The Beginning of the Cold War After the Allied victory in World War II, it became readily apparent that there was two world powers who would take center stage in how the world runs.

Containment Containment is a term coined by George Kennan, who published an article titled “The Sources of Soviet Conduct,” under the name “X.” Kennan was an American diplomat and was considered the leading expert on the Soviet Union.

Satellite States A satellite state is an independent country that is under the control of a more powerful country. Stalin promised to return lands occupied by Soviet forces after the war; however, many of those countries still remained under Soviet control even after the war. These countries include Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and East Germany.

Iron Curtain “an iron curtain has descended across the Continent.” – Winston Churchill Behind the curtain, the USSR was installing communist governments and police states by crushing political and religious dissent.

Berlin Blockade The blockade stems for Stalin’s plan to capture West Berlin for the USSR. He blockaded all highway, railway, and waterway traffic from western Germany into West Berlin. If Stalin could prevent aid and supplies from reaching West Berlin, the USSR would be able to take control.

Berlin Airlift Although Berlin was blockaded by land and water, it was still accessible through the air. American and British pilots flew 24/7 into West Berlin to deliver supplies such as food, fuel, and other vital supplies.

Truman Doctrine The speech associated with the Truman Doctrine was given on March 12, 1947. Truman promised to aid nations struggling against nations struggling against communist movements and that eventually became known as the Truman Doctrine.

Marshall Plan The Marshall Plan was approved by Congress in 1948 and it allowed the United States to give about $13 billion in grants and loans to nations in Western Europe. The grants and loans were used to buy food, fuel, and medical supplies to Western European countries. There was even money available to help jump-start economic growth. Aid was offered to Soviet satellite states, but Stalin did not allow them to accept the aid.

Who Lost China? After World War II ended, the civil war in China between the Communist and Nationalist parties resumed again. The Nationalists were led by Jiang Jieshi (Chiang Kai-shek) and the Communists were led by Mao Zedong. The United States sent several billion dollars to aid Jiang’s against Mao, but Jiang was defeated in 1949. He fled to Taiwan after his defeat.

Korean War The Korean War started on June 25, 1950 and lasted until July 27, 1953. North Korea’s Kim Il-sung wanted to unite both Koreas and finally received Stalin’s approval to start the conflict in 1950. Communist troops were able to overwhelm South Korean defenses and push US and South Korean forces back to Pusan.

MacArthur’s Gamble MacArthur planned to attack the port city of Inchon, which was well behind enemy lines. After landing, the US forces were supposed to cut off the North Korean retreat and drive the remaining Communist forces back North.

Past the 38th Parallel After routing North Korean forces after the beach landing, MacArthur launched an offensive that stretched to the Yalu River. Truman warned MacArthur to not get China involved in the conflict. MacArthur assured that China would not intervene in the war and continued his advance towards the Yalu River even after Chinese leaders publicly warned the US to not advance near its borders.

MacArthur Fired Chinese forces enter the conflict and push back UN forces past the 38th Parallel. MacArthur wanted to take the war to China and also wanted to use atomic weapons in the war; however, Truman did not approve of his ideas. MacArthur sent a letter to the House Republican leader expressing his disapproval of Truman’s policies. After this letter became public, Truman fired MacArthur for insubordination. However, MacArthur would still return to the US as a national hero.

Eisenhower The Korean War had reached a stalemate by mid 1951 and it became a key issue in the presidential election of 1952. Eisenhower promised to end the war if he was elected, and he did on July 27, 1953.

Eisenhower Doctrine Although Eisenhower accepted much of Truman’s foreign policy, he believed that Truman’s approach dragged the US into an endless series of conflicts begun by the Soviet Union. The Eisenhower Doctrine refers to Eisenhower’s speech on January 5, 1957. Under his doctrine, any Middle Eastern country could request American assistance if threatened by another state. Eisenhower and his secretary of state, John Dulles, created new policies such as massive retaliation and brinkmanship.

Massive Retaliation The policy of massive retaliation is when the United States would respond to communist threats to its allies by threatening to use crushing, overwhelming force. This includes the possibility of even using nuclear weapons.

Brinkmanship “You have to take some chances for peace, just as you must take chances in war.” – John Dulles Dulles believed that only by going to the brink of war could the United States protect its allies, discourage communist aggression, and prevent war.

Mutually Assured Destruction Both the United States and Soviet Union hoped that their stockpiles of nuclear weapons would create mutually assured destruction, which would prevent either country from actually using a nuclear device against the other. This scenario is possible because of the development of ICBMs.

ICBMs Intercontinental ballistic missiles were already being designed by Nazi Germany towards the end of the war and those plans became the building blocks for the rocket programs of the United States and Soviet Union.

Military-Industrial Complex In his farewell speech, Eisenhower warned of a military-industrial complex that may develop in the United States. This refers to the relationship between the military, industry, and legislators. Eisenhower warns of this because of the possibility of “misplaced power” and the influence that the US government plays in the military industry.

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed in 1949. Member nations agreed that “an armed attack against one or more of them…shall be considered an attack against all of them.” This organization was a way to counter possible Soviet expansion.

Warsaw Pact The Warsaw Pact is the USSR equivalent of NATO. It was created as a response to West Germany becoming a member of NATO in 1955. The Warsaw Pact included all of the communist states of Easter Europe except Yugoslavia.