Cold War Notes
What caused the Cold War?
• US & USSR only superpowers after WWII.– Each wanted to be strongest.
• Different political and economic systems.– Democracy (US) vs. Dictatorship (USSR)– Capitalism (US) vs. Communism (USSR)
Post-War Europe
• Germany & its capital, Berlin, were divided between US, Britain, France, & USSR.
• Results in East Germany & West Germany
• Satellite Nations in Eastern Europe
• “Iron Curtain”
• “The West”
The Cold War Heats Up
• American policy: containment
• Stop the spread of Communism.
• Communism is like a disease.
The Truman Doctrine
• Aid should be sent to any nation trying to stop communists from taking over.
• Turkey & Greece
The Marshall Plan
• $13 billion to help rebuild sixteen nations in western Europe.
• Successful in preventing communist expansion and creating trade partners.
The Berlin Airlift
• Soviets blockade West Berlin for 327 days in effort to unify Berlin under communism.
• Food and supplies airlifted by U.S. and Britain.
• West Berlin saved.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
• Defensive military alliance
• Ten original members including United States, Britain, and Canada.
China Falls to Communism
• Mao Zedong (Communists) versus Chiang Kai-shek (Nationalists)
• Nationalists flee to Taiwan after Communist victory in 1949.
Why?• surrender of Japanese in Korea to U.S.
(South) and Soviet Union (North)
- communism in North Korea
- democracy & capitalism in South Korea
• North Korea invades South Korea
- invasion very successful
- American policy of containment requires
American involvement
What happened?• Douglas MacArthur and American
forces drive North Korea back to
China’s border
- China enters Korean conflict against
American forces
- MacArthur urges Truman to use
atomic weapons against China
* Truman wants limited war
* MacArthur relieved of command
- armistice sets boundary at 38th parallel