Post-World War II Foreign Policy and the Origins of the Cold War

Dramatic Change in Global Relations: The relationship between the United States and the rest of the world changed significantly following World War II.
Historical Context from World War I: * At the end of World War I, the U.S. briefly engaged with other nations ("put its toe in the water") but did not like the experience. * The country retreated into isolationism during the $1920s$ and $1930s$, staying to themselves.
Post-Word War II Conventional Wisdom: The post-war consensus was that isolationism was a mistake. Many believed that if the United States had remained involved with global affairs, World War II might have been avoided.
A New Era of Involvement: The U.S. shifted from following George Washington’s long-standing advice (decades of relative isolation) to becoming a highly involved global power.

Korematsu versus United States ($1944$): * Question: Why did the Supreme Court rule that the removal of Japanese Americans from their homes was constitutional? * Correct Answer: This type of action was necessary during a national emergency. * Contextual Details: * The U.S. suffered no real acts of sabotage or bombing campaigns during the war, with the exception of the attack on Pearl Harbor. * $\frac{2}{3}$ of the people placed in internment camps were citizens of the United States. * $\frac{1}{3}$ of those interned were resident aliens.
Foreign Policy in the $1930s$: * Question: Which action best represents U.S. foreign policy during the Great Depression ($1930s$)? * Correct Answer: Passing the Neutrality Acts. * Timeline Analysis: Joining the Allied powers happened after the war began (following declarations by Japan and Germany). SEATO and the United Nations were established post-WWII.

The Three C's: A primary focus of the era was to "Contain" the spread of Communism.
Cold War Timeline: Generally defined as the period between $1945$ and $1990$.
Symbolic Ending: The collapse of the Soviet Union and the symbolic fall of the Berlin Wall marked the end of the Cold War era.
Defining Containment: * The goal was to prevent communism from spreading into new countries. * It was not necessarily an attempt to eliminate communism from the face of the earth entirely, but to stop its growth.
The Nature of the "Cold" War: * It was a struggle between competing systems: the U.S. capitalist/democratic system versus the Soviet Union’s communist system. * It is called "Cold" because there was never a direct military conflict between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. * Proxy Conflicts: While no direct fighting occurred, American troops fought in major wars to stop communism, notably in Korea and Vietnam. In these conflicts, enemy forces were often armed and trained by the Soviet Union.

The Start of the Cold War: While some cite $1945$ as the start, others point to a speech by Harry S. Truman in $1947$ as the official beginning.
Global Context (Decolonization): After WWII, areas formerly under European imperialist rule (Britain, France, Germany) sought independence. * Key Leaders: Gandhi in India; Jomo Kenyatta in Kenya. * U.S. Fear: The vacuum left by European colonizers might be filled by the USSR and communism.
The Case of Greece and Turkey ($1947$): * Geography: Turkey is a strategic highway connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. Control of the Mediterranean leads to the Suez Canal and the Strait of Gibraltar (Atlantic Ocean). * Soviet Interests: Historically, Russia has always sought access to this region. * The Truman Doctrine Policy: Truman argued the U.S. must support "free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or outside pressures." * "Armed minorities" refers to communists. * "Outside pressures" refers to the Soviet Union.
Policy Shift: This moved the U.S. from the Monroe Doctrine (focused on the Western Hemisphere) to active involvement in European and Asian affairs.
Funding: Truman convinced Congress to fund Greece and Turkey with $600,000,000$ to fight the spread of communism.

Rejecting Reparations: After WWI, reparations bankrupted Germany and helped Hitler rise to power. The U.S. decided not to repeat this mistake after WWII.
The Plan: Instead of charging for repairs, the U.S. funded the rebuilding of Europe. This was named the Marshall Plan after Secretary of State (and former General) George Marshall.
Investment: The U.S. spent approximately $44,000,000,000$ to rebuild France, England, and Germany.
Economic Impact on the U.S.: * Strings Attached: The money had to be spent on goods and services from the United States. * The funding stimulated the U.S. economy, as countries had to buy American machinery and hire American companies. * This, combined with the arms race, space race, and new consumer goods (like the television set), created a very successful economy in the $1940s$ and $1950s$.
Soviet Reaction: The U.S. offered the same aid to the Soviet Union, but they declined to participate or be connected to the U.S. in that way.

Division of Germany: At the end of WWII, the Soviet Union refused to relinquish control of East Germany. The western part was occupied by Britain, France, and the U.S. for $10$ years.
The Berlin Problem: Berlin was located $300$ miles inside the Soviet-controlled East Germany but was also divided between communist and non-communist sectors.
The Blockade ($1948$): Stalin attempted to force western powers out of Berlin by closing all land crossings, including roads and trains.
The U.S. Response (Berlin Airlift): * The U.S., Britain, and France supplied the city entirely by air for $11$ months. * Logistics: Millions of people required food, coal (heating fuel), and medicine. * Execution: Aircrews landed a plane every $3$ minutes across $3$ different airports around the clock.
Stalin’s Constraint: Stalin did not shoot down the planes because he did not want to directly confront the United States.
Outcome: Stalin eventually lifted the blockade and reopened land traffic, but Berlin remained a point of intense Cold War intrigue until the Berlin Wall fell in the late $1980s$ and the Cold War ended.