22.1 – ORIGINS OF THE COLD WAR
• Yalta Conference – US, GB, and USSR met at Yalta in 1945 (Feb.) to discuss the postwar world– Tensions increase between Soviet Union and Allies
• Topics included:– Poland– Germany– National rights
22.1 – WHAT TO DO ABOUT POLAND?
• Stalin insisted that Poland’s location made it crucial to Soviet security
• WC and FDR agreed to recognize the Polish gov’t set up by the Soviets
• Stalin agreed that the new gov’t would include prewar Polish gov’t members and free elections would be held
22.1 – WHAT TO DO WITH GERMANY?
• Divided into 4 zones:– British– American– French– Soviet
• Berlin itself was also divided into 4 zones
• A big issue that caused problems between the USSR and the other three was reparations
POSTERS FOR 22.1
1. Tensions Begin (p.762) – Romania, Poland, attitudes as end of the war approached (A1, A2)
2. Soviet Security Concerns (762) – Soviet goals, Soviet attitude about communism and capitalism (B1, B2)
3. American Economic Issues (762-763) – Connection between GD and WWII, importance of int’l trade, importance of democracy and free enterprise (C1, C2)
4. Truman Takes Control (763-764) – HT’s views on communism, cause of WW II and connection to the USSR, meeting with Molotov (D1, D2)
5. Potsdam Conference (764-765) – who?, when?, where? Deal reached? (E1, E2)
6. Iron Curtain Descends (765) – free elections in Eastern Europe?, satellite nations, WC’s speech and the origins of the term Iron Curtain, meaning of the term (F1,F2)
TRUMAN TAKES CONTROL
• strong anti-Communist
• Hated appeasement; wouldn’t appease Stalin
• he demanded free elections in Poland; relations with the Soviet Union turned colder as tensions increase
POTSDAM CONFERENCE• July, 1945 – Truman and Stalin meet
to discuss Germany
• Reach an agreement:– Soviets take reparations from their
zones, Allies allow economic recovery in theirs
– Soviets could buy industrial equipment from Allied zones
– Allies “recognize” new German-Poland borders
• Result of the conference increases tension, adds to the “coldness”
IRON CURTAIN• As a result of Yalta and
Potsdam the Soviet Union basically controlled Eastern Europe
• Communist countries of EE became known as “satellite nations” – why?
• Churchill gave a speech declaring an “iron curtain” had fallen across Eastern Europe – Term is used to refer to
Communist nations of EE
22.2 – EARLY COLD WAR YEARS• U.S. policy was to support
countries opposed to/threatened by Communism
• George Kennan– Wrote the “Long Telegram”;
emphasized Soviet insecurity and paranoia regarding capitalism
– Developed the policy of containment• What was it?
– Basis of U.S. Policy throughout the Cold War
22.2 – TRUMAN DOCTRINE• During 1946 the U.S. was
concerned about Soviet actions and communist activities in the Middle East and SE Europe
• March 12, 1947 – HT asked Congress for money to fight Communism in Greece and Turkey– In the speech he laid out his
doctrine; the goal was to:
“free all people who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures”
--- what does this mean for U.S. policy going forward?
22.2 – MARSHALL PLAN
• George Marshall (Sec. of State) – proposed a plan to help struggling, postwar Europe
– Combined with the Truman Doctrine, it was seen as crucial to containment (why?)
– MP was rejected by the USSR and its satellites
– it pumped billions worth of aid into Western Europe
US video about Truman Plan/Marshall Plan
Video about aid/country
22.2 – BERLIN AIRLIFT• Opposing Soviet and
American views about Germany?
• 1948 – GB, US, Fr. announced they were merging their zones in Germany, and in Berlin– Creation of the
new country of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany); German Democratic Republic (East Germany)
22.2 – BERLIN AIRLIFT cont.• This decision outraged the
Soviets….reparations
• USSR cut off all road/rail traffic to West Berlin
• U.S. response:1. Sent bombers with atomic weapons to
bases in GB2. Supplies were flown into Berlin
– Airlift lasted from June 1948-Spring of 1949– Soviets lifted the blockade in May of 1949– Proved Allies would not give into
communism– Leads to the creation of NATO
US video about BA and NATO
NATO
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization– Created in 1949– A mutual defense
alliance
• Soviet leaders were not happy, respond by creating the Warsaw Pact
22.2 – COMMUNISM IN CHINA• U.S. sent aid to the Nationalists
(Chiang Kai-shek) fighting the Communists (Mao Zedong) in the 1940s
• People’s Republic of China set up in 1949 (Mao wins)
• Nationalists fled to the island of Formosa/Taiwan
• 1950 – USSR and PROC signed a treaty of friendship and alliance
22.2 – AMERICAN POLICY IN JAPAN
• Gen. MacArthur was in charge of America’s “occupation” of Japan– Introduce democracy– Prevent Japanese threat in
future– Rebuild economy/nation
– Japan goes from being an enemy to a potential strong ally in Asia
CURRENT ISSUES IN NORTH KOREA
1. NK’s missile capabilities
2. How war might unfold
3. Propaganda in NK
4. Who has nuclear weapons?
5. Nuclear Weapons tests
22.3 – THE COLD WAR & AMERICAN SOCIETY
• Red Scare – began in the mid-1940s with the Gouzenko case
– Fear of the spread of communism; find them and expose them
– Major concerns about subversion
22.3 – TRUMAN & THE RED SCARE• HT creates the Loyalty
Review Program
– Screens all federal employees
– How do you define acceptable behavior?
– Too much power for the gov’t? (FBI)
– Program actually increases public fears about the spread of communism
22.3 SEARCHING OUT COMMUNISTS
HUAC
ALGER HISS
ROSENBERGS
22.3 SEARCHING OUT COMMUNISTS
• Many other steps were taken by other groups/institutions to ferret out suspected communists:
a. U. of California – loyalty oathsb. Church affiliationc. Taft Hartley Act - 1947
22.3 JOSEPH McCarthy
• Senator from Wisconsin– Claimed to have a list of
communists in the State Department (1950)
– made a career out of going after communists/suspected communists
– Greatly influences society,
public debate (ex. McCarran Act)
22.3 JOSEPH McCarthy
• Becomes chairman of the Senate subcommittee on investigations
– Carried out a “witch hunt”; destroyed reputations
– Tactics are known as “McCarthyism”
– He was finally censured by the Senate in 1954; lost public support (died in 1957)
– Issues of free speech/association continue today (rapper/gang case)
22.4 – EISENHOWER’S POLICIES• Election of 1952 – Eisenhower defeats Stevenson
– Why didn’t Truman run?
• Wanted:- Technology to deliver nukes- Use of covert operations (CIA)- Strong economy (benefits at home and abroad)
• Believed- Relying solely on a large military/conventional war was
too expensive- Containment could not be maintained through a series of
small wars (too unpopular/expensive)- Policy of massive retaliation was more effective –
threatening the use of nuclear weapons- He cut military spending by millions while
simultaneously increasing the nuclear arsenal (history of nuclear testing)
22.4 – EISENHOWER’S POLICIES
• John Foster Dulles – key figure in foreign policy during the 1950s– Believed strongly in the policy of
brinkmanship – willingness to go to the brink of war to force the other side to back down (quote on p.783)
22.4 – BRINKMANSHIP IN ACTION - KOREA
• Ike wanted to end the costly/unpopular war
• “hinted” to China use nuclear weapons to end it
• 1953 – armistice is signed; establishment of the DMZ
22.4 – BRINKMANSHIP IN ACTION - TAIWAN
• 1954 – PROC started shelling islands part of Taiwan
• Ike has Congress authorize the use of force
• Told China the U.S. would use force (naval, nuclear) to defend Taiwan
• China backed down
22.4 – BRINKMANSHIP IN ACTION - EGYPT
• Ike wanted to stabilize the Middle East against communism
• 1956 – Soviets threatened to bomb British and French that invaded Egypt
• Ike put U.S. forces on “nuclear alert” and pressured the British and French to leave Egypt
22.4 – COVERT OPERATIONS
• Ike supported the use of covert operations to prevent communist uprisings in foreign countries (nukes made no sense in these cases-why not?)
• CIA became involved in “developing nations”– Why were they especially
“vulnerable” to communism?
– Exs.1. Iran2. Guatemala3. Eastern Europe (Hungary)
22.4 – EISENHOWER DOCTRINE
• ED – “use of force whenever necessary to assist Middle East nations resisting Communist aggression”
– Prompted by events in Egypt
– An extension of the Truman Doctrine and containment to the Middle East
22.4 – COLD WAR HEATS UP
• 1957 - Sputnik – first satellite ever launched into space – Caused major concerns in the U.S.
• 1957/1958 – Nikita Khrushchev vowed to “crush capitalism” and demanded withdrawal of Allied troops from West Berlin
• 1960 – U-2 spy plane was shot down by the Soviets– Khrushchev cancelled a summit
with Ike• Ike left office in 1961 and
warned against the influence of the “military-industrial complex”