The Cold WarThe Ideological War

General George Patton:“Russia knows what she wants. World

domination! Let’s keep our boots polished, our bayonets sharpened, and present a picture of force and strength to the Russians. This is the only language that they understand the only language that they respect. If we fail to do this, then I would like to say that we have had a victory over the Germans and have disarmed them, but we have lost the war.”

Key Terms and People

Satellite StateCold WarIron CurtainTruman Doctrine

Harry S. Truman

George F. Kennan

ContainmentMarshall PlanBerlin AirliftNATOWarsaw Pact

How We Got Here1930s policies of Isolationism +

appeasement =Rise of Dictatorship + global war

FDR’s death in 1945 left the U.S. in a lurch

Gradual breakdown of relations between U.S. and U.S.S.R. (Western/Eastern Fronts)

Only tie between the two is the common hatred of Nazi Germany.

What happens once Germany is defeated?

Evolution of ConflictUnited States Values

◦Capitalist Democracy◦Believed in:

Free Elections Economic Freedom Religious Freedom Private Property Individual Differences Civil Rights Social Darwinism

Evolution of ConflictU.S.S.R. ValuesDictatorship (J. Stalin)Communist Party Led

◦Made all decisions-◦Political◦Social◦Economic◦Military◦Could not worship freely, own land or

express opinions. Those that did were prisoners of the State or murdered.

Tensions over Europe post-WWIIAfter defeat of Germany was

signaled, U.S., G.B. & U.S.S.R. (at Yalta Conference 1945) debated the governance of Europe.

Stalin wanted a weak and divided Germany. Why? Also wanted Soviet control over Bloc states. Why?

U.S./G.B. wanted a strong, unified Germany (Democratic). Why? Also wanted independent Bloc states. Why?

Soviet Union occupied and governed East Germany, U.S., G.B, West Germany.

Yalta (Ukraine) Conference, 1945

Discussions over governance of Germany, Europe.

Stalin conceded, agreed to a “broadly representative” government with free elections in Eastern Europe.

Also divided Germany temporarily into “Zones of Occupation”

USSR remained in control of Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary. Romania, Bulgaria & East Germany. They became SATELLITE STATES of the USSR.

Potsdam (Germany) Conference, 1945

Tensions come to a head between Truman and Stalin after Truman and Clement Attlee (GB PM) pressured Stalin to confirm the outcome of Yalta Conference.

Stalin refused, never allowed free elections in East Europe Satellite States, and occupied them with the Red Army.

Truman, as a result, firmly believed the USSR aspired nothing short of world domination.

Thus the beginning of the COLD WAR.

Major Foreign Relations Paradigm ShiftTruman was not alone.

◦Churchill, Attlee shared his fear of Red Scare◦Churchill in a speech in Missouri (Truman’s

home) said an “iron curtain has descended across the continent”.

◦Iron Curtain SpeechUSSR gained control installing

Communist governments in Eastern Bloc, crushing militarily those that opposed.

Churchill said the only way to stop it is “for all free democratic countries to stand their ground”, a direct reference to the U.S.

Joseph StalinDictator from 1920s-1950s.Believed in collectivizing land, extreme

Communism, strict military control.◦Resulted in wide spread famine, deaths of

millions and military grade executions of political officials.

“To choose one’s victims, to prepare one’s plan minutely, to stake an implacable vengeance, and then go to bed…there is nothing sweeter in the world.”

This war is different from all earlier ones; the conqueror of a region imposes his own social system on it.

Harry S. TrumanPresident from 1945-1953 (Democrat)No formal college education, worked a farm

in Missouri. WWI veteran. Model of integrity, honesty and work ethic. “The Buck Stops Here”. Truman Biography Video

Vowed to curtail Communism:◦ Increased social security, public health insurance,

end racial discrimination. Known for his ability to make difficult decisions and stand by them.

◦“I would rather have peace in the world than be President.”

◦The American people desire, and are determined to work for, a world in which all nations and all peoples are free to govern themselves as they see fit, and to achieve a decent and satisfying life.”

Greece &Turkey, 1947Many countries could not withstand

the superpower of USSR, faced conquest by Communism.

Only US had resources to aid and/or stop the movement.

Greece and Turkey were specific targets of Communism and their governments were losing ground. They needed financial aid.

The Truman DoctrineMarch 12 ,1947, Truman addresses Joint

Session of Congress asking for aid to Turkey & Greece.◦“I call upon this body to support free peoples who

are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures. Should the United States retreat into isolation, the very peace of the world and the welfare of the nation will be in danger.”

Congress responded with $400 Million in aid for Greece and Turkey and supported Truman’s promise to support foreign nations struggling to fend off Communism.

This became known as the Truman Doctrine, and established a new foreign policy.

Containment TheoryMain object was to contain Soviet expansion

both physically and idealogicially.George F. Kennan,

◦State Dept. employee who served in Switzerland and Germany pre WWII.

◦Felt underutilized and returned to school to study Russian history, language, culture and politics at University of Berlin.

◦Became a Department expert on USSR◦Post school was transferred to Latvia, then in

1933 was posted in Moscow and observed Stalin for 15 years closely.

◦Also served in Prague after the fall of Poland and Czechoslovakia.

Kennan, cont’dUnder anonymous name “Author X”, wrote an

article in the Foreign Affairs Magazine called “The Sources of Soviet Conduct”.

Article became the blueprint for Containment Theory.

Argued that Stalin, while aggressive and desiring to spread Communism to the World, would not attempt such where risk exists. ◦Would never chance war with the U.S., thus lose his

stronghold on Soviet politics.◦Required full commitment of American economic,

political and military power.◦Would be no quick or easy solution to the Soviet

threat.

“We are going to continue for a long time to find the Russians difficult to deal with.l It does not mean that they should be considered as embarked upon a do-or-die program to overthrow our society by a given date…In these circumstances, it is clear the main element of any United States policy toward the Soviet Union must be that of a long-term, patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies.”

-George F. Kennan (As Author X)

The Marshall PlanAfter the war, Western Europe was left in shambles

from combat.◦ Secretary of State George C. marshall argued that in order

to achieve “political stability and assured peace” the US would have to fund W. Europe’s recovery and rebuild.

◦ 1948, Congress approves the Marshall Plan providing aid to Western Europe ~$13 Billion in loans and grants to nations like France, Germany,

Holland, Austria, Great Britain. Intended to fund food, fuel (heat), economic jump start capital. Aid offered to USSR and Satellite States, refused by Stalin.

Marshall Plan provided real example of how US aid impact foreign relations. ◦ Aid helped countries that desperately need the $$$◦ Bounce back countries were happy to trade with US, thus

bolstering US economy◦ The building of good relationships worked to hinder the

expansion of Communism.

Berlin: the “Bone in the Throat of Russia”

Germany was split into East and West◦Communist East occupied by USSR◦Democratic West, Occupied by US, GB, FR

City of Berlin located deep in Communist East, but controlled by US (West) and USSR (East).◦Stalin wanted all of Berlin. Berlin represented prosperity.◦West & East were opposites is style, made East Germans

jealous and resentful of Stalin, USSR & Communism.June. 1948, Stalin closed all roads, barges and

railways in to West Berlin from West Germany.◦Without any means for aid, he would “Starve them into

Communism”◦Could not close the airways, American and British pilots

voluntarily flew supply missions, named the Berlin Airlift. Said to have saved over 1.2 Million lives.

Cold War Alliances1949, in an open defiance to Communism and

show of strength in numbers to USSR, 12 western nations created NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). A unified military front to communism. ◦ If USSR attacks one, they attack all 12.

In 1954, a direct response to NATO, all Eastern Bloc nations but Yugoslavia signed the Warsaw Pact. ◦ Agreed to protect each other, but not interfere in

one another’s political affairs. ◦USSR, however, continued to exert force and control

over Satellite States.

NATOUnited

StatesGreat BritainPortugalNorwayNetherlandsLuxembourgItalyIcelandFranceDenmarkCanada Belgium

United StatesGreat BritainPortugalNorwayNetherlandsLuxembourgItalyIcelandFranceDenmarkCanada BelgiumGreeceTurkeyGermanySpainCzech RepublicHungaryPolandBulgariaEstoniaLatviaLithuaniaRomaniaSlovakiaSloveniaAlbaniaCroatia

WARSAW PACT

East GermanyUSSRBulgariaCzechoslovakiaHungaryPolandRomaniaAlbania

2013 NATO

The Iron CurtainThe Iron CurtainRemembering the Candy Dropper

s

The Expansion of the Cold War

September 2, 1949, a B-29 bomber plane flying training missions detected RADAR malfunction.◦Scientists analyzed the issue, determined it

was cause by radioactive fallout from a Soviet bomb detonation.

◦Caught the US leaders off guard: they belived they were not nuclear capable.

One month later, the Communist Party took over China

The world just became a much more volatile and dangerous place.

The American ResponseTruman ordered the Atomic Energy

Commission to build a hydrogen bomb (1000x stronger than the atomic bomb)

Led to a “Perpetual Arms Race” (Einstein & Oppenheimer). Split resistance from populace.

Mutually Assured Destruction

Between 1949 and 1952, both US and Soviet Union built and cached massive stockpiles of nuclear devices◦Armed planes, submarines◦Armed land-to-air rockets◦Built them small enough to fit into a jeep

Test detonations resulted in nuclear waste and radioactive emissions to the atmosphere. (Nevada Desert)

Both nations had capability to destroy each other with the push of a button. ◦Hopes that the threat of this would deter the other

from actually launching the nukes.

Charting the Arms RaceYear U.S. USSR England France China

1945 6 0 0 0 0

1950 369 5 0 0 0

1955 3,057 200 10 0 0

1960 20,434 1,605 30 0 0

1965 31,642 6,129 310 4 1

Dwight D. EisenhowerRepublican, 1953-1961. Succeeded Truman.Educated at the US Military Academy at West Point.

Served from 1911-1953, then again from 1961-1969◦ 5 star General (WWII)◦ Supreme Commander of Allied forces (All Allies)◦ Truman’s Army Chief of Staff

Born in Texas, raised in Kansas- Large farming family.Rejected from the Navy, took Congressional

recommendation to West Point in 1911. Was cut from the baseball team and joined the football team. Excelled in athletics.◦ “I learned more from being cut from the baseball team

about myself that from any other accomplishment or failure in life. It was perhaps the greatest disappointment in my life.”

◦ “We represent the crusade against Communism, Korea and Corruption.”

Eisenhower DoctrineLed military in Africa, Italy and designed the

Invasion of France/GermanyWorked with top military and political

personnel and spoke “both languages”◦Subscribed to Truman’s theories. Mostly

Containment (Active) Brought on John Dulles as Secretary of State, an

experienced diplomat.

All agrees that the spread of Communism was Priority 1 (Truman v. Ike).◦ Ike felt that Truman got the US into endless and

unnecessary conflicts with USSR. ◦Was worried that the endless regional conflicts

would drain our economy. (Head of the snake theory)