1. The Cold War of the 1950s

2. Terms/Events Review: Two sides? Two views? Satellite Nation?
Containment?
Iron Curtain?
Berlin Airlift?
NATO?
Korean War?

3. Important Events and key players
Korean War
Vietnam Split in 2
Warsaw Pact Formed
U.S. crushes Guatemalan Revolution
Soviets crush Hungarian Revolution
Sputnik
Fidel Castro takes over Cuba

4. Vietnam Tensions - 1954 Vietnam was a French colony for many years
After WW1, Vietnam promised self-determination/independence
Didn’t get it (Ho Chi Minh asks U.S. for help)
WW2, Japan occupies
After WW2, France still holding on
War between Vietnamese leaders (now Communist Ho Chi Minh) and France
1954 – Vietnam split into
Communist NORTH vs. Pro-western SOUTH
Sound familiar?

5. Warsaw Pact - 1955 In response to NATO
Mutual Defense Treaty (headed by Soviet Union military leader)
Included:
Soviet Union, Albania, Poland, Romania, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria

6. Guatemalan Coup
Covert operation carried out by CIA to overthrow
Guatemala ruled by U.S. friendly, but very oppressive man
Citizens overthrew him and eventually elect Arbenz.
Arbenz allowed Communists to practice and gave much of the land reserved for U.S. fruit companies back to peasants.
CIA sent agents to overthrow, infiltrate the government, or assassinate Arbenz.
U.S. successful, oversaw U.S. friendly regimes until the 90s
Some atrocious acts committed against the citizens in the meantime.

8. Hungarian Revolution - 1956
Started with Students wanting freedom from Soviet Union and its policies
Soviet Union eventually crushed the rebellion and continued to control its government

9. Castro in Cuba
Communist, Fidel Castro, overthrows military dictator, Fulgencio Batista
Went to Mexico to learn guerilla fighting tactics
Came back to Cuba with rebels (including Che Guevara – involved in Guatemala too), and most died.
Eventually succeeded and became leader of Cuba

10. Home Life Red Scare Loyalty Review Board
Sought to investigate government employees and fire them if they belonged to a “subversive” organization dismissed, 2900 resigned

11. HUAC House Un-American Activities Committee Hollywood
J.Edgar Hoover suggested publicly outing pro-Communist people and isolating them to reduce influence
Hollywood
Movie-makers suspected of inserting Red propaganda in their films
Blacklist
Hollywood executives put 500 film workers/actors on a Communist list
Ruined their careers for good since no one would hire them

12. Spies Spy trials captivated the nation Alger Hiss The Rosenbergs
First U.S. citizens to be executed for espionage
Similarites to Sacco and Vanzetti?

13. McCarthyism Senator Joseph McCarthy (Rep. from Wisconsin)
Determined to win people over by rooting out Communists
Gave false reports all the time
McCarthyism = damaging reputations in a Communist witch hunt with no evidence
Claimed army full of spies, they denied, he took it to court and television
Lost favor because of his senseless badgering
Senate condemned him
Died 3 years later, a bitter alcoholic

14. Space Race 1957 – Soviets launch Sputnik
1958 – Americans launch Explorer 1/ NASA established
1959 – both countries do fly-bys by the moon

15. Arms Race 1952 – U.S. tests first Hydrogen Bomb
1953 – Soviets test H bomb
1954 – U.S. second H Bomb Test – Bikini Atoll
1957 – Soviets launch first ICBM