Unit 9A: Beginnings of the Cold War

What led to the cold war between the USA and USSR?

Notes

• The USA became a leader in the United Nations & World Bank

• For the first time, the USA joined an international organization to intervene in world affairs

• The most Important change in US foreign policy after WWII was the beginning of the cold war

• From 1945-1991, the USA and USSR entered an era of distrust and hostility known as the cold war

• This was an era of competing ideologies: the USA promoted democracy and Capitalism while the USSR tried to spread Communism

• The Manhattan Project gave the USA a monopoly on nuclear weapon technology

• the Yalta Conference, Stalin agreed to allow self determination in eastern Europe

• Stalin wanted a “buffer zone” between the USSR and the democratic nations in Western Europe

• Stalin used his military to install communist gov’ts in eastern European nations

  • As a result, Eastern European nations turned communist and became Soviet satellites: nations that were influenced by the USSR

• by 1946, Europe was divided by an “Iron Curtain” that separated democratic/capitalist Western Europe from Communist totalitarian Eastern Europe

• The U.S. Created a foreign policy called Containment to stop soviet influence and the spread of communism

• When the USSR began to pressure Greece and Turkey to turn communist, the US created the Truman Doctrine promising economic military to help any nation threatened by communism

  • The US Created the Marshall Plan which offered $13 billion to help rebuild post war Europe

• By 1952, Western Europe recovered and communism never took root

• In 1948, the USSR used military force to turn Czechoslovakia to communism; this led to fears that Stalin would use similar tactics in Western Europe

• in 1949, The USA formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

• In 1947, the USA created 3 new agencies

  • The Department of Defense was reorganized to create a independent Air Force

  • The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was created to spy of foreign nations, collect national security info, and carry out covert operations

  • The National Security Agency (NSA) was created to advise and assist the president on national security and foreign policy matters

• in 1948, Stalin tried to turn all of Berlin communist and ordered the Berlin Blockade which shut down all ground transportation to west Berlin

  • In response, the USA began the Berlin Airlift

  • Stalin admitted defeat and lifted the blockade in 1949

• from 1945 - 1949 Successfully contained communism in Europe

• in 1949 Communist forces led by Mao Zedong took control of China and the Cold War spread to Asia

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• The USA’s response to the fall of China was to more aggressively confront communism in the world

• the USA was afraid of a “Domino Theory”

• In 1950, North Korea crossed the 38* and attacked South Korea

• The USA stopped the spread of Communism into South Korea but in 1954, Communist Ho Chi Minh began a war in Vietnam

Dates

• 1945-1991 - Cold War

• 1945-1949 - Communism contained in Europe

• 1946 - Iron Curtain

• 1947 - 3 New Agencies made by USA (Air Force, CIA, NSA)

• 1948 - Czechoslovakia turns to communism

• 1948 - Berlin Blockade + Berlin Airlift

• 1949 - Berlin Blockade Lifted

• 1949 - NATO Formed

• 1949 - Communist Mao Zedong Took control of China

• 1950 - North Korea crossed the 38*

• 1952 - Western Europe Recovered

• 1954 - Ho Chi Minh Begins Communism in Vietnam