The Cold WarChapter 26

1945: A Critical Year

US & USSR cooperation during WWII was temporary

Resentment over war time actions

Yalta Conference February 1945 Roosevelt, Stalin,

Churchill Work out future of

Germany and Poland

USSR wanted $20 million in reparations

Poland became difficult issue

Stalin agreed to elections but communist control

The United Nations International peacekeeping organization April 1945 – 50 Nations Peace, Justice, Cooperation General Assembly = all nations Security Council = US, USSR, England, France,

China + 6

Truman Takes Command

Roosevelt dies on April 12, 1945 VP Truman becomes President Only been VP for 3 months

Potsdam Conference Attlee, Truman,

Stalin Continuation of Yalta Truman tried to

scare Stalin with “secret weapon”

Stalin knew about atomic bomb due to spies

Post-War Goals America

o Wanted Poland to be Democratico Keep Europe and Asia capitalisto Would allow for large market for US made

goods Soviet Union

o Rebuild= 17 million dead, destruction of country

o Establish satellite nationso Satellite nation – Country subject to Soviet

dominationo Spread Communism

Soviets Tighten Their Hold: Satellites

Took countries they had freed from Nazis

Called Eastern Bloc Albania, Bulgaria,

Czechoslovakia in 1948 Hungry & Romania in 1949 East Germany = German

Democratic Republic (1949) Only Finland & Yugoslavia

stood up to Stalin

Iron Curtain February 1946 Stalin predicts triumph of

communism Created Cominform = help

spread Communism March 1946 Churchill states Europe has

been divided by “Iron Curtain”

Set tone for the Cold War

Cold War 1946 – 1991 US vs. USSR Political &

Economic conflict with military tensions

No direct military engagement = “Cold”

Containment Policy by US Long term, patient vigilance Containment – resist growth of communism Some said it was too moderate

Truman Doctrine US would help any nation fight back Communism Turkey and Greece Given lots of aid to help maintain democratic

governments Doctrine would last 40 years

Marshall Plan

Secretary of State George Marshall

June 1947 US & Europe: rebuild to pre-

war state USSR invited, said No Soviet Foreign Minister

Molotov = US “buying its way in”

17 countries gave $$$$$ US = $13 billion Gained trade partners

Berlin Airlift By 1948, knew Stalin wouldn’t reunite Germany Allies merged = Federal Republic of Germany Capitalist W.B. vs. Communist E.B. Symbol of Cold War Struggle Stalin blocked all shipments to West 15 months airplanes dropped 13 tons of supplies Lifted May 1949

NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization April 1949 Canada proposed “associates of peace-loving

states” 12 nations agreed to collective security Collective Security – mutual military assistance Soviets created Warsaw Pact to counteract

Soviet Atomic Threat September 1949 USSR tests Atomic bomb US Response = Hydrogen

Bomb (1952) Created Civil Defense

Administrationo Books and PSA’s on how to

survive nuke

China Falls to Communism

USSR & China had been struggling since 1920s 1949 – Mao Zedong’s army took Beijing Nationalist Chiang Kai-Shek took democratic

government to Taiwan

Cold War at Home: Communists Among Us

After Depression, many Americans became Commies

Left party when economy came back Red Scare caused past to haunt them

Loyalty Program Try to find Commies and spies 1947 – All federal employees subject to

investigation Any suspicion caused guilt Never could clear name 100s removed from jobs

HUAC House Un-American Activities Committee 1938 – Senator Joseph McCarthy of WI Find commies in Hollywood Films and TV contained communist ideas

Hollywood 10 Writers, directors, actors, producers Called to testify before Congress None spoke, 6 months to year in prison Blacklist – people who should not be hired Burle Ives, Danny Kaye, Orson Wells, Charlie

Chaplin

McCarran-Walter Act 1952 New immigration quotas Communist countries reduced to almost nothing Truman veto, Congress overturned

Spy Cases 1948: Alger Hiss

o High ranking State Department officialo Accused by Whittaker Chambers (former

Commie)o Hiss sued for slandero Case was too lateo Jailed 4 years for perjuryo Probably wasn’t a spy

Spy Cases 1950: Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

o Passed atomic secrets to the Sovietso Convicted of espionageo Executed by electric chairo Julius was spy, Ethel probably not

Korean WarDividing Korea

Pre-WWI – Japan annexed Korea Harsh rule 1945 – Japan lost WWII, lost Korea 38th Parallel – Soviet North, American South Koreans wanted unity

War Begins 1950 – Northern troops invade South US believes Soviets pushed them to invade

(wrong) Clear aggression met with force

UN Police Action Truman brought aggression to UN China left council so they could not veto US won action Truman sent US forces to Korea and Taiwan Didn’t get war declaration from Congress United Nations Command

o 16 Nations sent troopso US was 80%o Lead by Gen. Douglas MacArthur

Waging War MacArthur hit supply lines Left North without US pushed north to reunite China got scared of US being close Sent their troops to defend N. Korea US pushed back to 38th Parallel Stalemate developed

MacArthur’s Letters MacArthur wanted to break stalemate Truman told him to wait MacArthur sent letter to congressman, who

leaked it MacArthur is fired by Truman for insubordination

The End? Truman kept war limited Dragged for 2 years Eisenhower inherited Peace talks stalled Ike threatens to use nukes 1953 Truce – still there

Effects of the Korean War

Frustrated Americans 34,000 killed, 103,000 wounded No result, limited victory 1st war with racial integration Caused huge increase in military spending Created military-industrial complex

McCarthy Era – The Rise

WI Senator Joseph McCarthy

McCarthyism – smear tactics, baseless accusations

Being accused by him meant you lost everything

Went after everyone and anyone, feared

McCarthy Era – The Fall His Aide was drafted McCarthy claimed the army was run by commies Army claimed he wanted special treatment for his

aide April 1954 – Army-McCarthy Hearings on TV People watched in horror as McCarthy bullied Lost his credibility and power

Southeast Asia July 1953 – Ended Korean War US moved troops to Vietnam to help France keep

hold Vietnam became divided (N/S) Aided South Vietnam but resisted conflict (for

now)

The Middle East 1947 – UN created Israel Arab Palestine and Jewish

Israel Both saw same land as holy US backed Israel US tried to keep oil nations

from falling to communism

Suez Crisis 1956 Egypt’s ruler Nasser tried to get Soviet support US and UK cut off aid to Egypt Nasser seized UK’s Suez Canal French & British attacked Egypt to get canal back US convinced them to withdraw Egypt kept canal Eisenhower Doctrine

o US would use force to safeguard countries in Middle East against Soviet aggression

Latin America Suppress Communist here too US had control of 10 LA countries economies Invaded, helped put US-friendly leaders in place 1948 – OAS = Organization of American States 1954 – CIA overthrows government of Guatemala Restore American property

Arms Race: Growth of Nuclear Arsenals

1953 – US tests Hydrogen Bomb 1954 – USSR tests Hydrogen Bomb Deterrence – making the military power of US so

strong that no enemy would dare attack US conducted 19 tests in the Pacific One burned fishermen 90 miles away

Brinkmanship US used fear of nuclear war for Cold War

objectives Brinkmanship – ability to get to the verge without

getting into war Most Americans saw this as “playing Russian

roulette with the life of our nation”

Cold War in the Skies US used planes to drop bombs USSR used ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic

missiles) 1957 – USSR launches Sputnik May 1960 – Soviets shot down US U-2 spy plane US claimed it wasn’t spy plane USSR held pilot hostage US was embarrassed