1. The Cold War Expands

2. Immediate Effects of Korean War
37,000 Americans killed
103,000 Americans wounded
Relations with China worsen
Armed forces racially integrated

4. Long-Term Effects Military spending increased
Military commitments increased worldwide
Relations with Japan improved
Future presidents send military into combat without Congressional approval

5. Communist Advances Shock U.S.
Sept 2, 1949 – Scientists discover unusual atmospheric radiation in Alaska
USSR had detonated an atomic weapon
Americans no longer had a monopoly on atomic weaponry
Americans learned of the bomb just before the communist takeover in China

7. Nuclear Arsenals Expand
Truman ordered the development of the H-bomb (1000 x atomic bomb)
John J. Oppenheimer and Albert Einstein opposed the bomb because it would lead to an arms race
The arms race created a program of Mutually Assured Destruction
One country couldn’t fire off a nuke without like retaliation

10. Eisenhower Takes Office
Eisenhower agreed that communism posed a threat to American interests
Eisenhower believed in spending money on stockpiling weapons, planes, and submarines
No more spending on troops, ships, tanks and artillery
Future major wars will be nuclear, he thought

12. Criticism of Ike’s Policies
Downgrading conventional forces would weaken the U.S. defense
Preparing for nuclear war would make such a war more likely

13. Massive Retaliation
The United States would respond to comm. threats or its allies by threatening to use crushing, overwhelming force
Maybe even nuclear weapons
Brinkmanship - only going to the brink of war will deter communists from aggression

15. Eisenhower

16. Stalin’s Death Eases Tensions
March 5, 1953 – Joseph Stalin died
Nikita Khrushchev emerged as the new Soviet head
Khrushchev was not as suspicious or cruel as Stalin
Ike met with Khrushchev in Switzerland, signaling a small move toward peace between the two superpowers