Creating World Peace & Prosperity

■ After WW2 –world powers addressed global economy & peace-keeping:

–International Monetary Fund & World Bank were created

–United Nations replaced League of Nations in 1945

US hoped to continue trade dominance in Western Euro,

Asia, & Latin Am

US was largest supplier of funds for both, so US had greatest

control over policy

All member nations represented in the General Assembly

US, USSR, UK, France,

& China permanent

members of Security Council

Each of the 5 Executive Council

nations has absolute veto

power

An army!

The Beginning of the Cold War ■ Cold War – era of distrust, threat of

nuclear war, & ideological expansion between US & USSR:

–US-Soviet tensions heightened at Yalta & Potsdam WW2 conferences

Stalin agreed to allow self-determination in Eastern Europe…but never did

The Cold War Begins■ July 1945: Truman met Stalin at Potsdam

to discuss post-war Europe & ending the war with Japan

“I can work with Stalin…he is honest—but smart as [heck].”

Truman was a “Wilsonian idealist”

& hoped for intl cooperation

Stalin had ruled Russia for 2 decades, was a cautious

realist, & believed the USSR needed to protect itself

Cold War DivisionsYalta: Stalin agreed to self-determination in E Euro

Potsdam: Stalin extended control over E Euro to create buffer b/w USSR & future enemies

UK, France, US & USSR didn’t agree on German war reparations, Germany divided

into occupied zones at Potsdam

Potsdam presented a major Cold War theme: Because they could not agree on how do

govern Europe, Truman & Stalin divided it

Potsdam was conclusion of WW2’s US-Soviet alliance

Withholding Economic Aid■ USSR was badly damaged & needed

help rebuilding–FDR/Truman declined loans &

ended Lend-Lease aid –Stalin took factories in E Euro &

Manchuria –USSR slowly recovered but hostility

& antagonism deepened

Capitalism & Democracy

Communism & Totalitarianism

The Iron Curtain

1940s: US began to view Stalin as a new Hitler—dangerous threat & aggressive

dictator desiring world domination

Containment■ HST’s Sec of State George Marshall

began policy of Containment in 1947

– Strong resistance to USSR would stop expansion & spread of communism

– US initiated containment in 3 phases: Truman Plan, Marshall Plan, NATO

“long-term, patient but firm, and vigilant containment of Russian expansionist

policies…will not lead to any immediate victory but will eventually force the USSR to

live in peace with the West”

The Truman Doctrine■Soviet pressure on Greece &

Turkey led to fears of communism on 3 continents

■Truman Doctrine: US offered assistance to any nation threatened by Communism

Commitment to stopping spread of communism was viewed by USSR as

informal declaration of a cold war

The Marshall Plan■ Euro had trouble recovering post

WW2 – led to fears of communist coups

■ Marshall Plan offered aid to help in recovery

–Industry revived / W Euro became bonanza for US trade

–“Communist threat” ended

Marshall Plan to Aid

Europe 1948-1952

Stalin refused to accept Marshall Plan aid in USSR or any Soviet satellite / responded with

Molotov Plan in E Euro

NATO■ 1949: Fears of Soviet aggression led

to North Atlantic Treaty Organization

–Collective security for W Euro, US, Canada, Greece, & Turkey

–Cold War was:• Ideological (Truman Doctrine) •Economic (Marshall Plan)•Military (NATO)

Major departure from traditional US policy of isolationism

USSR responded in 1955 with formation of Warsaw Pact

NATO initiated as result of 1948 Soviet coup in Czechoslovakia

The Berlin Blockade■ 1948: USSR cut off traffic to Berlin in

E Germany

■ Truman:–Allowed food/fuel/supplies to be

airlifted into W Berlin–Moved several bombers to England –Standoff lasted 2 wks until Stalin

lifted the blockade

Here comes help!

The Cold War Expands

The Military Dimension ■ 1947: 3 new agencies created so US

could identify & respond to security threats

–Dept of Defense (now w/Air Force)–Central Intelligence Agency–National Security Council

Air Force was preferred military agency of Cold War b/c of ability to deliver nuclear

bombs & deter enemy attacks

The Nuclear Arms Race1949 - US monopoly on nuclear weapon

technology ended – USSR successfully tested their own atomic bomb

Soviet testing of atomic bomb motivated US to regain advantage

1952: US tested 1st hydrogen bomb (1000x more powerful than a-bomb)

The Soviets responded with their own h-bomb in 1953

The Cold War in Asia■ By 1952, Asia also divided:

–After WW2, US helped build alliance & democracy in Japan

–1949: Truman “lost” China•Mao Zedong defeated Chiang Kai-shek & Kuomintang

–1950: China signed mutual assistance treaty with USSR

US refused to recognize Communist ChinaContinued diplomatic relations with

Nationalists in Taiwan

Based upon this chart, why were Mao & the Communists so popular

among the Chinese people?

Chinese Communist propaganda

What message does this poster project?

Notice the sun

Notice the Chinese people

Chinese Communist propaganda Who might this poster appeal to?

Industrial workers

Loyal communists

Farmers

Women

Chinese Civil War

VS.

Nationalist Leader Chiang Kai-shek (Kuomintang)

Communist Leader Mao Zedong

The Military Dimension■ 1950: NSC created new defense plan

NSC-68:

–Communism “fanatical” “permanent” threat to US & the world

–Don’t just contain communism – also liberate communist countries

–Expand US military, stockpile nukes, & use covert operations

NSC-68 responded to Soviet development of atomic bomb & “loss”

of China to communism

This policy paper became “blueprint” for Cold War / shaped US actions for

next 20 years

NSC-68 was military, economic, political & psychological examination of USSR & China to

develop appropriate US responses to threats

3 mos later, assessment appeared correct: N Korea attacked S Korea; US military

buildup began

The Korean War■ Showdown b/w US & USSR in Asia

came in Korea:–PostWW2: Korea divided at 38°N–NK attacked across border in 1950–UN condemned NK & sent troops

•90% were from US•Gen Douglas MacArthurStalin & Mao approved of attack, but Stalin warned: “If you should get

kicked in the teeth, I shall not lift a finger. You have to ask Mao for help.”

North Korean Invasion

June-September

1950

United Nations Counter-

Attack

September-October 1950

Chinese Advance

October-January 1951

Truman unable to end Korean War

Eisenhower made Korean War a campaign issue in 1952

The Korean War■ MacArthur wanted to unify Korea

–Also wanted to invade China–Truman feared WW3, ordered him

to stop

■ MacArthur went to gov officials, media & public to get support

■ Truman fired him for insubordination

Korean War■Stalemate

–Armistice signed 1953–Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)

established–War never officially ended –

soldiers still there

Armistice

January 1951-July 1953

The Cold War at Home

The Cold War at Home■ Truman’s domestic policy not as

successful as his foreign policy

–Prices too high & supply too low on new consumer goods

–Unions struck – demanded share of wartime profits

–1946 mid-terms: GOP took HR & S

“Had enough?”“To err is Truman”

GOP Congress replaced Wagner Act with Taft-Hartley Act:

• Forced union members to swear anti-communist oath

• Outlawed most closed shops

The Cold War at Home■ 1948: reelection seemed remote

–HST faced strong opposition from:•Repub Thomas Dewey•Progressive Henry Wallace• “Dixiecrat” Strom Thurmond

–“FDR coalition” of farmers, labor, urban, black voters held strong

He attacked the “do-nothing” Republicans

He reminded voters that the Democrats ended the Depression

The Republicans couldn’t attack Truman’s Cold War successes

Truman and the Fair Deal■ HST Fair Deal tried to extend New

Deal:– min wage & Soc Sec benefits–National heath insurance–Fair Employment Practices Comm:

•End discrimination against blacks■ GOP & southern Dems blocked all Fair

Deal legislation

The Loyalty Issue■ Fear of radicals is recurrent theme in

US history■ 1940s & 50s: fears of Commies grew■ :

–Fall of China to communism–Successful testing of atomic bomb

by USSR–Discovery of American spies–Fear of an unseen conspiracy

Federalists in 1790s used Alien & Sedition Acts

Red Scare after WW1 aimed at radicals & foreigners

Know-Nothings attacked foreigners in 1850s

The Loyalty Issue■ Fear of Commies abroad led to 2nd

Red Scare in US:–Fears of Soviet espionage led to

House Un-American Activities Committee to rid gov’t of spies

–Loyalty Review Board fired gov’t workers for “reasonable doubt”

–Justice Dept jailed 11 members of the Communist Party for plotting a socialist revolution

Alger Hiss in State Dept was accused of being a USSR spy (the “pumpkin papers”)

Ethel & Julius Rosenberg executed for leaking atomic secrets to the USSR despite

lack of hard evidence

Manhattan Project employee Klaus Fuchs admitted to providing nuclear plans to the USSR

McCarthyism in Action■ 1950: Joseph McCarthy (R-WI)

accused 205 State Dept workers of being Communists

■ Began 4½ yr attack on “Communists” ■ McCarthyism popular because it

played into fears held by many in US

Used barrage of treasonable actions against accused that overwhelmed

defendant’s ability to respond

Attacked US gov agencies (especially State Dept) of harboring spies

Never found any actual Communists in gov & never had more than 50% approval rating

among voters

Conclusions■ Cold War dominated US thoughts

throughout the 1940s & early 50s:

–Defense spending dramatically –Nuclear arms race made people

anxious about the future

■ With Eisenhower’s election in 1952 American anxieties subsided as the Cold War became more covert