MODULE 12 THE COLD WAR Lesson 1 The

MODULE 12 – THE COLD WAR Lesson 1 – The Origins of the Cold War

C. KEY TERMS & PEOPLE

A. HARRY S. TRUMAN • U. S. president at the end of WWII and the beginnings of the Cold War between the U. S. & the Soviet Union (USSR) • The US & USSR were actually polar opposites in terms of political structure & economics (check out this graph & video – Former Allies Clash) • Tensions were strong between Stalin (USSR) & Truman for the following reasons… • We were upset that Stalin signed the non-aggression pact w/Hitler in the beginning of WWII & only joined the Allies after Hitler invaded the USSR • Stalin was upset that the Western Allies didn’t immediately go to war with Germany once the USSR was invaded • Stalin was also upset when he found out at the Potsdam Conference that we had secretly developed an atomic bomb • We were upset when Stalin went back on his word to allow democratic elections in Poland after the war, deciding against it at the Potsdam

B. SATELLITE NATION • Nations such as Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, & Poland that became dependent upon & dominated by the USSR • Stalin’s justification for taking control of these Eastern European nations revolved around the fact that the USSR suffered heavy devastation on its own soil & lost an estimated 20 million people (half of them civilians) during the war. By dominating this region of Europe, the Soviets felt they could stop

C. IRON CURTAIN • A phrase uttered by Winston Churchill in response to the Soviet Union’s domination of satellite nations in Eastern Europe • “A shadow has fallen upon the scenes so lately lighted by the Allied victory. . From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe. . All these famous cities and the populations around them lie in. . . the Soviet sphere, and all are subject in one form or another, not only to Soviet influence but to a very high and. . . increasing measure of control from Moscow. ” — Winston Churchill • This phrase came to stand for the division of Europe between free democracies in the West & communist governments controlled by Moscow in the East • When Stalin heard these comments by Churchill, he declared

D. COLD WAR • Check out this chart (US/USSR aims in Eastern Europe – Former Allies Clash) • The conflicting US & Soviet aims in Eastern Europe led to the Cold War (a conflict between the US & the Soviet Union in which neither nation directly confronted the other on the battlefield) • The Cold War would dominate global affairs & US foreign policy from 1945 until the break up of the Soviet Union in 1991

E. CONTAINMENT • Truman believed it was time to stop ‘babying the Soviets’ • This new stance required the development of a new foreign policy • In 1946, George F. Kennan (American diplomat in Moscow) proposed this policy of containment – any measures to prevent the extension of Communist rule to other countries (these measures would include diplomatic outreach & financial assistance to

F. CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY • This new, increasingly complex set of foreign relations during the Cold War required the US to develop more intelligence gathering organizations to keep a watchful eye on what the Soviets were up to • These organizations would collect information about Communist activity, both in Europe and at home • It all began in 1947 when Truman signed the National Security Act which created 2 intelligence agencies (the National Security Council or NSC & the Central Intelligence Agency or CIA) • The CIA gathered intelligence from the military & the state department & also performed covert (secret) operations in foreign

G. TRUMAN DOCTRINE • In an effort to curb further economic ruin & political instability in Europe following the devastation of WWII, Truman came up with the Truman Doctrine in an effort to contain Soviet expansion in Europe. • The idea was that if a nation was in economic ruin, it became politically unstable. If it was politically unstable, revolutions could occur & if revolutions occur, Communism could spread into this country (go back to Trotsky’s Communist International & the Iron Curtain) • The solution lay in pumping $ into the struggling western European nations so they wouldn’t fall victim to communist influence • On March 12, 1947, Truman asked Congress for $400 million in economic & military aid for Greece & Turkey (2 countries on the verge of a communist takeover) • “I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures. I believe that we must assist free peoples to work out their own destinies in their own way. I believe that our help should be primarily through economic and financial aid which is essential to economic stability and orderly political processes. . Collapse of free institutions and loss of independence would be disastrous not only for

H. MARSHALL PLAN • The rest of Europe was still in dire straights & needed US help in a bad way (millions in refugee camps waiting to be resettled & the bitter winter of 1946 -7 that damaged crops & froze rivers cutting off water transportation & causing fuel shortages) • Sec. of State George Marshall came up with this plan in June of 1947 where he proposed that the US will provide aid to all European nations that needed it stating that this plan was not directed ‘against any country or doctrine but against hunger, poverty, desperation, & chaos’ • Over the next 4 years, 16 countries received around $13 billion in aid through this plan

I. BERLIN AIRLIFT • With Western Europe now rebounding nicely due to the Truman Doctrine & Marshall Plan, the Cold War turned its attention toward Germany & more specifically, Berlin • In 1948, Britain, France & the US combined their 3 zones into 1 nation (West Germany). However, the city of Berlin lie totally within Soviet East Germany • Berlin was divided into 4 occupation zones as well. This meant that the French, US, & British zones in Berlin were trapped & there was no written agreement with the USSR guaranteeing free access to Berlin • Taking advantage of this technicality, Stalin closed all highway & rail routes into West Berlin in June of 1948. As a result, no food or fuel could reach the 2. 1 million residents in West Berlin & had only enough food to last 5 weeks • The US & British initiated the Berlin Airlift flying food/supplies into West Berlin that lasted 327 days where planes took off & landed every few minutes around the clock (277, 000 flights bringing 2. 3 million tons of supplies) By May of 1949, the USSR realized that it had been beaten & lifted the blockade. This was a huge embarrassment for Stalin & a huge boost for American prestige & power around the world

J. NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION • The Berlin Blockade increased Western European fear of Soviet aggression • As a result, 10 Western European nations (Belgium, Denmark, France, Britain, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, & Portugal) joined the U. S. & Canada on April 4 th, 1949 to form a defensive military alliance called the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) • These 12 NATO member nations pledged military support for one another in case any member was attacked • The US also pledged to help the other member nations rebuild their defense capabilities as Congress authorized $1 billion towards that end • Turkey & Greece entered in 1952 with West Germany joining in 1955 • NATO had a military force consisting of more than 500, 000 troops with

D. STUDY QUESTIONS This section is really just an overall review of the ‘Key Terms & People’ Section

A. WHAT WERE THE GOALS OF US FOREIGN POLICY IN THE EARLY COLD WAR? • Containment of Soviet/Communist expansion • Truman Doctrine providing $ for economic/military support for those nations battling communist influence • Marshall Plan providing $ for any/all nations suffering from hunger, poverty, & chaos • Protecting West Berlin w/Berlin Airlift

B. WHAT DID STALIN DO TO MAKE PRES. TRUMAN DISTRUST HIM? • Stalin went back on his word when he promised FDR that he would allow democratic elections in Poland & other Eastern European nations following WWII • Then, at the Potsdam Conference, he told Truman that he would not honor

C. DESCRIBE THE TRUMAN DOCTRINE & HOW AMERICA REACTED TO IT? • Truman promised $ for economic/military aid to any nation fighting incursions from any foreign nation (Soviet influence) • There was some criticism internally that this $ should be spent on domestic issues but in the end, Truman had the full support of the U. S. Congress which voted to send $400 million in aid to Turkey & Greece between 1947 & 1950

D. WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THE NATO ALLIANCE? • The purpose was to create a military alliance among 10 European nations, along with the US & Canada where they could protect themselves from Soviet expansion/aggression

E. WHAT NECESSITATED THE BERLIN AIRLIFT? • Stalin blocked all highways & rail routes into West Berlin preventing the residents from getting any fuel/food