Cold war

Section 1

- “Both sides claimed to be promoting freedom and social justice while defending their own
security, and each offered its social system as a model the rest of the world should follow”. Pg
710
- Just as the conflict over slavery redefined American freedom in the nineteenth century and the
confrontation with the Nazis shaped understandings of freedom during World War II, the Cold
War reshaped them once again.
Pg 716

Section 2

The Cold War was an aftermath of deteriorating international relations between the communist Soviet
Union led by an aggressive Stalin, and the democratic superpower - America. Even though the war was
between these two nations, no actual battle happened on any front. The war was indirectly fought
through the involvement in other nations battles by taking sides. Vietnam and Korea were only some
explicit examples of the war taking place through indirect means.

Not only did the war cost the two sides heavily, arguably more than any other war yet, the war has led
to significant changed in geographical politics on the global level now. Similarly, not only did these two
nations collaborate to give rise to a unified power in the name of United Nations, to prevent global
conflict, but they used this platform to openly take sides. Russia’s veto for the Korean action was one
such instance where the conflict was given global attention and has continued till date with the power of
vetoing affecting global politics and conflict.

Section 3

Iron Curtain

- Term coined by Winston Churchill to describe the Col War divide between western Europe and
Soviet Union’s eastern Europe satellites.

Decolonization

- The process by which African and Asian colonies of European empires became independent in
the years following World War
Section 4

- Religion
- Economic
o The United States accounted for half the world’s manufacturing capacity.
o Secretary of State George C. Marshall pledges the United States to contribute billions of
dollars to finance the economic recovery of Europe.
o The Soviet Union had the only government controlled and monitored economy of large
scale.
- Social
o The Freedom Train revealed how the Col War helped to reshape freedom’s meaning.
o Liberal democrats and black leaders urged the administration for worldwide
decolonization.
o With a one party rule, the Soviet Union had a stringent state control.
- Political
o The Soviet government remained determined to establish a sphere of influence in
eastern Europe.
o Soviets installed procommunist governments in Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria.
o Truman declared the Truman Doctrine in March 1947. It gave aid to European countries
like Greece and Turkey, who were threatened by communism. This came after Britain
ended their support to those countries due to a shattered economy.
o Truman succeeded by holding on bipartisan support for the containment of communism
for years to follow.
- Geographical
o The Soviet Union’s armies occupied most of Eastern Europe, including some parts of
Germany.
o American postwar policy focused on Europe, but it was Asia that turned into the
battlefield of the Cold War.
- Military
o Global military alliances directed against the Soviet Union, free from democratic
oversight were created. Atomic Energy Commission, National Security Council, and
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) were examples.
o American soldiers did the bulk of the fighting on the Korean front because of a Russian
veto in the United Nations Security Council.