Cold War: Part One Notes

Origins of the Cold War

World War II concluded in 1945, leaving the U.S. and Soviet Union as the dominant global powers.
The U.S. aimed for global economic restructuring to ensure American prosperity, promoting a world based on American values.
The Soviet Union prioritized its security, having suffered 20 million casualties in the war against Hitler, and sought a sphere of influence in Eastern Europe.

Post-WWII Europe was divided into spheres of influence, primarily between NATO states and Warsaw Pact states, along with other communist and non-aligned states.

Ideological Conflict: The U.S. promoted free markets and representative democracies, while the Soviet Union advocated for a command economy and bureaucratic rule.
Technological Conflict: This included an arms race, a space race, and competition regarding consumer goods.
"Hearts and Minds" Conflict: This involved efforts to gain alignment of the "Third World" through initiatives like the Peace Corps, Fulbright Program, and immigration reforms.

Containment: The U.S. committed to preventing further Soviet expansion of power and influence.
1947: The Truman Doctrine was enacted, committing the U.S. to supporting the monarchy in Greece and preventing Soviet involvement in Turkey.
400 million was pledged with bipartisan support.

June 1947: Secretary of State George Marshall announced a plan to provide billions in aid to rebuild Western Europe.
Driven by concerns about economic chaos, inflation, and starvation, and the fear of a slide toward communism.
Aimed to shore up support for and faith in capitalism and create markets for American goods. The slogan was "Prosperity Makes Your Free."

1949: Communists secured control of China.
Korea was divided after World War II.
June 1950: North Korea invaded South Korea in an effort to unify the country.
The UN authorized the use of force to expel North Korean forces.
September 1950: U.S. forces occupied most of North Korea, but Chinese forces intervened, driving them back.
The conflict resulted in a stalemate, with an armistice in 1953, returning the border to the 38th parallel.

33,000 Americans were killed.
1 million Korean soldiers were killed.
2 million civilians died.
The Cold War became a global conflict with a huge human toll.
1947-1953: The postwar age developed into a divided world, characterized by ideological conflict and military confrontations under the shadow of "the bomb."