The Cold War began after World War II as tensions grew between the Soviet Union and the United States, who emerged as rival superpowers with opposing ideologies. Over the following decades, their rivalry dominated global politics and led to military conflicts and alliances around the world as each sought to expand their influence. Key events included the formation of NATO, the Soviet blockade of Berlin, the Korean War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the escalation of US involvement in Vietnam. The Cold War lasted over 40 years as a strategic and ideological battle between capitalism and communism.

2. _
THE COLD WAR
CHAPTER 27

3. OVERVIEW
After World War II, the Soviet Union
and the United States emerge as
rivals. This rivalry is mainly
diplomatic and strategic, but also
leads both to become involved in
military actions around the world.
The rivalry dominates world
politics for four decades.
(Teacher read)

5. TIMELINE
1945 – U.N. formed; Cold War
begins
1947 – Truman Doctrine, Marshall
Plan
1949 – Communists take control
of China, NATO formed
1953 – Korean War ends (1950-
1953)

6. 1954 – Civil Rights Movement
begins
1957 – Soviets launch Sputnik
1959 – Cuban revolution
1961 – Berlin Wall Built
1962 – Cuban Missile Crisis
1964 – More troops sent to
Vietnam

7. From Stettin in the Baltic to
Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron
curtain has descended across
the continent. Behind that line lie
all the capitals of the ancient
states of central and eastern
Europe, Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, In substance,
Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Mr. Churchill
Bucharest, and Sofia; all these
famous cities and the now stands in
populations around them lie in the position of
the Soviet sphere and all are a firebrand of
subject, in one form or another,
not only to Soviet influence but to war.
very high and increasing a
measure of control from Moscow.

8. IMPORTANT PEOPLE
• Dean Acheson
• Nikita Khrushchev
• Charles de Gaulle
• John F. Kennedy
• Martin Luther King, Jr.

9. CONFRONTATION
• USSR feared the Capitalist
West
• USA feared Communism
–USA wanted Eastern
European nations to
govern themselves after
WWII

10. • Stalin feared the Eastern
European countries would
be anti-Soviet if free
• Truman Doctrine – The
USA would give $$$ To
countries threatened by
Communist expansion

11. MARSHALL PLAN
• June 1947 – European
Recovery program begins
–Rebuilds war-torn Europe
• USSR and its satellite states
don’t take part, set up Council
for Mutual Economic
Assisstance

12. CONTAINMENT
•USA sets up policy of
containment to stop
spread of
Communism.

13. CRISIS IN BERLIN
• W. Germany unified, creates
a West German State in 1948
• USSR opposes, blockade
West Berlin
• US, GB airlift supplies into
West Berlin
• Blockade ends 1949

14. CON’T
•Berlin divided into two
parts, East and West

16. 1 2 3 Cold War Video
4 5 6
HTV 2005 7 8 9
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17. What were several
causes of the Cold
War?

18. THE COLD WAR SPREADS
• Chinese Communists take
control of China in 1949
• Fall of China, USSR first atom
bomb test starts an arms race
b/w the USA and USSR

19. NATO
• April 1949-North Atlantic Treaty
Organization formed (NATO)
• Military alliance-members agreed
to help if another is attacked
• Warsaw Pact – USSR and Eastern
European nations form a military
alliance

20. KOREAN WAR
• North Korea (Commie) invades
South Korea (Democratic)
• USA helps S. Korea try to
repel North
• Lasts 3 years, boundaries
don’t change

21. SPACE RACE
• USSR puts Sputnik I
into orbit in 1957
• Sparks fears in USA of lag behind
USSR technology, missiles

22. BERLIN WALL
• August 1961 – Nikita
Khrushchev orders wall
built between East and
West Berlin to prevent
escape from East.

23. CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS
• Bay of Pigs – JFK orders secret
invasion of Cuba to overthrow
Communist Castro
–Invasion fails
• USSR sends arms and military to
Cuba
–Places nuclear missiles in Cuba

24. CON’T
• JFK orders blockade of Cuba to
stop missiles from getting there
• Khrushchev agrees to remove
missiles if JFK promises not to
invade Cuba
• Close call to nuclear war

25. VIETNAM AND THE DOMINO
THEORY
• Commie N. Vietnam invades S.
Vietnam
–USA applied domino theory to
Vietnam: if Vietnam fell to
Communism, other Asian
countries would fall, like
dominoes

26. ANTIWAR MOVEMENT
•Growing political
unrest at home due to
Vietnam war
•USA ended up
withdrawing from
Vietnam

27. COLD WAR PHASES
CAUSES:
THE SPARK: TURNING POINT:
Mutual mistrust
Berlin Blockade China goes Commie
Two ideologies
Soviet Aggression USSR gets A-Bomb
Arms Race
FINAL STAGE: KOREAN WAR:
VIETNAM:
1980s 1950-53
1965-75
Reagan bankrupted Ended a draw (not
Commies won
USSR good)
EFFECTS:
USSR dead
Communism
discredited

28. TO BE
CONTINUED…