Cold War Day One

Financial 

Pushed to towards a capitalist society

Fears of the return of depression led the United States to take a much more international stance

The Soviet Union refused to ratify an agreement that would rebuild the world along capitalist lines and bring aid to its people.

The Truman Doctrine

While fdr favored diplomacy and compromise Truman was committed to get-tough policy with the Soviets

When civil war threatened the government inTurkey and Greece, the United States warned of a communist coup and provided $400 million to defeat the rebels.

The Truman Doctrine committed the United States to a policy of trying to contain communism 

Goals of the U.S. and Soviets

U.S believes in a capitalist democracy, free election economic, and religious freedom

Private property, respect individuals

Limit communism

Soviets-dictatorship

-government made all economic,political, and military decisions

Those who opposed or question Stalin risk or death

Expand communism

Events leading to the Truman Doctrine

Greek, Turkish, and other countries were struggling to stop communist from taking over.

The U.S. and Truman wanted to stop the spread of communism and send money to support the anticommunist movement

George Kennan and containment

Kennan did not believe that the Soviets would go so far as to ut their country endanger of war

If the U.S. was patient in containing Soviet expansion, it would win in the end

How the Berlin Airlift saved West Berlin

The gap widened when the western zones of Germany merged

When the Soviets cut off land access to West Berlin, the United States airlifted supplies to the city

The United States also created an alliance of anti-Soviet nations, NATO, and the Soviets responded with the Warsaw Pact

Why the U.S.built the hydrogen bomb

The American policy of containing communism rested on the ability to stop its expansion by military means

After the Soviets developed nuclear weapons,both sides amassed lethal stockpiles. The U.S. and Soviets could not come up with a plan to control them. Within a few years both sides had a stockpile of hydrogen bombs

It would be more powerful than the atomic bomb

It would give the U.S. a Nuclear advantage over Soviets in the arm race

Containment policy in Europe

America supported government financially and military that resisted Communism

Formed the NorthAtlantic Treaty Organization they got involved in the Berlin airlift, the marshals plan.

the military alliance to stop Soviet expansion

The election of 1948

Henry Wallace challenged Truman by running on the Progressive ticket, a campaign effectively quashed by red-baiting

Truman repositioned himself to the left by discrediting congressional republicans

Heaso offered a liberal legislative package that Congress defeated

The Democrats split again over civil rights when segregationist ran Strom huron for president

Truman managed to hold on to the New Deal coalition and wonder-election

Fair Deal and New Deal

In 1949, Truman proposed a package of reforms, the fair deal.

Truman won some gains in public housing, minimum wage and Social Security increases, but little else

Truman helped to define cold war liberalism as promoting economic growth through expanded foreign trade and federal expenditures, chiefly defense

New Deal was economic reforms while the fair deal focused on political, social, and economic reforms

Satellite Nations- eastern european countries Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, ROmania, and bulgaria under Soviet control 

Stalin used these countries as a buffer to western europe

Iron Curtain- Name that Churchill gave to the Eastern European countries controlled by the USSR

Marshal Plan-Us provided 13 billion over a 4 year period

That provided food to reduce famine, fuel, and to help Europe rebuild and boost their economy

Warsaw Pact- Military alliance of Eastern European countries in support of Communism

Red Scare

The fear that communist inside and out were working to destroy Americans' lives.

 Thought this was happening in the movie industry the most

Smith Act

-Made it unlawful to teach or advocate the violent overthrow the U.S. government

HUAC- Investigate possible subversive activities by fascists, Nazis, communist

Hollywood Ten-Left wing writers and directors who invoke their 5th amendment rights and refuse to answer questions about involvement in communism. Blacklist List of people who were not hired in the movie industry

Alger Hiss- government official accused of being a communist spy

-The loyalty-securite program

allegedly to combat subversive influences, Truman promoted a loyalty program.

-The attorney general published a list of potentially subversive organizations. 

-Many groups disbanded and previous membership in them destroyed individuals’ careers. A wide range of restrictions on alleged subversives passed Congress 

-smith act

The Second Red Scare

-The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) launched investigations into communist influence in Hollywood. 

-A parade of friendly witnesses denounced communists

-many people gave names to suspected former friends so that they themselves would be cleared and able to work again.

-A few witnesses (many blacklisted later) attacked HUAC and a handful went to prison for contempt of Congress 

Rosenberg Case

-The case prove that there is a real possibility that citizens were passing on Atomic bomb secrets to the SOviets

-That people could be executed on the testimony of a confessed spy Klaus Fuchs

-People worried that they were convicted because they were Jewish and had an unpopular view. 


Spy Cases

-Public anxieties were heightened when former State Department advisor Alger Hiss was accused of being a communist spy.

-Richard Nixon pursued the charges

-Hiss went to jail for perjury

-Juluis and Ethel Rosenberg were executed despite worldwide protests

McCarthyism

-Sen. Joseph McCarthy caused a sensation when he charged that 205 communists worked for the State Department

-His lack of evidence did not stop him from striking a chord with many Americans

-McCarthyism attacked women’s organizations and homosexuals

-McCarthy’s crusade was destroyed when he went on national TV and appeared deranged, making wild charges of communist infiltration of the Army