Transcript Ch 12 The Cold War

Ch 12 The Cold War
Differences between US & RUS
• The only connection that the US and RUS
had was its fight against Hitler in WWII
• US was a capitalist democracy – believed
in free elections, freedom of religion,
private property and individual differences
• RUS was a dictatorship with communist
backing, no choice in elections, no private
property, no freedom of religion or speech
– opposition meant prison or death
Eastern Europe…
• Stalin wanted GER weak and divided - wanted
E.Europe under the control of RUS
• US & BR wanted a stronger united GER and
independent nations in E. Europe
• At Yalta Stalin agreed to divide GER temporarily
into zones and “broadly representative” gov’ts and
free elections in E. Europe
• Regardless E.Europe remained under Soviet
control - Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary,
Romania, & Bulgaria and E. GER became satellite
states controlled by RUS
Potsdam Conference…
• Truman, Stalin and Clement Atlee – new
Prime Minister of BR met at Potsdam, GER
• It was hoped that Stalin would commit to the
promises he made at Yalta
• However, Stalin refused to commit to free
election in E. Europe
• Truman left Potsdam believing that Stalin was
planning “world conquest” – creating the start
of the Cold War – 46 year struggle
Cold v. Hot
• What is the difference
between a cold war and a
hot war?
• Examples?
• Key players?
Iron Curtain…
• Churchill also believed that Stalin wanted world
domination
• March 5, 1946 – Fulton College, MO – Churchill
gave the Iron Curtain speech
• Referring to a map of Europe – he said that “an iron
curtain had descended across the continent”
• RUS was setting up police states, with communist
gov’ts, & crushing individual freedoms
• It was feared that RUS was spreading communism
to W. Europe and E. Asia
Harry S. Truman…
• Truman was the only President in the 20th
century to not have a college degree
• Too poor – he worked the family farm, served
in WWI and began his political career
• He believed in honesty, integrity and hard
work…”The buck stops here” was his motto
• Truman had to deal with RUS-made crisis
situations in Greece and Turkey
• US was the only country with the resources to
help in both Greece and Turkey
Truman Doctrine…
• March 12, 1947 – Truman addressed
Congress – telling them of the plight of the
people in Greece and Turkey
• Requesting money from Congress “to
support free people who are resisting
attempted subjugation by armed minorities or
by outside pressures” – Congress gave $400
million in aid
• This policy became known as the Truman
Doctrine
Containment…
• George F. Kennan - “X” - wrote an that article
proposed a US policy of RUS “containment” – to
keep communism contained within its existing
borders
• Keenan said that while Stalin wanted to expand
communism – he would not do so if it endangered
RUS itself – RUS would not risk a war the US – a
war that might destroy RUS power – just to spread
communism
• Keenan warned that this would not be a quick fix –
that containment would take a full US commitment
of economic, political and military power
Marshall Plan…
• W. Europe suffered severe shortages of food, fuel,
and medical supplies after WWII
• Sec. of State George Marshall created a plan for
European recovery – without economic health
“there can be no political stability and no assured
peace”
• 1948-1952 - $13 billion in grants and loans to the
nations of W. Europe – food to reduce famine, fuel
to heat houses and run factories, $ to jump start
economic growth – also benefitted US economy
• Aid was also offered to E. European nations but
Stalin refused to let them accept it
Germany’s Zones…
• The zones controlled by
US, BR, FR were
combined to form W.
GER
• City of Berlin – while
divided – was located
deep in RUS controlled
E. GER – the zones of
Berlin held by BR, US,
and FR were called W.
Berlin
Berlin Airlift…
• The prosperity and freedom of W. Berlin
stood in stark contrast to the bleakness of
E. Berlin – Stalin was annoyed
• He ordered the lockdown of W. Berlin –
closed roadways, railroads, waterways –
without supplies W. Berlin would quickly
fall to communist RUS
• However Stalin was not able to blockade
the skies…
• For a year US and BR airlifted supplies to
W. Berlin – supplies like food, fuel,
medical supplies, clothes, toys –
everything that was needed was flown in
and dropped (C-54 “Candy” Bomber)
• Rain nor snow stopped the flights
• The Berlin Airlift proved RUS and the
rest of the world that the US would go to
extremes to protect non-communist parts
of Europe and contain communism
• Stalin was forced to admit that the
blockade had failed – it was a major
success for the US policy of containment
NATO…
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization
formed in 1949 – 12 W. European and N.
American nations agreed to act together in
defense of W. Europe
• Member nations agreed that an “armed
attack against one would be considered an
attack against all”
• Collective Security = mutual military
assistance
Warsaw Pact…
• In response to W. GER joining NATO…
• RUS and its satellite states formed a rival
alliance called the Warsaw Pact
• All Communist states except Yugoslavia
were members
• Like NATO – all members pledged their
mutual defense of each other – they also
agreed not to interfere in each others
internal affairs, with RU still being in
control over its Warsaw Pact allies
Sec. 2 Korean War
• Before JAP had invaded CH in 1937 –
Nationalist leader Jiang Jieshi had been
fighting a civil war against Communist leader
Mao Zedong – joined forces temporarily to
fight off JAP – civil war resumed after the war
ended
• RUS supported Mao – while the US sent
billions to support Jiang
• US was afraid that the fall of Jiang would
mean a communist empire that spread across
Europe and Asia
• Unfortunately Jiang and his officers were not
up to the task – Aid($) was not given to the
people and famine caused many Chinese to
support Mao when he promised food to feed
starving families
• The war turned in Mao’s favor – Jiang asked
the US for military intervention – US would not
send troops to support the corrupt Jiang –
Jiang fled China and took over the island of
Taiwan – Mao took control and renamed it the
People’s Republic of China
• ¼ of the worlds landmass – 1/3 population
now controlled by the Communists
Fighting in Korea…
• Korea had been divided by the US and
RUS after WWII into 2 independent
countries at the 38th parallel
• N. Korea was supported by the RUS and
had a communist gov’t and Soviet
supported military
• S. Korea which was noncommunist was
supported on a much smaller scale by the
US
North Invades South…
• US troops left Korea after
WWII at the same time
that Mao won in China
• June 25, 1950 - NK forces
attacked across the 38th
parallel – armed with RUS
weapons and tanks
• Days later NK troops
pushed to Seoul and had
SK troops in retreat
US Forces Defend SK…
• Truman remembered the failure of appeasement in
WWII and announced US aid to SK
• UN Security Council agreed and urged its members
to support SK – RUS was absent for the vote
• Truman did not ask Congress for approval but sent
troops from JAP to support the UN resolution –
these troops were not trained nor equipped for
what they would encounter in Korea
• Soon they joined their SK/UN allies in retreat to the
peninsular city of Pusan – soon other countries
sent aid and they were able to make a stand in
Pusan
Gen. Douglas MacArthur…
• Sept. 1950 – UN forces were ready to
counterattack – MacArthur had a bold plan
• Suspected that the rapid advance of the
NK had left them short on supplies
• Planned a surprise attack on port city of
Inchon – Sept. 15, 1950 – Marine attack
caused Communist forces to retreat north
• By Oct, 1950 – NK forces had been driven
north of the 38th parallel
What to do next?
• With NK troops behind the 38th parallel –
what should happen next?
• Should the UN forces end the war since NK
and SK were back to their original lines
• Should they invade NK to punish the
communists
• CH leaders had warned not to get close to
their borders…
• MacArthur pushed for a NK invasion…UN
resolution wanting an unified, independent
and democratic Korea
China Forces a Stalemate…
• MacArthur pushed over the 38th and had
the NK troops backed up to the Yalu River
on the CH border
• 300,000 CH troops attacked – pushing the
UN forces back to below the 38th
• Truman did not want a totally committed
war with massive troop involvement and
possible use of another A-Bomb
• MacArthur wanted a Total Victory and did
not trust Truman and his idea of a limited
war
• MacArthur was unable to sway Truman and
wrote a letter to Congress attacking the
President and his policies
• Letter became public knowledge and Truman
fired MacArthur for insubordination
• Americans were outraged and MacArthur
returned home a hero
Political Issue…
• By Spring 1951 -The Korean War came to a
stalemate with small bloody skirmishes near
the 38th
• The stalemate became an issue in the
election of 1952
• R – Dwight D Eisenhower said if elected he
would end the war
• Truman decided not to run again – D – Gov.
Adlai Stevenson of Illinois was chosen
• Eisenhower won – 442-89 – went to Korea to
study the situation
Breaking the Stalemate…
• When peace talks broke down – “Ike”
wanted strong action to break the
stalemate
• Eisenhower hinted at the use of nuclear
weapons – that and the death of Stalin
(assassination?) – convinced communists
to settle the conflict
• July 27, 1953 – cease fire was signed in
Kaesong – still in effect today
Lessons of the War…
• No victory in the Korean War
• NK remained a communist country allied
to CH and RUS
• SK remained noncommunist allied with the
US and other democratic countries
• The two Koreas remain divided at the 38th
Important Lessons learned…
• Truman had committed US troops w/o
Congressional approval – set precedence
• Korean War lead to increased defense
spending
• SEATO – Southeast Asia Treaty
Organization was another defensive alliance
aimed at preventing the spread of
communism – Pakistan, Thailand,
Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, FR, BR,
and US
Sec. 3 Cold War Expands
• Sept. 2, 1949 – American B-29 aircraft
flying over Alaska detected unusual
atmospheric radiation – after analysis by
US scientists – it was discovered that the
RUS had set off an atomic bomb
• Usually a shift in the balance of power
happens over decades – but it had shifted
in a day
Changes in Power…
• Shortly after the RUS A-bomb detonation
was discovered – the Communists had taken
over China
• Within a month – the US realized that the
world was a much more dangerous and
threatening place
Nuclear Arsenals Expand…
• Truman ordered the Atomic Energy
Commission to make a hydrogen bomb
• It was believed that the H-bomb would be
100 times more powerful than the A-bomb
• Oppenheimer and Einstein were opposed
to the H-bomb – believing that it would
cause a nuclear arms race
• Others believed that RUS would continue
to arm itself no matter what the US did
• 1952 – US tested its first H-bomb and in
1953 the RUS tested their first H-bomb
Nuclear Testing…
• Tests went back and forth – all above ground
testing that spewed radiation into the
atmosphere
• Most US tests were performed in the deserts of
the American west – causing health problems for
all who lived down wind of the testing sites
• US & RUS continued testing and stockpiling
nuclear weapons – armed planes, warships and
missiles with nuclear weapons – it was hoped
that this mutually assured destruction would
keep the other country from attacking
President Eisenhower…
• After leading invasions in IT, North Africa,
and Normandy – Ike had the ability to speak
with both the military and politicians
• Believed in the containment of communism
like Truman – with the help of his Sec. of
State John Foster Dulles
• However Ike and Dulles had different ideas
on how to deal with the conflict…Ike believed
that Truman’s approach had caused the US’s
endless conflicts with RUS
Massive Retaliation…
• Ike opposed spending $ on troops, ships and
tanks…He stockpiled nuclear weapons and the
means to carry them...if there was a WWIII – it
would be nuclear
• Some felt that a lack of spending on conventional
warfare would weaken the US’s defense – others
felt that the nuclear build up would force a third
world war
• Dulles announced the policy of massive retaliation
in 1954 – any communist threat would be met with
crushing retaliation possibly even nuclear weapons
use
Brinkmanship…
• Ike and Dulles believed that only by going
to the brink of war could the US protect its
allies, discourage communist aggression,
and prevent war
• This became known as brinkmanship
Stalin’s Death…
• Josef Stalin died March 5, 1953
• Nikita Khrushchev emerged the leader of
communist RUS – although he was not a fan
of the US – he was not as cruel or as
suspicious as Stalin
• Ike met with Khrushchev in Geneva in July
1955 – nothing major came out of the
meeting but it was a step towards a more
peaceful co-existence of the two
superpowers
Poland…
• 1956 Workers in POL rioted against their
Soviet rulers and won greater control of their
gov’t – but since POL did not attempt to
leave the Warsaw Pact – RUS permitted
their actions
Hungary…
• HUN students and workers staged a
protest following POL example
• Demanded that pro-RUS Hungarian
leaders be replaced, RUS troops withdraw
and that non-communist political parties
be formed
• Khrushchev responds brutally with tanks
and troops – HUN leaders were executed,
civilians were killed, and Pro-RUS
leadership was put back in place
International Reactions…
• Massive retaliation was not going to work
– nuclear weapons were not an option in
these cases
• 1956 Olympic Games held in Melbourne,
AUS – water polo match between RUS
and HUN turned violent – referred to as a
“Blood in the Water” match
Suez Crisis…
• Egypt’s President Gamal Nasser tried to play the
US and RUS off of each other to his advantage
• Nasser wanted a dam built on the Nile River at
Aswan – US/BR had initially agreed to fund the
project – then Egypt recognized the Peoples
Republic of China and agreed to talks with RUS
– US backed out
• Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal and put it
under Egypt’s Gov’t control – would connect the
Mediterranean to the Red Sea
• Nasser’s action threatened to cut off the
flow of oil from the middle East to Europe
• BR/FR joined with Israel – a new country
with problems with Egypt - to take back
control of the canal without the US’s
knowledge – Suez Crisis
• Ike was enraged and refused to support
his European allies – without US support
the BR/FR/IS were forced to withdraw their
troops from Egypt
Eisenhower Doctrine…
• January 1957 – Ike said that the US would use
force to help any Middle East nation that was
threatened by communism
• Used this doctrine to support Lebanon in 1958
• Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) created in
1947 by Congress as an intelligence gathering
organization – Ike approved covert actions by the
CIA – 1953 CIA aided in a coup in Iran and
Guatemala
• Both set up anticommunists gov’ts but created a lot
of US resentment in those countries
Start of Space Race…
• Oct. 4, 1957 RUS launched Sputnik into
space to orbit the Earth
• Nov. 1957 RUS launched Sputnik 2 with a
dog – Laika – to see how living creatures
reacted to the conditions in space – Laika
died in space – there was no way to return
Sputnik 2 to Earth
Americans Panic…
• If RUS had the technology to launch
satellites into outer space – also had the
ability to fire nuclear weapons into US cities
• Congress approved National Defense
Education Act - $1 billion intended to educate
more scientists and teachers of science
• Set up college loans for science majors
• National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) set up to coordinate
US space related efforts
Sec 4 Cold War at Home…
• US soldiers fought and died in Korea
• Industry hummed turning out weapons
• Headlines continued to read “Who Lost
China?” or “Who won the Space Race?”
• Culture supported the “us vs. them” attitude –
east v. west, capitalists v. communists
• The Cold War was becoming just as life
consuming as WWII had been
Red Scare…
• Citizens worried that communists inside and
outside of the US were trying to take down
our country
• 1940s-1950s Red Scare – similar to the Red
Scare in 1919-1920 after the RUS revolution
– but lasted longer and ran deeper
• Truman’s Atty Gen. J. Howard McGrath
warned that communists were everywhere
just waiting to take over our country
Spies?
• There were some high ranking US gov’t
officials who were in fact employed by the
RUS gov’t as spies
• Most US gov’t officials were loyal US citizens
– Federal Employee Loyalty Program March 1947 – gave the FBI permission to do
background checks on all federal employees
for signs of disloyalty
• About 3,000 gov’t employees were fired or
resigned
• This enabled the Atty Gen power to create a
list of disloyal people in the gov’t – who were
closely watched – many were labeled
“security risks” and then dismissed
• Truman used the 1940 Smith Act to cripple
the Communist Party in the US – made it
illegal to teach or support the overthrow of
the US gov’t
• 1949 SC found 11 communists guilty of
violating the Smith Act and sent them to
prison
HUAC…
• House Un-American Activities Committee
set up to investigate possible fascists,
communists, and Nazis – highly publicized
trials that investigated the gov’t, armed
forces, unions, science, newspapers
• Movie industry was the best known
investigation – 1947 – uncovered a group of
communists leftwing writers, producers, and
directors known as the Hollywood Ten –
refused to answer questions based on their
5th amendment rights
• Hollywood Ten were cited for contempt –
arrested and sent to prison
• Blacklist was circulated of entertainers
who should not be hired because of the
connection to the communist party
• Those listed had their careers shattered
• Watkins v. US – witnesses could not be
forced to name radicals that they knew
• Filmmakers had once been willing to do
films on sensitive issues – but no longer…
Freedom of Speech…
• Freedom of speech was lost during the
Red Scare – if you read a controversial
magazine or were a member of a
questionable group – you could be fired
from your job as a teacher, electrician,
mail carrier, librarian, construction worker
• Members of labor unions, educational
institutions, laboratories, and city halls
might be accused and be dismissed/fired
Oppenheimer Trial…
• During WWII – Oppenheimer lead the
Manhattan Project to build the A-Bomb –
after the war he lead the US Atomic
Energy Commission - but he had ties to
people with communist connections like
his wife and brother
• He was denied access to classified info in
the AEC because of his communist ties
even though it was not proven that he was
disloyal
Alger Hiss…
• Educated at Johns
Hopkins and Harvard
• Worked on several New
Deal agencies and
helped to organize the
United Nations
• US State Department
official
• Whittaker Chambers was a
communist spy as a young
man but had converted
• Chambers was called to
testify to the HUAC and
implicated Hiss – saying that
Hiss was a communist spy
who had passed him info
while employed for the gov’t
• Hiss was subpoenaed and
denied all knowledge to the
HUAC – saying he did not
know Chambers
• Richard Nixon – a young member of the
HUAC – argued convincingly to continue to
prosecute Hiss and Hiss’s story began to
unravel as the trial went on
• It was proved that Chambers and Hiss had
met and that Hiss had given Chambers
confidential gov’t documents – pumpkin
papers
• Hiss was tried for perjury (#1 Hung jury) and
convicted and sentenced to 5 yrs in prison –
many still believed that Hiss was innocent –
but evidence was stacking up against him
The Rosenbergs…
• Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were Jewish
Americans who got involved with the
Communist Party through labor issues
• During Klaus Fuchs trial for espionage –
he implicated Julius R. as a courier of
additional atomic plans to the RUS
• Ethel’s brother – David Greenglass –
worked on the Manhattan Project and was
convinced to pass on the secrets he
learned
• Rosenbergs were found guilty and
sentenced to execution by electric chair
• Many people protested their sentence –
Pope Pius XII pleaded to Pres.
Eisenhower for their release – NO WAY!
• Never proved that Ethel did anything more
than know what was going on – never
participated – tried her to place pressure
on her husband
• Executed on June 19, 1953 at Sing Sing
• Sons were orphaned – later adopted
Senator Joseph McCarthy…
• Wisconsin Senator – speech – charged that
the State Dept. was filled with communists –
he had a list of the names of these traitors
• When challenged he reneged – 205 bad
security risks – 57 were communists
• List grew and shrank – but was never shown
• Korean War – 1950 – people were scared of a
communist takeover – wanting to be reelected
– McCarthy jumped on “anticommunism” and
was easily reelected to a second term
McCarthyism…
• McCarthyism became a catchword for
extreme reckless charges
• He did more to discredit legitimate
concerns about domestic communism
than any other American at that time
• 1950-1954 McCarthy was one of the most
powerful Americans of his time
• Just being accused by McCarthy caused
people to lose their jobs and destroy their
reputations
• McCarthy heaped lies on top of useless
charges – when caught in a lie me made an
even larger on to cover it up
• Caught in a power vortex – He attacked
larger targets – George Marshall – national
hero and author of the Marshall Plan
• Other Senators were afraid of locking horns
with McCarthy for fear of charges against
them
McCarthy Falls from Power…
• 1954 He went after the US Army – claiming that
it was full of communists
• Army said that the attacks were personally
motivated
• Televised hearings were held – Americans were
riveted to their TVs – they were shocked by
McCarthy's bullying tactics – badgering
witnesses, twisting the truth, snickering at the
suffering of others
• By the end of the hearings – many of his
supporters were gone – the Senate censured or
condemned him and he gradually faded away