The Cold War

I. Suspicious Minds American leaders and Joseph Stalin became very suspicious of each other after the war. B. Why 1. Stalin was once an ally of Hitler 2. The U.S. delayed in attacking Germany 3. U.S. secretly developed the atomic bomb

II. The Cold War A. These suspicions led to a state of political and military tension between the US and Soviet Union in the decades following WWII.

II. The United Nations An international organization designed to promote peace and prosperity. The US and Soviet Union attempted to spread their influence in this organization.

III. Potsdam A. Stalin had promised to hold free elections in acquired territories, but would he?

III. Potsdam A. Stalin had promised to hold free elections in acquired territories, but would he? B. No he installed communist governments and outlawed democratic parties in what became known as the satellite nations.

IV. Containment The US adopted a policy of containment towards communism. This meant that the US would take measures to prevent any extension of communist rule to other countries.

C. The US agreed to help Greece and Turkey economically in order to avoid the spread of communism to those two nations. D. President Truman declared that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting Communism, which became known as the Truman Doctrine.

V. The Marshall Plan The United States spend billions of dollars to support the European economies. It was believed that nations with strong economies would be less attracted to communism.