14.

1 Truman & the Cold War Guided Notes

LT: I can analyze the international policies and actions developed as a response to the Cold War including
containment, the Marshall Plan, the Truman Doctrine and the Korean War.

The Cold War 1. The Cold War was an era of distrust & hostility between the USA & USSR from
1945-1991

2. The USA promoted democracy & capitalism while the USSR tried to spread
communism

Causes of The US & USSR emerged from WWII as rival superpowers

the Cold War
Why?
The development of the atomic bomb

By the ___Postdam__________ Conference, Stalin began extending his control over

Eastern Europe
Stalin refused to remove his military or allow free election in Eastern Europe

As a result, Eastern European nations turned to Communism & became Soviet

satellites—nations influenced by the USSR At the end of the war, Germany was
divided into a zone occupied by the USSR (which became East Germany) & a zone
occupied by the USA, Britain, & France (West Germany)

Containment 1. In 1947, the U.S. began a policy of Containment to stop the spread of Communism
by the USSR
2. When the USSR began pressuring Greece and Turkey to become Communist, the
US created the Truman Doctrine.
a. Truman Doctrine-- us economic and military aid to any country
threatened by communism

b. Marshall Plan-- offered $13 billion to help rebuild post-war Europe

3. In 1948, the USSR used military force to turn Czechoslovakia to communism

4. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) -- a military alliance among democratic
countries

The Berlin Cause: The USSR cut off all traffic to berlin (East Germany)
Blockade
Effect: The US began the Berlin Airlift
Bring food, fuel, & supplies to keep West Berlin from turning to Communism

Reorganizing The US created 3 new agencies:

the 1. Dept of Defense-- to direct the Army & Navy. The military also created the Air Force
Government 2. Central Intelligence Agency -- to collect & manage information among all gov’t
agencies
3. Nat’l Security Council -- to advise the president on national security

Nuclear The US monopoly on military weapons ended in 1949 when the USSR successfully tested
Weapons their own atomic bombs.

In 1952, the US tested the 1st hydrogen bomb.

The Cold War By the late 1940s the Cold War spread to Asia.
in Asia
In 1949, Mao Zedong gained control and turned china to communism

Americans blamed President Truman for losing china.

America’s 1. The US expanded the military and stockpiled nuclear weapons

Response to 2. Domino theory -- The USA feared that China would influence its neighbors to turn
the Cold War communist
in Asia
3. In 1950 fought the korean war to stop communism

The Korean
War 1. In 1950, North Korea attacked south Korea
2. The US led a United Nations intervention to stop North Korea
3. By 1953, a ceasefire stopped the fighting.

The Vietnam The US stopped the spread of communism into South Korea, but in 1954 Communist Ho
War begins Chi Minh began a war to gain independence for Vietnam

Conclusion After WWII, foreign policy changed:

- US became a superpower
- The Cold War increased military spending, nuclear weapons, & fears of a war with
the USSR
- President Truman successfully contained Communism in Europe, but failed in asia