Peace with Problems: Peace with Problems: 1945-19601945-1960

Chapter 15Chapter 15

Section 1Section 1

International Peace EffortsInternational Peace Efforts

Having fought in two horrible World Having fought in two horrible World Wars, the United States and its allies Wars, the United States and its allies wanted to ensure that future world wanted to ensure that future world peace would be built on a firm peace would be built on a firm foundation.foundation.

The The United NationsUnited Nations replaced the replaced the League of NationsLeague of Nations after World War II. after World War II.

The The United NationsUnited Nations is is similarsimilar in in purpose to the purpose to the League of NationsLeague of Nations because representatives from the because representatives from the member nations would meet to member nations would meet to settle settle disputesdisputes and stop acts of and stop acts of aggression like those that had led to aggression like those that had led to World War II.World War II.

The The fivefive permanent members of the permanent members of the UN Security CouncilUN Security Council were the were the Soviet Union (now Russia), Great Soviet Union (now Russia), Great Britain, France, China, and the Britain, France, China, and the United States.United States.

The significance of the Senate The significance of the Senate vote approving U.S. membership vote approving U.S. membership into the into the United NationsUnited Nations is that by is that by the vote approving U.S. the vote approving U.S. membership in the United membership in the United Nations marked a Nations marked a departuredeparture from from the policy of the policy of isolationismisolationism and the and the assumption of a assumption of a worldworld leadership leadership role by the role by the United StatesUnited States..

The Declaration of Human RightsThe Declaration of Human Rights

It included It included civilcivil and and politicalpolitical rights such as rights such as freedom of freedom of speechspeech and and religionreligion, freedom of , freedom of movementmovement and and asylumasylum (protection granted (protection granted by a government to a political refugee by a government to a political refugee from another country), from another country), equalityequality before the before the lawlaw, the right to a fair , the right to a fair trialtrial, the right to , the right to participate in government, and the right participate in government, and the right notnot to be subjected to to be subjected to torturetorture. .

The television The television series 24 has series 24 has raised a lot of raised a lot of questions of questions of

our our government’s government’s role in torture.role in torture.

The document also included such The document also included such economiceconomic, , socialsocial, and , and culturalcultural rights as the right to have rights as the right to have food, clothing, housing, and medical care, to food, clothing, housing, and medical care, to receive an receive an educationeducation, to benefit from , to benefit from social social securitysecurity and a decent standing of living, to and a decent standing of living, to work, to get equal pay for equal work, to work, to get equal pay for equal work, to form labor form labor unionsunions, to marry and raise a , to marry and raise a family, and to maintain one’s family, and to maintain one’s cultureculture..

Eleanor Eleanor RooseveltRoosevelt in in 1945 was 1945 was appointed as appointed as the United the United States States representativerepresentative to the newly to the newly formed United formed United Nations. Nations.

In 1946 In 1946 Eleanor Eleanor Roosevelt Roosevelt was elected was elected as as chairmanchairman of the U.N.’s of the U.N.’s Human Human RightsRights Commission. Commission.

Human RightsHuman Rights

RefugeesRefugees are displaced people are displaced people who fled their countries because who fled their countries because of fear of persecution based on of fear of persecution based on their ethnicity, religion, their ethnicity, religion, nationality, or political nationality, or political affiliation.affiliation.

The UN General Assembly in The UN General Assembly in 1951 created the United 1951 created the United Nations High CommissionerNations High Commissioner for helping refugees.for helping refugees.

Yalta ConferenceYalta Conference

Franklin Franklin RooseveltRoosevelt, , Winston Winston ChurchillChurchill, and , and Joseph Joseph StalinStalin were the “big were the “big three” who met in the three” who met in the Yalta Yalta ConferenceConference..

What is the What is the message message from this from this political political cartoon?cartoon?

Potsdam ConferencePotsdam Conference

President Harry President Harry TrumanTruman, , Winston Winston ChurchillChurchill, and , and Joseph Joseph StalinStalin were the big were the big three” who met in the three” who met in the Potsdam Conference.Potsdam Conference.

These These twotwo conferences took conferences took place so that a place so that a decisionsdecisions could be made on how to could be made on how to treattreat a defeated a defeated GermanyGermany and and JapanJapan after the after the warwar. .

Some people were Some people were upsetupset with with Franklin Franklin RooseveltRoosevelt after the after the YaltaYalta Conference Conference because they accused Franklin Roosevelt because they accused Franklin Roosevelt of of concedingconceding too much to the too much to the Soviet UnionSoviet Union, , practically inviting the Soviets to occupy practically inviting the Soviets to occupy PolandPoland and and dominatedominate the countries of the countries of Eastern Europe as “Eastern Europe as “spheres of influencespheres of influence.”.”

DefendersDefenders of Roosevelt argued that of Roosevelt argued that the Soviet Union also made an the Soviet Union also made an important important concessionconcession at at YaltaYalta. .

The The SovietsSoviets agreed that, after the agreed that, after the defeat of Germany, they would begin defeat of Germany, they would begin to wage to wage warwar against against JapanJapan to help the to help the allied powers. allied powers.

Furthermore, Soviet Furthermore, Soviet troopstroops were were in in EasternEastern Europe when the Europe when the YaltaYalta Conference took place. Conference took place.

RooseveltRoosevelt did not “give away” did not “give away” Eastern Europe to the Soviets; in Eastern Europe to the Soviets; in effect, the effect, the regionregion was already was already theirstheirs..

The Origins of the Cold WarThe Origins of the Cold War

The The originsorigins of the of the cold warcold war can be traced back to can be traced back to distrustdistrust between the between the United StatesUnited States and the and the Soviet Soviet UnionUnion during World War II. during World War II.

The The SovietsSoviets distrusted all distrusted all capitalistcapitalist countries, countries, while the while the U.SU.S. and . and BritainBritain feared Soviet plans for feared Soviet plans for expansionexpansion in Eastern Europe. in Eastern Europe.

Possession of Possession of nuclearnuclear weapons was also a sore weapons was also a sore point between the two superpowers, as each point between the two superpowers, as each competed to develop competed to develop deadlierdeadlier weapons than the weapons than the other other possessedpossessed. .

Examples of how the United Examples of how the United States and the Soviet Union States and the Soviet Union fought each other during the fought each other during the

Cold WarCold War They had an They had an arms racearms race: Attempting to build : Attempting to build

more powerful nuclear weapons than those more powerful nuclear weapons than those of the enemy.of the enemy.

Local and regional warsLocal and regional wars: Giving military aid : Giving military aid either to rebel forces or government forces, either to rebel forces or government forces, depending on which side in a civil war leaned depending on which side in a civil war leaned toward communism.toward communism.

• EspionageEspionage: Spying on each other.: Spying on each other.• PropagandaPropaganda: Creating and : Creating and

distributing messages that condemned distributing messages that condemned the opposing nation and its way of life.the opposing nation and its way of life.

• Space raceSpace race: Attempting to impress : Attempting to impress world public opinion by being the first world public opinion by being the first to make gains in space exploration.to make gains in space exploration.

Sputnik 2Sputnik 2

Laika in her Sputnik 2 capsule Laika in her Sputnik 2 capsule

Russian CosmonautRussian Cosmonaut

• Disputes in the United NationsDisputes in the United Nations: : Using meetings of the U.N. Using meetings of the U.N. General Assembly and Security General Assembly and Security Council to condemn actions of Council to condemn actions of the rival power.the rival power.

These Cold War tactics These Cold War tactics dominated the political arena dominated the political arena during the years during the years 19451945 to to 19891989. .

Satellite NationSatellite Nation- A nation in - A nation in Eastern Europe controlled by the Eastern Europe controlled by the Soviet Union after World War II. Soviet Union after World War II.

SevenSeven Eastern Europe nations were Eastern Europe nations were now under control of the Soviet Union now under control of the Soviet Union and considered and considered satellite nationssatellite nations..

GermanyGermany was a satellite nation as well. was a satellite nation as well. It split into It split into twotwo parts after World War parts after World War

II in which II in which EasternEastern Germany was now Germany was now under Soviet (under Soviet (CommunistCommunist) control and ) control and the the WesternWestern side was a freely elected side was a freely elected democraticdemocratic section. section.

The Russians used occupation The Russians used occupation troopstroops in Eastern Europe to in Eastern Europe to achieve achieve political controlpolitical control of that of that region. region.

Iron CurtainIron Curtain

The term was first used in The term was first used in 1946 by Winston Churchill; 1946 by Winston Churchill; it compared Soviet control it compared Soviet control and isolation of Eastern and isolation of Eastern Europe to an “Europe to an “iron iron curtaincurtain.” .”

ContainmentContainment was a postwar was a postwar U.S. policy that tried to limit U.S. policy that tried to limit Soviet expansion, while at the Soviet expansion, while at the same time, avoiding armed same time, avoiding armed conflict. conflict.

Can you give some examples of Can you give some examples of United States containment United States containment policies that have led to wars?policies that have led to wars?

Truman DoctrineTruman Doctrine- U.S. military and - U.S. military and economic aid to Eastern European economic aid to Eastern European nations to contain Soviet expansion in nations to contain Soviet expansion in that region. that region.

Marshall PlanMarshall Plan- A large-scale U.S. - A large-scale U.S. program of economic assistance designed program of economic assistance designed to strengthen Western Europe against the to strengthen Western Europe against the rise of Soviet power.rise of Soviet power.

Common MarketCommon Market- An - An economic union of six economic union of six Western European nations, Western European nations, designed to promote growth. designed to promote growth. Also known as the European Also known as the European Economic Community.Economic Community.

The Berlin AirliftThe Berlin Airlift- Soviets would not - Soviets would not allow Allies to use land routes to bring allow Allies to use land routes to bring supplies to the people of Berlin in the supplies to the people of Berlin in the hopes that the United States would hopes that the United States would abandon West Berlin. abandon West Berlin.

Truman refused to abandon the city Truman refused to abandon the city and the United States sent food and and the United States sent food and other vital supplies by air and drop other vital supplies by air and drop them to the people. them to the people.

Eventually the Soviets ended their land Eventually the Soviets ended their land blockade to the city. blockade to the city.

N.A.T.O.N.A.T.O. The The North Atlantic Treaty North Atlantic Treaty

OrganizationOrganization in which 11 nations are in which 11 nations are members including the United States. members including the United States.

(Great Britain, France, Italy, (Great Britain, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Portugal, Norway, Iceland, Portugal, Luxembourg, and Canada.) Luxembourg, and Canada.)

In the In the treatytreaty, the allies agreed that , the allies agreed that “an armed attack against one or “an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an America shall be considered an attack against all.” attack against all.”

The purpose of the NATO alliance The purpose of the NATO alliance was to was to deterdeter the Soviet Union from the Soviet Union from aggressionaggression and thus to and thus to avoidavoid war. war.

Shield-and-Sword DefenseShield-and-Sword Defense The common defense of the N.A.T.O. The common defense of the N.A.T.O.

nations rested on a nations rested on a shield-and-swordshield-and-sword concept. concept.

European and American ground European and American ground troopstroops would act as a “ would act as a “shieldshield” against ” against any Soviet attack. U.S. any Soviet attack. U.S. atomicatomic weapons would act as a “weapons would act as a “swordsword.”.”