The Cold War

1
The Cold War

• Germany is finished . . . The real problem is
  Russia. I cant get the Americans to see
  it.Winston Churchill

2
Origins of the Cold War
3
1945

• Yalta
• The Allies agreed on the division of Germany
• Russia insisted that the Polish Government be
  sympathetic, but agreed to free elections.
• The UN
• Creation was agreed upon at Yalta
• Consisted of
• General Assembly (All nations)
• Security Counsel (5 permanent 10 rotating)

4
Conflicting Goals

• American Goals
• WWII had been fought for freedom and democracy
• All of postwar Europe and Asia should be free.
• Soviet Goals
• Lost 20 million in WWII
• Sought to establish satellite nations as a buffer
  against future attack
• Refused to cooperate w/ the rebuilding of Europe
• Began installing/backing communist governments in
  Eastern Europe

5
The Soviets Secure Eastern Europe

• Poland
• The elections were delayed for 2 years.
• The Soviet-installed govt eliminated all
  opponents.
• Albania
• Liberated in 1944 by the USSR
• Anti-communists were silenced and the elected
  govt was communist.
• Bulgaria
• Soviet Army entered in 1944 and the communists
  were in control by 1948.

6

• Czechoslovakia
• The communists took power by replacing police
  officers w/ party members
• By 1948 it was a satellite nation.
• Hungary
• Soviet army demanded communist control of the
  police.
• Anti-communists were arrested.
• By 1947, communists controlled the country.
• Romania
• 1945USSR forced the King to name a communist
  Prime Minister.
• 1947the PM forced the King to abdicate.

7

• East Germany
• Stalin established national control of all
  resources.
• Installed a brutal regime
• Became known as the German Democratic Republic.
• Finland
• 1948Signed a treaty of cooperation w/ the USSR
• Managed own domestic affairs while neutral in
  foreign affairs.
• Yugoslavia
• Communist Josip Broz (Tito) took power.
• Refused to take Stalins orders.
• Pursued his own style of Communism (Titoism).

8
The Iron Curtain

• Stalins Vow
• 1946Stalin predicted that communism would
  triumph over capitalism.
• Called on communists worldwide to spread
  communism.
• Established the Comminform to coordinate the
  spread of communism to the world.

9

• Churchills Response
• Speech at Westminster College in Fulton,
  Missouri.
• From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the
  Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across
  the Continent. p.744

10

• The Cold War
• Churchill and Stalins speeches set the tone for
  the Cold War.
• It will be a long struggle b/w the US and the
  USSR for superiority in every area.
• Never became a hot war of direct conflict b/w
  the two superpowers.

11

• Containment
• Doctrine promulgated by diplomat George Kennan.
• In these circumstances, it is clear that the
  main element of any United States policy toward
  the Soviet Union must be that of a long-term,
  patient but firm and vigilant containment of
  Russian expansive tendencies. p. 745
• IOW
• Eastern Europe was already lost
• US must resist Communist expansion.
• Meanwhile the Soviet system would crumble on its
  own b/c of its inherent defects.

12

• Truman Doctrine
• Since 1945 the USSR had been threatening Turkey
  b/c it wanted a warm water port.
• 1945Civil war had broke out in Greece
• 1947UK announced it could no longer aid either
  one.
• Truman announced a major shift in policy
• I believe that it must be the policy of the
  United states to support free peoples who are
  resisting attempted subjugation by armed
  minorities or by outside pressures. I beliee
  that we must assist free peoples to work out
  their own destinies in their own way. p. 746
• For 40 yrs. the US followed this doctrine by
  aiding countries that were threatened by
  communism.

13
The Cold War at Home and Abroad
14
The Marshall Plan (European Recovery Plan)

• Designed by Sec. of State George Marshall.
• US sought to rebuild Europe.
• Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslov Molotov called
  it a vicious scheme.
• Aid was offered to all of Europe, including the
  USSR.
• Only the free nations of Western Europe joined
  the plan.

15
Berlin Airlift

• The West decided to combine their ocupation zone
  into the Federal Republic of Germany.
• West Berlin, though free, remained in E. GR.
• Thousands of Eastern Europeans fled to the West
  through Berlin.
• June 1948USSR blocked allied access to West
  Berlin.
• Stalin hoped to starve out the 2.5 million
  people of W. Berlin.
• Truman ordered the Berlin Airlift.

16

• For 15 mos. the UK and US flew 200K flights to
  deliver food, fuel, etc.
• 13K tons arrived daily.
• The Soviets finally gave up and opened West
  Berlin.

17
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

• April 1949Formed to answer the Soviet threat b/c
  the UN was inefective
• Canada, US, Belgium, UK, DK, FR, Iceland, Italy,
  Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Portugal
  (Turkey)
• Collective Security an armed attacked against
  one or more of them . . . Shall be considered an
  attack against them all.
• The Soviets responded by creating the Warsaw Pact.

18
Communism Advances

• 1949USSR exploded their own atomic bomb
• 1950Truman approved development of the hydrogen
  or thermonuclear bomb. (devd by 1952)
• Truman also created the Federal Civil Defense
  Administration.
• Prepared the US public to face nuclear atack.
• Built bomb shelters
• Duck and Cover drills

19

• China Falls
• CommunistsMao Zedong vs. NationalistsChiang
  Kaishek.
• Had been fighting since 1920s.
• 1949 Peking (Beijing) fell to Mao and he
  established the Peoples Republic of China.
• The Nationalists fled to Taiwan and continued the
  Republic of China.
• Taiwan ROC continued to be recognized by the West
  as the official govt and held Chinas seat on
  the UN Sec. Council.

20
The Cold War at Home

• Overview
• With the threat of communism, many began to fear
  a communist plot within the US.

21

• The Loyalty Program
• All new govt employees had to be investigated.
• FBI checked existing employees for suspicious
  activities.
• The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)
• Estd by Congress b/4 WWII.
• Now turned to the Communist threat.
• 1947 Congress accused Hollywood
• The Hollywood Ten
• Oct.Congress subpoenaed Hollywood writers,
  directors, actors, and producers.
• 10 pleaded the Fifth and had to serve time for
  contempt of Congress
• In fear, Hollywood compiled a blacklist of actors.

22

• McCarran-Walter Act
• Passed over Trumans veto.
• Estd a quota system limiting immigration from
  Communist countries.
• Espionage
• Alger Hiss
• Accused but only convicted of perjury and served
  4 yrs.
• Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
• Convicted of selling the A-bomb to the USSR
• Executed in 1953
• 1991After the fall of the USSR, documents found
  indicated Hiss and the Rosenbergs were spies.

23
The Cold War Expands
24
Overview

• 1945Korea had been divided at the 38th parallel.
  USSR occupied the North and the US occupied the
  South. Sympathetic governments were established
  in both regions, and the country was never united.

25
WAR!

• June 1950North Korea invaded the South.
• The UN could act b/c the Soviets were boycotting
  the Security Council.
• UN forces under Gen. Douglas McArthur were sent
  to Korea.
• Only the region around Puson remained free.

26

• McArthurs Strategy
• Believed the Norths supply lines were weak b/c
  of the rapid advance.
• Landed troops at Puson and landed troops in the
  NW at Inchon to attack from behind.
• The plan succeeded and the Communists were driven
  back to the North.
• UN forces pushed further north and came close to
  the Chinese border.
• China warned the US not to advance any closer.

27

• McArthur announced the Home by Christmas
  offensive which involved driving the North Korean
  army out of Korea and ending the war.
• Chinese troops attacked and a stalemate
  developed.
• McArthur wanted Taiwan to attack and open a 2nd
  front.
• Truman disagreed and McArthur sent a letter to a
  Congressman criticizing him.
• 1951Truman fired McArthur for insubordination.
• 1953 The War ended with a cease fire.
• Korea was divided at the 38th parallel.
• 55K US troops had died, 113K had been wounded

28
Sen. Joseph McCarthy McCarthyism

• Claimed he had a list of 205 known communists in
  the State Dept.
• Accused George Marshall
• Attacked the Army
• Held hearings which were televised at the request
  of democrats.
• The hearings resulted is a loss of support.
• Recent evidence suggests to some degree he was
  correct.

29
Cold War in the 1950s

• Overview
• As President, Eisenhower continued the policy of
  containment. He also based foreign policy on the
  domino theory.

30

• Southeast Asia
• 1953Eisenhower fulfilled his promise to end the
  Korean War.
• Vietnam
• French colony
• 1945Communists under Ho Chi Minh had declared
  independence.
• The US sent aid to the French in Vietnam.
• May 1954French were defeated at Dien Bien Phu
  and withdrew.
• The UN divided Vietnam into North Vietnam
  (Communist) and South Vietnam (free).

31

• The Middle East
• Israel
• May 1948The Jews declared the formation of the
  state of Israel.
• The USSR backed the Arab opposition.
• Iran
• 1952Pro-communist leader took over
• 1953The CIA organized his overthrow and the
  return of the Pro-American Shah
• Suez Canal
• 1956UK and FR forces took the canal zone to
  secure it
• Eisenhower convinced them to return it to Egypt.

32

• Eisenhower Doctrine
• Jan 1957
• US would use force to safeguard the independence
  of any country or group of countries in the
  Middle East requesting aid against aggression.

33

• Latin America
• Cuba 1958Fidel Castro overthrew Fulgencia
  Batista.
• Cuba became communist and turned to the USSR for
  aid.

34
The Arms Race

• Overview
• The US and the USSR competed in the development
  of conventional and nuclear weaponry. The result
  was a massive buildup of weapons arsenals and the
  creation of more deadly weapons.

35

• Nuclear Weapons
• 1953Soviets developed their own H-bomb.
• US continued to test more powerful bombs.
• Bikini Island
• 19 tests above ground in 4 yrs.
• The 1st was 750X more powerful than the Nagasaki
  A-bomb. Burned Japanese fishermen 90 mi away.
  Forced evacuations 200 mi away.

36

• Brinkmanship
• US Policy
• Sec. of State John Foster Dulles The ability to
  get to the verge without getting into the war is
  the necessary art. If you cannot master it, you
  inevitably get into war. If you try to run away
  from it, if you are scared to go to the brink,
  you are lost p. 762

37

• ICBMs and Sputnik
• Both sides devd Intercontinental Ballistic
  Missiles.
• Sputnik 1957
• First artificial satellite
• Launched by the USSR
• Proved had the capability to reach us with a
  bomb.
• U-2 Incident May 1960
• Soviets used a guided missile to shoot down a US
  spy plane.

38

• The Cold War will be a massive, long struggle
  between two ways of lifethe impact will be great
  and lasting.