The Cold War

1
The Cold War

• Phase II- 1957-1963

2
The Sputnik Crisis

• October 4th 1957 The Soviets launched Sputnik.
  1st Satellite to Orbit the earth. Needed
  sophisticated missile technology to launch
• ICBM- Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles- made
  it possible to launch nuclear weapons from Soviet
  Union to US in 30 minutes.
• Led to the Creation of NASA and an emphasis on
  Math, Science and foreign languages in the
  education system
• Space Race between Soviets and US. Wanted to
  be the 1st to put a man on the Moon (1969).

3
The Cold War in Cuba

• Post WWII most of Latin American countries were
  in economic turmoil sought aid from the
  superpowers.
• 1950s Cuba ruled by a US backed dictator Batista
  
• 1959 Fidel Castro led a Communist Revolution
• Nationalized Cuban economy taking over US owned
  sugar mills and refineries
• Eisenhower responded with a trade embargo on all
  Cuban products
• Castro turned to the Soviets for help (economic
  military)
• Cuba, Only 90 Miles off the US coast. US feared
  that Communists would use Cuba as a base to
  spread communism throughout the West

4
Kennedys Cold War Policies 1960-1963

• The Bay of Pigs Covert CIA mission to try and
  overthrow Fidel Castro A communist who had
  overthrown the US backed leader in Cuba.
• CIA trained and armed Cuban exiles (La Brigada)
  to overthrow Castro.
• April 17th 1961 1,400 Cuban exiles landed at the
  Bay of Pigs
• Kennedy cancelled air support, no popular
  uprising occurred
• Castro easily captured Cuban exiles
• Significance - Made America look weak and
  disorganized

5
The Berlin Wall 1961

• Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev wanted the West
  to recognize East Germany and withdraw from
  Berlin.
• Khrushchev also wanted to stop the flow of East
  Germans to West Berlin.
• US refused
• Soviets responded by building a wall through
  Berlin.
• Guards shot those trying to escape into West
  Berlin.
• Becomes the physical symbol of the Cold War

6
The Cuban Missile Crisis 1962

• US installed nuclear weapons in Turkey
• Soviets respond by trying to place nuclear
  weapons in Cuba
• Soviet perspective is that this creates parity
• October US spy Planes discover 42 missile sites
  being built
• US sees Latin America as its sphere of influence
• Kennedy orders a naval blockade to stop Soviets
  from bringing any more missiles

7
The Cuban Missile Crisis Cont.

• Kennedy Demanded removal of missiles
• Deal was struck Kennedy publicly agreed not to
  invade Cuba, Privately to dismantle missiles in
  Turkey. Soviets removed missiles from Cuba.
• Significance demonstrated the failure of
  Brinkmanship.
• No means of dealing with crisis
• No red phone
• Communication through informal means

8
Impact of the Cuban Missile Crisis

• Soviets and US agreed to a Treaty to ban the
  testing of nuclear weapons
• Backing down to US cost Khrushchev politically.
• Showed Soviets their military inferiority
  created a massive military build up.

9
The Cold War and American Society

• People thought that the Communists were trying to
  take over the world and were infiltrating
  American governmental organizations and society
  in general.
• Subversion effort to secretly weaken a society
  and overthrow the government.

10
Life during the Cold War

• Fear of Communism and nuclear war dominated
  peoples lives.
• Schools practicing duck and cover senarios
• Marketing of fallout shelters mini buildings
  that would protect you from radiation, people
  could stock them with food and supplies.
• TV shows depicted undercover agents fighting
  communism
• Books told stories of the aftermath of nuclear war

11
The New Red Scare

• 1947 Truman created the loyalty review program-
  which screened all federal employees for
  communist ties.
• Had the effect of confirming peoples fears that
  Communists had infiltrated the government.
• Over 2,000 federal employees quit and 212 were
  fired

12
The New Red Scare

• House of Un-American Activities (HUAC) was
  created to investigate Communist and Fascist
  activities in 1938.
• HUAC began holding high profile hearings.
• Put Hollywood on trial Blacklisted actors,
  writers etc. that were thought to have communist
  ties
• The Rosenbergs Members of the Communist Party
  -Accused of selling secrets of the atomic bomb to
  the Soviets
• Convicted of espionage- executed in 1953.
• Project Venona secret documents that cracked
  the Soviet spy code held evidence of the
  Rosenbergs guilt. (Ethel is currently considered
  innocent)

13
McCarthyism

• Wisconsin senator who stated that he had a list
  of 205 people who worked for the state department
  who were members of the Communist Party.
• McCarthy became the head of HUAC in 1952 and
  began a witch-hunt for disloyal Americans based
  on no real evidence.
• McCarthy used theatrics to arouse fear and damage
  peoples careers.
• Army-McCarthy Hearings were televised
• Eventually Americans got fed up with his antics
  and he lost political viability