1. The Cold War

2. New Superpowers WW2 alliances quickly broke apart after 1945
Power structure shifted, with U.S. and Soviet Union as superpowers
Competition for world influence
Arms race between the two nations

3. What is a “Cold” War?
 State of tension and hostility among nations, without armed conflict between major rivals
It was based on ideology – capitalism vs. communism
Each superpower sought influence by means short of actual war

4. Eastern Europe – “Ground Zero” in the Cold War
U.S. & Western European countries distrusted Stalin and disagreed with his goals for Eastern Europe
Stalin’s goals:
Spread communism
Create a “buffer zone” of friendly countries to prevent invasion (satellites)

5. U.S. Response: Containment
Truman Doctrine – help countries under threat of communism
Marshall Plan – aid program; sent billions of $$ to western European countries
U.S. took a leading role in world affairs

7. New Tensions, New Alliances:
NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organization – mostly U.S. and Western European countries
Warsaw Pact – Soviet Union and its satellites
In both alliances, members agreed that an attack on one would be considered an attack on all

8. The “Iron Curtain”
 The Soviet-made barrier that split Europe into 2 parts: * non-communist Western Europe * communist Eastern Europe One example: The Berlin Wall that divided East Berlin and West Berlin

9. On one side of a separate piece of plain white paper (8 ½ x 11), create a one-page visual & written summary of the information you just read. Include the following elements…
A relevant title
Important quotations
Key terms/people (such as the ones underlined in the reading)
Verbal and visual information – words, pictures, symbols
Fill up the entire page and use color!