1. Cold War Notes

2. What caused the Cold War?
US & USSR only superpowers after WWII.
Each wanted to be strongest.
Different political and economic systems.
Democracy (US) vs. Dictatorship (USSR)
Capitalism (US) vs. Communism (USSR)

3. Post-War Europe
Germany & its capital, Berlin, were divided between US, Britain, France, & USSR.
Results in East Germany & West Germany

5. Satellite Nations in Eastern Europe
“Iron Curtain”
“The West”

6. The Cold War Heats Up American policy: containment
Stop the spread of Communism.
Communism is like a disease.

8. The Truman Doctrine
Aid should be sent to any nation trying to stop communists from taking over.
Turkey & Greece

9. The Marshall Plan
$13 billion to help rebuild sixteen nations in western Europe.
Successful in preventing communist expansion and creating trade partners.

10. The Berlin Airlift
Soviets blockade West Berlin for 327 days in effort to unify Berlin under communism.
Food and supplies airlifted by U.S. and Britain.
West Berlin saved.

11. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Defensive military alliance
Ten original members including United States, Britain, and Canada.

12. China Falls to Communism
Mao Zedong (Communists) versus Chiang Kai-shek (Nationalists)
Nationalists flee to Taiwan after Communist victory in 1949.

13. The Korean Conflict Why? surrender of Japanese in Korea to U.S.
(South) and Soviet Union (North)
- communism in North Korea
- democracy & capitalism in South Korea
North Korea invades South Korea
- invasion very successful
- American policy of containment requires
American involvement

14. The Korean Conflict Cont.
What happened?
Douglas MacArthur and American
forces drive North Korea back to
China’s border
- China enters Korean conflict against
American forces
- MacArthur urges Truman to use
atomic weapons against China
* Truman wants limited war
* MacArthur relieved of command
- armistice sets boundary at 38th parallel