Containment, NATO, Berlin Airlift

Warm-up Imagine that you shared a room with a brother or sister. How would you prevent them from taking all of your stuff?

Vocabulary Hard Power: power gained from the use of military or economic force that is used to influence the behavior of other countries Soft Power: power gained from the attractiveness of a country’s culture, political ideals or policies.

Examples: Which are soft power which are hard power? Ex. The United States says that it will invade Mexico if Mexico does not stop trading with China. Ex. The spread of McDonalds around the world has spread American culture and makes people want to come to the United States. Ex. The United Nations will give Iran economic sanctions (make it very hard for them to trade with anyone) if it tries to make nuclear weapons. Ex. The United States was able to get Russia to sign a nuclear arms deal because the U.S. seemed to show a good faith effort in truly reducing nuclear weapons.

Map of Europe at the start of the cold War Which countries do you think the Soviet Union would try to control first? Why?

Map of the World after WWII China officially became a Communist Country in 1948.

Strategies to stop Soviet Expansion Containment: foreign policy used by the United States to limit the spread of Communism around the world. Truman Doctrine: Truman’s plan to provide economic aid to help foreign countries fight communism. Formation of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization): 11 countries led by the U.S. formed a military alliance to defend themselves against the Soviet Union. They hoped this would offer a deterrent to the Soviet Union.

NATO vs. the Warsaw pact

Berlin Airlift Germany was split between the UK, France, the USA and Soviet Union after WWII (Berlin was split into Eastern and Western Berlin). The UK, US, and France wanted to join their parts of Germany together and create a unified country of West Germany. This angered the Soviet Union and they blocked off all highway and rail traffic between West Berlin and Western Europe.

Berlin Airlift continued West Berlin was starving without supplies from the West so the U.S decided to fly supplies into the city instead of confronting the Soviet Union directly (June 1948). They brought food and supplies. The effort was massive. Planes landed in Berlin every minute for weeks.

Berlin Airlift

Guided Reading You will read either about Containment or NATO. Half your group will read about Containment and half about NATO. Answer the reading questions at the bottom. In addition, write a two sentence summary of the reading. Share that summary and the answers to the questions with your group- mates.

Exit Slip Complete all five questions of your exit slip. Makes sure to get your sheet stamped after you are done.