Tensions are Rising

Fighting Communism Abroad Brinkmanship – The U.S. would fight communism all over the world until the brink of war. CIA – Central Intelligence Agency – A government agency created to gather strategic information and pursue cold war goals. Covert Wars (Secret Wars): Iran – (1951) Leader Mosaddeq nationalized oil fields from Britain. This is what we know today as BP gas or (British Petroleum). Not wanting to lose this asset, Eisenhower used the CIA to oust Mosaddeq, and put in a pro-American Shah or ruler. It worked. Britain retained control of the oil, and the Shah kept Iran in line with the U.S. Stirred anti-U.S. feelings though. Guatemala – (1954) Newly elected democratic President in Guatemala took unused land from the largest plantations to redistribute it to the poor. This looked to the U.S. like he might be pro-communist. We sent in the CIA to bomb the capital and take him out. It worked and a pro-U.S. leader was put in place. This stirred anti-U.S. sentiment in Latin America.

The Suez Crisis 1956 – Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal. This gave total control of middle east oil exports to Egypt. This means the U.S. and other countries might not get oil from them. Egypt also refused to let any ships with oil go to Israel. Israel got mad and sent a naval force toward the canal. Britain and France backed them up. The Soviet Union backed Egypt and said they would go to war if Israel, France, and Britain didn’t back off. The U.N. called for an immediate cease-fire and for Israel, France, and Britain to leave. They did and the crisis ended. Soviet Union spread their influence to Arab nations. The U.S. looked silly to them, especially after the covert wars. Eisenhower trying to regain influence said we help any country resist communism with military support.

A New Soviet Leader Stalin dies in 1953. Nikita Khrushchev assumes power. In 1956 Khrushchev announces that Stalin had committed many atrocities during his reign. This made people think Khrushchev might not be so bad after all. Poland and Hungary both rose up against him and asked for a democratic government. Khrushchev wouldn’t have that at all. He sent troops to both places, put down the rebellion and executed rebels. The U.S. did not help those countries who wanted to be democratic. The U.S. overall supported Eisenhower though. The U-2 incident – (1960) A U.S. spy plane a U-2 was shot down by the Soviets. The Pilot Francis Powers admitted to spying. Eisenhower did not apologize, but did promise the flights would stop. This angered Khrushchev and the Cold War got hotter.

Brain Break

Things are heating up! Developing the Hydrogen bomb. Both the U.S. and the Soviet Union have developed a Hydrogen bomb. 1950 – an arms race began between the Soviet Union and the U.S. to have the strongest nuclear bomb. 1952 – U.S. test in the Pacific. 10 megatons of dynamite equivalency. (video clip) 1953 – Soviet test in the northern islands of Russia. 50 megatons of dynamite equivalency. Claimed to have 100 megatons, but never detonated it. (Video Clip) Duck and Cover Video Clip. People built fallout shelters and stored food in them just in case. There were survival manuals distributed to people on how to survive after a nuclear attack. See example.

The Cold War at Home National Security Council – created to advise the President on strategic matters. HUAC (House of Un-American Activities Committee) – Group of government officials asked to question and interrogate suspected communists in the government and in Hollywood. Hollywood 10 – 10 film directors and writers that refused to answer the HUAC’s questions. Went to jail. Got blacklisted. Blacklisted – denied work, reputation destroyed, undesired, and cannot be hired in Hollywood again. This went for anyone accused of being a communist or that spoke out against the HUAC. Alger Hiss – accused of being a communist spy by another communist who was caught. When questioned, Hiss’s story was inconsistent. Hiss sued his accuser, and the accuser showed documents he had hid in a pumpkin in his home. These pumpkin papers proved he was a communist and he went to jail for 5 years.

The Cold War at Home Julius and Ethel Rosenberg – accused of giving atomic secrets to the Soviets. They lived as Americans in the suburbs. Seemed normal. Evidence pointed to their traitorous ways, and they were executed; although many believed they were innocent victims of the hysteria. Senator Joseph McCarthy – Wisconsin, claimed to know that communists had infiltrated our government. He claimed to have a list of traitors who worked for the government. He led questioning and interrogations of government officials without ever producing the list or hard evidence. Very few wanted to speak out against him for fear of being accused of being a communist. McCarthy eventually claimed there were communists in the military. He interrogated them on national T.V. and the tide turned. People didn’t believe it. He was asked to show his list, and couldn’t, because he didn’t have one. Game over.

Competition though other means Sputnik – (1957) first satellite launched into space. Soviets were first. It weighed 200 lbs. Sputnik II – (1957) sent up 1 month later with dog on board. Weighed 1000 lbs. 1958 – U.S. launched Explorer I into space, our satellite. The space race began. NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration – created to further our space technology. National Defense Education Act – gave millions of $$$ to schools to improve our understanding of math, science, and foreign languages.