Ch 21 Petterson

1. The Cold WarEra of confrontation and competition betweenUnited States and Soviet Union from 1949 – 1990. • Ch 21 • Petterson

2. Opposing Points of View • Soviet – • After being invaded by Germany twice they want to prevent future attacks • Superiority of Communism • Spread of Communism • U.S. – • Economic growth is key to maintaining postwar peace • Democracy & free market enterprise would contribute to peace & prosperity.

3. Yalta Conference – Feb. 1945 Roosevelt, Churchill, & Stalin plan the postwar world. • Declaration of Liberated Europe – declaring right of all people to choose their government (vote). • Germany divided into 4 zones: Britain, U.S., France & Soviet Union controlled • Roosevelt: Reparations would be paid to allied countries with trade goods and products instead of cash. • Poland liberated from Germany, new government is set up by Stalin. • Soviets break the Declaration of Liberated Europe when Romania is pressured by USSR to install a Communist gov. 2 wks after Yalta Conf.

4. Potsdam Conference – July 1945 Truman & Stalin meet to work out problems with Germany. • US Goal: to save Germany’s economy so it would not turn communist. • Soviet Goal: to get $ for reparations, keep Germany weak. • Stalin gets small amount of German industrial equipment from the British, French, and U.S. zones. • Truman accepts the new German – Polish border established by USSR.

5. Postwar Tension • U.S. and Soviet tension only increases at the end of WWII with Yalta and Potsdam. • Soviets refuse to uphold Declaration of Liberated Europe. • Satellite Nations - pro-communist governments with ties to USSR in Poland , Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Czechoslovakia….later the Balkans • Iron Curtain used to describe the separation between Communist nations of Eastern Europe and democratic nations of the west.

6. The Century 1945 - 1952: Best Years Post WWII / Cold War U.S. Goal: • List 3 – 5 examples from the video that illustrate the U.S. attempt to further this goal. Soviet Goal: • List 2 – 3 examples from the video that illustrate the Soviet attempt to further this goal.

7. Cold War: The Early Years • Containment – the policy of keeping Communism within it’s present territory through the use of diplomatic, economic, and military actions. • George Kennan – diplomat with the American Embassy in Moscow. • Communism had economic and political weaknesses and if the U.S. could keep Soviets from increasing their power, eventually the Soviet’s system would fall apart.

8. Marshall Plan - George C. Marshall, Sec. Of State American aid to Europe so they can rebuild their economy: food, machinery, supplies. Help Europe avoid communism. Open new markets for trade. Europe German Zones of Occupation

9. The Berlin Crisis • Germany was considered independent, but was not allowed to have it’s own military. • Federal Republic of Germany (1948) – U.S., Britain & France combine their occupation zones. “West Germany” • German Democratic Republic – Soviet occupied “East Germany”.

10. Soviet Blockade • USSR felt they would never get the reparations it wanted from the FRG, so they retaliated by cutting off all road and rail traffic to West Berlin. • U.S. challenge is to keep West Berlin alive without provoking war with USSR. • For 11 months cargo planes airlifted supplies to Berliners: 2 million tons. • Stalin lifted blockade on May 12, 1949, American determination proves victorious.

11. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) – Mutual defense alliance. • U.S. and 11 other European countries • Prompted the creation of the Warsaw Pact among Eastern European countries when West Germany was allowed to build a military and join NATO.

12. Asia • People’s Republic of China – 1949 • Communists led by Mao Zedong defeat Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist Party after WWII. • America and the U.N. maintain formal connections to Nationalists (“Democratic”) who flee to Taiwan. • Soviet Union & China (Communist) sign alliance treaty in 1950, after Soviets test their first Atom Bomb.

13. North & South Korea – divided along 38th parallel after WWII • U.S. controlled South – Democratic (ROK). • Soviets controlled North Korea – Communist (NKPA) - giving them military aid to set up a huge army which then invaded South Korea in1950.

14. U.S. gets to test the “containment” policy after invasion of South Korea. • MacArthur leads troops in South Korea • Inchon Landing invasion successful in pushing North Koreans back across 38th parallel and almost to the border of china. • China joins the war sending huge numbers of Chinese troops into Korea. • MacArthur demands that Truman expand the war into china (A-bomb) and is fired for insubordination. • Truman is “commander in chief” and will use the policy of limited war to fight small objective such as containing communism.

15. General Matthew Ridgeway fights limited war (small objectives) with 38 parallel dividing North and South. • Negotiations for peace begin in 1951 but are not signed until July 1953. • 8 Million casualties overall. • More than 33,600 Americans died in action • Over 2,600 die from disease/accidents. • 7,000 POW’s, more than 2,700 died.

16. Impact of Korean War - “turning point” • U.S. starts to use military action (instead of political & economic) to contain communism. • Military build-up begins in U.S. • Increased military involvement in Asia. • U.S. signs military agreements with Japan South Korea, Taiwan, Philippines, Australia. • Begin aiding French forces in Vietnam.