Cold+War+Study+Guide

Communism v.s. Capitalism Massive Conventional and Nuclear Arms Race Spying and espionage Domestic hysteria in the United States Battles in the United Nations The Space Race Proxy Wars
 * The Cold War and Cold War characteristics**:

**Yalta Conference**: Held between February 4 and 11, 1945, the Yalta Conference was the last meeting between the “Big Three”, U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt, British prime minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet premier Joseph Stalin. As World War II began to draw to a close, these three world leaders negotiated the projected postwar map of the world after the massive dislocations of the war. The Soviet Union also promised to join its allies in the war in the Pacific against Japan. The three leaders also agreed to establish a postwar international peace-keeping organization. These agreements, formalized on the last day of the conference, record many of the decisions they made at this time.

**Containment**: Containment is a policy that was first implemented by the United States in 1947 in response to communism. It was to prevent the spread of communism through political, economic, and diplomatic methods.

**Truman Doctrine**: On March 12, 1947 a message was sent to congress, President Truman laid out a foreign policy plan for the early days in the cold war that became known as the Truman Doctrine. It promised aid to people struggling to resist threats to democratic freedom.

**The Marshall Plan**: In the early years of the Cold War the United States was interested not only in containing the threat of Soviet expansion but also in expanding its own foreign policy—and economic influence—particularly in Western Europe. The Marshall Plan, named after Pres. Truman’s Secretary of State, George C. Marshall, offered $13 billion in aid to western and southern Europe to help revive the war-torn economies of Europe. The Plan helped the nations of Europe rebuild.

**NATO and the Warsaw Pact:** In 1948, there was alarm over communist control of Eastern Europe. This led to the formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

In response, the Soviet Union and Eastern European nations formed the Warsaw Pact.

**The Berlin Airlift:** Was a massive transfer of essential supplies flown into Berlin, Germany during 1948 and 1949 by British and U.S. forces in around-the-clock missions. The airlift was both an important incident of the cold war and the most extraordinary peacetime military operation in history.

**MEMBERS OF NATO:** France, Great Britain, West Germany, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Belgium, Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Luxembourg, Portugal. **MEMBER OF WARSAW PACT:** East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Soviet Union, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania

**The Red Scare and HUAC:** The phrase red scare refers to the irrational but rampant fear of communism that swept the United States twice during the 20th century. It was a response to the Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe. Attention focused on Americans who belonged to the US Communist Party because people feared that the members might spy for Russia.

**TWO FAMOUS SPY TRIALS:** During the Red Scare Alger Hiss: former State Department official accused of passing military information to the Soviet Union. Ethel and Julius Rosenberg: Members of the American Communist Party who were convicted of passing atomic secrets to the Russians and were executed in 1953.

Truman fought Republican charges that his administration was soft on communism. He issued an executive order requiring 3 million government workers to undergo loyalty checks. Workers who objected lost their jobs.

**HUAC: HOUSE UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE** Anti-communist crusade: began targeting actors, directors and writers in the movie industry for suspected communist ties. **BLACKLISTS:** Unofficial lists of people thought to be communists within the entertainment industry. Careers of the people on the lists were ruined.

**Communism in China:** Sept. 1949 the Communitst defeated the anticommunists Nationalists in a civil war in China. Nationalists were supported by US. Nationalists government led by Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan when the Communists took over headed by Mao Zedong. Americans were shocked at the Communist takeover and viewed it as a Communist plot to take over the world. **McCarthyism:** Joseph McCarthy was a Republican senator from Wisconsin. He used the Korean War to fuel Americans’ fears of communism. McCarthy fueled fear of communism by claiming to have a list of 205 State Department officials who belonged to the Communist Party. That claim launched a “HUNT” that wrecked the careers of thousands of people. McCarthyism became known to stand for reckless charges against innocent citizens. **ARMY-MCCARTHY HEARINGS:** McCarthy accused the US Army of “coddling Communists”. The Army spokesmen then charged McCarthy’s staff with improper conduct. McCarthy responded with unfounded charges against a young lawyer representing the Army. Americans watching the proceedings were shocked by McCarthy’s conduct. The Senate censured (condemned) McCarthy’s conduct and he faded from public view. **The Korean War - causes, basic flow of the war, impact:** CAUSES: Korea was a Japanese colony for 1/2 century when Japan surrendered to Allies at end of WWII. Soviet troops occupied Korea north of **38th Parallel (line of latitude)** - American forces took control south of the 38th Parallel. Communist government came into power in North Korea. South Korea was ruled by a non-communist leader and supported by US. JUNE 1950: North Korean forces crossed the 38th Parallel into South Korea. The conflict that followed was the KOREAN WAR. The US appealed to the United Nations to stop the Communist move into South Korea. General Douglas MacArthur led the United Nations forces (mostly US troops). Early fighting: the North Koreans pushed the South Koreans almost to the southeastern tip of the country (Pusan). MacArthur reversed this situation by landing troops at Inchon. The UN troops squeezed the North Korean troops from the north and the south and the North Korean troops retreated back over the 38th Parallel to the north. MacArthur requested to pursue the enemy into North Korea. The UN and Truman agreed. Truman hoped the invasion would lead to a reunion of North and South Korea. The UN forces pushed north of the 38th Parallel toward Yalu River, the boundary separating China from North Korea. Chinese warned them to stop! China saw the advancement of UN troops as a threat to their security. China warned that further advancement would force them to enter the war. The UN Forces pressed on - NOVEMBER 1950: hundreds of thousands of Chinese Communist troops attacked across the Yalu River into North Korea driving UN troops back to South Korea. By 1951, both sides were deadlocked along the 38th Parallel. MacArthur wanted to blockade China’s coastline and bomb China. Truman refused permission because he the bombing might get Russia into the war and create another world war. MacArthur brought his argument to the public: spoke out against Truman’s decision in newspapers, magazines. Truman fired MacArthur and ordered him home. Many people gave MacArthur a hero’s welcome when he came home but most Americans came to agree with Truman’s actions.

The Korean War dragged on and became very unpopular. JULY 1951: Truman accepted Soviet suggestion that truce talks should begin. The talks went on for 2 years. The talks continued during the 1952 Presidential campaign. Truman decided not to run again - Democrats picked Adlai Stevenson, Illinois. Republicans chose Dwight Eisenhower (IKE). IKE criticized the unpopular war. He promised to go to Korea and seek a speedy end to the conflict. Eisenhower won the election in a landslide and did go to Korea to negotiate an end. IKE agreed to compromise to end the war. He also secretly warned that he was ready to use nuclear weapons and bring the war into China. A cease fire ended the fighting in JULY 1953.

**IMPACT OF WAR:** Korean conflict left the two Koreas (NORTH & SOUTH) basically where they were when the conflict started in 1950 with a border between the two at the 38th Parallel. Communism had been contained in Korea. UN took its place as an international arbiter (go between) in its first military intervention. US had to take a look at its cold war policy and decide how much force to use to handle a region where Communist China and Soviet Union remained committed. Korean War led to CONTAINMENT POLICY where the US committed to intervine militarily to stop or contain the spread of communism.` AMERICANS felt frustrated by the indecisive war. Politicians, like Senator Joseph McCarthy, Republican from Wisconsin, used that frustration to their advantage. **Life in the 50s - fear of communism, booming economy, new products, the Space Race, the growth of suburbs, baby boom, television:** Poverty grew in cities as many well-to-do Americans moved to SUBURBS (outside cities) Shops and businesses moved out of cities as well. African Americans and Mexicans were affected because they could not afford to live in the suburbs. Immigration grew from Mexico - many crossed the border illegally. BRACERO PROGRAM - temporary workers from Mexico - earned low wages and worked and lived in difficult conditions. After the Bracero Program ended, many Mexicans remained here illegally - employers took advantage because Mexicans were afraid of being sent back to Mexico. They worked long hours for low wages. Eisenhower kept many New Deal programs - expanded Social Security and increased minimum wage. He created the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Eisenhower backed the Highway Act of 1956 that gave 32 billion dollars to build 41,000 miles of highways.

**BABY BOOM: (1946-1961)** During the 1950’s the US grew by almost 30 million people. Spurred the growth of SUBURBS as people left crowded cities to live Shopping Centers, Movie Theaters, Restaurants moved to Suburbs where farm land used to be Car sales exploded as people moved to suburbs because there was little or no public transportation in suburbs. People moved from the North and East to the South and Southwest. SUNBELT: warmer state of the South and Southwest. - populations grew - California became the most populated state in 1960’s.

**SUBURBS:** Affordable single family homes Good Schools Shopping at malls with free parking Parents wanted a safe place to raise their children. Suburbs provided a comfortable life. houses all alike people conformed to suburban life Women were praised as “Homemakers” Some women were bored - limited job opportunities (only nursing, teaching and office work)

**MID 1950’s:** Industry was booming churning out goods for Americans to buy: dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, vacuum cleaners, Televisions tape recorders, high-fidelity record players, patio furniture, barbeque equipment *** owning the latest appliance or car became a symbol of social standing ***

**TELEVISION:** Televisions became popular - Movie audiences dropped in numbers SHOWS: I Love Luci, Father Knows Best, The Lone Ranger, Lassie Mickey Mouse Club, Howdy Doody

MUSIC: Bill Haley and His Comets, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley

**SPACE RACE:** The superpowers began a Space Race in 1957 Soviet Union launched the world’s first space satellite, SPUTNIK, into orbit around the Earth. ** This meant that the Soviets had a missile powerful enough to reach the US. **

American scientists raced to launch our own satellite. Congress set aside billions of dollars for space research. Eisenhower wanted face-to-face talks with Soviet Premier Khrushchev. MAY 1960 - Soviets shot down and American U-2 plane (spy plane) flying over the Soviet Union. Eisenhower denied the plane was a spy plane until the pilot was captured. Khrushchev demanded an apology - Eisenhower refused - talks broke off.

**JFK and Cuba - Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missile Crisis:** **BAY OF PIGS:** April 1961: An army of Cuban exiles, trained by the US, invaded Cuba planning to overthrow Cuba’s Communist leader, Fidel Castro. Cuban troops easily crushed the invasion embarrassing the US. **CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS:** The Cuban missile crisis is considered the climax of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States. The crisis, which occurred in October, 1962, consisted of a standoff between U.S. President John F. Kennedy and Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev over the Soviet plan to install nuclear missiles on the island nation of Cuba, just 100 miles away from Florida. Though Khrushchev ultimately backed down on that aspect of his nuclear armament program, the crisis elucidated the vulnerability of the United States to nuclear attack, an unsettling threat from a neighbor in the Americas.