1. The Cold War

2. A new international conflict emerged after World War II called the Cold War – The Cold War was mostly an ideological conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union There was a problem at the Potsdam Conference regarding Eastern Europe – Truman wants free elections in Eastern Europe and Stalin wants a military buffer to protect the Soviet Union from further invasion – Winston Churchill claims that an iron curtain has descended across the continent of Europe, dividing it The Truman Doctrine states that the United States would give money to nations fight Communists trying to take over their country (to fight Communist expansion) In the Marshall Plan, the United States gave money to rebuild war-torn Europe

3. The main policy of the United States regarding foreign affairs for 45 years was the policy of containment – Policy of Containment = to keep Communism within its existing borders and prevent it from spreading – The United States will fight the Vietnam and Korean Wars to stop the spread of Communism Germany was divided after World War II, but a few years later U.S., Britain, and France decide to unify their zones – The Soviets respond with the Berlin Blockade, where they blockade West Berlin – The British and the U.S. respond with the Berlin Airlift – they airlift in supplies to West Berlin for over a year until the Soviets end the blockade – By 1949 there are two Germanys – East Germany is Communist and West Germany is not

4. Alliances – The American alliance with Western Europe was called NATO (North American Treaty Organization) – The Soviet military alliance with Eastern Europe was called the Warsaw Pact Korean War (1950-1953) – main cause was that Communist North Korea invades South Korea – In 1953 a truce divides Korea at the 38 th Parallel Bay of Pigs Invasion – the U.S. tries to invade Cuba with CIA- trained Cuban exiles and it fails The Berlin Wall was built to keep the East Germans from leaving (defecting) to the West In the Cuban Missile Crisis the Soviets try to put nuclear missiles in Cuba and aim them at the U.S. – This is to counteract nuclear missiles that the U.S. put in Turkey – The U.S. blockades Cuba and in the end the Soviets back down

5. Domino Theory = the idea that if one country falls to Communism that neighboring countries will also fall The Vietnam War starts off as a war of independence from France – The U.S. gets involved when Communist North Vietnam invades South Vietnam – The U.S. fights both the Korean and Vietnam wars to stop the spread of Communism – Many people in the U.S. protested the war and at Kent State University four students were shot and killed by the National Guard – At the village of Mylai American soldiers murder almost an entire village in South Vietnam – In the end President Nixon will pull the U.S. out of the Vietnam War

6. Détente = the relaxation of tensions and improved relations between the U.S. and the Soviet Union – In 1979 the Soviet Union invades Afghanistan, this event ends Détente