The Cold War H-SS 11.9 - Students analyze U.S. foreign policy since World War II H-SS 11.7.8 – Analyze the effect of massive aid given to Western Europe under the Marshall Plan to rebuild itself after the war and the importance of a rebuilt Europe to the U.S. economy. H-SS 11.9.3 -Trace the origins and geopolitical consequences (foreign and domestic) of the Cold War and Containment policy

Roots of the Cold War During WWII U.S.A. and U.S.S.R. were allies, united against Germany. Had little else in common. U.S. is a capitalist democracy,-free elections, economic & religious freedom, private property. Soviet Union (U.S.S.R.) was a dictatorship led by Joseph Stalin-Communist party made all decisions, atheistic (no religion), no private property, no freedoms

Germany was divided after World War II

The Allies disagreed on future of Eastern Europe The Allies disagreed on future of Eastern Europe. At the Yalta Conference- Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin met to discuss what would happen after the war. Stalin wanted to make Germany weak by dividing it into four parts that would eventually become separate independent nations.

U.S. and Great Britain wanted a stronger Germany to help them in defense against a stronger U.S.S.R. U.S.S.R. had lost 20 million people and did not want Germany to attack them again. Stalin agreed to allow free elections in countries occupied by Soviet troops and to divide Germany into 4 zones of occupation on temporarily, allowing Germany to be reunited.

Despite Stalin’s promises all the countries in Eastern Europe became Communist. Stalin wanted to create a buffer zone of satellite states between W. Europe and the USSR. The nations in purple on the map are the Eastern European satellite states discussed above.

Potsdam Conference- Harry S Potsdam Conference- Harry S. Truman, Clement Attlee, and Joseph Stalin met to confirm decisions made at Yalta. Stalin refused to allow free elections in occupied territory. Truman left thinking USSR was “planning world conquest.” Cold War started. It was a 46 year struggle between two superpowers the U.S. and the USSR.

Winston Churchill coined the phrase “Iron Curtain” at a speech at Fulton College in Missouri. It described the East/West divided between Capitalism and Democracy in the West, and Communism and Dictatorships in the East.

Truman Doctrine- 1947 Truman went before Congress to request $400 million to fight Soviet aggression in Greece and Turkey. Both countries had Communists that were trying to take over. Congress approved the funds to help stabilize the countries. Truman Doctrine stated that the U.S. would help any country that was fighting Communist revolution.

Containing Soviet Expansion George F. Kennan - American diplomat - developed the containment policy George F. Kennan

Containment The goal of the Containment policy was to keep communism contained within its existing borders through, diplomatic, economic, and military actions

Goal was to prevent communism from spreading Containment Policy Goal was to prevent communism from spreading

Containment required a full commitment of American economic, political, and military power. The containment policy’s first great success was in Western Europe.

Soviet Union’s view of US containment policy

The U.S. tried to encircle Communism

Marshall Plan – Postwar Europe faced economic ruin people were starving. George C. Marshall proposed the European Recovery Program called the Marshall Plan. Plan gave European nations $13 billion in aid to rebuild. It is credited with stopping the spread of Communism into W. Europe. It helped US economy because we supplied them many goods as they rebuilt.

The U. S. S. R. encircled the City of Berlin. They wanted the U. S The U.S.S.R. encircled the City of Berlin. They wanted the U.S. and other Western powers to give the city over to them, since it was located in Communist East Germany.

Berlin Blockade- Soviet Union cut-off West Berlin and wanted the U. S Berlin Blockade- Soviet Union cut-off West Berlin and wanted the U.S. to abandon the city to the Communists. Berlin Airlift – U.S. supplied the city with around the clock delivery of supplies that were delivered by airplane. It lasted for 1 year before the Soviet backed down and opened the road to Berlin.

Cold War Alliances: NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organization Formed to counter Soviet expansion. Western European and North American nations agreed to act together in defense of W. Europe. They considered an attack against any member nation an attack on all of them.

Warsaw Pact – All the Communist nations of E Warsaw Pact – All the Communist nations of E. Europe except Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union joined forces to counter NATO.

The Soviet Union (USSR) and its satellite states formed a rival military alliance called the Warsaw Pact. Its goal was to counter NATO and balance power between the two superpowers. Many former members of the Warsaw Pact are now members of NATO following the fall of the USSR at the end of the Cold War.