Cold War : Truman

Cold War

The state of Soviet American tensions after World War II which arose from both political and economic differences

"superpowers"

name given to the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II representing their dominance in world affairs

results of the Cold War competition between U.S. and U.S.S.R

- any nation that needed military support would align with one or the other superpowers in anticipation of help

- required a constant state of military preparedness which resulted in a massive arms race

The end of the Cold War was signaled by this event

the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989

Eastern European nations under Soviet control during the Cold War were called ...

- Soviet Satellite nations

- the Warsaw Pact

- Soviet Bloc countries

Differences between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R related to the treatment of the Axis nations after W.W.II

The United States wanted to rebuild the former Axis nations , while the Soviet Union wanted to keep them weak

President Truman

objected to the pro-Soviet governments installed in Eastern Europe without free elections

The General Assembly

the advisory body of the United Nations made up of all United Nations member nations that can recommend action to the Security Council but cannot enforce decisions it makes

The Security Council

is the peacekeeping body of the United Nations made up of only 15 member nations

including permanent membership by the United States and the Soviet Union

NATO

The military alliance between the United States, Canada and Western Europe formed in 1949 for the purpose do stopping the spread of communism in Europe

The term "Iron Curtain"

was used by Winston Churchill in a speech to describe an invisible dividing line between communist and non-communist Europe

President Truman believed that communism

should be kept within its current borders (containment)

U.S. policy of containing communism

- did not always mean supporting democracy

- was the rational behind US aid to the undemocratic government of Greece and Turkey in 1947

- sometimes resulted in the US propping up military dictatorships

The Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan

represented attempts by the United States to deal with the spread of communism

The Marshall Plan

- was a plan providing billions in aid to rebuild western Europe

- aimed at fighting communism by promoting economic growth

- was developed by Secretary of State George Marshall

creating the Marshall Plan

action was taken by the United States government to help Europe's economic recovery after World War II

This advice to President Harry Truman that influenced his decision to develop the Marshall Plan

"Many foreign peoples, in Europe at least, are . . . frightened by experiences of the past and are less interested in . . . freedom than in security. They are seeking guidance rather than responsibilities. We should be better able than the Russians to give them this. And unless we do, the Russians certainly will."

The Soviets blockaded West Berlin for this reason

the western Allies announced plans to form a democratic West Germany

British, French and United States response to the Berlin Blockade

was to air lift food and supplies into West Berlin

Berlin Airlift results

the formation of West and East Germany as separate and independent government

In 1949 a successful communist revolution in China

was led by Mao Zedong that forced nationalists led by Chiang Kai Shek to flee to the island of Taiwan

The Cold War event in 1949 that triggers a major arms race

the Soviet detonation of an atomic bomb

Eisenhower's 1953 "Atoms for Peace" speech

- was Eisenhower's proposal for international regulation of nuclear weapons and energy

- resulted in the creation of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) , an organization under the "aegis of the United Nations"

- reflected Eisenhower's fears that M.A.D. was not a sufficient safety against nuclear war

- a speech he delivered to the United Nations

the 1968 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)

- an international treaty to limit the spread of nuclear weapons

- most nations of the world are signatories (parties) of this treaty

- the United States is one of the five nations that are signatories of the treaty that have nuclear weapons

The event that caused the Korean War

North Korea invaded South Korea

The Korean War

- represented United Nations efforts to assist nations in repelling aggressors

a valid conclusion based on United States involvement in the Korean War

The U.S. policy of containment was applied in Asia as well as in Europe

main reason that President Harry Truman dismissed General Douglas MacArthur as commander of the United States troops during the Korean War

President Truman believed that General MacArthur's conduct threatened the concept of civilian control over the military

Truman's decision to fire General Douglas MacArthur was based on these reasons

- involved a challenge to the President's constitutional right to control the military and direct foreign policy

- MacArthur speaking out against Truman's policy of a limited war in Korea

- MacArthur threatening a nuclear war with China

The armistice that ended the Korean War resulted in

- a divided Korea at the same place it had been divided before the war

Results of The Red Scare of the late 1940s and early 1950s

- requiring government workers to take a loyalty oath

- trial and execution of some convicted communist subversives

- blacklisting of people working in the media

HUAC

The name of the group established by Congress in 1947 to investigate communists and other suspected subversives

The Hollywood Ten

Those arrested for refusing to answer the questions of HUAC as it investigated supposed communists in the movie industry

The Rosenberg Trial

- involved a charge of espionage in the midst of the "red scare"

- resulted in the execution of the Rosenberg's

- was controversial because of lingering doubts about their guilt due to prejudices and fears related to the "red scare"

McCarthyism

began when Senator Joseph McCarthy revealed a list , naming 205 communists he believed to be working the US state department with no evidence

McCarthyism

began when Senator Joseph McCarthy

a. went after communist subversives in the army

b. revealed a list , naming 205 communists he believed to be working the US state department

c. became a member of HUAC

d. prosecuted the Rosenbergs

HUAC

The name of the group established by Congress in 1947 to investigate communists and other suspected subversives was called

a.

b. Army-McCarthy Hearings

c. Mc Carren Commission

d. Loyalty Review Board