Chapter 21
The cold War Begins
I. The Cold War begins (appx 1946-1991)
A. What was the Cold War?
1. an era of rivalry & competition btwn US
& USSR
a. a clash of ideologies: Capitalism and
Democracy vs Communism
b. leads to space race, nuclear arms race
c. a COLD war b/c no real battles btwn US
and USSR
2. The Ideologies - very different
a. US: Democracy and Capitalism
1) Democracy: form of gov’t where a
constitution guarantees basic personal
and political rights, fair and free
elections, and independent courts of
law
2) Capitalism: an economic system in
which trade, industries, and the means
of production are largely privately
owned and operated for profit
b. USSR: Communist Dictatorship
1) Economic and political system that calls
for gov’t ownership and control of
property and the means of production
2) individuals expected to contribute to
society according to ability and receive
from it according to need.
II. The Impact of WWII
A. New Superpowers Emerge
1. USA
a. economically strong
- Besides Pearl Harbor attack, no
battles on US soil
- US industry boomed in WWII
b. militarily powerful but declining in size
2. USSR
a. economically weak
- war on Soviet soil
- industries, cities devastated
b. militarily strong and growing
- Red Army controlled most of Eastern
Europe and remained the world’s largest
B. New Political Boundaries after WWII
1. Poland
a. only allied country to lose territory (20%)
b. Lost territory to east (to USSR), gained
some to the west (at Germany’s expense)
2. Imperialism weakened – Colonies
Independent
a. Colonizers economically devastated by
WWII
1) difficult/expensive to maintain colonies
abroad, most independent within next
few decades
2) Borders redrawn (ex. India/Pakistan)
b. negative views of imperialism grew
1) abuses of imperialism highlighted by
violent acquisition of territory by Japan
and Germany
2) independence movements across the
globe gained support and momentum
3. nearly all Eastern Europe became
communist under USSR control
4. Japan under US military occupation
Emperor Hirohito and
General MacArthur,
at their first meeting,
at the U.S. Embassy,
Tokyo, Sept. 27, 1945
C. International Organizations and Treaties
1. United Nations (UN)
UN = an int’l org. founded to promote
world peace and progress
a. General Assembly = World forum, hears
disputes, refers serious matters to
Security Council
b. Security Council = headed by big 5 plus
rotating 10. Big 5 have VETO power
1) can block any UN action it opposes.
2) Investigates, recommends and takes
action
3) Big 5: US; USSR; UK; France; China
c. Eleanor Roosevelt (former 1st lady)
appointed by Truman to represent the US in the
UN. As chairman of the Commission on
Human Rights, she guided the drafting of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
1) condemns slavery and torture
2) encourages free speech and religion
3) affirms that all have a right to a “standard
of living” adequate for health and wellbeing
Standard of Living: A level of material comfort as
measured by the goods, services, and luxuries
available to an individual, group, or nation
Sovereignty:
freedom from
outside control
d. criticism of US membership in UN: giving
decision-making authority to a global
organization undermines US sovereignty
2. Trade Organizations – to foster global
economic and financial stability
a. General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
(GATT)
1) goal to expand world trade
2) reduces tariffs and other trade barriers
b. World Bank
1) goal to reduce poverty and finance world
economic development
2) offers loans and technical advice to
developing nations
developing nation: a nation whose
economy is primarily agricultural
2. Trade Organizations – to foster global
economic and financial stability
a. General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
(GATT)
1) goal to expand world trade
2) reduces tariffs and other trade barriers
b. World Bank
1) goal to reduce poverty and finance world
economic development
2) offers loans and technical advice to
developing nations
developing nation: a nation whose
economy is primarily agricultural
c. International Monetary Fund (IMF)
1) goal to stabilize finances of nation and
encourage economic growth
2) stabilizes exchange rates btwn countries
3) lends money to countries in financial
crisis
D. Dealing with the USSR
1. The Yalta Conference (FDR + Stalin +
Churchill) Feb. 1945. 3 decisions
a. Soviet backed communist Gov’t
recognized in Poland – but included
pledge from Stalin that free elections
would be held in Poland ASAP!!
b. Declaration of Liberated Europe
- the right of all people to choose
the form of gov’t under which
they live
c. Germany & Berlin ÷ into 4 zones
Division of
Germany/Berlin
2. Potsdam Conference (US, GB,
USSR) July 1945 The Big Issues
a. Reparations: a difference of opinion
1) US: let German economy revive (less
likely to turn to communism)
2) USSR: pay heavy reparations (keeps
Germany weak!)
3) The decision? Soviets to take
reparations from the German sector
they controlled
b. Truman continues to press for free
elections in Poland
c. Stalin pledged to enter war against
Japan
Stalin, Truman, Churchill (Churchill
leaves office and is replaced by Atlee
in later meetings)
3. Broken Soviet Promises
a. Romania pressured by USSR
to appoint Communist gov’t
b. Allow only 3 non-Communists
in Polish gov’t
c. No indication that free elections in
Poland will be allowed
4. A clash of the Allies – different ideas
What the Americans Believed What the Soviets Believed
Economic growth was the key
to world peace
Communism was a superior
system
Economic growth should be
promoted by increasing world
trade
Communism would eventually
replace capitalism
Democratic gov’ts that protect
people’s rights made countries
more stable
Communism should be
encouraged in other nations
The free enterprise system was Germany should be kept weak
the best route to prosperity
economically and militarily
The German economy should
be allowed to recover
To increase their security,
countries between USSR and
Germany should be under
Soviet Control
E. Iron Curtain Descends
a. USSR Red Army in Eastern Europe:
clear that pro-Soviet gov’ts will be
established in Poland, Bulgaria,
Hungary & Czechoslovakia
b. These nations = satellite nations
satellite nation: formally independent, but
dominated by another power (USSR)
- had to remain Communist, friendly to
USSR & follow policies approved by
USSR
c. Churchill: “an iron curtain has
descended across Europe.”
- this iron curtain separated
Communist nations of Eastern
Europe from the West
IRON
CURTAIN
http://users
.erols.com/
mwhite28/
communis.
htm
The Iron Curtain
II. The Early Cold War Years
A. Containing Communism
1. The Long Telegram
a. US State Dept in Moscow asked
to explain Soviet behavior in
Eastern Europe – reply came from
diplomat George Kennan
Kennan in
1947
b. The Long Telegram – Soviet
behavior due to:
1) mistrust of the West
2) WWII losses
WOW!
3) insecurity and the need to
control Eastern Europe
4) historical struggle against
capitalism
c. Kennan’s Conclusion? Communists
still interested in world dominion.
So… no way to reach permanent
settlement with them
d. Recommended Solution? In
Foreign Affairs using pseudonym
X proposed:
Containment – the post WWII
foreign policy that sought to
prevent the expansion of the
USSR through diplomatic,
economic and military means
Containment
2. The Truman Doctrine – a military
approach to containment
a. Gov’ts of Greece (guerilla war w/
Communists) and Turkey (USSR
wanted control of Dardanelles
straits)
Greece and Turkey
b. Truman Doctrine = “it will be the
policy of the US to support free
peoples who are resisting
attempted subjugation by armed
minorities or by outside
pressures.”
c. Came to mean that the US would
oppose the overthrow of any
democratic gov’t – a pledge to
fight communism Worldwide
3. Marshall Plan (1947) – an economic
approach to containment
a. Problem: Europe a “rubble heap”
b. Sec. of State George Marshall
proposes that US begin a program
of massive economic aid to
Europe
c. Marshall Plan: a massive US aid
program to help European nations
recover economically from WWII
Truman Doctrine & Marshall Plan
Marshall Plan
B. Berlin Crisis
1. West Germany is founded
a. USSR had set up Communist
gov’t in their zone, removed
wealth from Germany to
strengthen USSR
b. US, GB, France united their
sections of Germany 1948
c. USSR blocked all land routes into
Berlin – Berlin Blockade
d. West responded with Berlin Airlift
(best option for avoiding war)
e. For almost 1 yr, Brits and US flew
tons of goods into West Berlin
f. May 1949, Soviets lift blockade
Two Germanys:
West Germany & East Germany
2. NATO: North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (1949)
a. US convinced that USSR was
bent on conquest
b. NATO formed to defend member
nations from Communist threats
c. It is a mutual defense alliance
where members agree to come to
the aid of any member who is
attacked
d. USSR response? Warsaw Pact
NATO
12 members
originally.
Today 28
+ US & Canada
Berlin & NATO
C. Cold War Spreads to East Asia
1. Civil War & Revolution in China
a. Civil War in China resumed
after WWII – Communists under
Mao Zedong vs. Nationalists
under Chiang Kai-shek
b. China falls to Communism Oct
1949 – establish the People’s
Republic of China (PRC)
c. Chinese Nationalists flee to
Taiwan and establish gov’t of
“China” Republic of China (ROC)
2. After the Fall
a. US did not recognize PRC,
blocked their entrance into UN
b. US decided to aid friends in Asia
like Indochina & Japan. US
recovery efforts focus on Japan!
1) sent MacArthur to rebuild
Japan – strengthen economy
2) new constitution(no war!)
c. US sees W. Germany as key to
defending all of Europe against
communism, and now saw Japan
as the key to defending Asia
E. Korean War – 1st armed conflict of Cold
War
1. Background
a. US & USSR in Korea after WWII
to disarm Jap. troops there
b. Korea ÷ at 38ºN
1) North = USSR = communist
2) South = USA
2. June 25, 1950: NK invades SK in an
effort to unite the peninsula under
Communism PBS Summary of Korean War
3. The UN intervenes
a. Truman calls for meeting of UN
Security Council (USSR
boycotting over China policy so
wasn’t there to veto)
b. UN agrees to a “police action” –
17 nations, but 90% from US or SK
c. Douglas MacArthur in command
d. US troops pushed back to Pusan
perimeter; US then push NK back
across 38ºN - then all the way to
the Yalu River – the border of
China
4. China enters the War
a. PRC enters war & pushes back
UN army
b. MacArthur wants to expand war –
1) block Chinese ports
2) utilize Chiang’s Nationalist
forces from Taiwan
3) bomb Chinese cities with
atomic weapons
5. Truman fires MacArthur
a. Truman committed to a limited war
- a war fought to achieve a limited
objective
1) in this case, the objective was
to contain communism
2) did not want to expand war
with China or use atomic
weapons
Pres. Truman
b. To maintain control of policy +
show he was Commander in
Chief, Truman fires MacArthur
- in the US, we have civilian
control of the military!
“In war there is
no substitute for
victory.”
Douglas MacArthur
MacArthur’s Farewell Speech to
Congress
6. Changes in US Policy
a. Peace talks begin Nov. 1951 –
armistice (cease-fire) signed July
1953
b. Korea remains divided
d. Turning pt in Cold War – prior to
Korea, US relied on political
pressure & economic aid to
contain communism. Now, US
begins major military build up
d. Defense agreements signed in
Asia ( you guessed it! US in
more mutual defense alliances!)
1) ANZUS
2) SEATO
3) Indochina – aid to French
forces fighting Ho Chi Minh’s
Communist guerillas in
Vietnam (US was subsidizing
France’s colonial war in
Indochina – 80% by 1954)
III. The Cold War and American Society
A. A New Red Scare
1. Origins of the New Red Scare
a. Sept 1945: Soviet defector revealed
that USSR was infiltrating orgs. &
gov’t agencies (in US & Canada) to
obtain info on the atomic bomb.
b. Americans began to fear that
Communists were secretly working
to subvert US gov’t
Subversion = effort to weaken a
society and overthrow its gov’t
2. Loyalty Review Program
a. Early 1947: Truman launched
Loyalty Review Program to screen
all federal employees for loyalty
b. Led to increased fear that
Communists had infiltrated US gov’t
c. Over 6m Federal employees
screened
1) intense scrutiny by FBI
2) some quit from the pressure,
others fired for “questionable”
loyalty
3. HUAC
a. 1938: House Un-American
Activities Committee (HUAC)
formed
1) a committee in H of R created to expose
communist & Fascist activities in US
2) expanded by FBI director J. Edgar
Hoover in 1947
b. FBI infiltrated groups suspected of
subversion $ wiretapped 1000s of
phones
- even went after Hollywood
HUAC
4. Alger Hiss
a. 1948: Time Magazine editor and
former Communist Party member,
Whittaker Chambers, testified to
HUAC that several gov’t officials
were former Communists or spies
b. Alger Hiss accused/denied
c. Chambers produced “pumpkin
papers” Hiss convicted of perjury;
(lying under oath).
d. Case left many Americans
believing there were indeed spies
in US gov’t
Alger Hiss Trial
5. The Rosenbergs
a. 1949: USSR gets THE bomb!
b. Most believe USSR could not
have produced atomic bomb w/o
help – US hunts for spies
c. 1951: Julius & Ethel Rosenberg,
NY Communist members,
arrested & charged & convicted of
heading Soviet spy ring –
executed in 1953
- 1st civilians in US history put to
death for espionage
Alger Hiss & Rosenbergs
Julius & Ethel Rosenberg
6. Project Venona
a. launched to crack the Soviet spy
code
b. 1946: code cracked. Confirmed
the existence of Soviet Spy ring
c. Project Venona not revealed to
US public until 1995 – confirmed
guilt of Rosenbergs
B. McCarthyism
1. By 1949, Americans were convinced the
US was losing the Cold War & that
Communists had infiltrated the US gov’t
2. Enter Joseph McCarthy…”McCarthyism”
a. Senator McCarthy conducted
“witch hunts” for suspected
Communists in the US gov’t in
early 1950s
b. Claimed he had a list of
Communists in the US State Dept.
c. made numerous accusations and
charges of disloyalty
d. his tactic was to damage people’s
reputations with vague and some
times unfounded charges.
3. The McCarren Act
a. Established the following:
1) illegal to support totalitarianism
2) required all Communist Party
orgs to register with the US
Atty General
3) no passport or foreign travel
for Communists
4) Allowed for the arrest and
detention of Communists and
Communist sympathizers in
the case of a nat’l emergency
4. McCarthy’s downfall
a. McCarthy alleged that there were
Soviet spies in the US Army
b. Army conducted investigation, but
found no evidence of spies
c. Televised hearings were held
- McCarthy seen as a mean bully and lost
his influence to arouse public fear
d. Censured by the Senate
censure: formal disappoval
5. Distinguishing the US from USSR
a. 1954: US adds “Under God” to the
Pledge of Allegiance
b. 1956: US adopts “In God We Trust”
as a national motto
c. These were not added to endorse a
particular religion, rather to
distinguish the US from the USSR
where atheism was promoted
C. Americans Live in Fear of Nuclear War
1. The Nukes
a. USSR tested atomic bomb in 1949
b. USSR tested more powerful
Hydrogen bomb in 1953
2. “Duck and Cover” drills held in
preparation for a surprise Soviet attack
Duck
and
cover
drills
3. Fallout Shelters
a. Fear of nuclear fallout
fallout: radioactive particles dispersed by a
nuclear explosion
b. For protection, some built backyard
fallout shelters & stocked them with
food etc.
fallout shelter: a shelter built with the intent to
house and protect people from nuclear fallout
Fallout Shelters
IV. President Dwight D Eisenhower
A. Eisenhower’s New Look in Defense
1. 1952 Election
a. Dwight D Eisenhower(R) vs Adlai Stevenson(D)
b. Ike wins! (WWII hero)
2. The scenario when Ike takes office
a. USSR had THE bomb
b. China fell to Communism
c. US Troops in Korean War
3. Key to Cold War Victory = military
might + strong economy
4. “New Look” defense policy
a. More Nukes; Less conventional
weapons/forces = money saved
b. More “bang for the buck” with
Nukes!
The New
Look
5. Massive Retaliation Policy
a. a policy of threatening a massive
response, including the use of
nuclear weapons, against a
Communist state trying to seize a
peaceful state by force
b. Result? Military spending down,
nuclear arsenal up
6. New Technology
a. Nukes required new technology to
deliver them
1) B-52 bombers
2) ICBMs
3) submarines capable of
nuclear launch
7. The Sputnik Crisis
a. Oct 1957: USSR launched
Sputnik, the 1st artificial satellite to
orbit the earth
b. US Response? Alarm!! A sign the
US was falling behind the USSR in
technology and scientific research
c. Led to:
1) creation of Nat’l
Aeronautics & Space
Administration (NASA): to
coordinate research in
rocket science and space
exploration
2) Nat’l Defense Education
Act (NDEA): to provide $$
for education/training in
science, math & foreign
language
B. Brinkmanship in Action
1. Brinkmanship (the willingness to go to
the brink of war to force an opponent to
back down)
John Foster Dulles
was Ike’s Sec of State
and was responsible
for the aggressive
brinkmanship policy.
Dulles is speaking to
Uncle Sam in the
Cartoon
2. The Korean War Ends
a. Korean War a campaign issue for
Ike – said it was too costly, too
many US casualties
b. Ike hints to the Chinese of a
possible US nuclear attack
c. Brinkmanship seemed to work –
armistice signed July 1953
d. Korea divided near the pre-war
boundary of 38ºN parallel
- Divided by a Demilitarized
Zone (DMZ)
e. No victory for either side, but the
spread of communism in Korea
was stopped. Thus, the goal of
Containment was achieved in
Korea!
3. The Taiwan Crisis
Flag of China
Flag of Taiwan
a. China threatens Taiwan
1) Ike considers Taiwan as barrier against
spread of Communism in Asia
2) Ike hints at the use of nukes if China
doesn’t back down
b. China backs down – brinkmanship works
C. Fighting Communism Covertly
1. To prevent Communist uprisings in
other countries, Ike decides to use
covert, or hidden operations conducted
by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
2. Containment in Developing Nations (3rd
World)
1st - The bloc of democratic-industrial countries within the American
influence sphere
2nd - The Eastern bloc of the communist-socialist states
3rd - The remaining three-quarters of the world's population, states not
aligned with either bloc – mostly poor, underdeveloped
a. Many covert operations in
developing (aka 3rd world) nations
(developing nation = a nation
whose economy is primarily ag)
b. To stop Soviet/Communist
influence, the US:
1) sent financial aid
2) CIA staged covert ops to
overthrow anti-American
leaders and replace them with
pro-American leaders
c. Covert operations conducted in
Iran, Guatemala
3. Uprising in Hungary
a. 1953: Stalin Dies, Nikita
Khrushchev new leader of USSR
b. Khrushchev attacks Stalin’s
policies leading many to believe
that he will be different – that he’ll
allow more freedom in Eastern
Europe
c. 1956: uprising begins in Eastern
Europe
d. Oct 1956: full-scale uprising in
Hungary
Hungarian Uprising
Stalin decapitated
e. Khrushchev willing to tolerate
more freedom, but would not
tolerate an end to communism in
Eastern Europe
f. Soviets send tanks into Budapest
to crush the uprising
D. Continued Tensions
1. B/C of Hungarian Uprising, Khrushchev
forced to reassert Soviet power &
superiority of communism
a. accuses capitalists of starting an
arms race
b. 1958: K demands US, GB and Fr
withdraw from W. Berlin
- US response? Says NATO
will respond! (brinkmanship in
action)
- Soviets back down
2. Attempt to improve relations: US/USSR
plan a Summit (formal face to face
meeting) in 1960
a. But before Summit occurs, the
USSR shoots down a US U-2 spy
plane
- US claims it was a weather
plane that strayed off course
- USSR produces pilot, Francis
Powers
- US refuses to apologize
b. USSR calls off summit
3. Ike’s Farewell Address 1961
a. Highlighted new relationship btwn
the military and defense industry
b. Warned against influence of
military-industrial complex (an
Farewell
speech
informal relationship that some people believe
exists btwn the military and the defense
industry to promote greater military spending
- a potential
threat to democracy
& influence gov’t policy)