The Iron Curtain Falls on Europe
Roots of the Cold War
Cold War: era of high tension and bitter rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union
Iron Curtain: A term reflecting Churchill’s belief that communism had created a sharp division in Europe
Containment and the Domino Theory
Containment: The policy that the U.S. adopted in the late 1940’s of stopping the spread of communism in a variety of ways
Domino Theory: The thought that if countries such as South Korea and South Vietnam fell to communism from North Korea and North Vietnam, this would create a chain reaction in Asia and that other nations would also fall to communism
The Truman Doctrine
Truman Doctrine
Truman stated that aid would help many different governments resist Soviet expansion
Marshall Plan and Berlin Airlift
Marshall Plan: U.S. spent over $13 billion in 17 countries so that “conditions in which free institutions” would exist
Berlin Airlift: 400,000 tons of supplies were delivered.◦ Soviets put a blockade on
Berlin◦ Only way to deliver supplies
was by air◦ 70 U.S. and British died in
airplane crashes◦ 280,000 total flights made
NATO
NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Portugal, U.S.
◦These five joined Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the UK to form an alliance against the Soviet Union in case of war
GI Bill and Baby Boom
GI Bill: FDR signed this bill so that GI’s could make a smooth adjustment into civilian life◦Money for schooling◦Loans◦Help finding work
Baby Boom: More Americans began having families the 2 decades following WWII
Fair Deal and Beyond…
Fair Deal: Truman’s post war plan for the country
◦ Similar to the New Deal◦ Congress did NOT support his
program◦ Few of his ideas became laws
Universal Declaration of Human Rights: ◦ Everyone is free and equal◦ Called to end slavery,
torture, and inhumane punishment
◦ A variety of other civil rights and liberties
Mao Zedong
Threat of Communist China
Mao Zedong: Chinese Communist dictator
◦ Leader of Chinese Revolution
◦ Overthrew Chang Kai-shek (he fled to Taiwan)
◦ Held in high regard in China
◦ Although China's population almost doubled during the period of Mao's leadership (from around 550 to over 900 million), his rule from 1949 to 1976 is believed to have caused the deaths of 40 to 70 million people.
Examples of Cold War “Hot” Conflicts
KOREAN WAR
VIETNAM WAR