The Cold War. The Spread of Communism and Containment

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1 The Cold War The Spread of Communism and Containment

2 Origins of the Cold War Following World War II, the leaders of the allied winning nations (US, GB, USSR) met to discuss agreements and reparations for post-war Europe. [ Stalin requested a buffer zone for Russian Security, and although fulfilled, Stalin pushed the limits Russia barred free elections from Poland, contradicting the liberation process set by the U.S. and Britain Truman- Eastern Europe under Stalin = betrayal of American War Aims Stalin (in Feb 1946) vowed to overcome American lead in weaponry at all costs. Truman:

3 Progression of the Cold War George F. Kennan: American diplomat who sent a telegram to State Department and described Soviet expansionism as inevitable; urged that the U.S. must contain communism Containment a policy uniting military, economic, and diplomatic strategies to curb, or contain, any further Soviet communist expansion became Washington gospel ( see Beyond America). Winston Churchill: Stalin had drawn an iron curtain across Eastern Europe Soviets refused any offer the stop nuclear production; America established the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) (1946); it spent more than 90% of its funds to atomic weapon development.

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5 Truman's Foreign Policy Truman Doctrine emerged saying that the U.S. would help any country to fight communism; Greece and Turkey were aided by America because England could no longer; Greece had a corrupt military leadership and Turkey had an autocratic government National Security Act of 1947; unified the armed forces under one group/centralized Department of Defense to oversee the Army, Navy, and Air Force; National Security Council (NSC) to coordinate the making of foreign policy in the Cold War: established Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to employ spies to gather information of foreign governments The Marshall Plan: America was going to help Europe to rebuild to prevent communism which ended Americas effort to stay out of European affairs and started Americas role as a global police force. The Soviet Union and its satellites did not accept the Marshall plan as was predicted by the U.S. ;in response to the U.S. plan The Soviet Union tightened its grip and and added Hungary and Czechoslovakia. Stalin blocked railways and traffic to Berlin because of the western half trying to fight communism; U.S. organized the Berlin airlift. It provided what west Berlin needed to sustain itself and beat Stalin's efforts to force Berlin to give in to the Soviet Union; the U.S. joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization which established the U.S. entanglement in European affairs because it stated that it would defend the alliance nations

6 Progression of the Cold War (con't ) The Cold War in Asia Japan: U.S.- Japanese Security Treaty: occupation of Japan ended in 1951; Japan agreed to surrender its claims to Korea and islands in the Pacific. U.S. troops remained in military bases in Japan for country s protection against communism; Japan became a strong ally Philippines: held several naval and army bases for the U.S. China: Mao Zedong: Rose to power and quickly solidified Communist rule The Korean War The northern Democratic People s Republic of Korea was backed by USSR, while the southern Republic of Korea was backed by the US. Douglas McArthur lead troops to war; managed to stabilize the fighting near 38th parallel; called for bombing and invasion of China Truman: limited war, meaning containment of the enemy, not defeat

7 Eisenhower Foreign Policy Eisenhower chose as his secretary of state John Foster Dulles, a rigid, humor-less Presbyterian; advocated a holy war against atheistic communism, including instant, massive retaliation with nuclear weapons; insisted on "brinksmanship, the art of never backing down in a crisis even at the risk of war; 1955, Eisenhower and Soviet leaders met in Geneva for the first East- West conference since World War II. In 1953, the CIA orchestrated a coup to over-throw the government of Iran; replaced him with pro- American Shah Reza Pahlavi. The United States gained a loyal ally on the Soviet border; Western oil companies prospered when the Shah made low- priced oil avail-able to them; Iranian hatred of America started Indochina: US helped France fight off Vietnamese insurgents Suez Crisis: Egyptian Gamal Abdel Nasser had mixed interactions with the U.S.; wanted to modernize his country, but bought weapons from Czechoslovakia and lost US willingness; Third World anti-western sentiment rose. Eisenhower Doctrine: a proclamation that the United States would send military aid and, if necessary, troops to any Middle Eastern nation threatened by Communist aggression"; did not help, only field anti-western sentiment