ORIGINS OF THE COLD ORIGINS OF THE COLD WARWAR

1945-19591945-1959

The Cold WarThe Cold War

• battle of diplomacy, propaganda and nerves– not a direct confrontation

• world divided into three sides after WW II…

Soviet Union (USSR) • Russia leader of the communist world• vowed to spread communism

United States• leader of the free world• vowed to contain communism

Third World (developing nations) Third World (developing nations) Cold War battlegroundCold War battleground

AsiaAsia Africa and the Africa and the Middle EastMiddle East

Latin Latin AmericaAmerica

Self DeterminationSelf Determination

– All countries would have the right of self determination

– Democracy or Communism in nations that had been under Nazi rule

– Stalin had agreed to allow free elections in Eastern Europe

• Soviets refused free elections in Eastern Europe after WW II– installed communist

governments – became known as

“satellite nations”• countries dominated

by USSR

• Churchill says an “Iron Curtain” has descended across the continent– referring to Soviet control of Eastern Europe– no news allowed in or out of Soviet controlled

territory

Truman Doctrine-1947Truman Doctrine-1947

• main goal was to help free nations resist the spread communism– initially helped

Greece and Turkey

U.S. adopt a U.S. adopt a “containment “containment policy”policy”

• keep communism from spreading– foundation of U.S. foreign policy for next

50 years

• The Marshall Plan - 1948– economic aid to Europe/rebuild Europe– over 3 years $13 billion sent to Europe– offered to Russia, but refused

HAMBURG IN 1947

HAMBURG IN1952

EFFECTS OF THE

MARSHALL PLAN

Berlin Airlift-1948Berlin Airlift-1948

• Germany divided into 4 sectors after WW II– Berlin in East

Germany

• Allies wanted to reunite Germany

• Stalin did not– Wanted Berlin to

himself

• Soviets tried to isolate Berlin by setting up a blockade

• U.S., Britain flew in tons of goods everyday for a year

• Soviets end blockade in 1949

August 1949August 1949

• Soviet Union develops the Atomic Bomb

1949 – Chinese Revolution1949 – Chinese Revolution• communists win control of China• seen as proof that communists wanted to

dominate the world

1949 - U.S. creates NATO1949 - U.S. creates NATONorth Atlantic Treaty OrganizationNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization

• U.S. and 15 European countries pledge to defend each other

Soviets create the Soviets create the Warsaw PactWarsaw Pact, , 19551955

• USSR plus 7 Eastern European countries form military alliance

Korean War, 1950-1953Korean War, 1950-1953

• Korea was divided after WW II– At the 38th parallel– North - communist– South - free, democratic

• June, 1950 North Korea invades South Korea

1st weeks were grim1st weeks were grim

• U.S. almost pushed out of Korea– South Korean and

US Army forces were pushed back to city of Pusan

• Marines land at Inchon– behind North Korean

lines

• North Koreans begin withdrawal

• U.N. forces push into North Korea

• Nov. 27, 1950 Chinese troops attack– drove U.N. troops back

to 38th parallel

MacArthur and Truman disagreed how to MacArthur and Truman disagreed how to wage the warwage the war

• eventually MacArthur is fired

• returned home as a hero– 1st time back in

States since WW II ended

• War continued back and forth until 1953– Stalemate

• Armistice signed in 1953 maintaining the status quo

THE WAR IN KOREA TURNED INTO A STALEMATE RESEMBLING WORLD WAR I TRENCH WARFARE.

Korean War MemorialKorean War Memorial

Two Nations Live on the EdgeTwo Nations Live on the Edge

• H-Bomb tested on Pacific island, Nov. 1952 because Russia now had the A-bomb – 150 times more powerful then A-Bomb– island disappeared

• within one year USSR had one

• arms race begins

President relied heavily on CIA for information President relied heavily on CIA for information spy organization, intelligence gatheringspy organization, intelligence gathering

New Leadership in USSRNew Leadership in USSR

• Stalin dies in 1953

• Replaced by Nikita Khrushchev

BrinkmanshipBrinkmanship

• Containment Policy changed by President Eisenhower – go to edge of all out nuclear war– massive retaliation from now on

• prepared for all-out nuclear war with USSR– no more limited wars like Korea

Nuclear War DrillsNuclear War Drills

• air raid drills

Bert the Turtle – commercials, comic books Bert the Turtle – commercials, comic books (duck and cover)(duck and cover)

Built emergency shelters in back Built emergency shelters in back yardyard

Nuclear Naivism

Russians Launch First SatelliteRussians Launch First Satellite

• Sputnik I– Oct. 4, 1957– Russians first in

space

America’s Space programAmerica’s Space program

• First 100 attempts to launch satellite a failure

• Jan. 31,1958 we finally launch our own satellite– Explorer I

Cold War at HomeCold War at HomeRed Scare, part IIRed Scare, part II

• concern about communism overseas caused a fear of communism at home

• Loyalty Review Board created in 1947– investigated government employees

• 3.2 million investigated from 1947-1951• dismissed those found disloyal

– 212 dismissed,

• 2,900 resigned

• Workers had to sign loyalty oaths to get a job

House of Unamerican Activities Committee House of Unamerican Activities Committee (HUAC)(HUAC)

• investigated communist influence in the movie industry

• “Blacklist” started by movie producers– kept approximately 500 people from working

Hollywood 10 - refused to cooperate, felt Hollywood 10 - refused to cooperate, felt hearings were unconstitutionalhearings were unconstitutional

sent to prisonsent to prison

Spy TrialsSpy Trialstwo spy cases added to feartwo spy cases added to fear

• Alger Hiss, 1948– State Dept. official– accused by former

communist spy– claimed to have

documents proving he was a spy

• Hiss claimed documents were forged

• not convicted of spying, but was for perjury– Lying about documents

Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, 19501950

• Members of American Communist Party

• Implicated by British scientist who admitted giving the secrets to the Soviets

• convicted of selling atomic bomb secrets

• executed in 1953 for espionage– 1st civilians to be

executed for espionage

Senator Joe McCarthySenator Joe McCarthy

• 1954, claimed communists infiltrated American life– was in the military

and government• investigation was

televised– accusations got

wilder• succeeded in ruining

many careers, reputations

• never found a spy

• America saw witnesses being “bullied”– turned against

McCarthy• Senate censors

him for improper conduct

• to label someone’s activities as McCarthyism would be to suggest that the person is making unsupported accusations

• 1953– 39 States had laws making it illegal to

advocate violent overthrow of Government– steps were taken to clean out radical, un-

American/disloyal workers

• 1957– Supreme Court, Yates vs. U.S., said that

believing or teaching an idea, even revolution, is not a crime

Gary Powers and the U-2 IncidentGary Powers and the U-2 Incident• Shot down over Russia May 1, 1960• Held for 2 years in Russian prison• Exchanged for Russian Spy on Feb. 10, 1962

May 1960: the U-2 incident

Powers