Two Nations Live on the Edge Cold War Conflicts Two Nations Live on the Edge

Brinkmanship Rules Policy Brinkmanship: The willingness of our nation to go to all out war; practice of threatening an enemy retaliation for any aggression The nuclear arms race Dwight Eisenhower becomes president by the time both US and Soviet Union develop new nuclear weapons

Eisenhower

Race for the H-Bomb Scientists who created the atom bomb suspected there was an even more destructive weapon The Hydrogen Bomb: One million tons of TNT 67 times the power of the atomic bomb Race to see who could develop it first November 1, 1952… Americans August, 1953…Soviets

The H-Bomb

The Policy of Brinkmanship John Foster Dulles: Secretary of State Staunch anti-Communist Adopted the foreign policy of brinkmanship Trimmed army and navy; expanded air force and nuclear weapon buildup Threat of nuclear attack was frightening Duck and cover videos Air-raid procedures Fall-out shelters

Duck and Cover

Cold War Spreads Around the World Central Intelligence Agency: Created to gather secret information about foreign governments Covert Actions in the Middle East 1951, Iran’s prime minister nationalized Iran’s oil fields Placed formerly private industries (owned by Great Britain) under Iranian control British protest and boycott Iranian oil Iranian economy worsens; fearful they would turn to Soviets CIA gave money to anti-Mossadegh supporters who overthrew gov’t and turned back over control of oil fields

Map of Middle East

Cold War Spreads Around the World continued… Covert Actions in Latin America Eisenhower believed the Guatemalan government had communist sympathies Given more than 200,000 acres of American-owned land to peasants CIA trained an army to invade Guatemalan army wouldn’t defend president; he resigned Army’s leader eventually became dictator

Map of Central America

Warsaw Pact Stalin died in 1953; tensions seems to thaw Soviets recognize West Germany Concluded peace treaties with Austria and Japan In 1955, West Germany is allowed to rearm and join NATO Soviets, fearful, formed the Warsaw Pact: a military alliance with seven Eastern European countries.

Warsaw Pact continued…

Summit in Geneva 1955, Eisenhower traveled to Geneva to meet with Soviet Leaders Eisenhower put forth an “open skies” proposal US and Soviet Union would allow flights over each other’s territory to guard against surprise nuclear attacks Soviets rejected, but “spirit of Geneva” prevailed as a step toward peace

The Suez War 1955, Great Britain and US agreed to help Egypt finance construction of a dam on the Nile River Egypt’s head of government tried play Soviets and Americans against each other After learning the Egyptians were making such deals, Dulles withdrew the loan Egypt nationalized the Suez canal (owned by France and Great Britain)

The Suez War continued… Egyptian control of the canal also affected Israel Refused to let ships bound for Israel pass through the canal, even though it was supposed to be open to all nations Israel, Great Britain and France sent troops and seized the Mediterranean end of the canal UN stepped in; GB, France and Israel withdraw and Egypt maintains control of the canal

Suez War continued…

The Eisenhower Doctrine The Soviet Union’s prestige rose in the Middle East because of its support for Egypt To counterbalance this development, Eisenhower issued a warning in Jan 1957 Eisenhower Doctrine: The United States would defend the Middle East against an attack by any communist country

The Hungarian Uprising Dominated by the Soviet Union since the end of World War II Hungarians rose in revolt for a democratic government Imre Nagy formed a new government, promised free elections, denounced the Warsaw Pact and demanded Soviet troops leave Hungary Soviet response was swift and brutal

Hungarian Uprising continued… Soviet tanks rolled into Hungary Killed 30,000 Hungarians Hungarians fought back; armed with pistols and bottles; threw up barricades Soviets overthrew Nagy government; executed 200,000 Hungarians fled Truman Doctrine promised to support free peoples who resisted communism; US did nothing

The Hungarian Uprising continued…

Cold War Takes to the Skies Nikita Khrushchev Believed communism would take over world Could triumph peacefully Space Race Competition for international prestige October 1957, Sputnik World’s first artificial satellite Traveled around the earth at 18,000 mph Soviets won; Americans shocked

The Space Race

Khrushchev

U-2 Incident After the open-skies suggestion was rejected, the CIA began making secret, high altitude flights over Soviet territory U-2 could fly at high altitudes without detection, take pictures of troop movement and missile sites Another summit suggested for arms race and to stop the U2s. Decided to stop after one last flight Francis Gary Powers: U2 pilot Soviet pilot shot him down Sentenced to ten years in a Soviet prison Renewed confrontation; Khrushchev called off summit: U2 Incident

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