History 171D The United States and the World Since 1945
The Early Years of the Cold War
Textbook versions
The Early Years of the Cold War
Situation by fall of 1945: Germany and Japan totally defeated in WWII
Situation by fall of 1945: Germany and Japan totally defeated in WWII
Situation by fall of 1945: US sole possessor of atom bomb
Situation by fall of 1945: Germany under US, British, French, and Soviet occupation
Situation by fall of 1945: Eastern Europe under Soviet occupation
Situation by fall of 1945: Joseph Stalin of USSR was starting to renege on pledge made at Yalta Conference (Feb 1945) to allow Eastern Europe to develop democratically
April 1945— Roosevelt died and was succeeded by Harry Truman
Summer 1945—United Nations launched in San Franciso
Disagreement among Germany’s occupiers
Stalin’s February 1946 speech
February 1946— George Kennan sent “Long Telegram” to Washington
Kennan’s message further refined in “X Article” in Foreign Affairs, 1947— “containment doctrine”
March 1946—Former British prime minister Winston Churchill delivered “Iron Curtain” speech
What about the Bomb?
1946—US proposed, and USSR rejected, Baruch Plan Bernard Baruch
Early Cold War crises in Middle and Near East
Early Cold War crises in Middle and Near East: Ahmed QavamJoseph Stalin Iran crisis, 1946
Early Cold War crises in Middle and Near East: Turkish Straits crisis, 1946 USS Missouri
Early Cold War crises in Middle and Near East: Turkish and Greek crises, 1947 Greek civil war
Early Cold War crises in Middle and Near East:
Greek civil war
Early Cold War crises in Middle and Near East: Truman Doctrine, 1947
Severe economic crisis in Western Europe,
1947—Secretary of State George Marshall proposed “Marshall Plan” for recovery of Europe
1947—Secretary of State George Marshall proposed “Marshall Plan” for recovery of Europe Marshall Plan was rejected by Soviet and Eastern European governments
— Marshall Plan totaled $13.5 billion
1948— In Italian elections, Palmiro Togliatti (Communist) ran against PM Alcide De Gasperi (Christian Democrat) Togliatti De Gasperi
Roscoe Hillenkoetter, first CIA director
1948— In Italian elections, Palmiro Togliatti (Communist) ran against PM Alcide De Gasperi (Christian Democrat) Togliatti De Gasperi
1948— In Italian elections, Palmiro Togliatti (Communist) ran against PM Alcide De Gasperi (Christian Democrat) Togliatti De Gasperi CIA covertly supported De Gasperi, who won election
Joseph Stalin
Spring 1948— Communist takeover of Czechoslovakia Czech Communist Party (KSC) propaganda poster
Allied Occupation of Germany Berlin crisis,
... Leading to political division of Germany and Berlin Berlin crisis,
Summer 1948— Stalin imposed blockade on West Berlin
Berlin crisis, Gen. Lucius Clay
Berlin crisis, —US and Britain airlifted supplies into West Berlin
Berlin crisis, May 1949—Stalin lifted blockade
1949—US, Britain, France, Canada, Italy, and several other Western European nations formed North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
US Occupation of Japan —General Douglas McArthur instituted democratization and land reform on Japan, started to break up industrial monopolies (zaibatsu)
US Occupation of Japan 1947—McArthur took “reverse course” and ended reform effort; US instead sought to build Japan up as Cold War ally MacArthur and Japanese Emperor Hirohito
Truman and Marshall
Shock #1: The “Loss” of China, 1949 Chiang Kai-shek Three shocks of : Mao Tse-tung
Shock #1: The “Loss” of China, 1949 Three shocks of :
Secretary of State Dean Acheson
Shock #2: Soviet detonation of atom bomb Three shocks of :
Shock #3: Korean War Three shocks of :