Truman and the Cold War 1945-1953

The Long Telegram

> Who was it made by?

Made by George Kennan

Determines the USSR is antagonistic to the West/capitalism and should implement containment policy

Yalta Conference (Date)

February 1945

> FDR wants Stalin to:

(1) promise to join the Allies against the Japanese as soon as their problem w/ Germany was cleaned up and (2) promise to have USSR join the UN.

> Churchill wants to convince Stalin to work out the respective "spheres of influence" in Southeast Europe.

> Both Churchill and FDR want Stalin to agree to basically leaving Poland alone...which Stalin does not do.

Potsdam Conference (Date)

July 1945

FDR (due to his death) is replaced by Harry S. Truman

> Churchill is replaced by Clement Attlee after Potsdam

> Germany would be occupied and divided by the Americans, British, French and Soviets. Sets the stage for Iron Curtain

>Stalin wants enormous economic reparations from Germany → Truman is not as appeasing as Roosevelt USA wants to avoid Treaty of Versailles harsh reparations pt. 2

Truman Doctrine (Date)

1947

America is ready to take a major part in world affairs and would send money, weapons and advisors to any country which felt threatened by communism.

Act of Chapultepec (Date)

March 1945

> Guaranteed each nation's sovereignty and diplomatic equality.

> Threatening Argentina to join UN

Berlin Airlift (Date)

1948-1949

Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech (Date)

1946

Britain announces its support in the Cold War against the USSR

San Francisco Conference (Date)

April 1945

Officially establishes the UN

Rio Pact (Date)

September 1947

> Announcement of western hemisphere collective security system

> LA countries feel they have no choice and no benefits

NSC 141 (Date)

1952

US policy should politically and economically develop LA to prevent the spread of communism

NSC 68 (Date)

April 1950

USA should stop USSR expansion to ensure world peace through US dominance

National Security Act of 1947

Reorganized the military/intelligence departments

> Forms the CIA, NSC, and DoD.

Four Point Programme

Technology and monetary aid to developing nations

> Did not benefit LA as much

Mutual Security Act of 1951

Gave military aid to Latin America

> It shows to LA that US were ignoring calls for economic assistance and only cared for their Cold War policy.

Marshall Plan

American aid to reconstruct Europe

Greece and Turkey Crisis

In Greece: Civil war between Royalists and Communists

> Britain tries to support Royalists and calls USA for Aid

> USA only responds because USSR was pressuring Turkey to turn to communism and USA wants Turkey bc it's closer to Middle East (OIL RAAAH)