APUSH Lecture Ch. 27

The Cold War

Yalta Conference - Feb. 1945

1. Establish a United Nations2. USSR agrees to enter war against Japan3. Promised free elections in Poland

Potsdam Conference - summer 1945

*Truman now president*Churchill out of officeDivision of Germany

Division of Germany

Division of Berlin

The Sinews of Peace “Iron Curtain Speech” March 5, 1946 at Westminster College in Missouri

“From Stettin in the Baltic to

Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe.”

“I do not believe that Soviet Russia desires war. What they

desire is the fruits of war and the indefinite expansion of power

and doctrines.”

Iron Curtain Map

Causes of the Cold War• ideology - opposing poles of capitalism

and Marxism-Leninism were influential in shaping highly negative images of each other -- America (brutal, totalitarian communist state) vs USSR (exploitative, imperialist, capitalist state); (1) Soviets insisted on a defensive perimeter to include central and eastern Europe and appeared to include influence in eastern Mediterranean and Middle East as well. (2) US desired a global ‘open door’ or free trade (access to all world markets) and soon saw themselves as heirs to traditional British empire interests and policies.

Causes of the Cold War• miscalculation in diplomacy - Truman and his

foreign advisers were predisposed to view Soviet actions as aggressive and threatening while Soviet leaders around Stalin were predisposed to suspect Western (esp. Britain and US) powers of robbing the USSR of wartime gains and to pack its western European border with anticommunist states as had been done after WW I.

Early divisive issues were a. The government of postwar Poland b. The governments of postwar Eastern Europec. Postwar planning for Germany, including Soviet demands for large-scale reparations. d. The structure of the new United Nations e. International controls for the atomic bomb and atomic energy.

Domino Theory - If one nation fell to communism(from Soviet pressure), those nations bordering it would soon be under threat as well - A chain reaction of communist victories would encircle free nations, eventually the US.

Best way to fight Soviet aggression was containment:a. Containment was coined by George F. Kennan of the State Department in an article ["Sources of Soviet Conduct" Foreign Affairs July 47] under the pseudonym X b. The article suggested that (1) Russia was historically expansive; (2) Marxist-Leninist doctrines were now motivating Russia (3) The Soviets would seek to influence neighboring states to "adopt" communism;(4) USSR would exercise a persistent pressure but would withdraw if opposed; c. US must assert firm, vigilant containment patiently over the long term if needed. d. Containment was viewed as a defensive measure against a ruthless adversary

Early Cold War principles: bi-polarization

GEORGE KENNAN ’96 interview with David Gergen

Well, it certainly was, and it's my own fault that it was. It all came down to one sentence in the "X" Article where I said that wherever these people, meaning the Soviet leadership, confronted us with dangerous hostility anywhere in the world, we should do everything possible to contain it and not let them expand any further. I should have explained that I didn't suspect them of any desire to launch an attack on us. This was right after the war, and it was absurd to suppose that they were going to turn around and attack the United States. I didn't think I needed to explain that, but I obviously should have done it.

• Truman Doctrine - 1947 Truman's request for aid to Greece and Turkey became known as the Truman Doctrine, an open-ended commitment to use US power anywhere and anytime to oppose the threat of Soviet communism wherever it was perceived -- "It must be US policy to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressure " $400 million in aid

Truman and the Cold War

• Marshall Plan - 1947 Truman believed that communism operated best among political chaos and economic deprivation (eastern Europe) - Sec of State George Marshall 's speech at Harvard launched the Marshall Plan (1) The US was not directing its efforts against any specific nation or doctrine, but against "hunger, poverty, desperation and chaos." (2) The purpose was to revive "a working economy in the world so as to permit the emergence of political and social conditions in which free institutions can exist."

• Point IV - Jan 1949 -- announced in his inaugural address, Truman established a fund that provided scientific and economic assistance to impoverished nations that were willing to accept US support and (influence)

Truman and the Cold War

• National Security Act - 26 July 1947 -- created the: a. Department of Defense by combining the Departments of War, Navy and Army – It elevated the Air Force into a third major military branch

b. Joint-Chiefs of Staff to coordinate military activities; c. National Security Council to coordinate the activities of the Departments of State and Defense and to advise the US President;d. Central Intelligence Agency as a branch of the NSC to correlate and evaluate intelligence activity which related to national security.

• Selective Service Act - June 1948 - This peace time draft required the registration of all men between ages 18 and 25 and established an Army level of 837,000, Navy and Marine of 666,882 and Air Force of 502,000.

• NSC 68 -- National Security Council recommended increasing US defense spending by 4X, initially ignored, was resurrected by the Korean crisis when Truman recommended raising the armed forces to 3.5 million men and spending 13% of the GNP ($50 billion) annually on defense.

Berlin Airlift “Operation Little Vittles”

In 1948 the three allied portions of Berlin are combined into one country.

USSR retaliates by closing access to Berlin.

-supplies are flown in for 321 days272,000 flights total

May 1949 Blockade is lifted

To children living in the rubble of post-war Germany, it was candy from heaven. Some saw it as a sign that somebody in America cared about them. To Gail "Hal" Halvorsen, who became known worldwide as the Candy Bomber, the Berlin Airlift was the healing balm on the wounds of war. The British, American and Frenchair forces delivered 2. 3 million tons of lifegiving supplies on the ground at the 3 West Berlin airports. There were 277,569 flights over 16 months. Gail and his Air force buddies dropped 20 tons of treats on handkerchief parachutes and delivered 6500 pounds of chocolate bars to the 1948 West Berlin children's Christmas parties on the ground.

When stories began appearing on TV and radio, the American Confectioners Association sent 6500 pounds of candy by boat and rail. A college in Massachusetts organized 22 schools and processed 18 tons of candy in 7 months. One little boy who said his legs weren't long enough to run for the candy sent a letter with a map.Grateful children and their parents brought gifts to Halvorsen. In a particularly moving sequence in the film, Halvorsen tells of a little girl who gave him her teddy bear. She told him that during the bombing of Berlin, when they sought shelter in cellars, the teddy bear was always with her. "The Airlift saved my life," she told him. Now, she wanted the good luck bear to save the lives of the men flying the candy planes. "It was such a powerful force," says Halvorsen of the operation that won the hearts of a former enemy. A 60-year old man quietly approached Halvorsen at the 1998 Berlin Airlift Anniversary ceremony. He summed up the true meaning of the gift he had received as a 10-year-old thanks to Halvorsen. "What was important was not the candy bar, but that somebody in America knew I was in trouble and somebody cared. I can live on thin rations," he said, "But not without hope. Without hope the soul dies."

Map: The Global Cold War The Global Cold War During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union faced each other as enemies. The United States attempted to construct a ring of containment around the Soviet Union and its allies, while the Soviets worked to expand their influence and power. This map shows the nature of this military confrontation - the bases, alliances, and flash points of the Cold War.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

NATO vs. Warsaw

1. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) formed in 1949 as a protection pact for European nations against a perceived Soviet attack.

2. Warsaw Pact May 1955 as a response to NATO. Provided economic and military aid to fellow nations.

Korea and the Proxy wars of the 50s

Chinese Civil War–Chairman Mao Zedong (tse tung) vs. –Chiang Kai-shek

•Mao (Communist - CCP)–is supported by Soviets–Most of the resources left by Japan are in N. China

–Communism appeals to the masses (poor peasants)

•Chiang Kai-shek (Nationalist) –supported by US– 2 billion in money but no military assistance

Korean War - “The Forgotten War” June 25 1950 - July 27 1953

•Japanese have held Korea as a colonial possession since 1905

•Potsdam Conference - USSR and US decide on the 38th parallel as the divider for Korea–Similar in design to the division of Germany

•Post WWII V-J day - the respective Korean governments each wish to seek reunification with the other half.–both are heavily influenced by the occupying powers (US and USSR)

Korean War “The Forgotten War”

•June 25, 1950 - conflicts break out between the North and South over issues regarding reunification.–The Northern Army invades (Kim Il Sung)–South Korean Army is assisted by the United Nations

–US involvement results in a successful counterattack

–Chinese forces however balance the war resulting in a stalemate (Cease-Fire) at the 38th Parallel

•July 27, 1953 - official Cease-Fire signed

June 1950

Red Army led attack by N. Korea 1952-1953

Counterattack 1951-1952

Truman and McCarthyism

Fear Leads to Hysteria• Anti-communist Measures at Home

Executive Order 9835 - In conjunction with the containment doctrine launched a massive loyalty program.

• A loyalty board was established which listed organizations whose loyalty was questioned - ninety listed in 1947.

• After federal employees were required to take a loyalty oath, 3,000 either resigned or were forced to resign rather than comply.

Birth of McCarthyism•Republicans in 1946 and 1947 sought to use a

“Red Scare” to hurt the Democratic party.

•One of the leaders, Joseph McCarthy

•He claims to have a list of 205 people that are working in the American government who are communist party members (West Virginia, 1950) {In reality the list was wife’s grocery list}

•Republicans use the conspiracy to claim democrats were “too soft” on communism. Eisenhower elected as Rep. President

•After 1952 election, McCarthy holds a series of 150 hearings to attack suspected communists

Alger Hiss and the Rosenbergs• 1948 Alger Hiss - a liberal leaning

democratic state official was accused and convicted of passing government secrets to the Soviet Union

• “pumpkin papers” - were documents that Whittaker Chambers accused Hiss of passing along to him

• Hiss is convicted of perjury and serves just under 4 years in jail

• Rosenberg’s were also accused of being spies and were found guilty of treason - they supposedly gave nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union in 1950.

• Richard M. Nixon was the lead prosecutor against Alger Hiss.

HUAC and the Loyal Program

•Department of Justice tracking party memberships in the 1940s.

•HUAC House Un-American Activities Committee - created to find those who are subversive to the government

•Hollywood was a natural fit - many writers were Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe

•“Hollywood Ten”

Communist hysteria in the media: Red Menace posterAlthough Hollywood generally avoided overtly political films, it released a few dozen explicitly

anticommunist films in the postwar era. Depicting American communists as vicious hypocrites, if not hardened criminals, Hollywood's Cold War movies, like its blacklist, were an effort to protect its

imperiled public image after HUAC's widely publicized investigation of the movie industry. (The Michael Barson Collection/Past Perfect)

McCarthy fights free speech

•Citizens were so scared that they tried to conform to each other so they wouldn’t be accused of being Communists.

•Dwight Eisenhower would not speak up for fear of reprisal

•Edward R. Morrow begins to speak out against McCarthy and challenges him to show proof.

End of McCarthyism•McCarthy accused the U.S. Army of promoting and protecting a “Communist” Army dentist (1954).

•By this time the Republicans want to rid themselves of McCarthy as he was damaging the image of the party.

•The Army does not enjoy being called a communist organization - pushed McCarthy to show proof.

•Televised public hearings showed the public McCarthy’s bullish tactics, poor evidence and his clearly drunken state.

•He lost all credibility.

OTHER AMERICAS: SOCIAL CRITICS◆ William H. Whyte, Jr., The

Organization Man (1956) ◆ conformity

◆ David Riesman, The Lonely Crowd (1958) ◆ “inner-directed” individuals → “other-

directed” conformists. ◆ John Kenneth Galbraith, The Affluent

Society (1958) ◆ failure to address significant social issues

and common good (would influence JFK and LBJ)

◆ Michael Harrington, The Other America ◆ rural poverty, inner cities

Other Americas

“The entire invisible land of the other Americans became a ghetto, a modern poor farm for the rejects of society and the economy.” Michael Harrington