The Cold War began in 1945 after World War 2 and lasted until 1991. It was a period of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and its satellite states (the Eastern Bloc), and the United States and its allies. Key events in the early Cold War from 1945-1952 under President Truman include the Truman Doctrine providing aid to Turkey and Greece to contain communism in Europe, the Marshall Plan to rebuild Western Europe, the 1948-1949 Berlin Airlift when the US flew supplies into West Berlin after Soviet blockades, and the 1950-1953 Korean War where US troops fought against communist North Korea and China.

1. Cold War
1945-
1991
Truman
Years
1945-1952

2. World War One
Central Powers
Germany, Austria –Hungary ,
ottoman Turkey
Allies
USA, Russia,
France, England

3. World War 2
Axis Powers
Nazi Germany, Japanese, Italy
Allies
USA, Russia,
England

4. Cold War : 1945-1991
Communism:
Russia / China
Capitalism :
USA and its Allies

5. One time allies become
enemies !

6. Cold War
Communism VS. Capitalism
USSR VS. USA and allies
China
North Korea

7. Goals of USA after WW II
1. Spread democracy
– i.e. allow for self-
determination
2. Rebuild western
Europe
– Marshall Plan
3. Reunite Germany
4. CONTAINMENT of
Communism

8. Goals of Russian Communists
1. Spread
communism to other
countries
2. control Eastern
Europe
3. punish Germany
and keep it weak

10. Joseph Stalin (click here)

12. Iron Curtain Speech:
Winston Churchill (click here)

15. A VERY
Young Stalin

21. Communist LEADERS
Karl Marx / Freidrich Engles / Vladimir Lenin
Joseph Stalin / Chairman Mao

23. Communist SYMBOL
Hammer and Sickle

25. President TRUMAN:USA in
1945
Adopts a policy of
CONTAINMENT to
stop the spread of
Communism.
USA and Allies
occupy western
Europe and WEST
BERLIN.

26. Truman
Doctrine
Marshall
Plan
Berlin Airlift
USA’s
Containment of
Communism
1945-1952

27. Truman Doctrine
Aimed to Stopping
spread of
Communism
$400 million to
TURKEY and
GREECE
WHY?
– Keep countries from
becoming
Communist

28. Marshall
Plan
USA’s economic
effort to rebuild
Western Europe.
Why?
To contain the
spread of
Communism in
Western Europe
after WW 2

29. Marshall Plan
Secretary of State
George Marshall
1947-1951 USA spent
$13 billion to rebuild
Europe

34. Berlin
Airlift
1948-1949
USA’s response to
Russian blockade of
Berlin.
USA flies supplies to
WEST BERLIN 1948-
1949.
Soviets tried to force
Americans OUT of Berlin
USA wins

35. Germany after WW II
Divided
into 4
zones
USA -

37. Berlin Airlift 1948-1949
Russians
block off
land access
to Berlin
Click Here

38. from June 24, 1948,
when the Soviet
Union closed off road
and rail access to
Berlin, until the roads
were opened on May
12, 1949.

40. USA was the lone nuclear
superpower until 1949…

41. The Arms Race:
A “MissileGap?”
} The Soviet Union
exploded its first
Atomic bomb in
1949.
} How did they
catch up so
quickly ???

42. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
Convicted of
Espionage
Spied for the
Russians
Stole Atomic bomb
secrets
Executed in 1953

43. Red Scare (ii): 1947-1954
Search for Communist spies in
USA
Led by Senator Joe McCarthy
What drove the FEAR?
1. China becomes Communist in
1949
2. Russia gets a nuclear bomb
3. North Korea invades South
Korea
4. And yes, there were Communist
spies in the govt. Examples
include The ROSENBERGS and a
guy named Alger Hiss (we’ll get to
him soon)

44. Red Scare (ii): 1947-1954
While there were spies, McCarthy
abused power in his quest.
Citizens’ Civil Rights often abused
Accurately called a “Witch Hunt”
for suspected Communists in the
USA.
Click here.

45. Who were these
people and how were
they connected?
– Alger Hiss
– Whittaker Chambers
– Richard Nixon

46. Click here

47. CIA: Central Intelligence
Agency / Spies
Started during
Truman Years
CIA helps
– IRAN (1953) and puts
Shah in power
– Guatemala (1954)
– Conducts spy work
throughout the world
to stop communism

48. USA & USSR: Two Scorpions in
a bottle
1949 USSR
successfully tests its
own Nuclear bomb
USA and USSR start
the ARMS RACE
Each tries to outdo
each others’ nuclear
weapons arsenal

49. South
Korea
China becomes Communist
in 1949 under Chairman
Mao
Communist
North Korea
invades
South
Korea….
1950

50. Mao’s Revolution: 1949
Click Here

53. Red China
Mao-Zedong and
Chinese Communist
take over in 1949

54. Cold War Around the World
China’s
Nationalist led
by Chiang Kai-
shek lose
Chinese Civil
War and flee to
Taiwan in 1949

55. Cold War Heats Up
Korean War
1950-1953
North Korea
Communist
South Korea
backed by
USA

57. Korean War 1950-1953
Surprise attack by
North almost defeats
South
General MacArthur
conducts surprise
attack at INCHON
– Sept. 1950

58. Korean War
Chinese back
North Koreans
300,000
Chinese fight
UN and USA
troops
MacArthur
wanted to
Attack China

59. Korean War:
Truman sacks MacArthur
US troops too close to
the YALU river for the
Chinese
Truman did not want
to start WW III
MacArthur forced to
retire.

60. Truce signed 1953
38th Parallel
divides Korea
to this day
War not
officially over
North Korea
still communist

61. How many Americans died
fighting in the Korean War?

62. 38th Parallel – DMZ:
Demilitarized Zone

63. The USA keeps about 30,000 troops in South Korea to protect them from the
Communists in the North who want to invade
TECHNICALLY,…..Officially…….THE KOREAN WAR is NOT over.
Hillary Clinton visiting the DMZ

64. Korean War monument in DC