Chapter 18 The Cold War Begins 1945 1960

Chapter 18 The Cold War Begins 1945 - 1960

Section 1 Origins of the Cold War

A Clash of Interests n n The United States and Soviet Union emerged from WWII as two superpowers with vastly different and political and economic system. After World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union became increasingly hostile, leading to an era of confrontation and competition that lasted from about 1946 to 1990 known as the Cold War. Soviets were concerned with security and wanted to avoid future attacks from Germany. They wanted all countries between Germany and the Soviet Union to be under Soviet control.

A Clash of Interests n Soviets believed communism was superior to capitalism. n Americans were concerned with economic problems. n Roosevelt and his advisers believed that economic growth would keep the world peaceful.

n Under Soviet communism the stated controlled all the property and the economic activity. n Capitalistic American system, private citizens controlled almost all economic activity. n The American system voting by the people elected a president and congress and competing political parties. n In the Soviet Union the Communist Party establish a totalitarian government with no opposing party.

Discussion n What did many American officials believe caused World War II? n Many American officials believed it was the Depression that had caused World War II. n Countries had cut back on trade, making it necessary for a nation to go to war to get the resources it needed.

The Yalta Conference n. A meeting of Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin at Yalta – a Soviet resort on the Black Sea – was held to plan the postwar world.

The Yalta Conference n Although the conference went well, some agreements made would later become key in causing the Cold War. n At Yalta, a compromise was made with Roosevelt and Churchill agreeing to recognize the Polish Communist government set up by the Soviets.

The Yalta Conference n Stalin agreed that the government would include members from the old Polish government before the war. n Stalin also agreed that free elections would take place in Poland. n During the meeting at Yalta, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin issued the Declaration of Liberated Europe, giving people the right to choose their form of government.

The Yalta Conference n n It was decided at Yalta to divide Germany and Berlin into four zones, with Great Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union, and France each controlling a zone. Germany would also have to pay reparations. For the next several years, arguments about these reparations and economic policy in Germany would become one of the major causes of the Cold War. Tensions rose when the Soviets did not follow agreements made at Yalta, which caused Soviet. American relations to deteriorate.

The Yalta Conference n President Roosevelt died and Vice President Harry S. Truman became the next President.

Discussion n How did Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin disagree about what to do with Poland? n Roosevelt and Churchill felt that the Poles should have the freedom to choose their own government. n Stalin felt the Polish government and the Soviets needed to be friendly for security reasons.

Truman Takes Control n Harry Truman was a virtual political unknown, having succeeded to the presidency at Roosevelt’s death. n He had governed on 82 days, and had no political mandate.

Truman Takes Control Truman’s test as a diplomat came in July 1945 when the Big Three- U. S. , Great Britain, and the Soviet Union met at the final wartime conference in Potsdam near Berlin. n These were the same countries which had been present a Yalta in February 1945. n At Yalta, Stalin had promised Truman that he would allow free elections in Eastern Europe. n It was clear by July that Stalin would not allow free elections in Eastern Europe. n

Truman Takes Control Truman was against heavy reparations on Germany, feeling that the reparations would not allow German industry to recover. n Agreements were made allowing the Soviets to take reparations from their zone in Germany and a small amount of German industrial equipment from other zones. n Stalin was not pleased with Truman’s proposal. n Truman then mentioned to Stalin that the U. S. had successfully detonated an atomic bomb. n

Truman Takes Control Stalin took this as a threat and agreed to Truman’s proposal but tensions rose. n Other issues at Potsdam did not end successfully. n The Declaration of Liberation of Europe was not upheld. n The Soviet army remained in Eastern Europe (Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia) and established pro-Soviet governments there. n

Truman Takes Control n These became known as satellite nations.

Truman Takes Control n Although they had their own governments and were not directly under Soviet control, they had to remain Communist and follow Soviet-approved policies. n As Communists began taking over Eastern Europe, Winston Churchill’s term, the iron curtain, was used to describe the separation of the Communist nations of Eastern Europe from the West.

Discussion n Why did Stalin have to accept Truman’s proposal at Potsdam? n American and British troops controlled Germany’s industrial center, and Soviets would be unable to receive any reparations unless they cooperated.

The Early Cold War Years

Containing Communism n As Americans became increasingly impatient with the Soviets, the State Department asked the American Embassy in Moscow to explain Soviet behavior. n On February 22, 1946, diplomat George Kennan responded with the Long Telegram, a 5, 540 word cable message explaining his views of Soviet goals.

Containing Communism n Kennan discussed Russian insecurity and fear of the West and why it was impossible to reach an agreement. n He proposed a long-term containment of Russian expansion. n This led to Truman’s policy of containment – keeping communism within its present territory through diplomatic, economic, and military actions.

Containing Communism n After World War II, Soviet troops remained in Northern Iran, demanding access to Iran’s oil supplies.

Containing Communism n Soviet troops helped Communists in Northern Iran set up a separate government. n The United States had put troops in Southern Iran and demanded the Soviets withdraw from the region.

Containing Communism n On March 12, 1947, Truman went before Congress to request $400 million to fight Soviet aggression in Greece and Turkey. n The policy became known as the Truman Doctrine. Its purpose was to stabilize the Greek government and ease Soviet demands in Turkey. n It became the United States’ pledge to stop communism in the world.

Containing Communism n Postwar Western Europe faced economic ruin and starving people. n In June 1947, Secretary of State George C. Marshall proposed the European Recovery Program called the Marshall Plan. n The Marshall Plan would give European nations American aid to rebuilt. n The plan was an effort to fight hunger, poverty, and chaos.

Containing Communism n The Soviet Union and its satellite nations in Eastern Europe rejected the offer and developed their own economic program. n The Marshall Plan gave billions of dollars worth of supplies, machinery, and food to Western Europe, lessening the appeal of communism and opening new trade markets.

Discussion n What were the goals of the Truman and Marshall Plans? n Fight Soviet aggression in Greece and Turkey. n Stabilize Europe’s economy to defeat Communism.

The Berlin Crisis By early 1948, in response to the Soviet attempt to harm Germany’s economy, the United States, Great Britain, and France merged their zones in Germany and in Berlin, which became West Berlin, allowing Germans to have their own government. n The new nation became West Germany with a separated economy from the Soviet zone, which eventually became known as East Germany. n

The Berlin Crisis n n n In June 1948, Soviet troops stopped all road and rail traffic to West Berlin, hoping to force Americans to renegotiate Germany’s status or give up Berlin. In response, Truman sent long-range bombers with atomic weapons to bases in Britain. Truman then ordered the Berlin Airlift. For eleven months, cargo planes supplied Berliners with food, medicine, and coal. Stalin finally lifted the blockade on May 12.

The Berlin Crisis n With the threat of war still present, the American public supported a military alliance with Western Europe. n By April 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a mutual defense alliance, was created with initial twelve countries joining. n The members agreed to come to the aid of any member who was attacked.

The Berlin Crisis n Six years later, NATO allowed West Germany to rearm and join its organization. n Soviet leaders responded with the organization of a military alliance in Eastern Europe known as the Warsaw Pact.

Discussion n Why was NATO created? n It was created by 12 countries, including the United States, Canada, and several Western European countries, as a mutual defense alliance in order to help maintain peace in Europe.

The Cold War Spreads to East Asia n After WWII, China became a communist nation and Korea was split into a communist North and democratic South. n In China, communist forces and Nationalist forces had been battling since the late 1920’s. n The two had stopped their war during World War II in an effort to resist Japanese occupation.

The Cold War Spreads to East Asia n In China Communist forces led by Mao Zedong had been struggling against the nationalist government led by Chiang Kai-shek.

The Cold War Spreads to East Asia n With the end of World War II, civil war broke out again. n The Nationalists were defeated after poor leadership caused the United States to stop sending aid. n In October 1949, Communists set up the People’s Republic of China.

The Cold War Spreads to East Asia In early 1950, the People’s Republic of China and the Soviet Union signed a treaty of friendship and alliance. n The United States was able to keep Communist China out of the United Nations while allowing Nationalists from Taiwan to retain their seats. n When the United States lost China as its main ally in Asia, it adopted policies to encourage the quick recovery of Japan’s industrial economy. The U. S. saw Japan as its key in defending Asia. n

The Korean War At the end of World War II, American and Soviet forces entered Korea to disarm Japanese troops stationed there. n The Allies divided Korea at the 38 th parallel of latitude. n Soviet troops controlled the north and set up a Communist government. n American troops controlled the south with an American-backed government. n

The Korean War n The Soviets gave military aid to the north, resulting in an expansive military. n On June 25, 1950, North Korean troops invaded South Korea.

The Korean War n Truman asked the UN to act against the Communist invasion of South Korea. n American, UN, and South Korean troops pushed back advancing North Korean troops.

The Korean War n The Communist Chinese government saw UN troops as a threat and demanded that they stop advancing. n After being ignored, China began a massive attack with hundreds of thousands of Chinese troops heading across the border, driving UN forces back.

The Korean War General Mac. Arthur demanded approval to expand the war against China. Truman refused Mac. Arthur’s demands. n Mac. Arthur was fired after publicly criticizing the president. n Truman was committed to limited war, a war fought to achieve a limited objective such as containing communism. n

The Korean War By 1951 UN forces had pushed Chinese and North Koreans back across the 38 th parallel. n An armistice was signed July 1953. n The Korean War was an important turning point in the Cold War. n

The Korean War n Instead of just using political pressure and economic aid to contain communism, the United States began a major military buildup. n The Korean War expanded the Cold War beyond Europe and Asia.

The Cold War and American Society

A New Red Scare n During the 1950’s, rumors and accusations of Communists in the United States led to fears that Communists were attempting to take over the world. n The Red Scare began in September 1945, and escalated into a general fear of Communist subversion – an effort to secretly weaken a society and overthrow its government.

A New Red Scare n In early 1947, Truman established the loyalty review program to screen all federal employees for their loyalty. n The program’s aim was to calm Americans. Instead, it led to the fear that Communists were infiltrating the government.

A New Red Scare n FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover went to the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) to urge them to hold public hearings on Communist subversion. n Under Hoover’s leadership, the FBI sent agents to investigate suspected groups and to wiretap thousands of telephones.

A New Red Scare In 1948, Time magazine editor Whittaker Chambers testified before HUAC that several government officials were also former Communists or spies. n The most prominent among these was lawyer and diplomat Alger Hiss had served in Roosevelt’s administration, attended the Yalta conference, and helped with the organization of the UN. n Hiss denied the charges, but he was convicted of committing perjury, or lying under oath. n

A New Red Scare n The search for spies intensified when the Soviet Union produced an atomic bomb. n Klaus Fuchs, a British scientist, admitted giving information to the Soviet Union.

A New Red Scare n This led to the arrest of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, a New York couple who were members of the Communist Party and were charged with heading a Soviet spy ring. Although many believed the Rosenbergs were not guilty, the couple was executed in June 1953.

A New Red Scare n In 1946 American cryptographers cracked the Soviet spy code, allowing them to read messages between Moscow and the United States. n This did not become public knowledge until 1995 when the government revealed Project Verona’s existence. It provided strong evidence against the Rosenbergs.

A New Red Scare n The federal government set the example for many state and local governments, universities, businesses, unions, and churches to start finding Communists.

Discussion n Why did the hunt for Communist spies increase with the Soviet Union’s production of the atomic bomb? n Many believed that the Soviet Union could not have produced the atomic bomb without help. The belief was that American Communists must have sold secrets of the atomic bomb to the Soviets.

“A Conspiracy So Immense” n In 1949, with the Soviet Union testing an atomic bomb and China falling to communism, Americans felt they were losing the Cold War. n Americans continued to believe that Communists were inside the government. n Senator Joseph R. Mc. Carthy, in a political speech, stated that he had a list of 205 Communists in the state department.

“A Conspiracy So Immense” n Mc. Carthy won the Senate race after accusing his opponent of being a Communist. He accused Democratic Party leaders of corruption and of protecting Communists. n Others made similar charges, causing Americans to begin to believe them.

“A Conspiracy So Immense” n Congress passed the Internal Security Act or Mc. Carran Act in 1950. The act made it illegal to “combine, conspire, or agree with any person to perform any act which would substantially contribute to…the establishment of a totalitarian government. ”

“A Conspiracy So Immense” n Senator Joseph R. Mc. Carthy became the chairman of the Senate subcommittee on investigations. n His investigation turned into a witch hunt as he searched for disloyalty based on poor evidence and fear. n He ruined reputations without proper evidence. This tactic became known as Mc. Carthyism.

“A Conspiracy So Immense” n In 1954 Americans watched televised Army-Mc. Carthy hearings and saw how Mc. Carthy attacked witnesses, and his popularity faded. n Finally, an army lawyer named Joseph Welch stood up to Mc. Carthy. n Later that year, the Senate passed a vote of censure, or formal disapproval, against Mc. Carthy.

Discussion n Why were people afraid to challenge Mc. Carthy and his Mc. Carthyism? n People were afraid to challenge Mc. Carthy because they feared Mc. Carthy would accuse them of being Communists.

Life During the Early Cold War n Communism and the threat of the atomic bomb dominated life for Americans and their leaders in the 1950’s. n The threat of an atomic attack against the United States forced Americans to prepare for a surprise attack.

“A Conspiracy So Immense” n Although Americans tried to protect themselves, experts realized that for every person killed instantly by a nuclear blast, four more would later die from fallout, the radiation left over after the blast. n Some families built fallout shelters in their backyards and stocked them with canned food.

“A Conspiracy So Immense” n The 1950’s was a time of great contrasts. Images of the Cold War appeared in films and popular fiction. Along with these fears of communism and spies, the country enjoyed postwar prosperity and optimism.

Discussion n How did Americans prepare for an atomic attack? n American schools had bomb shelters and held bomb drills. Some families built fallout shelters in their backyards and filled them with canned food.