ORIGINS OF THE COLD WAR

What decisions were made at the Yalta Conference in February 1945?

• Last war time conference between FDR, churchill, and stalin. 

• germany (demilitarized and de-nazified) (taking germans to the concentration camps) Splitting geramny into 4 occupation zones: BR, FR, US, SOV

• Poland: coalition government was established of communist and non communist poles. Have elections ASAP

• Eastern Europe: Promise for elections ASAP 

• United Nations.

How did the Soviet Union violate the agreements on Eastern Europe made at Yalta and why did Stalin do so?

• Taking control of eastern europe. “Buffer zone” between western europe and the soviet union. 

• Elections: rigged

Identify the crises in the immediate postwar world that gave the impression that 

Communism was reaching out in many different directions at one time.

• Communist threats:

• Civil war in greece between communist and non communist 

• Civil war in china also between communist and non communist 

• Soviets near iran 

• Rigged elections

• Soviets taking reparations from their zone of germany

What assumptions had formed about the Soviet Union by 1947?

• Containment ( US must stop soviet aggressive tendencies toward expansion) 

• 1. Soviets wanted to dominate the world

• 2. Soviets called the shots for all the communist movements in the world 

• 3. Domino theory

Describe and explain the purpose of the Truman Doctrine, the Marshal Plan, and NATO.

• Truman doctrine - policy of the us to stop communist movements anywhere in the world

• The marshal plan - europe was having a hard time recovering from world war 2, it was a plan to rebuild western europe. 1948, 17B$ loans of grants 

• NATO - North atlantic treaty organization, 1947, collective security between the US and western europe. 1949

What was the Soviet Union’s response to the Marshal Plan?

The soviet union responded to the plan believing that it was an attempt to interfere in soviet internal affairs.

What policies did Truman implement to handle the Berlin Crisis of 1948?

• Berlin airdrops (US airforce drops supplies into west berlin) 1300 tons of supplies everyday. 324 days 

• Transfers the B-24 bomber to a US air base to britain. Carries the atomic bomb. It works out in the end and stalin gives in.

What did the National Security Act create?

• 1947, reorginziaed the department of defense, created CIA, created the national security council (advises the president on matters of national security) 

• Creates reports. Created the NSC68 provides a blueprint for the cold war based on events 1945-1950

What two assumptions were presented in NSC68 and what recommendations were made?

Assumptions:

• Bipolar struggle between the US and the soviets 

• Soviets seek to dominate the world

Recommendations: 

• Develop hydrogen bond 

• Build up conventional armed forces 

• Incresse taxes to pay for everything

• Increase collective security with more nations

• Propgaganized american people to go along with everything.

Domino Theory

 if communism took root in one nation, it would threaten its neighbor. Like a domino effect. The entire world is now important to US nation security 

George Kennan

american diplomat stationed ib the soviet union during the 30’s-40’s, in 1947 he written the long telegram, 8000 word telegram he had sent to moscow to the state department (washington dc) article was published in foreign affairs “ sources of soviet conduct” or the X article “Mr.X) 

Cold war

bipolar struggle between the united states and the soviet union 1945-1991, war by proxy