The Cold War

4/17/2011

Cold War?

• An era of confrontation and competition between US and SU from ’46-’90 = “icy rivalry”

• SU wants to control all countries from SU to Germany -> concerned about security

Yalta Conference

• Churchill, Stalin, and Roosevelt met at end of WWII to plan postwar world– People in Europe given right to choose govt.– Poland=Communist– German divided into 4 (SU, US, GB, FR) and

Germany had to pay reparations– Arguments over Ger. (economy) was a major

cause of cold war

Satellite Nations

• Communist countries of E. Europe (Poland, Romania, Czech., Hungary)

Iron Curtain

• Separation (military and govt) of territory through diplomatic, military and economic means

• SU fears west and is insecure

Truman Doctrine

• $400 million to fight Soviet aggression in Greece and Turkey -> US pledge to stop communism in the world.

Marshall Plan

• Europe recovery program -> American aid to rebuild Eur. after WWI stops hunger, poverty, and chaos -> Lessens appeal of communism and opens new trade markets

Berlin Airlift

• SU set blockade on supplies to W. Germany -> wants to renegotiate Ger. Status -> For 11 months Truman airlifts coal, food, and meds to Berliners -> Stops blockade

NATO

• North Atlantic Treaty Organization -> mutual defense alliance of US and W. Eur. And Canada -> agree to come to aid of any attacked member (W. Ger. joins)

Warsaw Pact

• Military alliance in E. Eur. of communist nations

China

• China becomes communist in 1949 after long-running Civil War -> China and SU sign alliance

Korean War

• After WWII, US controls S. Korea and SU controls N. Korea (Comm)

• In 1950, N. invades S.• China joins to fight against US, UN, and S.

Korea • Korea remains divided at 38th parallel• Causes US to begin major military buildup

instead of just political pressure and economic aid.

Sputnik

• 1st artificial satellite to orbit the earth -> launched by Soviets -> America felt they were falling behind in missile technology -> NASA

McCarthyism

• Witch hunt for Communists based on poor evidence and fear -> ruined reputations Sen. Joseph McCarthy claimed to have list of military, govt, and famous people who were Comm.

Election of 1952

• Adlai Stevenson (D) vs. Dwight D. Eisenhower(R) (national hero) -> Eisenhower wins by landslide -> doesn’t want conventional war -> use nuclear weapons -> cut in military spending and increase nuclear arsenal -> brinksmanship willingness to go to war to force other side to back down

Nikita Khrushchev

• Rule in SU (1956) after Stalin died – refused to meet w/ Eisenhower after SU shot down American spy plane piloted by Francis Gary Powers

GI Bill

• Helped economy after WWII by giving loans to veterans for college, businesses, and homes

1950’s economy

• Increased consumer spending, new business techniques, and improved technology produced a standard of living never before thought possible; inflation problems

• White collar workers outnumbered blue collar for 1st time; birth of suburbs; minimum wage increased from $0.40 to $.75; Social Security expanded

1950’s culture

• Baby boom• Popularity of TV• 1st computer• Rock ‘n’ roll, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles• Antibiotics and polio vaccinations• Juvenile delinquency rose, generation gap• Fallout shelters• Women working

Poverty Problems

• 1 in 5 lived below poverty line• Native Americans poorest, single moms,

elderly, inner cities, African Americans, Hispanics, immigrants, rural America and those in the Appalachians

• AAs earned 51% of what whites earn• Mexican immigrants paid poorly and worked

in unbearable conditions under Bracero Program (5 million)

Amemdments

• 24th- 1964- abolition of poll tax• 26th- 1971- lowered voting age to 18

Bay of Pigs

• April 17, 1961, 1400 Cuban exiles (La Brigada) had been trained and armed by Eisenhower and CIA

• Kennedy’s advisers approved plan to invade Cuba w/ La Brigada

• Kennedy cancelled air support for exiles to keep US’s involvement a secret

• Most La Brigrad killed or captured by Castro’s Army

Cuban Missile Crisis

• Soviets placed long range missiles in Cuba in summer of 62 -> JFK ordered it stopped, but work continued. -> brought world to edge of nuclear war -> neither leader wanted WWIII, so soviets removed missiles in Cuba and US removed missiles in Turkey and promised not to invade Cuba -> led to demise of Khruschev and new soviet leadership less interested in peace with the West.