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The Cold War
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QUICKWRITE How is being “cold” to someone different than fighting them?
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Cold War 1946-1990 Era of confrontation between the Soviet Union and the United States
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Events that led to the Cold War Disagreement over Germany Soviets’ refusal to honor Declaration of Liberated Europe (Yalta Conference) Soviet actions in Poland: no intention of holding free elections Potsdam Conference: Soviets reluctant to accept US demands; felt bullied by successful a-bomb testing Communist victory in China Differences & tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union
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The Iron Curtain
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Soviet Views vs. American Views SECURITY 1.Concerned about being invaded twice in less than 30 years by the Germans = keep Germany weak and create buffer states (satellite nations) 2.Communist ECONOMIC 1.Capitalist 2.Concerned about economic problems 3.Promote Democracy + free enterprise = promote economic growth by increasing world trade SOVIET VIEWAMERICAN VIEW
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Containment To keep something from spreading Containment of communist expansion was a central principle of United States' foreign policy from 1947 to the 1975
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Efforts at Containment
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Containment Gave basis for providing military and economic support to nations threatened by communism Used in Greece and Turkey Provided aid in terms of money, supplies, and machinery to Western European countries trying to rebuild their economy and resist communism TRUMAN DOCTRINEMARSHALL PLAN
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Strategies for Containing Communism Strong Economy Nuclear weapons for massive retaliation brinkmanship Covert operations
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Economy The US had to show the world that free enterprise could produce a better more prosperous society than communism Economic prosperity would prevent communism from gaining support
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Massive Retaliation Threaten to use nuclear weapons if Communists tried to seize a territory by force Required new technology to deliver nuclear weapons
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Success of Massive Retaliation Military spending was cut from $50 billion to $34 billion. Cut army personnel Increased America’s nuclear arsenal
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Brinkmanship The willingness to go to the brink of nuclear war to force the other side to back down –Korean War: hinted to China = armistice –Taiwan Crisis: any attempts by China to invade Taiwan would be resisted by the US… HINT, HINT… we have nuclear weapons! –The Suez Crisis: the Egyptians seized the Suez Canal causing the British and French to retaliate = Soviet threat to attacks on Britain and France... US responds… you use yours, we will use ours… pressure causes Britain and France to back down = diplomatic victory for SU as Arab nations begin accepting their aid
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Covert Action Hidden operations conducted by the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) –Developing nations to overthrow anti- American leaders and replace them with pro-American leaders
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The Cold War on the Homefront
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The New Red Scare -Feared Communists would take over the world
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Causes of the New Red Scare The Hydrogen Bomb –1953: Soviets test bigger bomb: the H-bomb –Now, Americans afraid of nuclear war
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Effect 1.Schools set aside areas as bomb shelters “duck-and-cover drills”- bomb drills where kids hid under desks, covering head with hands 2.Fallout shelters: built in backyards, under homes Stocked with canned foods, water, batteries, etc.
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The Red Scare Spreads Joseph R. McCarthy begins witch-hunt for suspected Communists McCarthyism: buzz word for damaging reputations with unfounded charges, based on flimsy evidence & irrational fears
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McCarthyism Public accusation that more than two hundred “card-carrying” communists had infiltrated the United States government. The House Un-American Activities Committee had been formed in 1938 as an anti-Communist organ. The paranoid hunt for infiltrators was notoriously difficult on writers and entertainers, many of whom were labeled communist sympathizers and were unable to continue working. The trials often destroy a career with a single unsubstantiated accusation. In all, three hundred and twenty artists were blacklisted including, Arthur Miller, Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, and Charlie Chaplin.
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Effect The McCarran Internal Security Act –Now illegal to do anything that would “substantially contribute to establishment of a totalitarian government Communist organizations must register with US attorney general & publish their records Restricted Communist Party members Allowed arrest, detention of Communists & sympathizers... Truman vetoed bill, but Congress overrides in 1950 Later, Supreme Court rulings made sure McCarran Act was not effective
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Cause and Effect of the Cold War 1.Soviet Union controls Eastern Europe after World War II 2.Chinese Communists win control of mainland China 3.US and Soviet Union explode atomic bombs 1.Marshall Plan provides aid to W. Europe and Japan 2.W. nations form NATO; Communist nations = Warsaw Pact 3.Korean War erupts 4.American and Soviet arms race 5.Red Scare leads to hunt for Communists in the US CAUSES EFFECTS
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