SSUSH20A & B

Cold War America

The Cold War America

Wartime Meetings Create Tension

Feb 1945 Yalta

Conference

1) Compromise concerning Poland.

Poland under Soviet Government Poland to have Free Elections

2) Declaration of Liberated Europe

Provided for Self Determination

3) Divided German into 4 Zones

4) Soviets demanded German Reparations

12 Apr 45: FDR Died

Harry S. Truman

became the 33rd President

• Strong Anti-Communist

• Strong Anti-Appeasement

Soviet failure to ensure Free Elections in Poland was Unacceptable

The Cold War America

Wartime Meetings create Tension

July 1945 Potsdam

Conference

1) German Industry in the West

Critical to Economic Recovery Essential to Reparations

2) Self Determination Violations

Stalin: Whoever controls Territory can determine Government

3) U.S. announced new Atomic Bomb

22 Feb 1946: George Kennan sent Long Telegram from Moscow to Washington, D.C.

• Outlining the Soviet World Policy

Perpetual War with Capitalism

Make allies with all Marxists

Maintain Russian Nationalism

Spread Global Communism

Cold War America

Establishment of Cold War Policies

George Kennan’s recommendations:

Be Prepared for Long Struggle

Be Patient but Firm with Soviets

Use Containment against Soviet Expansion in the world

President Truman’s

New Policy:

Soviet Containment

• Soviet’s initial attempts at Expansion

Jun 1946: Crisis in Iran

Soviet’s desire to control oil

Communist push in the Middle East

1946-1947: Crisis in Turkey & Greece

Soviet’s desire waterway in Turkey

Communist Civil War in Greece

12 Mar 1947:

President Issues

Truman Doctrine

$400 Million in Aid to Turkey & Greece

Pledged to Fight Against the Spread of Communism

Cold War America

Establishment of Cold War Policies

Jan 1947: The President appointed General George C. Marshall as Secretary of State

Apr 1948: The Marshall Plan was announced

American aide to help Europe rebuild

Offered to ALL Nations in Europe

Soviets rejected aid as a U.S. plot to spread Capitalism in Eastern Europe

• 1948: Allies announced the plan to unify their zones into West German State

• The Soviet’s initiated the Berlin Blockade

Cutting off all road and railroad traffic

• Allies began the Berlin Airlift

11 Months flying cargo planes of supplies into Berlin

• 12 May 1949: Stalin ended the Blockade

Cold War America

Establishment of Cold War Policies

Increased U.S./Soviet Tensions caused Americans to support a Military Alliance with Europe

• 1949: The U.S. joined 11 European Nations to form the North

Atlantic Treaty Organization

• 1955: 8 Communist States joined the Soviet Union to form

the Warsaw Pact Alliance

United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Belgium, Italy, Netherlands, Luxemburg, Denmark, Norway, Portugal & Iceland

1954: West Germany joined NATO Soviet Union,

Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Albania, Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, and Romania.

• Oct 1949: People’s Republic of China formed under Mao Zedong

• Feb 1950: China and the Soviets signed their Treaty of Friendship

Cold War America

The Korean Conflict

1946: Koreas was occupied by U.S. & Soviet Troops

Talks to Reunify Korea broke down

Korea was divided at the 38th Parallel line

North = Communist –vs- South = Democratic

25 Jun 1950: Communist North invaded the South in hopes of reunifying Korea as a Communist State.

• President Truman called for immediate U.N. Action

• General Douglas MacArthur was given command.

• 15 Sep 1950: U.S. Surprise Landing in Inchon.

• 19 Oct 1950: China joined the North Koreans.

• Apr 1951: Truman relieved Gen. MacArthur.

Wanted to expanded the war against China Wanted to use Atomic Bomb against China Publically criticized President Harry Truman

Cold War America

The Korean Conflict

27 July 1953: The Armistice was signed ending the war.

Turning point of the Cold War for the U.S.

Increased U.S. military involvement in Asia

Began aiding French in Indo-China (Vietnam) The Second Red Scare

• Truman initiated Loyalty Review Program

All Federal Employees had to be screened

Background Investigations conducted by FBI

• House Un-American Activities Committee (1938)

Tasked with protecting against Subversion

Any acts to overthrow U.S. government

Tasked with exposing Communist Sympathizers

The Second Red Scare

Cold War America

1948: Alger Hiss was accused of being a Communist Traitor.

Evidence provided by Whittaker Chamber, who was an admitted communist (Time Mag Editor)

Alger Hiss lied about knowing Chambers or giving him sensitive government papers

He was convicted of perjury and sentenced to five years in prison

1950: British Scientist Klaus Fuchs testified that he had received & forwarded U.S. documents from the Rosenbergs.

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were arrested and charged with running a Soviet Spy Ring

An associate, Martin Sobel, also testified that he was a co-conspirator with them.

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted and later executed on 19 Jun 1953

The Second Red Scare

Cold War America

• 1946-1980: Project Verona

Secret Government Program

Employed mostly women

Cryptologists were decoded thousands of Soviet messages

Provided evidence in many cases

Kept secret from public till 1995

• 1952-1954: Senator Joseph R. McCarthy of Wisconsin

Chairman of Senate Subcommittee on Investigations

Paranoid concerning the spread of Communism in U.S.

Led a Witch Hunt for subversives known as McCarthyism

Accused high ranking government officials of disloyalty

Led highly televised hearings against the U.S. Army

Censured (Disapproved) by the Senate for Bullying tactics

Cold War America

The Nuclear Arms Race

20 Jan 1953: Former General Dwight D. Eisenhower became the 34th President of the United States.

Key to victory is a strong economy & military power

Nuclear Weapons provided “More Bang for the Buck”

Massive Retaliation better than many Small Wars

Cut Back Military and Increased Nuclear Arsenal

1952 – U.S. tested the first Hydrogen Bomb

1953 – Soviet Union tested their Hydrogen Bomb

1955 – Air Force developed the B-52 Bomber

1957 – The First Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles

1957 – Soviet Sputnik Satellite orbited the Earth

1958 – National Aeronautic & Space Administration

1958 – U.S. Explorer 1 Satellite orbited the Earth

Cold War America

U.S. Cold War Diplomacy

Feb 1954: Chinese threatened to Invade Taiwan

Eisenhower sent U.S. Navy into the region

Eisenhower threatened use of Nuclear Weapons

China backed down

Critics called Eisenhower’s willingness to threaten Nuclear War Brinkmanship

Oct-Nov 1956: Suez Crisis in Egypt

U.S. offered to help finance Aswan High Dam

Offered cancelled due to Egypt anti-Israeli Policies

Egypt accepted Soviet aid and Czech weapons

Egypt seized Suez Canal to raise funds for dam

Israel, Britain & France invaded Sinai Peninsula

U.S. and Soviet Union negotiated Peace (Nuclear Threat)

Cold War America

U.S. Covert Operations

U.S. formed the

CIA in 1947

Soviets formed the

KGB in 1954

1953: Crisis in Iran

Iranian Prime Minister made oil deal with U.S.S.R.

Shah of Iran was forced into exile

CIA aided in restoring the Shah of Iran

Soviets help get President of Guatemala elected.

New President confiscated lands of United Fruit Co.

CIA aided Guatemalan rebels overthrow President

1955: Crisis in Guatemala

1960: U2 Spy Plane Incident

Soviet Union shot down U2 Spy Plane over Russia

U.S. claimed plane was on a weather mission

Americans told that plane was lost & pilot killed

Soviets embarrassed U.S. President with pictures of the captured pilot