Chapter 17 – Restructuring the Postwar World (1945-Present) Section 1 – Cold War: Superpowers Face Off Main Idea: The opposing economic and political philosophies of the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. led to global competition Why It Matters Now: The conflicts between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. played a major role in the reshaping the modern world
Allies Become Enemies Soviet Union and U.S. upset with each other after WWII – Both have different needs after the war
Allies cont…… Yalta Conference in 1945 – Breaks up Germany into zones controlled by Allies – Germany has to pay Soviets – Stalin promises free elections in Eastern Europe United Nations (UN created in 1945) – U.S., Soviets and 48 other nations joined together – Created to protect members from aggression – 5 permanent members (US, Britain, China, France, USSR)
Eastern Europe’s Iron Curtain Stalin ignored Yalta and created his own “buffer” of communist states Potsdam Conference in late 1945 between Truman, Stalin and Churchill – Truman mad about no free elections Stalin laughed at him knowing it will never happen Iron Curtain – Separation between democratic Western Europe and Communist Eastern Europe curtain.wav How can we help stop the spread of Communism?
U.S. Tries to Contain Soviets President Truman adopts policy called CONTAINMENT – Policy to try and block expansion of communism Use money, power, anything to help countries – Truman Doctrine gives support to countries who reject communism $400 million in aid to Turkey and Greece
US cont…….. – Marshal Plan was an assistance program to Europe Provided food, machinery and other building supports – $12.5 billion in aid to Europe – Berlin Airlift US sent aid into Communist controlled Berlin aMng4&feature=related
Cold War Divides the World COLD WAR- struggle over political differences carried on by means short of military action – NATO formed in 1949 US aligned countries – Warsaw Pact- formed in 1955 Soviet aligned countries Both countries had atomic weapons so U.S. created H-bomb Countries then turn towards the “Space Race”