LS-WHO

■ Essential QuestionEssential Question:

–What led to the Cold War between the United States & the Soviet Union?

■ Warm-Up QuestionWarm-Up Question:

–Examine the image on the next slide & use it to answer this Q:

–What was the Cold War?

Use this image to

search for clues

What was the

Cold War?

The USA after World War II

■ The end of WWII in 1945, marked a turning point in U.S. history by taking an active role in world affairs–The USA became a leader in the

United Nations & World Bank–The U.S. occupied & helped

rebuild Japan after the war –The U.S. helped found Israel as a

Jewish nation in the Middle East

United Nations Member Nations

United Nations Headquarters is in New York City

American Occupation of Japan

The Cold War■ The most important change in U.S.

foreign policy after WWII was the beginning of the Cold War–The Cold War was an era of

distrust & hostility between the USA & USSR from 1945-1991

–It was an era of competing ideologies: The USA promoted democracy & capitalism while the USSR tried to spread communism

Causes of the Cold War

Vladimir Lenin led the

Bolsheviks in the Russian

Revolution in 1917

The USA sent troops to fight

the “Red Army” during the

Russian Civil War

In the 1920s, Americans feared the spread of

Communism during the “Red Scare”

After Lenin’s death in 1924, Joseph Stalin

became dictator of the USSR &

started his Five Year Plans

During WWII, the USA &

USSR worked together to defeat the

Axis Powers, but...

■ WWII increased hostilities between the USA & the USSR:–The U.S. & USSR

emerged from the war as rival superpowers

–The development of the atomic bomb gave the USA a monopoly on nuclear weapons

Causes of the Cold War

WWII increased hostilities between USA & USSRAt the Yalta Conference, Stalin agreed to allow self-determination in Eastern EuropeBut Stalin never did; By the time of the

Potsdam Conference, Stalin began extending his control over Eastern Europe

Stalin refused to remove his military or allow free

election in Eastern Europe

As a result, Eastern European nations turned to Communism & became Soviet satellites—nations influenced by the USSR

(the “Eastern bloc”)

At the end of the war, Germany was divided into a zone occupied by the USSR (which

became East Germany) & a zone occupied by the USA, Britain, & France (West Germany)

Capitalism & Democracy

Communism & Totalitarianism

The Iron Curtain

The USA began to view Stalin in the 1940s as a new Hitler—a dangerous dictator who

wanted to take over the world

In 1947, the U.S. began a policy of Containment to stop the spread of Communism by the USSR

“A long-term, patient but firm, and vigilant

containment of Russian expansionist policies… will eventually force

the USSR to live in peace with the West”

—Secretary of State, George Marshall

When the USSR began pressuring Greece & Turkey to

turn communist, the USA created the Truman Doctrine: U.S. economic & military aid to any country threatened by

communism

The Truman Doctrine worked & neither Greece nor Turkey

fell to communism

In 1947, the U.S. began a policy of Containment to stop the spread of Communism by the USSR

European nations had difficulty recovering after WWII which led to fears

of communism in Europe

The U.S. created the Marshall Plan: offered

$13 billion to help rebuild post-war Europe

By 1952, Western Europe recovered & Communism never took root

Marshall Plan to Aid

Europe 1948-1952

In 1947, the U.S. began a policy of Containment to stop the spread of Communism by the USSRIn 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): a military alliance among

democratic countries

NATONATO Communist BlocCommunist Bloc

NATO was one of many alliances the USA would form with democratic

nations over the course of the Cold War

The Berlin Blockade■ In 1948, the USSR responded to

Containment by cutting off all traffic to Berlin in East Germany

–The USA began the Berlin Airlift to bring food, fuel, & supplies to keep West Berlin from turning to Communism

–The standoff lasted 2 weeks until Stalin lifted the blockade

Reorganizing the Government ■ By 1947, the U.S. gov’t created 3

new agencies during the Cold War–Dept of DefenseDept of Defense to direct the

Army & Navy; The military created the Air Force

–Central Intelligence AgencyCentral Intelligence Agency to collect & manage information among all gov’t agencies

–Nat’l Security CouncilNat’l Security Council to advise the president on nat’l security

The new air force was the preferred military agency of the Cold War because airplanes

could drop nuclear bombs if needed

The Cold War Expands

The Nuclear Arms RaceThe U.S. monopoly on nuclear weapons

technology ended in 1949 when the USSR successfully tested their own atomic bomb

The Soviet atomic bomb motivated the USA to regain its nuclear advantage; In 1952, the U.S.

tested the 1st hydrogen bomb (1,000 times more powerful than the a-bomb)

The Soviets responded with their own hydrogen bomb in 1953

The Cold War in Asia■ Containment stopped communism

in Europe, but by the late 1940s the Cold War spread to Asia:–Since the 1930s, Communist

Mao Zedong fought democratic leaders for control of China

–In 1949, Mao gained control & turned China to communism

–Americans blamed President Truman for “losing China”

Based upon this chart, why were Mao & the Communists so popular

among the Chinese people?

The Cold War in Asia ■ America’s response to the fall of

China was to more aggressively confront Communism in the world –The U.S. expanded the military &

stockpiled nuclear weapons–The USA feared that China

would influence its neighbors to turn communist (“domino theory”)

–In 1950, the U.S. fought the Korean War to stop communism

After WWII, Korea was divided along the 38° with Communists in the North

& democracy in the South

In 1950, North Korea crossed the 38° &

attacked South Korea

The USA led a United Nations intervention to

stop North Korea

But, when the USA pushed too close to China, the Chinese

Army entered the war & helped North Korea

By 1953, a ceasefire stopped the fighting & the 38° was restored as the boundary

between North & South Koreas

The USA stopped the spread of Communism into South Korea, but in 1954, Communist Ho Chi Minh

began a war to gain independence for Vietnam

Conclusions■ After World War II, U.S. foreign

policy changed:–The U.S. became a superpower

that actively intervened in world affairs

–The Cold War increased military spending, nuclear weapons, & fears of a war with the USSR

–President Truman successfully “contained” Communism in Europe but seemed to fail in Asia