Name _________________________ Date_______________________
Created by: Cammie’s Corner
The Cold WarWhen World War II ended, a new type of warfare began. Two former allies—the United States and
the Soviet Union—began a dangerous rivalry. This rivalry, or fight, cast a shadow over international
affairs until the 1990’s.
Created by: Cammie’s Corner
Origins of the Cold War
Even before the end of World War II, tensions were building between the United States and the Soviet Union Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R., or Soviet Union, for short).
They had different ideas about government and economics and how the world should run after the war.
The U.S. is democratic, which is a type of government.
We choose representatives to make laws. The economic system in the U.S. is called free enterprise. In a free enterprise system, individuals are free to own or
work for a business of their choosing. Consumers and business owners control the economy. Another name for a free enterprise economy is
capitalism.
Created by: Cammie’s Corner
Socialism spread through Europe after the war. The government owns major industries such as banks,
airlines, railroads, and power plants. People own stores, farms, and most factories. Government, consumers, and businesses control the
economy.
Communism The government owns all the stores, factories, farms,
banks, utilities, transportation systems, and so on. The government has complete power. The U.S.S.R. was run by a dictator, or a ruler with
absolute power. The people do not vote . The leaders in the United States wanted nations to stop
having wars and work together using democracy.
The U.S. wanted “open door” trade around the world to end communism.
The U.S.S.R wanted: to spread communism and then control all Communist
countries. did not want democracy and capitalism .
Created by: Cammie’s Corner
A World Divided In 1949, 12 allied nations: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France,
Iceland, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, United Kingdom and the U.S.
signed a treaty: North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) They supported democracy
The U.S. and its allies became known as the Western Bloc.
Eastern Bloc : Poland, Czechoslavakia, Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Yugoslavia, and East Germany fell under the U.S.S.R’s control after the war.
All but Yugoslavia signed the Warsaw Pact in response to NATO. The countries that signed agreed to be under Soviet control.
President Harry S. Truman signed the document that made the United States a NATO member in 1949. Leaders of Congress stood behind him at the signing ceremony.
Created by: Cammie’s Corner
Prime Minister Winston Churchill said, “an iron curtain has descended” across Europe.
After he said this, people often referred to the Eastern Bloc as being “behind the iron curtain.”
U.S. President Harry Truman promised to help any country that U.SS.R tried to turn Communist.
This policy was called the Truman Doctrine, or the policy of containment.
Created by: Cammie’s Corner
The city of Berlin in Germany was divided at the end of WWII.
The eastern part was under Soviet Control. The western part was controlled by the Allies. Thousands fled from the eastern side to the west.
In August 1961, the Soviets built a wall to prevent people from leaving East Berlin.
Army soldiers guarded the wall. People who tried to cross were killed. The Berlin Wall became the symbol of Communist
dictatorship.
The Berlin Wall
Created by: Cammie’s Corner
In time, other nations became Communist.
Korea was divided into two nations: o South Korea was democratico North Korea was Communist.
In 1949, China became the People’s Republic of China.
Communist leader Mao Zedong became dictator.
In 1959, Cuba became Communist, too.
This was known as the domino theory.
Created by: Cammie’s Corner
McCarthyismFear of communism spread around the United States.
Senator Joseph McCarthy headed a movement to do away with Communists in American government and society.
The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) was formed in 1945.
During this time, people accused of being communist lost their jobs, or their friends, or even were arrested.
People were forced to give names of others who might be Communists.
McCarthyism , the most extreme part of the Red Scare, ruined some people’s lives.
In the mid-1950’s, McCarthy’s anti-Communist “witch hunt” ended.
Created by: Cammie’s Corner
Korean Conflict
North Korea invaded South Korea in June 1950.
Soon, the Communists occupied most of South Korea. The U.S. sent troops officially commanded by the United
Nations, under General Douglas MacArthur. The Korean conflict was violent. Hundreds of thousands of people died, including over 36,500
U.S. soldiers. A 1953 truce left Korea still divided between North and South. Today, North Korea is still Communist. South Korea is
democratic.
Nuclear Weapons
In 1945, The United States was the only country in the world that had atomic bombs, or knew how to build them.
Then in 1949, the U.S.S.R built its first atomic bomb. This was the beginning of the nuclear arm race. The race was between the United States and the Soviet Union. Each country built thousands of atomic bombs. This was a conflict without any direct warfare between the two
nations and was called the Cold War.
Created by: Cammie’s Corner
Cuban Missile Crisis
Nikita Khrushchev was the leader of the U.S.S.R from 1953-1964.
He took power after the death of Joseph Stalin, a brutal dictator.
He began a challenge to the U.S. that almost started a nuclear war.
In October 1962, the U.S.S.R. was building and arming secret nuclear missile bases in Cuba. They thought that the U.S. might plan to attack Cuba.
Missiles could reach the U.S. from Cuba. It is only 92 miles from Florida.
President John F. Kennedy ordered the U.S. Navy to blockade Cuba so that Soviet ships with missiles could not reach Cuba.
The Soviets intended to launch nuclear weapons if the U.S. invaded Cuba.
For seven days, the world lived in fear of nuclear war.
Created by: Cammie’s Corner
Finally, Khrushchev ordered ships with missiles to turn back before they reached the U.S. ships.
He also agreed to remove the missiles from the Cuban bases.
The crisis was over but the world felt that nuclear war could happen any time.
NATO and the Warsaw Pact were the two sides of the Cold War.
The Communist invasion of Western Europe never came. The Warsaw Pact and the Soviet government dissolved in
1991. Many Warsaw Pact nations and former parts of the U.S.S.R
now belong to NATO.
Created by: Cammie’s Corner
The Vietnam WarAs part of the containment, the U.S. tried to keep other countries from turning Communist.
1954: the United States was training the South Vietnamese to fight the Communists.
1963: there were about 17,000 American soldiers in Vietnam. Soon, U.S. forces were fully involved in combat.
1969: there were more than 500,000 U.S. troops in Vietnam. More than 58,000 American troops were killed.
1973: U.S. troops withdrew. 1975: South Vietnam fell to the Communists.
The Vietnam War became very unpopular in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s.
Many young people protested the war. This one of the reasons that the troops were removed. This notable effect of political protest was a change in
American life.
Created by: Cammie’s Corner
Discussion Question:
The Cold War was a fight between capitalist countries and Communist countries. Write what you think are good and bad aspects of capitalism
and communism.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________
Created by: Cammie’s Corner
Vocabulary – Words to Know
1. Free Enterprise : the economic system used by the U.S, where individuals are free to own or work for a business of their choosing, and consumers and business owners control the economy
2. Capitalism : ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange of wealth is owned by private businesses.
3. Socialism : the government owns major industries such as banks, airlines, railroads, and power plants, but the people can own stores, farms and factories.
4. Communism: the government controls the economy, where all the goods are equally shared by the people, but often a dictator holds the power.
5. NATO : created by 12 countries, including the U.S, that supported democracy over communism.
6. Western Bloc: the countries including the U.S. that were against the U.S.S.R. and the spread of communism.
7. Eastern Bloc: countries controlled by the U.S.S.R. after WWII- Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Albania, and East Germany.
8. Warsaw Pact : created in response to NATO, the Eastern Bloc signed and agreed to be under Soviet political and military control.
Created by: Cammie’s Corner
9. Iron Curtain : a term Winston Churchill used to describe the political barrier between the Soviet Bloc and Western Europe from 1945-1990.
10. Truman Doctrine : President Harry Truman’s promise to help any country that the U.S.S.R. tried to turn Communist; also known as the policy of containment.
11. Berlin Wall : barrier created after WWII by the Soviet Union that isolated West Berlin from the rest of Germany.
12. Domino Theory: theory that if one nation comes under communist control, that neighboring nations will also come under Communist control.
13. House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC): group formed to investigate and find Communists hiding in America.
14. McCarthyism : the movement that was extremely opposed to communism, and used unfair investigating practices.
15. Red Scare: federal action by the U.S. Government against aliens and citizens suspected of being a Communist or a Communist sympathizer.
16. Nuclear arms race : race between the U.S. and U.S.S.R after World War II to create nuclear weapons.
17. Cold War: political tension and military rivalry between the U.S and the U.S.S.R. It was called the “cold war” because there were no military attacks on either side.
Created by: Cammie’s Corner
Thank you for your purchase!
You can find more of my products at:http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Cammies-Corner
Cammie’s Corner
Created by: Cammie’s Corner
