 The United States and the Soviet Union became super power rivals.  Knowledge of nuclear weapons caused the two to avoid direct confrontation in open warfare.  Led to frequent conflicts on every continent.

THE UNITED STATES  Supported a system of democracy and free enterprise to spread. THE SOVIET UNION (USSR)  Wanted to see other countries adopt Communism

CategorySoviet CommunismAmerican Democracy Political System Organizations Economic System Religion Individual Rights

 Leader of the Soviet Union  Promised a classless society  helping workers  But created a brutal dictatorship  exercised absolute control  Opponents and critics were sent to gulags in Siberia.  Labor camps

 Roosevelt (USA), Churchill (Britain) and Stalin (USSR) met at Yalta  to discuss Europe after WWII ended  Formed the United Nations  Divided Germany into four occupation zones.  Agreed to allow free elections in the countries they liberated.  Stalin never followed through.

 The Soviets greatly distrusted the West and feared another invasion from the west.  Created a wall of satellite countries as a buffer against future invasions.  No free elections  American knowledge of Atomic power increased tensions.  Trade and contact between eastern and western Europe was cut off.  Created an Iron Curtain.

 US would not attempt to overturn Communism where it already existed  Resolved to prevent it from spreading further.

 Communists threatened Greece and Turkey  President Truman offered these countries military aid.  Did not want to make the same mistake that was made by the appeasers in Munich.

 Secretary of State, George C. Marshall proposed aid be given to the countries of postwar Europe.  Fear that desperate people were attracted to Communism.  Would build strong European allies  Included Germany and Italy  Very successful

Modern Berlin from Space, showing differences  Germany was divided into four occupation zones.  Berlin also divided and located in Soviet Sector  Stalin declared a blockade of West Berlin.

 Western allies would not abandon West Berlin  Began a massive airlift to feed and supply the city.  Lasted about a year.  US and allies would not retreat when met with aggression.

UNITED STATES  North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)  Based on the concept of collective security.  Joined by Western Europe and Canada  Pledged to defend each other. SOVIET UNION  Warsaw Pact  Similar collective security  Joined by the various satellite nations run by communists.

 Americans condemned Soviet acts of force, but never intervened.  Soviets stopped an anti-Communist revolt in Hungary  Erected the Berlin Wall to keep East Germans from escaping  Conquered Czechoslovakia

 China falls to Communism in  Mao Zedong (communist) defeated the Nationalists  Nationalist leaders fled to the island of Taiwan  Truman refused to recognize Communist (Red China) and declared nationalist government in Taiwan as the true China

 Korea divided into two zones at end of WWII  North:  Communist  South:  Democracy  North invades South.  Truman intervenes to support South Korea.  War ends when communists are pushed back into North.

 MacArthur was commander of the U.N. forces.  Disagreed publically about the containment policy  MacArthur wanted to enter North Korea and destroy Communism.  Truman fired Gen. Douglas MacArthur.

 Pledged to end the Korean War.  An armistice was signed in  Left Korea divided exactly as it was before.  “Demilitarized Zone” lies between.  Prisoners of war were swapped.

 The US was originally the only country with atomic power.  The Soviet Union followed four years later.  Both developed the hydrogen bomb within a year of each other.

 American powers decided to rely more on nuclear weapons for defense.  These weapons acted as a deterrent.  Massive Retaliation was cheaper than maintaining a large military force but less flexible.  Could only be justified if a nation’s very survival was at stake.

 Soviets launch an artificial satellite into orbit.  Scared Americans and showed that the USA was scientifically behind the Russians.  Created NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)  American education was restructured to stress science and math.

 Truman’s Loyalty Review Boards  investigated “Un-American activities” particularly Communist involvement  House Un-American Activities Committee  questioned actors, directors, writers, and others about Communist sympathies  Those found guilty were “blacklisted”

 Julius and Ethel Rosenberg  charged with selling national secrets to the Soviet Union.  Found guilty and executed for spying.  1997, the Venona Papers revealed names of several American spies for the Soviet Union. Julius Rosenberg was one of those.

 Senator Joseph McCarthy claimed that he knew of hundreds of Communists working in the government positions.  Created a new Red Scare by raising fears.  After three years of hearings, McCarthy never provided any real proof.  Eventually “censured”  The term “McCarthyism” has become identified with making harsh accusations without evidence.

 John Foster Dulles  Secretary of State.  Dedicated to preventing the spread of Communism.  The Eisenhower Doctrine extended the Truman Doctrine to include the Middle East

 Era experienced great prosperity.  Signed the Interstate Highway Act (1956)  establishing our nations highways.  Originally for defense purposes, it helped interstate commerce and the growth of suburbs.

 Jonas Salk  developed the first vaccine for polio.  Measles vaccine  First heart transplant  Discovery of streptomycin:  an antibiotic to treat tuberculosis.