The Cold WarA New World

The Yalta Conference(2/1945)

• Meeting that shaped the fate of Europe

Churchill (Great Britain) FDR (United States) Stalin (Soviet Russia)

• protection of the British Empire• postwar status of Germany

• establishment of the United Nations

• Soviet agreement to enter the war against Japan

• postwar economic assistance for Russia

• U.S. and British - recognition of a Soviet sphere of influence in eastern Europe

Sow the Seeds of War• Compromises

• No Aide for Russia• Germany Debate postponed• Russia gets 3 seats at the UN• Russia Agrees to go to war with Japan 90 days

after Hitler’s Defeat

• Poland Issue• Soviets occupied it and put in a Government• Exiles in London from Poland (non Communist)• Free elections to determine Poland’s future were

called for sometime in the future• U.S. officials were disgusted with the agreement

(appeasement?)• Condemned Poland to a communist future.

Changes After Conference

• Stalin• Occupying Central and Eastern

Europe• refugees were fleeing from these

countries• Set up a puppet Communist

government in Poland• Insisted that his control of Eastern

Europe was a defensive measure against possible future attacks

• legitimate sphere of Soviet influence

• US• FDR died – Truman in power• Drop Atomic Bomb

Potsdam Conference (7/1945)

• UN is created based on Atlantic Charter

• FDR and Churchill’s secret meeting

• Viewed suspiciously by USSR

• planned the new postwar German government

• Resettled war territory boundaries

• German divided amongst France, UK, US, and USSR

• Berlin was also divided

American Zone

French Zone

British ZoneSovietZone

Truman vs. StalinUS Both Soviet Union

• Wants Security For Capitalism

• Communism is the child of hunger and poverty

• Well off after war• GI Bill• Savings• Nothing to rebuild• Baby Boom (45-63)

• For Self Determination• Moral duty to spread

individualism

• Security• Buffer Zones• World Powers• The other economic

system cannot exist w/o the other

• Moral

• Wants security from Germany

• Lost most people of Allies

• Safety for Communism• Sets up satellite

states• Sets up Puppet

Governments• Totalitarian Govt.• Moral Duty to liberate

Workers

Lingering Tensions

• 1st Red Scare• US tried to stop Bolshevik Revolution• US worried about surprise attacks• Stalin – USSR was bleed dry on

purpose• Stalin Disobeyed Yalta Agreement –

installed “satellite” nations• Protect self-determined peoples

Warnings of Soviet Expansion

• George F. Kennan – “The Sources of Soviet Conduct”

• Global Domination

• Dean Acheson – shaped Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan

• Concerned with Middle East

• Containment Policy

Truman Doctrine (3/1947)

• Containment into action• Aide for Greece and Turkey to

repel Communist

• US had duty to give financial assistance to free nations under communist threat

• Successful - Both did not fall

Marshall Plan (6/1947)

• George Marshall – Sec. of State• US would provide aid to Europe to

rebuild• Stops spread of communism

• Soviet refuse to participate in the Marshall Plan

• indicated its desire to remain free from American “economic imperialism” and domination.

• Develop a large peace time military• National Security Act

• Creates Dept. of Defense, NSC (National Security Council), CIA,

• NSC-68- Written after China fell to Communism and Korea was in peril

• Use troops for containment• Voice of America

Berlin Airlift (6/1948)

• Stalin angry about economic and political integration of W. Germany

• Cuts off East Berlin

• US needs to withdraw troops or break Soviet lines

• 3rd option - US supplies city via air• huge success

• Stalin didn’t want to be seen as shooting down humanitarian aid planes

• Reopened less than a year

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)(1947)

• Truman for 1st time joined alliance with European Countries

• 1955 – Stalin formed the Warsaw Pact

• Same military protection• Once you were in you couldn’t get

out

• Both sought to develop superior Armed Forces and Weapons

• Soviets – Atomic Bomb in 1949• US – hydrogen bomb in 1952

(100,000x Stronger)

Atomic Diplomacy• Nuclear Weapons-

• US monopoly until 1949, H-Bomb 1952

• Nuclear weapons meant that the two sides could not engage each other directly

• War would be a competition in science, arts, athletics, economics, politics, etc. -Which society is superior

US Opinions• Fear of Nuclear War • Images of spies and nations falling to

Communism• Humanity possessed the ability to

destroy itself• Bomb Shelters were commonplace • National Highway Act 1956• Sputnik 1957 = National Aeronautics

and Space Administration • Seen in Popular Culture

• Comic Book Characters• Movies• Nuclear and Atomic become ad slogans• Duck and cover drills

The Red Scare• Smith Act of 1940 - Illegal to advocate the overthrow of US• House of Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

• Investigate domestic subversives with fascist or Communist ties• Develops out of paranoia

• Julius and Ethel Rosenberg – husband and wife spies (atomic bomb secrets)

• Executed by electric chair • USSR gain atomic bomb

• Used to advance political careers (Republican (Nixon))• Whittaker Chambers – American Communist who testified in 1948

• Named Alger Hiss - Advised Roosevelt at Yalta• Sent to prison

• Went after New Dealers, liberals, Hollywood (Hollywood 10)

McCarthyism

• Truman Loyalty Program - Identified disloyal organizations, loyalty oaths

• McCarthyism - Made widespread accusation, often without proof, doctored proof, or out of context

• Claimed Marshal was a part of a Soviet conspiracy

• Fellow Republicans criticize his strategy

• 1954 Downfall when he takes on the Army

The Early Cold War

• Rebuilds Japan under Douglass MacArthur• New constitution• Limited military, democratic government,

emperor = ceremonial • During WWII US supported the Chinese

Nationalist vs. Communist Mao• Stopped after War

• After WWII China divided between Communist (Mao) and Nationalist

• “century of humiliation” – imperialism• Nationalist corrupt

• Communist uprising 1949• US financial support did nothing• Fled to Taiwan• US refuses to recognize

• Blamed Truman

Korean War Begins

• US and USSR both set up governments

• N=Soviets, S=US• Divided along 38th parallel

• 1950 North invades – Stalin senses weakness from China outcome

• overwhelms South• Truman invokes NSC-68

• ask UN to intervene• Soviets boycott over China not having

a seat• UN passes it and police action is

declared

1st Hot Spot of the Cold War• D. MacArthur leads UN (US) forces

• Wins big at Inchon, Invades North Korea, China intervenes

• MacArthur vocally wants to expand the war, Truman wants limited war

• MacArthur leaks letter calling Truman weak• Truman Dismisses MacArthur = Civilian rule of

military• War ends in an armistice, almost original

borders• UN and US succeeded in stopping aggression,

containment• NATO & OAS (Organization of American

States) - to provide mutual defense against communism

Election of 1948 and the Truman Presidency(Domestic Policies)

• Truman offers his Fair Deal-New Deal with civil rights

• Truman creates first Committee on Civil Rights• Desegregates armed forces• Jackie Robinson breaks color barrier in

baseball

• Civil Rights alienate the Southern Democrats

• Dixiecrats-State Rights southern wing of Dem. Party (Strom Thurmond)

• Taft-Hartley Act-Right to Work (anti-union)• Truman vetoed, Republicans overturned