Chapter 27

The Cold War Era

“At the end of World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union entered into a bitter rivalry. Each side tried to gain allies and prove that its system- democracy and free enterprise or communism – was better.” -TAJ

Section 1

Cold War Origins

February 1945, the “Big Three” Allied leaders met at Yalta (a Soviet port on the Black Sea)- to discuss the fate of the postwar world.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Joseph Stalin

Winston Churchill

Yalta Agreement- Soviet Union agreed to enter the war against Japan. In return, the Soviets received some territories in Asia.

Roosevelt and Churchill feared Soviet domination of Eastern Europe and the Spread of communism. Stalin wanted to keep a large area of land between the Soviet Union and its potential enemies to the west.

“They want to force us to accept their plans on Europe and the world. Well, that’s not going to happen.” –Joseph Stalin to one of his aides

Allies agreed to divide Germany into four zones until elections could be held to determine its future.

Britain Soviet Union

France United States

Stalin agreed to allow free elections in occupied Eastern Europe and to cooperate in planning for the new international organization proposed by the U.S. and Britain.

Roosevelt and Churchill were encouraged- looking toward a peaceful postwar world.

Their hopes went unfulfilled.

President died April 12, 1945- He was succeeded by Harry S. Truman

“When they told me yesterday [of Roosevelt’s death], I felt like the moon, the stars, and all the planets had fallen on me.”

-Harry S. Truman

One of his first decisions as President was to go on with the meeting to form the new international organization discussed at Yalta. June 26, 1945: San Francisco, CA-

50 nations- including the Soviet Union- signed the charter creating the United Nations (UN)- formed to settle disputes between nations and prevent future wars.

Soviet Union leader Joseph Stalin- broke his promise of holding free elections in Eastern Europe. Set up a communist government and Soviet forces remained in the region.

Growing distrust between Soviet Union and Western nations.

Europe split into 2 camps-

Soviet-controlled Communist governments of the East and the capitalist democracies of the West.

Winston Churchill felt this was a permanent division between the East and the West.

In a speech in Fulton, Missouri, he said an “iron curtain” had descended on Europe.

Civil War raged on in Greece as Communist rebels armed by the Soviet Union tried to overthrow the Greek King and his pro-Western government. Pressure was put on Turkey to give the Soviet Union naval bases leading to the Mediterranean Sea.

Policy of Containment

George E. Kennan (American diplomat and expert on Soviet culture)

U.S. would try to “contain” Soviet expansion in areas that were of strategic importance to the U.S. (Western Europe and Japan- and later

other areas) through military and non-military means

Truman Doctrine

Proposed by President Truman to help nations threatened by communism and soviet expansion.

“I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation [conquest] by armed minorities of by outside pressures.”

Congress voted to give military and economic aid to Greece and Turkey to hold back Soviet threat.

Tru

man

Do

ctrine

Marshall Plan

George Marshall (U.S. Secretary of State) proposed a plan to provide “massive economic aid to Europe.” He saw Western Europe as an area that was strategically important to the United States.

After Congress approved the plan, it became a vital part of the policy of containment.

Contributed almost $13 billion to help rebuild the countries of Western Europe.

Crisis in BerlinGerman capital, Berlin (located deep within Soviet-controlled East Germany) had been divided among the 4 nations (U.S., France, Britain and Soviet Union).

June 7, 1948; U.S., Britain and France united their zones to form a new West German republic. (Each of the nation’s section of Berlin would be included in the republic.)

June 24, 1948- soviet troops positioned themselves around the edge of West Berlin.

Berlin Blockade

Stopped all traffic on all highway, railroad and water routes through East Germany to West Berlin. Its 2 million citizens were cut off from needed supplies.

President Truman organized an airlift to save the city, (American and British planes flew food, fuel and other supplies to West Berlin.)

Berlin Airlift

Airlift continued day and night for more than 10 months.

Stalin realized that the Western powers were not leaving the city and ended the blockade.

In October 1949, the division of Germany became official:

The Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany)

Crisis in Berlin showed the U.S. and the Soviet Union were locked in a Cold War- where 2 enemies don’t actually fight, but intimidate each other by building up military forces and arms. European nations began to take sides.

The U.S. and Western European nations felt the Soviet Union could best be contained through mutual defense.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

An agreement, signed between the United States, Canada and 10 Western European nations.

Stated that “an armed attack against one or more of the member nations shall be considered an attack against all.”

NATO countries created a large military force.

Warsaw Pact

Mutual defense treaties that established an alliance between Soviet Union and Communist governments of Eastern Europe. (Done in response to NATO.)

Europe was divided into 2 armed camps.

1950- The NSC (National Security Council) sent out a report known as the NSC-68 that said the United States must actively . . .

“foster the seeds of destruction within the Soviet Union.”

Fight communist movements wherever they arose. The U.S. was committed to combat the spread of communism throughout the world.

As the cold War grew in Europe, nations in other parts of the world were changing.

Jews and Arabs both claimed Palestine (an area that had been under British control).

Late 1940’s- Asian countries (India, Pakistan, Burma) broke away from the British Empire.

1946- Philippines gained independence from the U.S.

1947- United Nations proposed dividing Palestine into independent Jewish and Arab states. Jews accepted the plan, Arabs didn’t. After declaring its independence, the new Jewish state of Israel was created.

Arabs attacked Israel, in the first of 6 major battles between the Arabs and Israel.

The most threatening change of the postwar period was in China. Mao Zedong formed a new Communist state, the People’s Republic of China.

With communists in control of mainland China, the Soviet Union had a powerful ally in Asia.

Section 2

Postwar

Politics

Nation’s economy had to adjust to peacetime life. Industries shifting from war goods back to consumer goods.

Truman’s Fair Deal

Plan of domestic reforms that would: Raise minimum wage, expand Social Security benefits, increase federal spending to create jobs, build public housing, create system of national health insurance.

Did not pass congress

Taft-Hartley BillIntroduced by Congress to limit actions workers could take against their employers.

Union members and their leaders called it a “slave labor bill”

Truman vetoed it, but Congress overrode his veto.

Workers seek higher wages

inflation

1944, congress passed the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act- Better known as the GI Bill of Rights.Gave unemployment and health benefits for GI’s

Election of 1948Truman appeared to be the underdog.

Unpopular with many Americans because of economic problems and lack of success in getting passage of domestic reforms.

Divisions within the Democratic Party Southern Democrats (State’s Rights Democratic Party or Dixiecrats) nominated Strom Thurmond, liberal Democrats (Progressive Party) nominated Henry Wallace.

Thomas Dewey was the Republican nominee.

Some were so sure Truman would be defeated- a Chicago newspaper printed the headline “Dewey Defeats Truman” before all the votes were in. Truman was victorious!

Truman reintroduced the Fair Deal legislation. Although congress defeated most of the measures, they did raise minimum wage, expand Social Security benefits for senior citizens and provided funds for housing for low-income families.

President Truman took a stand on civil rights, declaring:

“We shall not, however, finally achieve the ideals for which this nation was founded so long as any American suffers discrimination as a result of his race, or religion or color, or the land of origin of his forefathers.”

He ordered the armed forces to desegregate.

“Every segment of our population and every individual has a right to expect from our government a fair deal.”

Section 3

The Korean War“Before June 1950, few Americans knew much about Korea, a small east Asian country located on the Korean Peninsula west of Japan. In 1945 Korea was a colony of Japan. At the end of World War II, Japan was stripped of its territorial possessions. The United States and the Soviet Union both sent troops into Korea and agreed to occupy it temporarily. They divided the peninsula in half along the 38th parallel of latitude, with the soviets controlling North Korea and the Americans controlling south Korea.” TAJ

The two nations could never agree on how to unify Korea. When they removed their troops the country stayed divided. Tensions remained high.

“Mr. President, I have very serious news. The North Koreans have invaded South Korea.” -Secretary of State Dean Acheson in a phone call to President Truman (June 24, 1950)

North Korea was trying to unify the country by force.

They crossed the 38th parallel into south Korea.

Within days, Communist forces had taken control of Seoul, South Korea’s capital city.

Truman called for “police action” to carry out the American policy of containment.

United Nations sent forces to help defend South Korea under direction of the United States.

Truman appointed General Douglas MacArthur to command the UN forces.

United State’s goal was to push the North Koreans back over the 38th parallel.

Gen. MacArthur led American troops in on June 30th. By the end of 1950, other countries were sending in troops to help.

China intervened, the goal of U.S. changed. Truman and MacArthur clashed over military strategy.

By September 1950, North Koreans had pushed all the way to the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula. Only a small area around Pusan was still controlled by the South Korean Army.

UN forces pushed northward from Pusan. North Koreans, caught in the middle of UN forces advancing from Seoul and Pusan, were forced to retreat north across the 38th parallel.

Seoul

General MacArthur urged Truman to order an invasion of North Korea. New goal was a “unified, independent and democratic Korea.”

The Yalu River forms the border between which 2 countries?

Who controlled Seoul in January 1951?

When was Pusan ever under North Korean control?

MacArthur thought it was a bluff and continued.

China warned that if the UN forces continued to invade North Korea, China would intervene.

Thousands of Chinese troops came in and launched an attack on the UN forces. UN forces retreated back across the 38th parallel. Communists recaptured Seoul.UN forces launched a counter

attack and recaptured Seoul.

The war became a stalemate (lasted almost 2 years.)

President Truman wanted to negotiate an end to fighting.

General MacArthur wanted UN forces to attack China. (Invade the country or bomb troops stationed in North Korea.)

MacArthur felt he was being kept from doing his job. He complained to Congress, “We must win. There is no substitute for victory.”

Truman fired General MacArthur, stating: “If I allow him to defy the civil authorities in this manner, I myself would be violating my oath to uphold and defend the Constitution.”

American Leaders Clash

Negotiations began in July 1951

Talks went on for 2 years before a cease-fire agreement signed July 27, 1953 (during presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower)

Agreement created a demilitarized zone* between North and South Korea – about 1 ½ mile on either side of the 38th parallel.

*A region where military forces could not enter

EFFECTS:

NO VICTORY

LITTLE CHANGE IN TERRITORY

GREAT LOSSES

More than 54,000 Americans died in the war (103,000 wounded)

Nearly 2 million Koreans and Chinese died

North and South Korea devastated

The war sent the message to the Soviet Union that “The United States was committed to fighting Communist expansion with money, arms, and even lives.” -TAJ

Section 4

The Red Scare

The Cold War “intensified Americans’ fears of communist subversion, or sabotage.” -TAJ

Red Scare

Many worried that Communist spies or their “sympathizers”- those friendly with Communists or “Reds” had penetrated all levels of American society and were trying to weaken the government.

This fear dominated politics for years.

When Truman was accused of being too easy on Communists, he ordered security checks to check the loyalty of millions of government workers, and FBI investigations of thousands.

McCarran Act- Required all Communist organizations to register with the government and provide a list of members.

The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) investigated Communist subversion.Investigated the film industry (several screenwriters and directors went to jail for refusing to answer questions about their political beliefs.)Film companies made blacklists- those whose loyalty were suspicious- were barred from Hollywood’s film industry.

“Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?”

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were the focus of the most dramatic spy case to come before the HUAC.This couple, who were members of the Communist Party, were accused of passing secret information about the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union.

Although they claimed their innocence until the end- and said they were being persecuted because of their political beliefs- they were convicted and sentenced to death.

Senator Joseph McCarthy dominated the hunt for Communists from 1950-1954.Attacked many government workers- accusations- publicly alleged that they were communists (declared without proof).

McCarthyism: Ruined reputations of many. Many lost their jobs.

McCarthy’s downfall came when he started investigating the United States Army and these televised hearings were seen by the public.

Joseph Welch, U.S. Army attorney said:

“Until this moment, Senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness. . . . Have you left no sense of decency?”

“It’s okay – We’re hunting communists.” October 31, 1947

“You read books, eh?” April 24, 1949