The Cold War was a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and Soviet Union from 1945-1991. It involved proxy wars, espionage, massive military buildups, and ideological battles between capitalism and communism. Key events included the Berlin Blockade, Korean War, Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam War, and Space Race, as the two superpowers competed for global influence and tried to spread their opposing economic/political systems.

1. United States History
The Cold War Conflicts

2. The Cold War 1945-
1991

3. Cold War Begins
– a non-military battle of
diplomacy and
propaganda between
the United States and
Soviet Union
– Lasted from 1945-1990
– led to “hot” wars around globe
in Korea, Vietnam
- Many of the smaller wars were
called proxy wars because the
U.S. and U.S.S.R. never fought
face to face

4. U.S. vs. USSR (Soviet
Union)
U.S. U.S.S.R
Capitalism Communism
Private property State owns
Democratic Totalitarian

6. The Ideological Struggle
Soviet &
Eastern Bloc
Nations
[“Iron Curtain”]
US & the
Western
Democracies
GOAL  spread
world-wide
Communism
GOAL 
“Containment” of
Communism & the
eventual collapse of
the Communist world.
[George Kennan]
METHODOLOGIES:
 Espionage [KGB vs. CIA]
 Arms Race [nuclear escalation]
 Ideological Competition for the minds and hearts
of Third World peoples [Communist govt. &
command economy vs. democratic govt. & capitalist
economy]  “proxy wars”
 Bi-Polarization of Europe [NATO vs. Warsaw Pact]

7. The “Iron Curtain”
From Stettin in the Balkans, to Trieste in the
Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the
Continent. Behind that line lies the ancient
capitals of Central and Eastern Europe.
-- Sir Winston Churchill, 1946

8. FIGHTING COMMUNISM
CONTAINMENT POLICY: The U.S.
would work to stop the spread of
communism.
1. Truman Doctrine
2. Marshall Plan
3. NATO and other alliances

9. 4. The Truman Doctrine &
Domino Theory
Truman Doctrine: U.S. would aid
countries around the world who
are fighting communism (like
Greece and Turkey).
Domino Theory: If the U.S. doesn’t
fight communism, then
countries will fall to communism
like dominos.

10. The ‘Truman Doctrine’
• Truman had been horrified at the pre-
war Allied policy of appeasement and
was determined to stand up to any Soviet
intimidation.
The Truman Doctrine in March 1947
promised that the USA “would support
free peoples who are resisting
subjugation by armed minorities or
by outside pressures”.
• Triggered by British inability to hold the
line in Greece, it was followed by aid to
Greece and Turkey, and also money to
help capitalists to stop communists in
Italy and France.
It signalled the end of “isolationst”
policies.

11. The Marshall Plan 1948
• Plan to aid Europe—
in ruins
– Prevent countries
from falling to
communists
– Aid American
business
• $17 billion to 16
countries in Europe
(not Soviet Union)

12. The ‘Marshall Plan’
• The Marshall Plan offered huge sums to
enable the economies of Europe to rebuild
after World War II, and, by generating
prosperity, to reject the appeal of
Communism.
The Soviet Union (USSR) prevented Eastern
European countries from receiving American
money.

13. NATO vs. WARSAW PACT
North Atlantic Treaty
Organization: defense
alliance among U.S. and
Europe against the
Soviet Union. Still
exists.
Warsaw Pact: Defense
alliance among Soviet
Union and its satellite
governments in Eastern
Europe.

14. North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(1949)
 United States
 Belgium
 Britain
 Canada
 Denmark
 France
 Iceland
 Italy
 Luxemburg
 Netherlands
 Norway
 Portugal
 1952: Greece &
Turkey
 1955: West Germany
 1983: Spain

15. Warsaw Pact (1955)
} U. S. S. R.
} Albania
} Bulgaria
} Czechoslovakia
} East Germany
} Hungary
} Poland
} Rumania

16. Postwar Germany
• Nuremburg Trials for war crimes
• Divided into 4 zones:
– West Germany – U.S., Britain, and
France
– East Germany- Soviets
– Capitol city of Berlin divided into 4
zones (in East Germany)
• Berlin Airlift: In 1948-49, the U.S.
and Europe flew food and
supplies to save West Berlin,
until Soviets reopened roads.

18. Improve your knowledge
• The Russians took very high casualties to
capture Berlin in May 1945. They spent the
early occupation trying to take over all zones
of the city but were stopped by German
democrats such as Willy Brandt and Konrad
Adenauer. Reluctantly the Russians had to
admit the Americans, French and British to
their respective zones.

19. Iron Curtain –
A term used by
Winston Churchill
to describe the
separating of
Those communist
lands of East
Europe from the
West.

20. Berlin Blockade & Airlift (1948-49)

21. Berlin
• West Berlin, was an outpost of Western
democracy and economic success deep within
the communist zone – like a capitalist island
within communist East Germany
• The Berlin Blockade was an attempt to
starve West Berlin into submitting [giving up]
to the communists
• The Allied [western powers] airlift signalled the
West’s determination to use all resources to
defend Berlin.
It was felt by both sides that Berlin could act as
the trigger for general war between capitalist
and communist countries

22. Post War Japan:
• U.S. occupied – under
General MacArthur
– New constitution
– Democracy with Emperor as
figurehead
– Rebuild economy
– Abolished army and navy
• Tokyo trials convicted war
criminals

23. The Red Scare
• Intense fear of Communists taking
over U.S.
– China became a Communist country
in 1949.
– Soviets developed an atomic bomb
in 1949.
– Rosenbergs convicted of selling
atomic secrets to Soviet Union.
Executed 1953.

24. McCarthyism
• In 1950, Republican Senator
Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin
claimed that he had “lists” of
communists in the U.S.
government.
• Falsely accused hundreds of
people of being active
Communists, ruining lives.
• When hearings were televised,
people saw that McCarthy was
wrongly accusing many people.
• Censured (punished) by Senate.

25. Korean War
[1950-1953]

26. Korean War
[1950-1953]
Syngman Rhee
Kim Il-Sung
“Domino Theory”

27. • U.S. General Douglas MacArthur led the U.N. force,
approximately 80% of which were U.S. soldiers.
MacArthur
at Inch'on
landing

28. Korean War, 1950-53
• Divided north and south at 38th
parallel at end of WWII.
• In 1950, Communist North
Korea invaded South Korea.
• The U.S. and United Nations,
aided the South; China aided
the North Koreans.
• Treaty signed in 1953, keeping
dividing line at 38th parallel
(still today).
• 33,000 American soldiers died,
100,000 wounded.

29. The Shifting Map of Korea
[1950-1953]

30. Ending the War:
• President Truman disagreed with MacArthur about attacking
China.
• Gen. MacArthur wanted to attack China with support of
Chinese nationalists.
• U.N. troops regained South Korea by March of 1951.

31. • Truman fired MacArthur for defying him by publicly
taunting and threatening the Chinese.

32. • In July of 1953, the Korean War ended

33. Space Race
• Began when Soviets beat the
U.S. into space
– Soviet satellite Sputnik launched in
1957
– Explorer I, the first U.S. satellite,
was launched in 1958.
• The National Defense Act of
1958 approved federal funding
of education in math, science
and foreign languages.
• Reforms in education –

34. The Arms Race:
A “Missile Gap?”
} The Soviet Union
exploded its first
A-bomb in 1949.
} Now there were
two nuclear
superpowers!

35. Nuclear Arms Race
• Hydrogen bomb
invented – both U.S.
and Soviets had them
• 1,000 times more
powerful than atomic
bomb—vaporized an
island.
• Dangers of fallout and
radiation
• Many built
bomb shelters!!

36. Improve your knowledge
• The nuclear bomb gave America a lead
which was expected to last at least 5
years. The rapid Russian development of
nuclear technology, helped by the work of
the “atom spies” was a shock.
Significantly, Russia hurriedly declared
war against Japan at the beginning of
August 1945 and rushed to advance into
Asia to stake out a position for the post-
war settlement. This helped make both the
Korean and Vietnamese conflicts more
likely.

37. National Defense Budget [1940-1964]

38. Premier Nikita Khrushchev
About the capitalist
states, it doesn't
depend on you
whether we
(Soviet Union) exist.
If you don't like us,
don't accept our
invitations, and don't
invite us to come
to see you. Whether
you like it our not, history is on our
side. We will bury you. -- 1956
De-Stalinization
Program

39. An Historic Irony: Sergei
Khrushchev, American Citizen
Who buried who?

40. Mao’s Revolution: 1949
Who lost China?

41. Growing Interest in China
Nationalists
Led by Chiang Kai-shek
Communists
Led by Mao Zedong
People’s Republic of China:
• In the 1940’s, China was embroiled in a civil war.

42. • The U.S. gave the Chiang Kai-shek millions of dollars, but
the communists won the war.

43. • China
became a
communist
country,
and
Chiang
Kai-shek
and his
forces fled
to Taiwan.

44. Nixon-Khrushchev
“Kitchen Debate”
(1959)
Cold War --->
Tensions
<--- Technology
& Affluence

45. U-2 Spy Incident (1960)
Col. Francis Gary
Powers’ plane was
shot down over Soviet
airspace.

46. Paris, 1961
Khrushchev & JFK meet to discuss Berlin and
nuclear proliferation. Khrushchev thinks that
JFK is young, inexperienced, and can be rolled.

47. The Berlin Wall Goes Up (1961)
Checkpoint
Charlie

48. Ich bin ein Berliner!
(1963)
President Kennedy
tells Berliners
that the West is
with them!

49. Khruschev Embraces Castro,
1961

50. Bay of Pigs Debacle (1961)

51. Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

52. Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
We went eyeball-to-eyeball with the
Russians, and the other man blinked!

53. Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

54. Vietnam War: 1965-1973