1. The Early Cold War Years
Learning Target:
Explain how the United States struggled to fight Communist aggression in Europe and Asia.

2. What do you think was the most significant cause of the Cold War? Why?

3. Containing Communism
George Kennan : “The Soviet system (communism) will fall apart if the United States can keep the Soviets from expanding their power.”– Long Tellegram
Containment: keeping Communism within its present territory through diplomatic, economic, and military action
Containment Doctrine

4. Crisis in Iran
During WWII, the U.S. had troops in southern Iran and the Soviets had troops in northern Iran.
Soviets failed to remove troops after the war ended
Soviets began to demand access to Iran’s oil
Soviets helped Communists in N. Iran establish a separate government
U.S. threatened military use if Soviets did not withdraw

6. The Truman Doctrine March 12, 1947
Truman asked Congress for $400 million to fight Communism in Turkey and Greece
Provide aid to “free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures”

8. The Marshall Plan
June 1947
Aid to European countries to rebuild their economies
To combat hunger, poverty, desperation, and chaos
Western Europe’s recovery weakened the appeal of communism

9. The Berlin Crisis
West Germany and West Berlin were created by the U.S., France, and Great Britain merging their zones
The Soviets blocked Berlin to the Allies
Truman ordered the Berlin Airlift
NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Mutual defense alliance
U.S., Canada, Britain, France, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Portugal, the Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, and Iceland (West Germany, Greece, Turkey)
Warsaw Pact – Eastern European answer to NATO
Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania

10. The Berlin Division

11. The Cold War Spreads to East Asia
Mao Zedong, Chinese – Communist
Chiang Kai-shek, Chinese – Nationalist
U.S. sent Nationalist government $2 billion in aid
People’s Republic of China formed in October 1949
Chinese Nationalists fled to Taiwan
Soviets and PR of C signed treaty
U.S. turned attention to Japan to help stabilize economy and government

12. China and Taiwan

13. The Korean War
Korea divided at 38th parallel with Soviets controlling north and U.S. the south during WWII
After the war, Soviets supported a communist north Korean government
June 25, 1950 the north Korean military crossed into south Korea
Direct violation of the Truman Doctrine

14. The Korean War continued
With support from U.N., Truman ordered troops to Korea led by General MacArthur
MacArthur pushed the N. Korean troops close to the Chinese border
Chinese troops pushed into Korea and MacArthur asked to go into China – threatened use of atomic bomb
Truman fired MacArthur and remained committed to a limited war

15. Korean War Ends
Armistice signed July 1953 – border settled on 38th parallel
33,600 American soldiers killed in action
2,800 died from accident or disease
Korean War forced America to embark on a military buildup