The Cold WarThe Cold War

Detonation of Nuclear Device "Badger" During Operation Upshot-Knothole Original caption: Badger, part of Operation Upshot-Knothole, was a 23 kiloton tower shot fired April 18, 1953 at the Nevada Test Site

Cold War Basics:Cold War Basics:

• Who?Who?– Tensions between 2 Tensions between 2

“superpowers” (The “superpowers” (The United States and United States and USSR)USSR)

• When?When?– 1945-1991 (End of 1945-1991 (End of

WWII to fall of Berlin WWII to fall of Berlin Wall)Wall)

Cold War Basics:Cold War Basics:

• Where?Where?– Whole WorldWhole World

• What?What?– Arms RaceArms Race– Space RaceSpace Race– SpyingSpying– PropagandaPropaganda

Cold War Basics:Cold War Basics:

• Why fear Why fear communism?communism?– They want to They want to

take away take away private property!private property!

– They take away They take away their people’s their people’s rights (ex. rights (ex. Speech, religion)Speech, religion)

– They want to They want to spread their spread their ideas worldwideideas worldwide

““Hot Wars”:Hot Wars”:

• Korean WarKorean War

• Vietnam WarVietnam War

Korean War Veterans Memorial - Washington, DC

Europe after WWII:Europe after WWII:

• USSR USSR occupies East occupies East EuropeEurope– Fall of “Iron Fall of “Iron

Curtain”Curtain”

• Europe Europe divides East & divides East & WestWest

View of Political Officials Talking at Iron Curtain

Soviet “Satellites”:Soviet “Satellites”:

• Satellites Satellites – East European East European

countries that countries that “revolve” “revolve” around the around the USSRUSSR

• Meant to protect Meant to protect USSR from US USSR from US influence, future influence, future German attackGerman attack

Truman Doctrine:Truman Doctrine:

• US will US will support all support all free peoples free peoples around the around the world from world from communist communist influenceinfluence– Ex. Greece & Ex. Greece &

TurkeyTurkeyHarry S. Truman  1948

Containment:Containment:

• US will stop US will stop communism communism from spreading from spreading (but not attack (but not attack existing existing communist communist countries)countries)

• Domino TheoryDomino Theory – if one country – if one country falls, then others falls, then others will too (like will too (like dominos)dominos)

Marshall Plan:Marshall Plan:

• What?What?– US gives billions US gives billions

to European to European countriescountries

• Why?Why?– Countries with Countries with

healthy healthy economies do economies do not go not go communistcommunist

Berlin Blockade & Airlift:Berlin Blockade & Airlift:

• What?What?– USSR blocks all USSR blocks all

supplies to West supplies to West BerlinBerlin

• Why?Why?– Wanted it to merge Wanted it to merge

with East Berlinwith East Berlin• Results?Results?

– US airlifts 2.3 US airlifts 2.3 million tons for 1 million tons for 1 year until Stalin year until Stalin gives up!gives up!

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Org):Org):

• What?What?– Alliance where an Alliance where an

attack on one is an attack on one is an attack on allattack on all

• Why?Why?– Contain Contain

communism by communism by working with other working with other democracies to democracies to protect each otherprotect each other

1949: A big year for 1949: A big year for communismcommunism

• 3 bad trends?3 bad trends?– Soviets get the Soviets get the

atomic bomb atomic bomb (Rosenbergs!)(Rosenbergs!)

– China becomes China becomes communistcommunist

– America America becomes becomes paranoid (fear!)paranoid (fear!)

A mushroom cloud towers 20,000 feet above Nagasaki

McCarthyism & Red Scare:McCarthyism & Red Scare:

• What?What?– Joseph McCarthy of Joseph McCarthy of

Wisconsin accuses Wisconsin accuses people of being people of being communists communists

– Ruined thousands Ruined thousands of livesof lives

– Stopped once he Stopped once he began to attack began to attack the armythe army

Korean War:Korean War:

• Who fights & why?Who fights & why?– North Korea, China North Korea, China

vs South Korea, vs South Korea, US, & UN US, & UN

– Communist North Communist North Korea invades Korea invades South Korea, South Korea, crossing 38crossing 38thth ParallelParallel

Korean War:Korean War:

• Truman’s Truman’s Response:Response:– Puts Douglas Puts Douglas

MacArthur in MacArthur in charge of forces charge of forces

– Leads amphibious Leads amphibious attack on Inchon attack on Inchon

– Keeps pushing Keeps pushing north until almost north until almost at Chinaat China

Korean War:Korean War:

• Truman and Truman and MacArthur:MacArthur:– MacArthur wants MacArthur wants

to take the war to to take the war to China to win China to win (includes using (includes using nukes on major nukes on major Chinese cities) Chinese cities)

– Truman says no – Truman says no – ends up firing ends up firing MacArthur MacArthur

– Seen as political Seen as political suicide for Trumansuicide for Truman

Korean War:Korean War:

• Armistice and Armistice and Today:Today:– Negotiated Negotiated

truce at 38truce at 38thth parallel parallel

Space race:Space race:

• Sputnik:Sputnik:– Soviets put 1Soviets put 1stst

satellite into satellite into space = fear! space = fear! (next time it (next time it could be bombs)could be bombs)

– US begins to US begins to “race” Soviets “race” Soviets to space to space

Guide Displays Model of Sputnik

Spying race:Spying race:

• U2 Crisis:U2 Crisis:– US U2 Spy plane US U2 Spy plane

is shot down is shot down over USSR = over USSR = crisiscrisis

– Hurts our Hurts our reputationreputation

Gary Powers, ca. 1960

Berlin Wall (Propaganda Berlin Wall (Propaganda race):race):• Why?:Why?:

– East Germans flee East Germans flee to West = to West = embarrassment for embarrassment for USSRUSSR

– Build a wall to Build a wall to keep them inkeep them in

– It becomes symbol It becomes symbol of cold warof cold war

Graffiti on Berlin Wall

Bay of Pigs Crisis:Bay of Pigs Crisis:

• Why?:Why?:– US trains US trains

revolutionaries to revolutionaries to overthrow Castro overthrow Castro in Cubain Cuba

• Why a problem?Why a problem?– US fails to provide US fails to provide

air support and air support and they are captured they are captured (embarrassing!)(embarrassing!)

Cuban Missile Crisis:Cuban Missile Crisis:

• Why?:Why?:– USSR begins to place USSR begins to place

missiles in Cuba that missiles in Cuba that could reach UScould reach US

• What happens?What happens?– For 13 days we sit on For 13 days we sit on

brink of WWIII with a brink of WWIII with a blockade of Cubablockade of Cuba

– Finally – a Finally – a compromise is compromise is reached! (Soviets reached! (Soviets back down)back down)