The Cold War US History
Changes in the Cold War 1949-1954 Loss of China Civil War – Communists (Mao Zedong) v. Nationalists (Chang Kai-Shek) US Offers Financial Assistance to Nationalists Communists Win the Revolution Americans are shocked at the loss of such a big territory to communism; significant failure of containment under President Truman
Changes in the Cold War 1949-1954 USSR Gets the Atomic Bomb (1949) Americans are frightened Sets off a decades long arms race
Changes in the Cold War 1949-1954 Spy Cases Klaus Fuchs – leaked atomic secrets to USSR Rosenbergs – executed for leaking atomic secrets to USSR
Changes in the Cold War 1949-1954 Crash Course #37 9:18-12:50 Hysteria Americans are frightened by world events and government propaganda
Changes in the Cold War 1949-1954 Second Red Scare / McCarthyism America begins to hunt for communists in the society Government workers Labor unions Hollywood Senator Joe McCarthy becomes the leader of the Red Scare
Changes in the Cold War 1949-1954
Korean War 1950-1953 Korean War Communist North Korea invades non-communist South Korea America (UN) intervenes to contain communism
Korean War 1950-1953
Sputnik 1957 Monkey US Reaction Fear / panic Heavy investment in science, math, technology Space Race $ to schools – National Defense Education Act
Sputnik 1957 Monkey
Cuba, Castro, and JFK US & Cuba Fidel Castro Bay of Pigs Cuban Missile Crisis Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
Vietnam War Vietnam War Escalation Anti War Movement War Powers Act
President Nixon’s Cold War (1969-1974) Vietnamization Leaves Vietnam (73) Détente China (72) USSR (72) SALT TREATY
Watergate Watergate Pentagon Papers Enemies List Break In (1972) Cover-up Tapes US v. Nixon Resignation (1974) Pardon
Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) – First Term Tough Talk Military Buildup Star Wars (SDI)
Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) – Second Term Negotiation Mikhail Gorbachev Arms Summits
The End of the Cold War (1988 – 1991) Gorbachev Perestroika Glasnost Eastern European Revolutions Fall of Berlin Wall Reunification of Germany
Dissolution of the USSR (1991) In 1991, the USSR dissolves into 15 separate countries. (CC #43 9:45 to end)