Cold War images ( page 4)

United Nations

• Organization set up in 1945 to help solve global conflicts.

Types of Government

United Statesdemocratic and capitalistic

Soviet Unioncommunist and dictatorial

United States flag (images)

Soviet Union flag (images)

The Cold War

State of tension between

the United States and

the Soviet Union with no actual fighting but divided the

world into two camps

No actual fighting but divided the world into two camps

Iron Curtain

• An imaginary boundary between Eastern and Western Europe.

containment

United States policy that aimed to stop the spread

of communism

Marshall Plan

• Much of Europe was in ruins following WWII. Soviet forces occupied most of Eastern and Central Europe and the eastern portion of Germany. The U.S. felt it was in the best interest to rebuild Europe and prevent political and economic stability.

• The purpose of the Marshall plan was to provide economic aid to Europe and to stop the spread of communism.

Truman Doctrine 1947

• This doctrine allowed the U.S. to send military and economic aid to countries threatened by a communist takeover.

The Berlin Airlift 1948

• The Soviet Union blockaded all railroads and road traffic between West Berlin and West Germany. For over a year, the U.S. dropped food and other supplies through an airlift to the people of West Berlin.

democratic alliance

communist alliance

American SocietyEconomy

• The United States experienced a booming peacetime economy.

Reasons for Rapid Growth of Economy

•Businesses switch from production of war materials to consumer goods

•Americans purchase goods on credit

•Women return to work inside of the home

•Labor unions become more powerful and workers get new benefits and higher wages

•The next generation of women enter the work force

Education and Employment

• Under the G.I. Bill of Rights, WWII veterans could get loans for education, housing, and farms.

• Truman desegregated the armed forces

• Civil Rights legislation led to increased educational, economic, and political opportunities for women and minorities.

Changing Patterns in U.S.• Strong economy

• Greater investment in education

• The “Baby Boom”

• Interstate highway system

• Evolving role of women

• Eleanor Roosevelt helped expand human rights

• African Americans’ aspirations for equal opportunities

• Changes in immigrants after 1965 – Asia and Latin America (Hispanic)

The Baby Boom

• Americans bought more homes

• Housing boom

• The growth of suburbs

• An increase in U.S. population

Suburbs

• People moved to the suburbs to buy homes

• The construction of interstate highways contributed most to the expansion of suburbs.

McCarthyism

• In the 1950s, Senator McCarthy claimed thousands of government employees were communists.

• He created a fear of communism in American society.

South Korea and U.S.

vs.

Communist Chinese and North Korean aggression

Map of Korea (images)

Korean War• The war began when North Korea crossed the 38th parallel

and invaded South Korea

• The U.S. got involved because of fear of the spread of communism.

• General MacArthur was fired by President Truman for not following orders because he sent United Nations and U.S. troops past the 38th parallel.

• The war ended in an armistice and the border was drawn again at the 38th parallel.

• The Korean War is the first war to see a desegregated military

Space Race

• The Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957-this was the first artificial satellite to circle the Earth.

• American feared that the Soviets achieved technological superiority.

• In 1958, The U.S. created NASA to take charge of the space race against the Soviets

• The U.S. won the race and landed the first humans on the moon in 1969.

•Soviets placed missiles in Cuba

•U.S. blockade

•Soviets remove missiles in response to blockade Cuban Missile Crisis

(images)

Crisis

• During the Cuban Missile Crisis, President Kennedy blockaded Cuba.

• The crisis brought the two powers close to war.

• It was considered a crisis because there was a possibility of a nuclear war between the U.S. and U.S.S.R.

•U.S. enters Vietnam War to stop the Vietcong and North Vietnamese communists from taking over South Vietnam (Domino Theory)

•Ho Chi Minh was the leader of N. Vietnam

•The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution gave the President the power to send troops to Vietnam and launch an attack without congress declaring war.

Vietnam War

• Americans divided over whether U.S. should be involved militarily

• Conflict ends in cease-fire

• U.S. troops withdraw in 1973

• The North Vietnamese took control of the South and reunited Vietnam

Berlin Wall

• 1960s – Symbol of division in Europe

• 1989 - Berlin Wall is destroyed

• Germany is reunited

•Soviet Union breaks into various countries

•Became more democratic

•End of Cold War

1990s Collapse of Soviet Union