Key Questions

1
America and the Cold War What were the causes of
the Cold War?

• Key Questions
• What were the causes of the Cold War?
• mutual suspicion and fear by the USA and USSR of
  each others intentions
• the political differences between the USA and
  the USSR
• tensions caused by the end of the Second World
  War
• an arms race involving both conventional and
  nuclear weapons
• incidents like the Iron Curtain, the Berlin
  Blockade and the Korean War

2
America and the Cold War What were the causes of
the Cold War?
Glossary Cold War a war in which no
actual armed combat takes place. The Cold War
took place between 1945 and 1989 and was a
stand-off between the USA and the USSR.
3
America and the Cold War What were the causes of
the Cold War?
Glossary USA the United States of
America. A capitalist free democracy where there
was freedom of choice in political elections. The
two main political parties were the Democrats and
the Republicans. The USA had a free market
economy where farms, factories, shops and other
businesses were privately owned and run for
profit. The media was owned and controlled by
private individuals. Films, TV and Radio were
rarely censored.
4
America and the Cold War What were the causes of
the Cold War?
Glossary USSR Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics (Russia / Soviet Union). A
communist one-party state. Everyone had a vote,
but they could only vote communist. The state
(government) owned and ran the economy and
controlled all of the farms, factories, shops
etc. Profits were used for the public good. The
media was owned and run by the government and is
strictly censored.
5
America and the Cold War What were the causes of
the Cold War?
Glossary Capitalist - where industries,
farms and factories are privately owned and are
run for personal profit. Communist industries,
farms and factories are state (government)
owned and run by the state for the benefit of
everyone in the country.
The communist view of the Capitalist system
6
America and the Cold War What were the causes of
the Cold War?
Iron Curtain the phrase used by Winston
Churchill to describe the division of Europe into
a communist east and free market west.
7
America and the Cold War What were the causes of
the Cold War?
This cartoon from 1946 by the British cartoonist
Leslie Gilbert shows Churchill peeping under the
Iron Curtain.   Joe is Joseph Stalin.   In
fact, the iron curtain was a 2,000-km. line of
barbed wire, look-out posts and road blocks.
8
America and the Cold War What were the causes of
the Cold War?
Glossary Truman Doctrine US President
Trumans undertaking that he would stop the
spread of communism by containment. Containmen
t preventing the spread of communism by
containing it. This was done by actively
supporting anti-communist governments and by
pouring aid into Europe to speed up post-war
recovery.
9
America and the Cold War What were the causes of
the Cold War?
Glossary Marshall Aid was the money that the
USA gave to the countries of western Europe to
aid recovery after the Second World War.
Sometimes referred to as the Marshall Plan.
10
America and the Cold War What were the causes of
the Cold War?
Glossary Berlin Airlift from April 1948 until
September 1949 the USSR cut all land routes to
the western sectors of Berlin. The UK and USA
flew all of the supplies into the city. This
event marked the start of the Cold War.
11
America and the Cold War What were the causes of
the Cold War?
Glossary NATO the North Atlantic Treaty
Organisation. All of the countries of western
Europe joined together in a defensive alliance.
If one was attacked they would unite against the
aggressor.
12
America and the Cold War What were the causes of
the Cold War?
Key Events 1945 Yalta Conference USA, UK and
USSR (Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin) meet
and decide to allow people of liberated
countries to elect governments of their
choice. End of WW2 when the Russians enter
Berlin. Germany is divided into four allied
sectors UK, French, USA and USSR. The allies
(Truman, Atlee and Stalin) meet at Potsdam
(Berlin) and reach no agreements. Cold War
tensions are emerging. USA explodes atomic bomb
over Hiroshima. 1946 Stalin begins to place
pro-soviet communist governments in the
countries of eastern Europe. Churchill says Iron
Curtain divides Europe. British intervene in
Greece and prevent communists gaining
power. 1947 Marshall Plan pours money into
western Europe. 1948 UK, USA and France to merge
their sectors of Germany. New currency to aid
economic recovery. Stalin cuts road and rail
links to west Berlin. 1949 NATO established to
protect western Europe. China goes
communist. 1950 Korean War begins, communist
north attacks the capitalist south.
13
America and the Cold War What were the causes of
the Cold War?
Key People

Winston Churchill Prime Minister of Britain and
wartime leader until 1945. Mistrusted the motives
of Joseph Stalin, the leader of the USSR. It was
Churchill who first used the term Iron Curtain
to describe the division of post-war Europe.
Joseph Stalin leader of the USSR from 1925
until his death in 1953. Mistrusted the motives
of the British and Americans. Felt they had
delayed D-Day to weaken the USSR. Feared the
USAs atomic bomb. Wanted to control eastern
Europe to secure Russia from attack. Wanted to
keep Germany divided and weak as it had attacked
Russia in WW1 and WW2.
14
America and the Cold War What were the causes of
the Cold War?
Key People
George Marshall US Secretary of State. He was
responsible for the Marshall Plan, that provided
aid to rebuild western Europe after WW2.
Harry Truman US President. Disliked and
mistrusted communists. Concerned about the size
of the Red Army at the end of the war. Concerned
that Stalin was putting pro-soviet communist
governments into power in the countries of
eastern Europe. Concerned that the people of
western Europe would vote communists into power
as they had seen democracy and fascism fail.
15
America and the Cold War What were the causes of
the Cold War?
Who was to Blame?
Joseph Stalin Truman and the USA do not
understand our need for security. We lost 21
million Russians in WW2 and want to keep Germany
divided and weak. Roosevelt and Stalin agreed to
spheres of influence at Yalta. I have not
complained about Greece, we need friendly
communist governments in the west to protect us
from attack. They should not complain. The USA
are trying to take over western Europe with
Marshall Aid. NATO and the atomic bomb are
threats to the security of Russia. The Americans
cannot be trusted because Truman has talked about
containment.
Harry Truman Stalin and the USSR will to take
over western Europe. Look at what has happened to
the countries of eastern Europe they have been
forced into communism. Look at the size of the
Red Army. If we dont provide help to the people
of western Europe they will turn to the
communists and the USA will lose trading partners
and allies. Look at what Stalin tied to do the
Berlin. NATO is a defensive alliance designed
only to protect western Europe from Stalin. We
will only use the atomic bomb if we are attacked.
16
America and the Cold War What were the causes of
the Cold War?
Answer the questions from page 55 of the text
book. Q1 Describe the division of Europe into
the communist controlled east and the free
democracies in the west. What did Churchill
imply by using the terms iron and
curtain? Q2 Truman wanted people to have the
freedom to do what? Why did it have to be the USA
that gave the help? What sort of help would the
USA give and why? What are the freedoms that
Truman talks about at the end? Q3 Explain how it
aimed to contain (with a wall of dollars) rather
than a war. Q4 See your notes from the previous
slide. Q5 It was set up to protect western
Europe from attack by?
17
America and the Cold War What were the causes of
the Cold War?
Answer the questions from page 56 of the text
book. Q6 There are two parts to this answer,
which asks reliable for what purpose? N(ature)
what does each source say? O(rigin) who produced
each source? P(urpose) how reliable is the
source? Q7 There is a set way of answering this
sort of question. N What does each of the
sources say about the purpose of the Marshall
Plan? N How is each source different to the
other sources? OP Why are the sources different
to each other? Q8 Explain how it aimed to
contain (with a wall of dollars) rather than a
war. Include the humanitarian aspects of the
Marshall Plan. Contrast this with the Soviet
interpretation about the real purpose of Marshall
Aid.
18
America and the Cold War How effective was
Containment?

• Key Question How effective was containment?
• Containment was the term used to describe the
  attempts by the USA to stop the worldwide spread
  of communism in the years following the end of
  WW2.
• Why did the USA want to contain Communism?
• The spread of communism was seen as a problem
  because between 1945 and
• 1949 the number of people living in communist
  countries had increased hugely.
• Between 1945 and 1948 Stalin, the Soviet leader,
  placed communist
• governments in power in the liberated
  countries of eastern Europe.
• In the winter of 1948 to 1949, Stalin blockaded
  the western sectors of Berlin.
• Chinese communists, led by Mao Tse Tung gained
  control of the China in 1949.
• 1949 the USSR exploded their first atomic bomb
  the USA was no longer the
• worlds only nuclear power.
• 1950 communist North Korea attacked South Korea.
• Communist spies were alleged to be passing US
  nuclear secrets to the USSR.
• Senator McCarthy sparked an anti-communist
  witch-hunt in the USA.

19
America and the Cold War How effective was
Containment?
The Korean War a success or failure for
containment? 1950 North Korean Communist forces
invade South Korea (June 25). UN calls for
cease-fire and asks UN members to assist South
Korea (June 27). Truman orders U.S. forces into
Korea (June 27). North Koreans capture Seoul
(June 28). Gen. Douglas MacArthur designated
commander of unified UN forces (July 8). Pusan
BeachheadUN forces counterattack and capture
Seoul (Aug.Sept.), capture Pyongyang, North
Korean capital (Oct.). Chinese Communists enter
war (Oct. 26), force UN retreat toward 38th
parallel (Dec.). 1951 Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway
replaces MacArthur after he threatens Chinese
with massive retaliation (April 11). Armistice
negotiations (July) continue with interruptions
until June 1953. 1953 Armistice signed (July 27).
Chinese troops withdraw from North Korea (Oct.
26, 1958), but over 200 violations of armistice
noted to 1959.
20
America and the Cold War How effective was
Containment?
Answer these questions from page 59 of the text
book. Q9 The invasion of the US supported south
by the communist north. The determination of the
US to contain communism. The Truman Doctrine.
Q10 Explain that Truman described the war as a
police action what did this mean? Why did
Truman consider it a police action? What did
everyone else call it and why? (your answer to
Q9) Q11 US did not win a decisive victory
quickly. The friction between Ike (Eisenhower)
and MacArthur. The leading role that the US took
in the UN action and the cost in lives and
dollars.
21
America and the Cold War How did the Cold War
affect Americans?

• The Nuclear Arms Race
• Nuclear weapons are ones that employ the huge
  explosion of energy released
• by atomic fission or fusion.
• An arms race is where two countries compete to
  build more and better weapons.
• The arms race involved both nuclear and
  conventional weapons.
• The aim of the arms race was to deter the enemy
  from attacking you.
• This was know as
• Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD).
• Each side increased its stocks of weapons, until
  there were enough to destroy
• all life on the planet several times over.
• The cost of the arms race was huge and took
  money away from improving
• living standards
• The arms race brought the USA and USSR to the
  brink of nuclear war in 1962.
• The cost eventually led to the collapse of the
  soviet economy and the end of the
• Cold War in 1989.

22
America and the Cold War How did the Cold War
affect Americans?

23
America and the Cold War How did the Cold War
affect Americans?
24
America and the Cold War How did the Cold War
affect Americans?
Answer these questions from page 59 of the text
book. Q12 Explain about the arms race and how
the two sides had to maintain a balance of
terror where they discouraged the other side
from attacking them by maintaining a huge number
of weapons/ Q13 Explain that nearly everyone
had a radio and how the US could use this to
reach the people of eastern Europe. What type of
programming did they offer to attract
listeners? What did they want to broadcast to
eastern Europe? Q11 US did not win a decisive
victory quickly. The friction between Ike
(Eisenhower) and MacArthur. The leading role that
the US took in the UN action and the cost in
lives and dollars.
25
America and the Cold War How did the Cold War
affect Americans?
McCarthyism (notes are on the next page) By
1950 the spread of world communism was seen as a
real threat to the American way of life. The USSR
had occupied Eastern Europe and put communist
governments into power there. Russia had
developed the atomic bomb, China had just become
communist and the USA was fighting communist
expansion in the Korean War. At home the US was
rocked by two sensational spy scandals, the Hiss
and Rosenberg cases involved US citizens who were
alleged to have spied for the Soviet
Union. McCarthyism takes its name from Senator
Joseph McCarthy, who claimed to have a list of
names of members of the communist party who
worked for the US Government. He never produced
the list, but it was enough to rocket him to
fame, to ensure the election of the first
Republican President since Hoover and to lead to
an end of the traditional political tolerance of
the USA. Anyone accused of being a communist
would be ruined. Anyone criticising McCarthy and
his methods was considered suspicious.
McCarthyism ended when it was revealed that his
claims were baseless and when people saw his
bully-boy tactics revealed on TV. The final straw
was when he claimed that President Eisenhower was
a communist and that the Army was under their
influence. McCarthyism held back civil rights and
social reform. It made Cold War tensions worse
and led to the communist party being banned in
the USA.
26
America and the Cold War How did the Cold War
affect Americans?
McCarthyism
Robert Kennedy with Joseph McCarthy
27
America and the Cold War How did the Cold War
affect Americans?
Causes of McCarthyism Fear of communism dating
back to 1920s and made worse by WW2 Post-WW2
communist expansion into eastern Europe 1949
Soviet atomic bomb 1949 China becomes
communist 1950 Korean War Republicans want to win
the 1952 presidential elections Personal
advancement for McCarthy and Nixon Results of
McCarthyism Fear Loss of jobs End of traditional
tolerance in the USA Fuelled Cold War tensions
and the Arms Race USA became less than a true
democracy communists not free Held up Civil
Rights reforms Any reformer considered a
pinko Fuelled traditional dislike of
egg-headsCommunist Party banned in the USA
28
America and the Cold War How did the Cold War
affect Americans?
Explain how sources L to N help to explain the
definition of McCarthyism in source K. Start by
explaining the definition of McCarthyism (source
K) - making accusations about disloyalty without
providing evidence - using accusations and
investigation in a way that will intimidate
(scare) opponents. Next, link these ideas to
each of the sources, L, M, and N. Use them to
explain the definition. Source L is McCarthy
making his original unsupported claim that
Source M shows the misuse of evidence by
Source N talks about how the Senator from
Wisconsin showing how he scared people. How
are you able to explain the different attitudes
towards McCarthy shown in sources N and
O? N(ature) Begin by writing about the
different attitudes shown in each of the
sources. O(rigin) Explain who produced each of
the sources. P(urpose) Write about when each one
was produced and the point of view of its author.
29
America and the Cold War How did the Cold War
affect Americans?
Answer questions 19 and 20 from page 61 of the
text book. By military-industrial complex,
President Eisenhower meant the links between the
military and the huge industrial corporations
that supplied them with weapons. He was concerned
that the MIC was becoming too powerful.
30
America and the Cold War How did the Cold War
affect Americans?