U.S. History Unit 5: The Beginning of the Cold War

1945-1960

THE BIG IDEA

After WWII, the U.S. strongly opposed communism around the world and here at home. This opposition

led to fear and war.

I. What was it about?

A. USSR vs. U.S. - 45 yr “war of words”

1. Democracy (D) vs. Communism (C)

B. How are D and C different?

1. Economy

a) D –all have a chance to succeed or fail (capitalism)

b) D– laissez-faire

c) C-- gov’t controlled economy d) C – protects all from failure

e) C – the goal: a CLASSLESS society

f) C – profit, competition rejected

II. How did the Cold War start?

A. 1945 - What to do with Germany?

1. G divided into 4 zones

a) US, Fr, Br, and USSR

2. Berlin divided same way

B. The Berlin Airlift

1. 1948 - USSR blocks traffic into W. Berlin

2. U.S. planes dropped 400,000 tons of supplies into W. Berlin

3. 1949 – USSR ends blockade

The Berlin Airlift

C. 1946 - Iron Curtain Divides Europe

1. USSR wanted protection

2. influenced neighboring countries to become communist

D. Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” speech“A shadow has fallen upon the scenes lighted by the Allied victory.

Nobody knows what Soviet Russia and its communists intend

to do in the future or what are the limits, if any to their explosive

tendencies. I believe an “iron curtain” has descended across Europe.”

~ Winston Churchill, 1946

III. The Truman Doctrine: Containment

A. Goal: Stop the spread of communism“I believe that it must be the policy of the U.S. to support freedom. I believe that

our help should be primarily through economic aid which can help bring stability and order.” ~ President Truman, 1947

1. The Marshall Plan

a) $13.4 billion to 17 European countries rebuilding after

WWII

b) much $$ to Greece, Turkey “The United States contributed $341,000,000,000 toward winning

World War II. This is an investment in world freedom and world peace. The assistance that I am recommending for Greece and Turkey amounts to little more than 1 tenth of 1 per cent of this investment. It is only common sense that we should safeguard this investment and make sure that it was not in vain.”

~ President Truman, 1947

B. The Korean War

1. Korea – controlled by J in WWII

2. 1946 - divided at 38th parallel

3. N.Korea- USSR (C)

4. S.Korea- U.S. (D)

5. 1949 – China becomes C

6. 1950 – N.Korea invades S.Korea

7. Truman asks for UN support of S.Korea

8. UN peacekeepers, pushed to Pusan Perimeter

9. US troops led by U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur, land at Inchon, push N.Korea back to 38th parallel

10. China helping the North?

11. MacArthur - advance into China

12. 1951 - Truman fires MacArthur

13.Truman orders retreat from N. Korea

14.1953 – armistice signed

15. 38th parallel still divides Korea

16. 37,000 U.S. deaths

17. Lesson learned: limited war = containment of enemy

The Korean War Memorial, Washington DC

IV. The Cold War in the U.S.A. Fear of C

1. Congress – not soft on C!a) 1947 - House Un-American

Activities Committee (HUAC)

1) targeted C in Hollywood

2) 10 jailed for refusing to testify – “Hollywood 10”

3) Hollywood movies became

controlled, diluted

2. The Joseph McCarthy Era (1952-54)a) ran as “tough on C”b) claimed he had a list of 205 C in U.S. gov’tc) blamed Sen. George Marshall for China becoming Cd) lots of Newspapers sold!e) other Congressmen joined McCarthy

3. McCarthy’s Falla) Edward R. Murrow, journalistb) Army Hearings – McCarthy says Army lawyer is a C

“Until this moment Senator McCarthy, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness. I like to think that I am a gentleman, but your forgiveness will have to come from someone other than me. You have done enough. Have you non sense of decency sir? Have you no sense of decency?”

~ Joseph Welch, Army Lawyer

c) McCarthy slowly loses credibility

4. McCarthy’s Impacta) fear of C grew b) silenced critics of gov’tc) controlled thought

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_uTbVfDtgI

U.S. History Unit 6: The Cold War and Kennedy

1960-1963

THE BIG IDEAJohn F. Kennedy’s presidency was inspiring to many and the Cold War took

a tense turn for the worse.

I. The Cold War Around the World

A. Nuclear Arms Race begins

1. 1948 – USSR has nuclear weapons

2. 1954 - Hydrogen bomb tested

B. 1957 - USSR Launches Sputnik

1.USSR wins the “space race”

2. Americans panic

3. Pres. Eisenhower NASA and Sci Ed funding

C. 1960 - Kennedy Elected President 1. JFK narrowly defeats Nixon

a) “Camelot”

- JFK + Jackie are stylish, classy,

“prince + princess”

b) JFK promises to “send man to the moon”

- space exploration begins, moon

landing in 1969

D. 1961 -The Bay of Pigs Fiasco

1. JFK and CIA plan to assassinate Fidel Castro (C leader

of Cuba)

2. Attempt fails - Castro’s

military defends him

3. JFK, CIA, U.S. embarrassed

“Duck and Cover!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UVH8YRXsqo

E. The Berlin Crisis

1. 1961 – 200,000 E. Germans escaped from E. Germany to W. Berlin

2. Aug 13 1961 – Berlin wall is built around W. Berlin

“A wall is a lot better than a war.” John F. Kennedy

3. Kennedy pledges support of W. Berlin

“There are many people in the world who really don’t understand…the great issue between the free world and the communist world. Let them come to Berlin. There are some who say that communism is the wave of the future. Let them come to Berlin. And there are some who say in Europe and elsewhere we can work with the communists. Let them come to Berlin.”

John F. Kennedy

“I am a Berliner” Speech

June 26, 1963

F. The Cuban Missile Crisis1. 1962 - U.S. spy photos = USSR nuclear missiles in Cuba, Khrushchev confirms 2. JFK - naval blockade of Cuba3. USSR and U.S. ships meet at Cuban blockade line4. Attorney Gen. Bobby Kennedy meets

w/ USSR ambassador5. Agreement Reached:

a) USSR will remove missiles if …b) U.S. will stay out of Cuba,

and remove missiles in Turkeyc) USSR cannot publicize agreement

6. Effects of the Cuban Missile Crisis

a) closest ever to nuclear war

b) US/USSR hotline

c) US/USSR/Br sign Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty – ends nuclear testing

F. JFK is Assassinated

1. Nov 22, 1963 – JFK makes campaign trip to Dallas, TX

2. Warren Commission – Lee Harvey Oswald, lone assassin

3. Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson

4. Oswald shot 2 days

later by Jack Ruby

5. JFK’s funeral live

on television

U.S. History Unit 9:The End of the Cold War to Today

1975-2009

The Big IdeaWith the collapse of the USSR in 1991, the Cold War ended and

the U.S. was seen as the world’s lone superpower. But on September 11, 2001 terrorists struck the U.S. bringing new fear

and war.

I. 1976 - President Jimmy Carter

A. Cold War – calm but still exists

B. Troubles with Iran

1. Iranian Islamic Revolution

a) Iran becomes isolated

b) cuts off oil exports

c) Gas prices in U.S. U.S. economy

d) American Embassy in Iran under attack

e) 52 US hostages taken

f) Carter unable to solve crisis

g) Carter very unpopular

II. 1980 - President Ronald Reagan – Conservative

A. Reagan - Very Popular President

1. “The Great Communicator”

2. “Reaganomics”

a) Cut Taxes – mostly for wealthy

b) trickle-down theory

III. Reagan’s Plan to End the Cold War

A. 1984 – Pres. Reagan is re-elected

1) Largest landslide victory in U.S. history

B. 1984 -- Olympics

1) Los Angeles host – boycotted by USSR

C. Late 1980’s -- U.S. Winning the Cold War

1) USSR economy , U.S. economy

2) Pres. Reagan’s military spending

a) 1980 – $150 billion

b) 1988 – $300 billion

3) USSR couldn’t keep up w/spending

4) U.S. fell into debt

a)1980 – $80 billion in debt

b)1990 – $220 billion

D. Reagan and USSR Leader Mikhail Gorbachev

1) First positive relations b/t USSR and U.S. leaders

2) Gorbachev agrees to allow some freedom

a) glasnost – some political freedom

b) perestroika – some economic freedom

IV. 1988 – Pres. George H.W. Bush - the Fall of USSR

A. Communism falls across E.Europe

1) 1989 –Poland, Czech, Romania, etc rebel, democratic hold elections

2) Leader of E. Ger allows E. Berliners to move to W. Berlin

3) Berlin Wall is torn down

4) 1990 – E and W Ger unify = dem gov’t

5) 1991 – USSR Republics hold elections, become independent

6) USSR no longer exists –

Cold War Ends

V. 1991 - Pres. H.W. Bush – Persian Gulf War

A. Iraq attacks Kuwait

B. “Operation Desert Storm”

1. Goal: to remove Iraq from Kuwait

2. total casualties: U.S. = 148, Iraq= 20,000

Saddam Hussein

VI. 1992 – Pres. Bill Clinton – Success and Scandal

A. “Pax Americana” – peace and prosperity

1. Thriving Economy

2. Balanced U.S. Budget

3. Stock Market SuccessSTOCK MARKET

FEDERAL DEFICIT

B. Pres Clinton Impeachment Scandal

1) 1998 – Clinton impeached by Congress for lying

under oath, obstruction of justice

2) intense polarization and partisanship

3) not forced out of office

The Clinton Legacy

VII. 2000 Presidential Election

A. George W. Bush vs. Al Gore

1. Gore wins popular vote

2. Florida is disputed

3. Supreme Ct - Bush wins Florida by 537 votes

4. Bush wins electoral vote

Electoral Vote Popular Vote

Bush 271 50,456,169

Gore 266 50,996,116

VIII. The War in IraqA. How did it start?

1. September 11, 2001 = fear a) The War on Terrorism begins b) War in Afghanistan – Taliban provided safe harbor for Al-Queda + Osama Bin Laden c) Iraq is suspicious

- possible Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD’s) in Iraq?

- are the United Nations WMD inspections in Iraq reliable?- Saddam Hussein can’t be trusted

2. 2003 – The war begins

a) “Shock and Awe”

b) Dec 2003 -- Saddam Hussein captured “like a rat in a hole”

3. April 2004 - “Mission Accomplished”

a) Except - No WMDs? No stable gov’t?

4. Mission Accomplished?

a) Civil War

1. Iraq’s Islamic Ethnic Groups fighting for control of country

- “The Triangle of Death”

- Sunnis, Shiites, Kurds

- Sunnis had the power under Saddam

- Shiites want the power now

2. Guerilla Warfare, IED’s

b) Iraq’s new democracy struggled to provide order and security

c) Iraqi soldiers targeted, uncommitted

d) Increased American Frustration

– Still no WMD’s?– Americans Killed = 4,279– http://www.npr.org/news/specials/tollofwar/tollofwarmain.html

- Abu-Ghraib Prison Torture Scandal – Bush’s approval rating=under 30%– New Plan: Troop surge to secure Baghdad

e) What about other threats?

-- Iran? North Korea? Venezuela?Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Iran

Kim Jong Il in North Korea

f) When will it end?

- When Iraqi gov’t achieves democratic stability without the need for U.S.

troops