Chapter 10: Early Cold War

Cold War

A state of hostility without direct military conflict developed between the U.S and the Soviet Union.

Both wanted to spread their influence and limit the others’ influence.

Years of Cold War

1945-1991

Satellite Nations

Nations in Eastern Europe that were controlled by Communist Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Containment

US Foreign Policy that tried to stop the spread of communism during the cold war.

Domino Theory

The theory that if one nation falls to communism then others around it will also fall to Communism.

Truman Doctrine

• President Truman asked Congress to give $400 million to Greece to help them resist communist rebellions.

• It was the official beginning of America’s policy of containment.

Marshall Plan

• U.S. gave $13.5 billion to help rebuild Western Europe after WWII.

• U.S. wanted to help W. Europe resist communism during desperate times and build future trading partners for the US. 

Berlin Blockade

• The Soviet Union blockaded Berlin so that they wouldn’t be able to get food or supplies.

• after USSR lifted the blockade, Germany was divided into two nations: communist East Germany and democratic West Germany. 

Berlin Airlift

U.S. and British planes dropped supplies into West Berlin after the Soviets blockaded the city. 

McCarthyism

• accusing people of disloyalty without providing evidence

Cold War Arms Race

When two or more countries increase the size and quality of military resources to gain superiority over one another.

Deterrence Theory

A cold war military strategy to build up a nation’s nuclear weapons and threaten retaliation if attacked.

The threat of mutual destruction (if either side attacks) is often referred to as Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) and was supposed to reduce the likelihood of war.

Warsaw Pact

an agreement formed 1955 between most communist nations to protect one another from invasion by western powers.

NATO (North Atlantic Trade Organization

A military alliance between 12 European countries and North American nations. They agreed to act together in defense of Western Europe against Soviet expansion.

Drop and Cover

The U.S. told Americans to drop to the floor and cover themselves if there was a nuclear war attack.

They told people this so that they would feel they had a chance to survive or because they wanted people to feel the government cared about them.

Results of the Arms Race

1. The Soviet Union became the super power and made a balance of power with the U.S.

2. Creation of Military Alliances (NATO and Warsaw Pact)

Joseph McCarthy

A Republican Senator from Wisconsin who claimed he had a list of people in the State Department who were communists

Chinese Civil War (1949)

China became a communist nation after the Chinese Civil War

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

A congressional committee created in 1938 to investigate fascist and Communist influences inside and outside the US Government.

Hollywood Ten

10 people from the film industry who refused to cooperate with HUAC’s investigation.

They were blacklisted by the movie industry and sentenced to several months in prison for refusing to testify to HUAC.

Blacklist

A list of people who were not allowed to work because of alleged communist connections.

Alger Hiss

worked for State Department and worked as a spy for Soviet Union.

Whittaker Chambers, a former communist, said Hiss gave him secret State Dept. documents

Hiss was sentenced to 4 years in prison

Ethel & Julius Rosenburg

-an American couple convicted of giving Soviet Union information to help them develop an atomic bomb

-they were sentenced to death by electric chair

Executive Order 9835

• In 1947 President Truman ordered the first loyalty program in the US federal government

• It allowed the investigation and removal of employees thought to be disloyal or security risks, especially those with potential communist ties

2nd Red Scare

The fear that Communists both inside and outside the US were working to destroy American life.

The second one was deeper and longer than the First Red Scare

Impact of McCarthyism on Americans accused of communisim

people lost their jobs and reputation

Mao Zedong (Tse-tung)

The Chinese leader whose army won and established the People’s Republic of China as a communist country.

Chiang Kai-Shek

The leader of the Nationalist Party who fled China and went to Taiwan.

Douglas MacArthur

Commander of UN forces in the Korean War.

Reason why the US entered the Korean War

The US wanted to stop communism from taking over South Korea and beyond

4 results of the Korean War

1. Continued Division in Korea - Korea was still divided at the 38th Parallel.

2. Continued tension between the U.S. & China -

3. Improved relations between the U.S. & Japan

4. Increased Fear of Communism