1. American History Chapter 19: The Cold War
I. Origins of the Cold War

2. Bell Ringer What is a “cold” war? What makes a war cold and not hot?
What made it a war?

3. Objectives Learn why 1945 was a critical year in US foreign relations.
Discover some of the postwar goals of the US and USSR.
Find out how the iron curtain tightened the Soviet hold over Eastern Europe.
See how the Truman Doctrine complemented the policy of containment.
Setting the scene page 636

4. A) 1945 – A Critical Year Before the war – US and USSR not friendly
At Yalta – Poland big issue – Democracies wanted the prewar government back – Stalin wanted a communist government – finally promised elections in Poland
1945 San Francisco – UN created
Potsdam Conference – (Attlee) Truman wants elections in Poland – Stalin wants war reparations
Stalin told about atomic bomb

5. B) Conflicting Postwar Goals
Quote page 638
US wanted an open democratic world
USSR wanted to protect its interests (17mil)
Satellite nations: countries subject to Soviet domination, on the western borders of the USSR that would serve as a buffer zone against attacks
Stalin promoted communism abroad

6. C) Soviets Tighten Their Hold
Soviet Union gave elections in Poland 2 years later – had eliminated the opposition
Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Romania all become communist.
Stalin did not want a strong Germany – kept East German separate and communist
Finland able to remain neutral and Yugoslavia become communist but independent of Stalin

7. D) The Iron Curtain
Stalin gave a speech in 1946 that said ultimately communism will triumph around the world
Churchill responded in Mississippi – coined the phrase – called on US to help keep the world safe from an “iron curtain”
Iron curtain: communist domination and oppression
Cold War: competition that developed between the US and USSR for power and influence in the world
Political conflict, economic conflict and military tensions.

8. E) Containment
Containment – called for US to resist Soviet attempts to form Communist government elsewhere
What if we try to eliminate communism?
George Kennan – communism will eventually crumble

9. F) The Truman Doctrine USSR wanted Turkey and Greece
1947 Britain announced it could not afford it
Quote page 642
5) Truman Doctrine: called for the US to take a world leadership role, and declared that the US would support nations threatened by communism

10. Review Why was 1945 a critical year in the US foreign relations?
What were the postwar goals of the US and USSR?
How did the iron curtain tighten the Soviet Union’s hold over Eastern Europe?
How did the Truman Doctrine complement the policy of containment?