The Cold War Begins The Cold War was an era of competition and confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union. (1946-1990) The two sides had different goals Soviets had security concerns (keeping Germany weak) America had economic concerns (many Americans believed that the Depression had caused WW II

The Yalta Conference February of 1945 – the leaders of the Big Three met in Yalta (a Soviet resort on the Black Sea) Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill Met to plan the postwar world Several agreements had a role in causing Cold War tensions Poland – the Soviets encouraged Polish communists to set up a new government Churchill and Roosevelt argued that Poland should be free and sovereign

Declaration of Liberated Europe The declaration asserted “the right of all people to choose the form of government under which they will live.” Dividing Germany The Big Three agreed to split Germany into four zones Great Britain, the US, France, and the Soviet Union would each be in control of one zone The same four countries would also divide the city of Berlin, even though it was in the Soviet Union

Potsdam Conference President Truman met Stalin in Potsdam, near Berlin, to work out a deal on Germany. Truman believed Germany’s industry was important to the economic recovery of Europe. Stalin believed Germany needed to pay reparations. Truman suggested that the USSR take reparations from their zone

Containing Communism The Truman Doctrine – keeping communism in the borders where it already existed. Truman asked Congress for $400 million to fight Soviet aggression in Greece and Turkey The Marshall Plan was developed by Secretary of State George C. Marshall. This plan would give economic aid to rebuild their economies

The Berlin Crisis West Germany is founded with the merging of the three zones in the west. France, Great Britain, and the United States would join their zones The Soviet side would become known as East Germany The Berlin Airlift was necessary to keep West Berlin “alive” after the Soviet’s closed the East German border. For 11 months, cargo planes supplied Berliners with food, medicine, and coal. The Berlin blockade convinced many Americans that we should have a military alliance with Western Europe. (NATO) NATO originally included 12 nations for defense

NATO NATO stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization which would be a mutual defense alliance with Western Europe. The members agreed to come to the aid of any member that was attacked. Soviet leaders responded with their own military alliance that was know as the Warsaw Pact.

Revolution in China Communist forces in China were led by Mao Zedong against the nationalist forces led by Chiang Kai-shek since the late 1920s. The United States sent $2 billion in aid beginning in the mid 1940s, but it was not used properly. This event shocked the United States and to make things worse the Soviet Union had successfully detonated its first atomic bomb. The Soviet Union and the Chinese signed a treaty of friendship in which they would lend support to other communist revolutions.

The Korean War Soviet and American troops went into Korea to disarm Japanese troops that were there toward the end of the war. The Allies divided Korea at the 38th parallel Soviet troops set up a communist government in the north (the Soviets gave military aid to North Korea American troops controlled the south On June 25, 1950 North Korean troops invaded South Korea

The Korean War Truman asked the UN to act against the communist invasion of South Korea American, UN, and South Korean forced pushed back North Korean troops The Communist Chinese government saw the UN troops as a threat and demanded that they stop advancing General MacArthur demanded to expand the war against China. Truman refused MacArthur’s demands. MacArthur was fired after publicly criticizing the president.

The New Red Scare Rumors and accusations of Communists in the United States led to fears that Communists were attempting to take over the world. The Red Scare began in 1945