The Cold War VS What is a Cold

The Cold War VS. What is a Cold War? “Cold” – no actual fighting Arms race, ideology (communism vs. democracy), psychological war

Potsdam Conference When: July-August 1945 Who: Big Three USSR: Stalin GB: Churchill (replaced later) USA: Truman Outcome: USSR refuses to allow elections in Eastern Europe as promised earlier

2) USSR set up “satellite nations” – areas under their direct control in Eastern Europe

3) Churchill’s Term: Iron Curtain “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. Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest and Sofia, all these famous cities and the populations around them lie in what I must call the Soviet sphere, and all are subject in one form or another, not only to Soviet influence but to a very high and, in some cases, increasing measure of control from Moscow. ” ~Winston Churchill

The Iron Curtain

4) US Policy: Containment (don’t let it spread) “The main element of any United States policy toward the Soviet Union must be that of a long-term, patient but firm, and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies. ” ~George Kennan

5) Truman Doctrine: $$ to countries attempting to resist USSR (Greece and Turkey)

6) Marshall Plan: $$ Europe to rebuild after the war (WHY? ? ) We help them before the USSR does US Secretary of State George Marshall

7) Reunification of Germany (almost) East Germany – Communist West Germany – Democratic Capital of Berlin: Split also; located in East Germany Problem: USSR blockades W. Berlin

Solution: Berlin Airlift – US drops supplies from airplanes into W. Berlin

United Nations (UN) 1945: International Peacekeeping Organization

ISRAEL: Established by the United Nations (led by the US and GB) on May 14, 1948. It was created as a safe place for Jews based on historic claims of their homeland, but was opposed by other Arab groups who supported a nation for Palestinians in the same region. Many attacks and wars between supporters of Israel and Palestine would follow for decades.

NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization: Defense Alliance for Democratic Countries Warsaw Pact: Defense Alliance for Communist Countries Formed: 1949 Formed: 1955

Red Scare – Fear of Communism (AGAIN!) House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) – seeking out communists, especially in Hollywood Blacklists – would not hire Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall “Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party? ” “The Hollywood Ten”

Alger Hiss: State Dept. official accused of spying; convicted of perjury Rep. Richard Nixon – Chairman of HUAC, testified against him (became famous) Ethel and Julius Rosenberg: Convicted of leaking info about the atomic bomb to USSR; sentenced to death

Senator Joseph Mc. Carthy (R-WI): Accused government officials of being communists; many unfounded claims “Mc. Carthyism” – fear of communism, accusing people of being communists “Witch Hunts” – The Crucible, written about the Salem Witch Trials, was inspired by Mc. Carthy’s accusations in the early 1950 s

Edward R. Murrow Journalist Edward R. Murrow exposed Mc. Carthy’s unsubstantiated claims on his tv show “See It Now, ” leading to a feud between the two men and accusations against CBS. Murrow’s broadcasts led to a backlash against Mc. Carthy and his eventual fall from political grace.

Chinese Civil War Domino Theory: If one area becomes communist, other areas will fall to it as well; we must not allow it to spread anywhere (must contain it!) US provided some monetary aid to nationalists but no forces, and stopped aid after 1948. Communists: Mao Zedong Outcome: Mao Zedong wins; China becomes communist Nationalists: Chiang Kai-shek

Election of 1948 Though polls predicted a Dewey victory, Truman won re-election in 1948 in a close upset; “Dixiecrats” emerge as an anti-civil rights wing of Democrats and nominate Strom Thurmond of SC

Korean War Korea divided at 38 th Parallel (North Communist, South Democratic) 1950: N. Korea invades S. Korea US supports SOUTH Korea (US General Douglas Mac. Arthur) N. Korea is pushed back China helps North Korea Stalemate! General Douglas Mac. Arthur

Korean War Mac. Arthur pushes into China, wants to bomb (but Truman says no…doesn’t want WWIII) Truman fires Mac. Arthur Outcome: Korea remains divided at the 38 th Parallel (N-Communist, S-Democratic) Present: DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) divides N from S. US troops “Our trenches…were only about 20 meters remain there and are allied with S. in front of theirs. We were eyeball to eyeball…We couldn’t move at all in the Korea daytime without getting shot at. Machine- gun fire would come in, grenades, smallarms fire, all from within spitting distance. It was like World War I. We lived in a maze of bunkers and deep trenches…There were bodies strewn all over the place. Hundreds of bodies frozen in the snow. ”

Truman: 1 st President to take a firm stand on civil rights by de-segregating the armed forces “I am asking for equality of opportunity for all human beings, and if that ends up in my failure to be reelected, that failure will be in a good cause. ”~Harry Truman “The buck stops here. ”

Harry Truman’s Domesic Policies: “Fair Deal” (continuation of the New Deal) “The buck stops here. ” Many felt the Fair Deal was too ambitious, and Congress did not pass many of the proposals. Included in the “Fair Deal” - Extension of Social Security - Low Income Housing - Aid to Schools - Health Care

Dwight D. Eisenhower: Former WWII General, REPUBLICAN Despite Truman’s social and economic victories, his approval ranking sank to an all -time low of 23 percent. The stalemate in the Korean War and the rising tide of Mc. Carthyism, which cast doubt on the loyalty of some federal employees, became overwhelming issues for Truman and the Democrats. The Democrats nominated Adlai Stevenson of Illinois to run against Republican candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower, popularly known as “Ike. ”

Other People to Know: John Foster Dulles – Eisenhower’s Sec of State, pushed for “Brinkmanship” (use nuclear weapons to intimidate) Nikita Khrushchev – Soviet Premier (1953 -1964)

Gone Racing 1) H-Bomb: Hydrogen Bomb; 67 x worse than the bomb used on Hiroshima; US – 1952, USSR – 1953 2) Brinkmanship: Pushing to the verge of nuclear war (Sec of State John Foster Dulles)

The CIA was created in 1947 to help protect US interests abroad and to collect and analyze intelligence on foreign governments for the sake of national security.

Gone Racing KILOTON = 1000 TONS of TNT (Hiroshima=15 kt) MEGATON=1000 KILOTONS (Tzar Bomba=50 mt) Hiroshima First Biggest Bomb US US H-Bomb Biggest bomb ever made and detonated; USSR, 1961

Gone Racing 3) U-2 Incident: US Spy plane shot down over USSR (Francis Gary Powers taken prisoner) – intensified US/USSR relations

Yuri Gagarin – USSR man in space and first man in orbit (1961) 1 st John Glenn – USA American in orbit (1962) SPUTNIK – USSR 1 st Satellite (1957) 1 st Laika - USSR animal in orbit (1957) Alan Shepard – USA st 1 American in space (1961) The Space Race National Defense Education Act (1958): Focus on Science in schools!! Apollo 11 – USA Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins st 1 moon landing (1969)

- Originally used for defense (Fast mobilization for war)

- Largest public works project in US history - $32 billion; 41, 000 miles of new highways