The Early Cold War Years

The Early Cold War YearsQuick-write #3Review from the last two classes

Give two pieces of evidence from the decisions made during the last years of WWII that contributed to the start of the Cold War.

Previous classesHow did differences in the ideas and values of American and Soviet society contribute to the start of the Cold War?

How did the Cold War emerge after WWII?Distrust during the warYalta ConferencePotsdam ConferenceTodays questionHow did the U.S. attempt to containCommunism? Were our strategies effective?Key termProxyAllowing someone or something to act as the substitute for another.Key termSo what is a proxy confrontation?Using another person(s) or other means to achieve your goalsThe Cold War can be considered a series of proxy confrontations

It helps to define a proxy confrontation by defining what it is NOTA proxy confrontation is NOT a direct confrontation

Direct confrontationWhen two parties directly interact with to achieve their individual goalsEx: WWII, the war in Iraq

Containing Communism

The Long Telegram: a message from diplomat George Kennan that revealed the Soviet fears of the West and a belief in a historical struggle against CapitalismContainment: U.S. policy that came from Kennans telegram to keep communism within its present territory through diplomatic, economic, and military actions

Containing CommunismCrisis in IranDuring WWII, U.S. and Soviet troops had protected supply lines in Iran- after the war the Soviets refused to leave and set up a communist governmentThe United States demanded their withdrawal and sent a U.S. battleship to scare them off.In the end, this seemed to prove the Long Telegram was right, the Soviets were out to expand and combat capitalism and democracy

Containing Communism

The Truman Doctrine: President Truman's policy of providing economic and military aid to any country threatened by a communist takeover or totalitarian ideology.

It committed America to fight communism wherever it popped up in the world.

Containing Communism

After WWII, Western Europe was in ruinsSec. State G. Marshall proposed a recovery programThe Marshall Plan: would give European nations aid (money) to rebuild. The plan was an effort to fight hunger, poverty, and chaos, not ideology. The Soviet Union and its satellite nations rejected the offer.

Quick-write #4Why would we spend billions of dollars to help nations in Europe by developing the Marshall Plan?

Was this really just an effort to fight poverty, hunger, and chaos?Containing CommunismGiving billions in aid to Western Europe opened up new markets and made capitalism look more appealing than communism.

Containing CommunismBy 1948, U.S. officials believed that the Soviets were deliberately trying to sabotage the German economyIn response, the United States, Great Britain, and France merged their zones in Germany and in Berlin, giving the Germans back their country.these became West Berlin & West Germany

Containing CommunismThe Berlin Crisis: In June of 1948, Soviet troops stopped all road and rail traffic to West Berlin; they hoped the Americans would give up West Berlin.Truman responded with the Berlin Airlift and ordered cargo planes to deliver food, medicine, and coal to the Berliners.This lasted for eleven months.The idea was to stop the Soviets without provoking war.

Containing CommunismThe Berlin situation convinced many Americans that the USSR was bent on conquest.The public and Congress supported a military alliance with Western Europe.The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was a mutual defense alliance created to prevent Soviet attack.

Containing CommunismThe Soviet response to NATOThe Warsaw Pact: a military alliance in Eastern Europe; involved all the satellite nations.

Containing Communism NATO and the Warsaw Pact countries

The Cold War spreadsThe battle between Democracy and Communism spreads to Asia.Conflict in China: In China, Communist forces and Nationalist forces had been battling since the late 1920s.

The Cold War spreadsThe Soviets naturally backed (sent money and military aid to) the Communist forces and the U.S. backed the Nationalists.The Communists eventually won. In October 1949, Communists set up the Peoples Republic of China (PRC)

The Cold War spreadsAmericans were shocked (and scared) that Communism wonto make matters worse, the Soviets had just developed their own atomic bombThe PRC and Soviet Union signed a treaty of allianceQuick-write #5Why would the victory of Communism in China scare the U.S.?The Korean WarAt the end of WWII, American and Soviet forces entered Korea to disarm Japanese troops stationed there.The Allies divided Korea at the 38th parallel of latitude.Soviets controlled the North and Americans the South.Thanks to the Cold war, talks to reunify Korea broke down.

38th ParallelThe Korean WarSoviet troops controlled the north and set up a Communist government. American troops controlled the south with an American-backed government. The Soviets gave military aid to the north, resulting in an expansive military. On June 25, 1950, North Korean troops invaded South Korea.

38th ParallelSoviet controlled KoreaU.S. controlled KoreaThe Korean WarTruman sees this invasion as a test of the containment policy and responds:He got the UN to send troops against the Communists in South Korea. Battles continued back and forth and even advanced as far as ChinaChinese forces naturally fought to push enemy forces back

The Korean WarMacArthur pushes for escalation of the war:General MacArthur demanded approval to expand the war against China.He even wanted to use atomic bombs on their cities!Truman refused MacArthurs demands. MacArthur was fired after publicly criticizing the president.

The Korean WarTruman was committed to fighting a limited war, a war fought to achieve a limited objective such as containing communism.By 1951 UN forces had pushed Chinese and North Koreans back across the 38th parallel. An armistice was signed July 1953.

The Korean WarThe Korean War was an important turning point in the Cold War. Instead of just using political pressure and economic aid to contain communism, the United States began a major military buildup. The Korean War expanded the Cold War beyond Europe and into Asia.