Two Nations Live on Edge 18 - 4

Main Idea: During the 1950s, the US and the Soviet Union came to the brink of nuclear war.

Why it Matters Now: The Cold War continued into the following decades, affecting US foreign policy in Cuba, Central America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.

Intro: The fear of nuclear attack was a direct result of the Cold War. After the Soviet Union developed their atomic bomb, the two superpowers started an arms race that increased both the number and the destructive power of weapons.

Brinkmanship rules US Policy Each country’s arms race encouraged the other to build more and better weaponry. The H-Bomb was the next step. The US also created a policy that we let everyone know that we were willing to go to the edge of all-out war to prevent the spread of communism. Fear of nuclear war was a constant in American life for the next 30 years.

The Cold War Spreads Around the World The CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) was formed to send spies around the world to gather information. It also carried out secret operations to weaken or overthrow governments unfriendly to the US.

The Cold War Spreads Around the World Covert Actions in the Middle East and Latin America: In Iran, we helped create a coup to get rid of the leader we didn’t like and put the Shah back in power. In Guatemala, we helped get rid of a communist leader and put a dictator in his place.

The Cold War Spreads Around the World In 1955, West Germany was allowed to rearm itself, and it joined NATO. The Soviets feared a stronger Germany, so they formed the Warsaw Pact, a military alliance, to protect themselves and their allies.

The Cold War Spreads Around the World In 1955 in Egypt, the Egyptians seized control of the canal that had been held by the British and French. The Soviet Union supported the Egyptians in their takeover of the canal. The US then created the Eisenhower Doctrine, which said that the US would defend the middle East against an attack by any communist country.

The Cold War Spreads Around the World A revolt began in Hungary against the Communist leadership in the country. They wanted a democracy. The Soviets sent in troops who brutally put down the revolt. The US had promised to help the Hungarians, but we didn’t because we were afraid of all-out war.

The Cold War Takes to the Skies The US and the Soviet Union expanded their Cold War race with the Space Race after the Soviets launched their satellite, Sputnik, in 1957. Spies also took to the skies. One of our U-2 planes was shot down over the Soviet Union, causing supreme embarrassment and increased tensions between the two countries as the 1960s began.