Chapter 18 Teacher Notes Cold War Conflict

CHAPTER 18 TEACHER NOTES“COLD WAR CONFLICT”

The period of tension and resentment after the end of World War II is called the Cold War. The major nations the Cold War involved were the United States and the Soviet Union. Each nation emerged from WWII as a superpower with both having different ideas of how the world should look. For the United States they wanted a form of government to spread across Europe that had democracy. For the Soviet Union, they wanted a form of government called communism. This Cold War would last from 1945-1991.

Why did the Cold War begin? For the Soviets it was because (1) the US was late in opening a second front in Europe which meant more Soviet army members died and (2) the US had kept the atomic bomb secret from them.

There was hope for peace across the globe though. An organization was created to keep peace called the United Nations. Unfortunately, the US and the Soviet Union used the UN to their purposes.

The president of the United States during the early years of the Cold War was Harry Truman. Truman’s first test against Soviet aggression occurred at the Potsdam Conference. Stalin had promised to allow free elections in Europe at the Yalta Conference, but he lied. At the Potsdam Conference, Germany was divided into zones and Stalin stated his desire for eastern Europe. These nations became known as satellite nations because they basically were controlled by the Soviet Union.

To deal with the Soviets, Truman began the policy that would try and stop the spread of communism called containment. The individual who created this policy was George F. Kennan.

In 1946, Winston Churchill came to the United States and gave a speech in which he said an “iron curtain” had spread across Europe. The phrase “Iron Curtain” became symbolic of the Cold War!

In order to stop the spread of communism President Truman issued the Truman Doctrine. This doctrine said the US would help nations fight off communism. The place where it was first used was in GreeceandTurkey.

In addition, to help stop the spread of communism the US desired to rebuild Europe with a plan called the Marshall Plan. This plan was a major success in stopping communism in Europe.

The main area of tension early on in the Cold War was Germany. In fact, the capital city of Berlin became the hotspot! In 1948, the Soviets closed west Berlin and locked its residents in. They barely had enough food to survive for 5 weeks. The US decided to bring food and supplies in the famous Berlin Airlift. Soon after, the Soviets created East Germany as one of its satellite nations.

Because of the growing threat of the Soviet Union, Europe created a military alliance of nations called NATO or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The United States was a major part of this alliance. The goal was to protect smaller European nations from communist threats. In response, the Soviet Union would create a similar group called the Warsaw Pact.

Another communist nation that began in the Cold War era was the nation of China. The fight in China was between Chiang Kai-shek (pro-US) and Mao Zedong (communist). Eventually Kai-shek was forced to flee China and established a base on a Chinese island called Taiwan.

The Cold War finally spilled over into what became known as the Korean War. The Korean War was a fight between the North Koreans who were communist (and supported by China) and South Koreans (supported by the US). The dividing line was the 38th parallel. In 1950, the North Koreans attacked the South Koreans. Truman sent US troops under the leadership of WWII hero Gen. Douglas MacArthur. MacArthur was able to push the North back but wanted to go further than Truman would allow. MacArthur tried to go above the president’s head and eventually was removed from power. In 1951, a cease-fire went into effect and still remains so today.

At home in the United States, the greatest fear of Americans was communism. Much like post WWI, there was paranoia about communist influence and takeover. Congress began to investigate possible communist individuals in its powerful House Un-American ActivitiesCommittee (HUAC). The main area this committee went after was Hollywood. Ten of these Hollywood individuals refused to cooperate and were labeled the Hollywood Ten.

There was also a major spy case involving Alger Hiss, a former State Department worker. He was convicted of perjury and later evidence seems to point to his guilt. A major player that helped bring down Hiss was future president Richard Nixon. Another spy case involved a husband and wife team known as the Rosenberg’s. In 1949, the Soviet Union exploded an atomic bomb. How did they get the technology so quickly? The Rosenberg’s were convicted and electrocuted as spies.

The great chase for suspected communists in the US was led eventually by Senator Joe McCarthy. His attacks on suspects became known as McCarthyism. He was ruthless and accused almost everyone. Eventually, he fell out of public favor.

With the Soviet Union now having the atomic bomb, the US rushed to produce an even more devastating weapon called the Hydrogen bomb. In 1952 the US succeeded, but in 1953 so did the Soviets. The Cold War was now a race to see who could build the largest supply of these weapons.

After Harry Truman, the new president of the US was former general Dwight D. Eisenhower. Eisenhower’s policy towards communism was called “brinkmanship” and was advocated by John FosterDulles. Eisenhower also issued the Eisenhower Doctrine which said the US would help stop communism in the Middle East.

To help fight against spies and communist efforts, the US government formed the CIA. The CIA was involved across the globe in stopping communist efforts.

The Cold War even affected space exploration!!!! After Stalin died, the USSR was run by NikitaKhrushchev. Under his leadership, the USSR raced ahead in the space race sending the first space satellite up called Sputnik. The US vowed to catch up and increased its education in science and math.

The Cold War got dangerously cold when a US spy plane called the U2 was shot down over Soviet airspace. The pilot on board was Francis Gary Powers. The 1960s came with great tension between the two superpowers.

STUDY ISLAND EOC PRACTICE QUESTIONS

1. After World War II ended, what effect did the development of the atomic bomb have on the world?

A. / Germany was brought into military weapons compliance.
B. / It turned countries who were once allies into enemies.
C. / Countries now worked together to create one military.
D. / Japan feared that the U.S. would bomb them again.

2. Why did the Allied powers enact demilitarization plans in both Germany and Japan?

A. / to be able to efficiently negotiate peace treaties
B. / to allow scientific advancement for economic stimulation
C. / to sustain the growth of crops to prevent starvation
D. / to prevent either country from staging more attacks
The Aftermath of World War II in Europe
•Poverty
•Death of millions
•Famine/starvation
•Destruction of agriculture
•Many homeless
•Cities lie in ruin or severely damage
•Transportation damaged (railways, bridges, and roads)

3. What was the name of the U.S. plan to help Europe rebuild from all of the devastation it faced?

A. / Atlantic Charter
B. / European Charter
C. / MacArthur Plan
D. / Marshall Plan

4.

•China
•Korea
•Vietnam
•Angola

What do the above four nations have in common?

A. / They were member nations of the Warsaw Pact and the Soviet bloc.
B. / They fought civil wars between communist and non-communist groups.
C. / They were officially divided into separate sectors after World War II.
D. / They were former American colonies that gained independence.

5. Soon after World War II, the United States offered economic aid to European countries that had suffered during the conflict. This was called the European Recovery Program, or the Marshall Plan. Which of these best describes why the Marshall Plan caused economic conflict in the Cold War?

A. / The Soviet Union received more aid than was allowed.
B. / The aid actually damaged the economies of countries.
C. / Soviet Bloc nations did not receive any economic aid.
D. / Asian nations such as China and Japan were excluded.

6.

The image on the left shows the Hungarian flag as it appeared during the Cold War. The symbol in the middle of the flag is the communist coat of arms, which represented Soviet control of the country. The flag to the right, however, became the symbol for the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Based on these images, the Hungarian Revolution was most likely

A. / a civil war between communist forces.
B. / an assassination attempt on Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.
C. / an attempt to overthrow communist rule in Hungary.
D. / an effort to bring Hungary into the Warsaw Pact

7. On June 24, 1948, the Soviet Union blockaded West Berlin from the rest of West Germany. How did the United States and the western Europeans respond?

A. / They airlifted food and other supplies to the city.
B. / They fired missiles into territory of the Soviet Union.
C. / They left the city, allowing it to join East Germany.
D. / They drove unarmed truck convoys to the city.

8. Members of the Warsaw Pact invaded which of the following countries in 1968 in order to stop reforms that would have resulted in political liberalization?

A. / Czechoslovakia
B. / Poland
C. / Germany
D. / Hungary

9. The Marshall Plan focused mostly on

A. / providing new employment to Europeans.
B. / providing economic assistance to Europe.
C. / offering nuclear defense weapons to Europe.
D. / offering United States citizenship to Europeans.

10. Which policy, developed by diplomat George F. Kennan, was dedicated to preventing the further spread of communism throughout the Cold War?

A. / containment
B. / capitalism
C. / engagement
D. / imperialism

11. The threat of a communist takeover of Greece and Turkey led the United States to

A. / pass the Truman Doctrine.
B. / establish the European Economic Community.
C. / sign the Warsaw Pact.
D. / create the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

12. The Marshall Plan focused mostly on

A. / providing economic assistance to Europe.
B. / offering nuclear defense weapons to Europe.
C. / offering United States citizenship to Europeans.
D. / providing new employment to Europeans.

13. Which policy, developed by diplomat George F. Kennan, was dedicated to preventing the further spread of communism throughout the Cold War?

A. / capitalism
B. / containment
C. / engagement
D. / imperialism

16. Which of the following technologies did the Soviet Union develop before any other country?

A. / radar
B. / jet engines
C. / nuclear weapons
D. / space flight

19. What was the condition of the Korean Peninsula immediately after World War II?

A. / Korea was divided between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.
B. / Korea was governed by a department of the United Nations.
C. / Korea was allowed to hold elections for a new government.
D. / Korea was given back to Japan and recognized as its territory.

20. During the Cold War arms race, what prevented the United States and the Soviet Union from using nuclear weapons?

A. / an uncertainty over whether the weapons would work
B. / a sense of friendly relations between the two countries
C. / an inability to fire the weapons across a necessary distance
D. / a fear that they both would be destroyed in nuclear war

21. Why did President Eisenhower favor the development of nuclear weapons such as the hydrogen bomb?

A. / He believed that developing nuclear weapons instead of preparing for conventional war was more cost-efficient.
B. / He thought that the creation of highly destructive materials would tell the world just how powerful the U.S. was.
C. / He thought that no other nation on the planet would have been able to obtain such highly destructive materials.
D. / He felt it would be the only way to show the Soviets that capitalism would defeat communism in every aspect.

23. What foreign policy did the Truman Doctrine stand for during the post-World War II years?

A. / The United States would not involve itself in European affairs as long as Europe stayed out of the Americas.
B. / The United States would come to the aid of any Communist nation that wanted to switch to a democratic system.
C. / The United States would give financial aid to any nation regardless of its form of government.
D. / The United States would aid all free nations struggling against communism.

24.

During the Cold War following World War II, the countries in dark blue on the map above all belonged to the

A. / Council for Mutual Economic Assistance.
B. / North American Free Trade Agreement.
C. / League of Nations.
D. / North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

25. During the early years of the Cold War, the United States, Canada, and many countries in Western Europe entered into a military alliance known as

A. / the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
B. / the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance.
C. / the League of Nations.
D. / the United Nations.

26.

•The Berlin Airlift
•Formation of NATO
•Buildup of arms, including nuclear devices

The actions in the box were taken by the United States in response to

A. / Soviet aggression and expansionism.
B. / the growth of fascism in Europe.
C. / conflicts and tension in the Middle East.
D. / the Communist Russian Revolution.

27. What was the purpose of the Marshall Plan?

A. / to prevent future world wars by creating a global governing body for peacekeeping and conflict resolution
B. / to unify democratic nations by stating that an attack against one would be considered an attack against all
C. / to create a strong, democratic Western Europe by helping the region rebuild with massive financial aid
D. / to ease the Allies' burden of rebuilding Germany by dividing it into four zones

29. What was the main purpose of the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC)?

A. / to create a communist party within America
B. / to punish Soviets living in the United States
C. / to investigate communist activity within America
D. / to check up on all members of the FBI

30. What did the American Communist Party have in common with the Soviet Communist Party?

A. / political support from the FBI
B. / the Marxism-Leninism ideology
C. / leadership under a dictator
D. / the formation of a market economy

31. The American anticommunist crusade intensified in the late 1940s when the government began their investigation of a former State Department official who had worked closely with FDR. Who was this government official?

A. / Julius Rosenberg
B. / Whittaker Chambers
C. / J. Edgar Hoover
D. / Alger Hiss

32. Who was the strong anti-communist director of the FBI during the Red Scare?

A. / Alger Hiss
B. / J. Edgar Hoover
C. / Richard Nixon
D. / Joseph McCarthy

33. In what way were Julius and Ethel Rosenberg involved in the anticommunist movement?

A. / They were convicted of passing atomic secrets to the U.S.S.R.
B. / They helped Joseph McCarthy attack alleged communists.
C. / They were accused of creating an underground communist party.
D. / They were involved in the investigation of Alger Hiss.

34. How did Whittaker Chambers affect the anti-communist movement?

A. / He founded the American Communist Party.
B. / He testified against Alger Hiss in his espionage trial.
C. / He executed Soviet spies and communist leaders.
D. / He supported Joseph McCarthy's policies.

35. Senator Joseph McCarthy conducted a Senate investigation regarding communist infiltration of______, which went too far and led to the demise of his career.

A. / the U.S. Supreme Court
B. / the U.S. Army
C. / the F.B.I.
D. / Ivy League colleges

36.The House of Un-American Activities (HUAC) was an investigative committee in the U.S. House of Representatives formed in 1938. In 1947, the committee conducted a series of hearings over a nine-day period to investigate communist propaganda and influence in the Hollywood motion picture industry. This ultimately led to the "Hollywood Blacklist," which consisted of a list of screenwriters, actors, directors, musicians, and other U.S. entertainment professionals who were denied employment because of their real or alleged political beliefs and associations. Over 300 artists found themselves blacklisted and many were forced to write under pseudonyms or leave the country in order to find work.
The blacklisted entertainers were victims of______, a hunt for communists led by a Senator from Wisconsin.

A. / Reaganomics
B. / Jim Crow
C. / McCarthyism
D. / containment

41. The United States was involved in the Korean War as part of the forces sanctioned by

A. / the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
B. / the Organization of American States.
C. / the Warsaw Pact.
D. / the United Nations.

43. Which of the following best explains the outcome of the Korean War?

A. / China and the Soviet Union were forced to withdraw from Southeast Asia.
B. / The Korean Peninsula was unified under a single, democratic government.
C. / South Korea gained a significant amount of territory on the Korean Peninsula.
D. / North Korea remained communist while South Korea remained a democracy.