Cold War

A conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union in which neither nation directly confronted the other on the

battlefield.

United Nations – International peacekeeping organization, founded in 1945 to promote world peace, security, and economic development.

Big Three – United States, Great Britain, and Soviet Union. Two new leaders join Stalin at the Potsdam Conference, Harry Truman and Clement Attlee. The U.S. and Soviet Union disagreed on what post-war Europe should look like. No free elections!

Satellite States – Countries dominated by the Soviet Union. (Ex. Poland, Romania, & Yugoslavia)

Containment – U.S. wanted to prevent any extension of communist rule to other countries.

Iron Curtain – A phrase coined by Winston Churchill during a speech. Stalin felt it was a “call to war.”

Truman Doctrine – a policy of providing economic and military aid to free nations threatened by the Soviet Union.

Marshall Plan – named after Secretary of State George C, Marshall, the United States provided aid to all European nations that needed it, over 13 billion in four years.

Berlin Airlift – Stalin closed all highways and rail routes into West Berlin, the United States responded by flying supplies into West Berlin for 327 days straight, over 277, 000 flights.

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North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) – The 12 members pledged military support to one another in case any member was attacked. This was the first time that America had entered into a peacetime alliance.

Warsaw Pact – In response to NATO, the Soviet Union and its satellite states formed a rival military alliance.

Nationalist

Leader: Chiang Kai-shek

Ruled southern and eastern China

Communists

Leader: Mao Zedong

Ruled northern China

China Becomes a Communist Country

The U.S. supported Kai-shek and the Nationalist Government

A Civil war broke out between the two governments

The Communists pushed the Nationalist to the island of Taiwan

38th Parallel – located 38 degrees North latitude. Japanese troops north of this line surrendered to the Soviet Union. Japanese troops south of this line surrendered to the Americans.

Korean War – On June 25, 1950, North Korean troops moved south across the 38th parallel in a surprise attack against South Korea. South Korea asked the United Nations for support in stopping North Korea. When it came to a vote, Russia was not present because they were protesting the presence of Taiwan.

Douglas MacArthur – the UN forces lead by U.S. General MacArthur launched a counterattack against North Korea. When the UN forces got near the China border at the Yalu River, the Chinese sent troops to push the UN forces southward.

MacArthur Fired – President Truman fires MacArthur for going behind his back to congress. Truman preferred a “limited war” instead of MacArthur’s total victory.

Korean War’s Impact on America

Immediate Effects Long-Term Effects

•37,000 Americans Killed

•103,000 Americans Wounded

•Relations with China worsen

•Armed forces racially integrated

•Military Spending

•Military commitments increase worldwide

•Relations with Japan improve

•Future presidents send military into combat without Congressional Approval

The Cold War Expands

Arms Race – a contest in which nations compete to build more powerful weapons.

John Foster Dulles – Secretary of State for Eisenhower, who was against communism.

Massive Retaliation – The U.S. would respond to communist threats to its allies by threatening to use nuclear weapons.

Brinkmanship – the policy of going to the edge of all-out war. The army and navy were trimmed, but the air force was expanded.

Nikita Khrushchev – came to power after Stalin’s death in 1953. He was not as ruthless as Stalin and he even condemned the excesses of the Stalin regime.

Suez Canal – Egypt’s president wanted a dam to be built, the U.S. and Britain offered to fund the project. The offered was pulled after Egypt recognized China and opened talks with Russia. This created the Suez Crises, after Britain, France and Israel became involved in the matter.

Eisenhower Doctrine – policy that said the United States would defend the Middle East against an attack by any communist country.

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) – a branch of the government that began to carry out covert, or secret, operations to weaken or overthrow governments unfriendly to the United States.

Cold War Goes Into Space

Sputnik 1 – on October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched a satellite into space for the first time. This shook Americans because they felt we had superior technology.

Congress responds by approving the National Defense Education Act. One billion dollars was intended to produce more scientists and teachers of science. Congress also created (NASA) National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Red Scare – this was the fear communist both outside and inside America were working to destroy American life.

Smith Act – this act made it unlawful to teach or advocate the violent overthrow of the U.S. government.

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) – investigated possible subversive activities by fascists, Nazis or communists.

Hollywood Ten – the HUAC targeted the movie industry in 1947 and ten witnesses from Hollywood refused to testify (5th amendment).

Blacklist – people whom were condemned for having been suspected of a communist background.

Alger Hiss – was accused of spying for the Soviet Union. He was convicted of perjury, because too much time had passed to convict him of espionage.

Ethel and Julius Rosenberg – they were found guilty of espionage and sentenced to death.

Joseph McCarthy – senator from Wisconsin who needed an issue to get re-elected.

McCarthyism – attacks made on suspected communist.