Chapter 18

The US and the Cold War,

1945-1960

 Cold War (1945-1991) = time

period of high tension b/n the US
& USSR
led to arms race and space race

Sec.1: Origins of the Cold War

A. Suspicion b/n US and USSR

1. capitalism vs. communism

2. delayed second front in WWII
3. E. Eur. became satellite nations of USSR
4. Iron Curtain fell on Eur. (Churchill)

B. Yalta Conf. (1945)

1. creation of United Nations (UN)
security council: US, USSR, Fr., GB, China

2. free elections in E. Europe

AIMS IN EUROPE
The United States wanted to . . .

The Soviet Union wanted to . . .

Create a new world order in which all

nations had the right of self-determination
Gain access to raw materials and markets
for its industries
Rebuild European govts to ensure stability
and create new markets for American goods
Reunite Germany with the belief that
Europe would be more secure if Germany
was productive

Encourage communism in other countries

as part of the worldwide struggle between
workers and the wealthy
Rebuild its war-ravaged economy using
Eastern Europes industrial equipment and
raw materials
Control Eastern Europe to balance U.S.
influence in Western Europe
Keep Germany divided and weak so that it
would never again threaten the Soviet
Union

 C. Post-war Germany
1. Nuremberg Trials
2. Four occupation zones
a. GB, Fr., US W. Ger.
b. USSR E. Ger.

3. Berlin Airlift (1948-1949)

a. Allies flew in supplies after Soviets set up blockade

 D. Harry S Truman (1945-1953, D)

1. first Cold War pres.
2. George F. Kennan suggested containment
for communism
a. Truman Doctrine = use $ and military to help
Greece & Turkey resist communist takeover
b. NSC-68 = quadruple defense spending

3. Marshall Plan = give $ to help W. Eur.

rebuild

 4. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, 1949)

a. defensive military alliance w/Allies against USSR

5. Recognition of Israel (1949)

6. Arms Race
1949 Soviets made A-bomb
1952 US made H-bomb
1953 Soviets made H-bomb

 7. National Security Act (1947)

a. Dept. of Defense
b. Natl Security Council (NSC)
c. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

Sec.2: Cold War Heats Up

A. China
1. civil war w/communists led by Mao Zedong
2. Chiang Kai-shek (Jiang Jieshi) &
Nationalists forced to flee
3. 1949 China fell to communism
Containment failed!!!

 B. Korean War (1950-1953)

1. divided along 38th parallel after
WWII
North = communist, South = democratic

2. 1950 NK invaded SK; UN sent

troops led by Gen. MacArthur
3. MacArthur fired after criticizing
Truman for not using nukes
4. 1953 armistice signed; still
divided

Sec.4: Two Nations Live on the Edge

A. Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961, R)
1. former WWII general
2. very popular president

 B. Brinkmanship
1. Sec. of State John Foster
Dulles
2. go to the brink of war to force
opponents to back down
3. expansion of Air Force
(Strategic Air Command) to
inflict massive retaliation

 C. Cold War Spreads

1. Latin America
a. CIA overthrew govts in Guatemala
b. Cuba (1959) Fidel Castro created comm. govt
1. US cut trade
2. Cuba allowed USSR to build missile bases

 2. Geneva Summit (1955)

a. Ike called for open skies; new Soviet
leader Nikita Khrushchev rejected it

3. Warsaw Pact (1955) = Soviet

military alliance against NATO
4. Domino theory in Asia
a. Vietnam divided along 17th parallel
Ho Chi Minh (communist) vs. Ngo Dinh Diem

 5. Sputnik (1957)
a. Soviets launched 1st unmanned artificial satellite
b. missile gap in US; need better technology
1. creation of NASA
2. Natl. Defense & Educ. Act - $ to science & math education

 6. Middle East
a. 1953 CIA installed the Shah as leader of Iran
b. 1956 Suez Crisis in Egypt; troops sent
c. Eisenhower Doctrine (1957) resist communism in
Middle East
Why? US oil reserves low

7. OPEC (1960) oil cartel (monopoly)

a. Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
b. Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Venezuela

 8. U-2 Incident (1960)

a. US spy plane shot down over Russia
Pilot Francis Gary Powers spent 10 yrs. in prison

b. heightened tension b/n US and USSR

Sec.3: Cold War at Home

A. Red Scare of 1950s
1. Trumans Loyalty Review Board (1947)
2. House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)
Led by Richard Nixon
Many blacklisted
Hollywood Ten

 B. Spy Cases
1. Alger Hiss convicted of
perjury
2. Julius & Ethel Rosenberg
Executed for passing atomic
bomb secrets to the Soviets

3. Venona papers revealed

existence of Soviet espionage
Cryptanalysis of Soviet
messsages

 D. McCarthyism (1950-1954)
1. Sen. Joseph McCarthy
2. Accusing people of
disloyalty w/out providing
evidence
3. Army-McCarthy hearings