Chapter 21: The Cold War Begins

21.1 Origins of the Cold War

• Cold War: Tension and hostility between the United States and the Soviet Union.

• Potsdam: A 1945 meeting between Allied leaders in Germany to discuss WWII’s end.

• Satellite nation: A country that’s independent in name but controlled by another country.

• Iron Curtain: The division between the Soviet-controlled East and the Western world.

Key Questions:

1. Why did U.S. leaders support international trade and free enterprise?
   They wanted economic growth and believed free enterprise was the best way to achieve it.

2. What was decided at Yalta?
   Post-war Germany was divided into four occupation zones.

3. How did the Potsdam conference hurt U.S.-Soviet relations?
   It caused distrust due to disagreements over the division of Germany.

21.2 The Early Cold War Years

• George Kennan: Diplomat who suggested the U.S. should stop the spread of communism (containment).

• Containment: U.S. policy to stop communism from spreading.

• Marshall Plan: U.S. economic aid to rebuild Europe after WWII.

• NATO: A military alliance between North America and Europe.

• Limited war: A conflict where not all resources are used.

Key Questions:

1. What were the goals of the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan?
   The Truman Doctrine aimed to provide political and economic help, and the Marshall Plan gave economic aid to rebuild Europe.

2. What started the Berlin airlift?
   The Soviet blockade of Berlin led to the U.S. airlifting supplies.

3. How did the Chinese revolution affect U.S. foreign policy with Japan?
   The U.S. relied more on Japan as a key ally to contain communism.

4. How did Truman view the invasion of South Korea?
   He saw it as a direct threat to global containment of communism.

21.3 The Cold War and American Society

• Subversion: Fear of communism in the U.S.

• Loyalty Review Program: A way to check if federal employees were loyal.

• Alger Hiss: A U.S. official accused of being a Soviet spy.

• Perjury: Lying under oath.

• McCarran Act: Law to fight perceived communist threats.

• McCarthyism: Accusations of disloyalty without enough evidence.

• Censure: Formal disapproval.

• Fallout: Radiation after a nuclear blast.

• Fallout shelter: A place to protect people from radiation.

Key Questions:

1. What was the purpose of loyalty review boards and HUAC?
   They aimed to uncover un-American activities and communist threats.

2. What were the effects of McCarthyism?
   Many people lost jobs due to accusations of being communists.

3. How did the Cold War affect life in the 1950s?
   It created fear and influenced culture, politics, and daily life.

21.4 Eisenhower’s Policies

• Massive retaliation: U.S. nuclear strategy to deter attacks by threatening a massive response.

• Sputnik: The Soviet Union’s first artificial satellite (1957).

• Brinkmanship: Pushing dangerous situations close to war to gain an advantage.

• Covert operations: Secret actions taken by the U.S. government.

• CIA: U.S. agency for intelligence and counterintelligence.

• Developing nation: A country with less industrial development and lower human development.

• Military-industrial complex: The close relationship between the military and defense industry.

Key Questions:

1. How did Eisenhower change defense spending?
   He kept defense spending in check to avoid upsetting the federal budget.

2. What was brinkmanship?
   It’s pushing a conflict to the edge of war to gain leverage.

3. Why did Eisenhower use covert operations?
   To avoid public responsibility for controversial actions.

4. Why did Eisenhower warn about the military-industrial complex?
   He feared its growing influence could threaten American democracy.