 June 1945, 50 nations formed the United Nations—international organization  All members represented in General Assembly; 11 on Security Council  Five permanent members have Security Council veto power

 U.S. and Soviets split sharply after WWII ends  U.S. was (and still is) world’s richest and most powerful country after WWII  Soviets were recovering from high war casualties and many destroyed cities

 Soviets controlled Eastern European countries after World War II  Stalin installed Communist governments in several countries  Truman urged free elections but Stalin refuses  In 1946, Stalin said capitalism and communism cannot co-exist  Germany divided; East Germany - Communist, West Germany - Democratic  Iron Curtain—Winston Churchill’s name for the division of Europe

 Containment—U.S. plan to stop the spread of communism  Truman Doctrine—U.S. supported countries that rejected communism  Congress approved Truman’s request for aid to Greece and Turkey  Much of Western Europe was in ruins after World War II  Marshall Plan—U.S. program of assisting Western European countries  Congress approved plan after Communist takeover of Czechoslovakia

 In 1948, U.S., Britain, France withdrew forces from West Germany  Berlin Blockade - Soviets stopped land and water traffic and trade into West Berlin  West Berlin, which was located in Soviet occupation zone, faced starvation  U.S. and Britain flew in supplies for 11 months until the blockade ended

 Cold War—struggle of U.S., Soviet Union using means short of war  In 1949, U.S., Canada, West European countries form NATO  NATO—North Atlantic Treaty Organization was a defensive military alliance  In 1955, Soviets, Eastern European nations signed Warsaw Pact alliance  In 1961, Soviets built Berlin Wall to separate East and West Berlin

 Soviet Union exploded its first atomic bomb in 1949  U.S. and Soviet Union both developed more powerful hydrogen bomb (nuclear proliferation – building more nuclear weapons)  Brinkmanship—policy of willingness to go to the edge of war  Increasing tensions led to military buildup by U.S. and Soviets  In October 1957, Soviets launched Sputnik, first unmanned satellite  Launching of Sputnik caused U.S. to spend more money on education and technology and to develop more rigorous science and math programs  In 1960, Soviets shot down American spy plane, increasing tensions

 •Mao Zedong—led Chinese Communists against Japanese invaders  Jiang Jieshi (Chiang Kai-shek)—leader of Chinese Nationalists in World War II; lost support because he ignored the needs of the peasants  Nationalist and Communist Chinese resume civil war after WWII ends  Mao’s troops took control of China’s major cities  In 1949, People’s Republic of China created; Nationalists migrated to Taiwan

 Mao took property from landowners and divided it among peasants  Government seized private companies and planned production increase  The Great Leap Forward established communes—large collective farms often supporting over 25,000 people  Program is ended after inefficiency led to crop failures and famines

 Red Guards—militia units formed to enforce strict communism in China  Cultural Revolution—movement to build society of peasants and workers  Red Guards closed schools and executed or imprisoned many intellectuals  In 1968, Chinese army imprisoned, executed, or exiled most of the Red Guards

 38th parallel—line dividing Korea into North Korea and South Korea  In 1950, North Koreans invaded South Korea with Soviet support  South Korea requested UN assistance; 15 nations send troops  Douglas MacArthur—led UN forces against North Koreans  North Koreans controlled most of peninsula when MacArthur attacks  Half of the North’s army surrendered, the rest retreated  UN troops pushed North Koreans almost to Chinese border  Chinese sent 300,000 troops against UN forces and captured Seoul  MacArthur called for nuclear attack and is removed from command  In 1953, cease fire signed and border established at 38th parallel

 Ho Chi Minh—Vietnamese Communist leader  In 1954, French surrendered to Vietnamese after major defeat  Domino theory—U.S. theory of Communist expansion in Southeast Asia; one nation falls, the rest will follow  International peace conference agreed on a divided Vietnam  Ngo Dinh Diem—led anti-Communist government in South Vietnam  Vietcong—South Vietnamese Communist guerillas who fought against Diem

 In 1964, U.S. sent troops to fight Vietcong and North Vietnamese  U.S. fought guerilla war  Vietcong gained support from Ho Chi Minh, China, Soviet Union  War grew unpopular in U.S.; in 1969, Nixon starts withdrawing troops  Vietnamization—Nixon’s plan to withdraw U.S. from war gradually  Last U.S. troops left in 1973; South Vietnam was overrun in 1975

 Saigon renamed Ho Chi Minh City; Vietnam united as Communist nation  About 1.5 million people fled Vietnam; some settled in U.S., Canada  In 1995, United States normalized relations with Vietnam

 Khmer Rouge—Communist rebels who took control of Cambodia in 1975; led by Pol Pot  Attempts at agricultural reform led to widespread famine  Arbitrary executions and torture carried out by its cadres against perceived subversive elements  Purged their own ranks  They slaughtered 2 million people; Khmer Rouge is overthrown by pro- Communist, but moderate Vietnamese invaders  In 1993, Cambodia adopted democracy, held elections with UN help

 U.S., Soviet Union, China competed for influence over Third World by backing revolutions and giving economic, military, technical aid  Third World—developing nations; often newly independent, nonaligned  Nonaligned nations (nonalignment)—independent countries not involved in Cold War  Many countries, like India, wanted to avoid involvement in Cold War

 Fidel Castro—led a revolt in Cuba against dictator (Batista) who was supported by U.S.  In 1959, Castro gained power, nationalized economy, and seized U.S. property  Bay of Pigs Invasion - In 1961, Castro’s forces defeated U.S.-trained Cuban exiles at Bay of Pigs; CIA trained these Cubans but they failed to assassinate Castro  Cuban Missile Crisis - In 1962, U.S. demanded the removal of Soviet missiles in Cuba; Soviets withdrew missiles and U.S. promised not to invade Cuba; nuclear war was averted