15% with PTSD
• Unlike WWII veterans who returned to a
grateful and supportive nation, Vietnam vets
returned to often face indifference or outright
hostility from some who opposed the war
Happy Friday!
• Turn in your Vietnam song wordle
• Pick up an agenda and start on the SOL quiz
Cold War
Cold War Ends
Let’s hop in our DeLorean and
flash forward to the 1980s!
Internal Problems for USSR
• Increasing soviet military expenses to
compete with the US
– USSR had trouble keeping up with the U.S.,
didn’t have enough money
• Economic inefficiency that led to stagnation
and recession
New Policies
• Mikhail Gorbachev- general secretary of the Communist
Party in the USSR
• “Glasnost” (openness)- allowed for open criticism of the
government and took steps towards freedom of the press
• “perestroika” (economic restructuring)-less government
control of the economy
– Allowed for some private enterprise
– Took steps for establishing a democratic gov’t in USSR
• Significance- revealed the communist system was failing
– Rising nationalism in Soviet republics resulted
• 14 non-Russian republics declared independence in 1991
External Pressures from Reagan
• President Ronald Reagan’s policies
increased pressure on the USSR that
contributed to its collapse
– Increased military spending that USSR
couldn’t match
• Example: SDI (aka “Star Wars”)- missile defense
shield
– Challenged moral legitimacy of the USSR
• Example: Speech at Berlin Wall- Mr. Gorbechev,
tear down this wall”
– Berlin Wall torn down in Nov. 1989
Cold War Legacy in US
• During the Cold War era, millions of
Americans served in the military to defend
freedom in wars and conflicts that weren’t
always popular
• As a result the US and American ideals of
democracy and freedom ultimately
prevailed in the Cold War struggle with the
Soviet Union’s communist system
The “Reagan Revolution”
• Election of 1980- Ronald Reagan (R) v.
Jimmy Carter (D)
• “Reagan Revolution”- term used to describe
the shift to a more conservative path during
President Reagan’s time in office
– Redefining of federalism= more power to the
states, less power to the national government
Reagan and the Supreme Court
• Made appointments of conservative federal
judges and supreme court justices who
exercised “judicial restraint”
– Sandra Day O’Connor- first woman to be
appointed to the Supreme Court
Reagan’s influence
• Extends beyond his time in office
– 1988- Reagan’s VP, George H.W. Bush was
elected president
– 1994- Republican candidates dominated
congressional elections
– 2000- election of George W. Bush
Reaganomics
• Definition- President Reagan’s economic
policies that included
– Budget cuts- reduction in number and scope of
government
Flash forward to the 1980’s!
• March 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev became general
secretary of the Communist Party in the Soviet
Union
– Advocated a policy known as “glasnost” (“openness”)allowed open criticism of the soviet gov’t and took steps
towards freedom of press
– In 1987- outlined “perestrokia”- reconstructing Soviet
society
• Less gov’t control of economy, some private enterprise, and steps
towards democracy
President Ronald Reagan
• Reagan challenged moral legitimacy of the
Soviet Union
– “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
• Referring to the Berlin Wall in Germany
• Reagan increased the US military and
economic pressures on the Soviet Union
• The Cold War officially ends in 1990