strange bedfellows. the enemy of my enemy is my friend
TRANSCRIPT
Strange Bedfellows
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Have you ever been so scared about something
only to realize that it wasn’t that bad?
Have you ever wanted to accomplish something so
much that you compromised your principles in order to
achieve your goal?
Did the ends justify the means?
Chapter 15: The Cold War Begins
Despite being allies during WWII, the United States was still fearful of world-wide communism and a communist revolution at home.
Despite being allies during WWII, the Soviet Union was still fearful that the United States and other non-Communist countries would
try and destroy them.
The Soviet Union was also fearful of being attacked by Germany
again.
The Yalta Conference
Poland: A government friendly to Soviet Union, but free elections
soon.The Declaration of a Liberated
Europe: “the right of all people to choose the form of government
under which they will live.”
The Declaration of Liberated Europe
Dividing Germany: Germany would be divided into four zones. The U.S., Great Britain, U.S.S.R. and
France would each control a zone.
Berlin, the capital city would also be divided into four zones.
Tensions begin to rise: Two weeks after Yalta, Soviets pressure
Romania into creating a Communist government, violating
the Declaration of Liberated Europe.
April 1945 – Soviets create strong Communist government in Poland,
free elections never happen.
The Soviet Unions Security Concerns
The Potsdam Conference
The Soviets wanted Germany to pay heavy reparations, the U.S.
disagreed. Compromise reached on light reparations, Soviets not
satisfied.
America’s Economic Strategy
Because the Soviet troops had liberated Eastern Europe from Nazi control, they remained there and imposed their form of government
on those countries. Those countries became known as
Satellite Nations
The Satellite Nations
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill coined the phrase “Iron Curtain” to describe the invisible barrier between the Communist countries of Eastern Europe and
the Democracies of Western Europe.
The Iron Curtain Speech
Competing Goals and Concerns.
• Soviets concerned about security.
• Germany must remain weak, and border countries under Soviet control.
• Belief in communist system.
• Feared capitalist countries trying to destroy communism
• Fear of spread of Communism and overthrow of government.
• America has strong economic concerns. WWII caused by Depression.
• Trade reductions caused Depression.
• Economic growth and trade was key to peace.
• Democratic governments made countries more peaceful and stable.
Section 2 Essential Question:
How did President Truman attempt to deter Communism?
April 12, 1945 – Roosevelt dies.
New President is Harry S. Truman
Truman is a strong anti-communist. Believes
appeasement by British led to WWII, does not
want to make same mistake.
“We must stand up to the Russians.”
To stop the spread of
Communism our chief foreign
policy goal was containment.
This would require a long
term commitment .
The Truman Doctrine:
…to aid “free peoples who are
resisting attempted subjugation by
armed minorities or by outside pressures.”
This was a pledge to fight the spread of
Communism.
Secretary of State George C. Marshall
proposed the European Recovery
Program, or the Marshall Plan. 13
billion dollars in aid was provided to the countries of
Western Europe to help them rebuild their economies.
Spring of 1948, France, Great Britain and the U.S.
merge their zones into one, officially creating the
Federal Republic of Germany and unofficially creating West Germany. They also combine their zones in Berlin, making
West Berlin a part of the new German Republic.
The Soviets responded by creating the German
Democratic Republic, also known as East Germany.
June 1948, the Soviets, angered by not having received reparations from West Germany, cut off all
road and rail traffic to West Berlin. They wanted West Germany to
pay reparations, or for the U.S. to abandon West Berlin, the United
States did neither. June of 1948 until May 12, 1949 the United States flew 2 million
tons of food, medicine, coal, and other supplies into West Berlin.
This became known as the Berlin Airlift.
NATO – The North Atlantic Treaty
Organization is created in 1949.
This was a military alliance between the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, France, Italy, Belgium, Denmark,
Portugal, the Netherlands, Norway,
Luxemburg, and Iceland.
The Chinese Revolution-1949
Communist led by Mao ZedongNationalist led by Chiang Kai-shek
Fighting since 1920’s but worked together against Japanese. When WWII ended civil war continued.
The U.S. gave 2 billion dollars in aid to the
Nationalist government to prevent a Communist
takeover but it didn’t work. The Nationalist
government fled to the island of Formosa
(Taiwan) and in October of 1949, the Communist
created the Peoples Republic of China
The U.S. continued to recognize the
Nationalist government in
Taiwan and would not allow the Communist
government of China to join the United Nations.
In September of 1949 the Soviet Union announced it had successfully tested an atomic bomb. It achieved this from information gained by its spies in the United States.
1950 – The Communist
governments in China and the Soviet Union
sign a treaty of friendship and
alliance, creating fear in
the U.S.
With the Communist takeover in China, the U.S. put great emphasis in getting Japan’s economy up and
running again.
The Korean War June 1950 – July 1953
over 36,000 U.S. soldiers killed
many more Koreans and Chinese are killed.
The U.S. and the U.S.S.R. entered Korea at the end
of WWII. Korea was divided along the 38th
parallel.The Soviets created a
Communist government in the North and the U.S.
created a Democratic government in the South. Reunification talks broke
down.
On June 25, 1950, with help from Soviet military aid, North Korean forces
invade South Korea.President Truman sees this as a test of the containment policy and sends the military into action. American troops stationed in Japan are sent to Korea.
Truman also called on the United Nations to act against the aggression.
After surviving near defeat, U.S. and South Korean forces, Under the leadership of General Douglas MacArthur, push the North Korean forces back across the 38th parallel and close to the Chinese border.
China feared the approaching U.S. and U.N. troops and warned them
to halt their advance. The U.S. continued to pursue to North
Koreans close to the Chinese and the Chinese responded by sending hundreds of thousands of troops
across the border.
The Chinese pushed the U.N., U.S. and S.K. forces back across the 38th
parallel. By the fall of 1951, a stalemate developed near the 38th parallel with neither side gaining much ground. The war would last
another 2 years though.
• When the Chinese attacked, General MacArthur urged the president to attack Chinese cities with atomic weapons. Truman was committed to a limited war and did no want to expand the conflict into China. Truman eventually fired MacArthur for publicly criticizing him.
The Korean War expanded the Cold War into Asia, it demonstrated our commitment to use force to stop
the spread of Communism, it triggered a military buildup in the U.S., and it led to our giving aid to
the French who were fighting Communists in Vietnam.
Section 3 – The Cold War and American Society
A New Red Scare – * Igor Gouzenko defects* fear of Communist subversion* loyalty review program for federal employees. (loyalty was questioned because of books read, films watched, group affiliation, travel overseas, etc.)
House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)
Used by the FBI to investigate Communists and Communist sympathizers.
Hollywood was targeted because of its powerful influence over American culture. Many actors, writers, directors and producers were investigated and many had their careers ruined because of mere speculation. (Blacklisted)
Alger Hiss and the Rosenbergs
Hiss was a minor spy.
Julius Rosenberg was a major spy.Doubt remains about Ethel Rosenberg.Julius and Ethel were executed in 1953.
McCarthyism – (to make vague and unfounded charges against
someone with the result of casting doubt on them and damaging their
reputation)
Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin used this tactic to get elected to the U.S. Senate. He made a name for himself by making unsubstantiated accusations of Communist ties against government officials.
McCarthy used his position in the Senate to
investigate and accuse innocent
Americans, ruining many
reputations and careers.
In 1954, when McCarthy went looking for spies in the U.S. Army, the American people had finally had enough. McCarthy was censured by the Senate, disgraced and humiliated. He died in 1957.
Fallout Shelters, Movies, Television and Music
• The Five Stars – Atom Bomb Baby
Fear of “The Bomb” Duck-and-Cover
R.A.F.T.• Role: (Sen. Joe McCarthy, a Hollywood director, a
news reporter, a student learning to “duck and cover”, etc.)
• Audience: (depends on your role)• Format: (your choice, ex: news report, diary entry,
letter to the editor, letter to Congress, letter to your parents, etc.)
• Topic: the Red Scare in the United States.
Section 4 – Eisenhower’s Cold War Policies
“More Bang for the Buck” and Massive Retaliation
Nuclear weapons were more cost effective than
conventional military forces.
Brinkmanship – Eisenhower’s willingness to threaten the use of
nuclear weapons in order to contain Communism.
Taiwan and Suez Crisis
The CIA and covert operations in developing nations.
The 1956 - Hungarian Revolt
1957 – Sputnik launched
1960 – U-2 (U.S.)spy plane shot down