Beginnings of the Cold War The United States and the Soviet Union were allies during WWII, but their different economic systems and interests created an intense rivalry. As World War II ended, these two new superpowers began to compete for power and influence in the world.

Yalta Conference Before the end of WWII, the leaders of the U.S., United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union met to discuss peace terms for Germany. Stalin wanted Germany to remain weak and divided. He also wanted to retain control of Eastern European countries which would serve as a buffer to protect the Soviet Union from invasion by Western powers. President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill wanted free elections in the Eastern European countries to establish democratic governments there.

Decisions at Yalta… The Big Three decided to dismantle Germany’s military industry, prosecute war criminals and provide economic aid to the German people. They also decided to divide Germany into 4 occupation zones controlled by the U.S., Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union. The Soviets pledged to allow free elections in all formerly Nazi- controlled countries.

Potsdam Conference By the time of this conference, Truman had replaced Roosevelt and the war had ended. The Big Three met again to discuss postwar peace. However, each leader came to the conference with personal goals instead of working for the good of the group. At the end of the conference, both Churchill and Truman were suspicious of Stalin’s motives. Stalin did not honor his promise to allow free elections in Eastern Europe. Instead he invaded and established Communist governments in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria. These countries became ‘Satellite’ states. (officially independent, but under political control of an outside government.) The Soviet Union’s goal of gaining allies and spreading communism were threats to the goal of the United states – spread democracy and capitalism. The Soviet Union and the United States became engaged in another war called the Cold War.

The Cold War The Rivalry How they ‘fought’….. Both superpowers competed to expand their influence throughout the rest of the world. It was called a “cold” war because the two countries did not fight each other on a battlefield or attack each other with nuclear weapons. Both countries spied on each other. They spent massive amounts of money to build up their militaries. Competed economically. Stirred up wars and revolutions in other countries that were friendly to their rival. Used propaganda and disinformation to influence public opinion about each other. The Cold War era was one of constant anxiety. Nobody knew where or when the Cold War might suddenly become “hot”.

Containment What policies did the United States adopt in response to the communist threat? The U.S. operated on the theory that if one country became communist, this could influence its neighbors to become communist. This was called the Domino Theory because it pictured a series of countries “falling” to communism one by one – as if they were in a line of dominos. The Domino Theory suggested that the world was in danger of being overrun by communism. The response to this threat by the U.S. was the policy of Containment. The idea of Containment was to not challenge communism where it already existed, but to prevent its spread (contain it) to other countries.

The Truman Doctrine In 1947, President Truman announced that the United States would send economic and military aid wherever it was needed to stop the spread of totalitarian governments. The U.S. would also support anti-communist revolts or rebellions against existing communist governments. Under this doctrine, the United States adopted an aggressive diplomatic mission all around the world.

Truman Doctrine in action…. The Truman Doctrine was developed in response to communist threats in Turkey and Greece. A communist rebel army was in control on Northern Greece. In Turkey, the Soviets threatened to invade the country. The U.S. feared that if these revolutions were successful, Greece and Turkey would fall under Soviet control. The U.S. congress voted to give $400 million to support Greece and Turkey. By 1949, the communists were defeated in both countries.

The Berlin Crisis After the war, East Germany was controlled by the Soviets and West Germany by the Allies. The capital of Berlin (located in East Germany) was split into east and west also with the eastern part of the city under Soviet control and the West under allied control. In an effort to force the Allies out of Berlin, the Soviets shut down all the highways and railroad lines to West Berlin from West Germany. The city was blockaded and could not receive supplies by land. Berlin Airlift – Instead of chancing another war by bringing in troops, the allies decided to airlift supplies to west Berlin. The Berlin Airlift kept the city from starving by bringing in tons of food, clothing, and fuel every day. After 321 days, the Soviets ended the blockade and reopened land routes.

The Marshall Plan One of the first great victories resulting from the Containment policy. The goal of the Marshall Plan was to contain Soviet expansion by developing the economies of Western and Southern Europe. Much of Europe’s economy was destroyed by WWII. The U.S. worried that Europeans would turn to communism as a solution to their economic problems. Secretary of State George Marshall suggested that the U.S. offer more than $13 billion in aid to Europe to help it recover from the devastation of the war. The hope was….. Europe’s economies would be rebuilt by the U.S. and prevent the spread of Communism. Most countries in Southern and Western Europe participated in the program.

From 1948-1951, the U.S. sent aid to Europe. Much of the aid was in the form of food, machines, and other American products. Both Containment and the Marshall Plan were effective in preventing the spread of communism in many parts of Europe. Containment offered military support to countries under communist threat. The Marshall Plan helped Western and Southern Europe return to prewar prosperity.

NATO vs. The Warsaw Pact NATO The Warsaw Pact Fear of Soviet aggression caused 12 Western nations to form a mutual defense pact in 1949. NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They stated that an attack on one member was an attack on all members. In 1955, the Soviet Union and the Communist nations of Eastern Europe organized their own military alliance. The purpose of this pact was to protect eastern Europe from aggression by NATO countries.