Final Exam Study Guide Beginnings of the Cold War I A What does the Cold War mean What does containment mean The term cold war was coined by George Orwell to describe the nuclear situation between the USSR and the US o The cold war name was a result of there being no hot war spots currently happening but the chance of nuclear war breaking out was always present o Containment was the process of containing the soviet expansion of socialism o The cold war was mainly fought as a socialism vs capitalism battle between the US and USSR Containment o Containment required vigilance and this was attained by passing the National Security Act in 1947 which created the CIA o Containment also created NATO as it bound the US and Canada to10 European countries including Great Britain West Germany France Italy NATO proclaimed that an attack on any country in it would spawn retaliation from all countries in it The Socialist Union created their own treaty organization called the Warsaw Pact which held 8 countries including the USSR together o One of the closest tipping points to world war for containment was the USSR Blockade of East Berlin in 1948 which the US and Britain ended up countering with an air drop The blockade ended in 1949 without causing a WWIII B How and why does this war start The cold war began shortly after WWII as the US France and the UK were attempting to spread capitalism whilst the USSR was trying to spread communism Post WWII the US and the USSR are the only two major powers left to threaten each Yalta conference was another point of contention between France UK US and USSR other with Nuclear weapons and how to divide Germany The main reason that the war occurred was that the world could not handle Communism Socialism combination of the USSR and the Capitalism Democracy combination of the rest of the world The rift in governing polices didn t allow for successful trade and successfully alienated the two sides from each other C What steps did the US take to ensure the stability of Western Europe in the late 1940s What was the Marshall Plan The United States enacted the Marshall plan and the Truman Doctrine to ensure the stability of Western Europe Marshall Plan o The United States gave aid to Europe in the form of economic support o Plan was set into motion in April of 1948 and lasted for four years o The point of the plan was to help stop the spread of communism by helping many European Asian economies including Japan and Germany two enemies in WWII o Did not allow the USSR to easily spread communism Truman Doctrine o Policy set forth in a speech given by Harry Truman on March 12 1947 o Very similar to Marshall plan but set mainly for Greece and Turkey to stop them from o Set a precedent for Truman s Foreign Policy which was to fight communism joining the Soviet Sphere wherever it arose o Turkey and Greece are ancient enemies so helping both was crucial because helping only one would offset the other to join the communists o Allowed us an easy entry into the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe by aiding these D What was the Red Scare What were HUAC and the Hollywood 10 countries Red Scare o US Congress thought that communism had spread to the US and spies for the Soviet Union were in the US o Everybody even the most American of lawyers as seen with Alger Hiss were getting accused of being communists or being related in some way to communist nations like the USSR o Was fueled by Senator Joseph McCarthy a Republican from Wisconsin House Un American Activities Committee HUAC o A committee of the House of Representatives o Originally created in 1938 to weed out anyone with Nazi ties in the United states o In 1945 started to investigate people who were accused of being communist and spies for the USSR in the United States o Went completely overboard on accuses The Hollywood 10 o Hollywood stars were accused of being spies and communist for the USSR o Shocked the public because there were idols getting accused o Showed that anyone was capable of being accused of being a communist E What is McCarthyism and how did it affect society Who was Alger Hiss Who were the Rosenbergs and why are they significant McCarthyism o McCarthy was not in HUAC as it was a house committee and McCarthy was a o Tied with him however because they both caused extreme amounts of drama in Senator outing communists o Joseph McCarthy was a demagogue who attacked people s emotions and McCarthyism had a negative connotation towards ousting Communism Alger Hiss o Was on the scene at the Yalta conference o Called a communists by HUAC o Hiss originally denied comments that HUAC accused him with but was later found true therefore was convicted on two accounts of perjury o Speculation now claims that Hiss was a communists however no one knows for sure The Rosenbergs o Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were both convicted and put to death after proving they were spies for the soviet union o Reported actions and information about the Manhattan Project to USSR whom the US did not tell any secrets about the Atomic Bombs F How and why do we get involved in the Korean War The United States and Soviet Union divided Korea into two parts North and South North Korea tried to invade south and spread communism The US provided aid and soldiers to help South Korea from being forced to turn communist Containment of Communism within Korea Truman specifically wanted McArthur to push the North Koreans Soviets back to about halfway up the Peninsula so we did not agitate China McArthur thought Truman was weak and pushed the North Koreans back towards China Chinese forces came to support the North Koreans and pushed US forces almost out of the peninsula Reinforcements were sent to Korea from the US and the fighting reached a stalemate in the middle of the peninsula or the 38th Parallel The war has not officially ended since there was no peace treaty only an armistice and a ceasefire Truman fired Douglas McArthur for being treasonous and disobeying orders by pushing all the way to the border with China II The Golden 50s A What was society and culture like in the 1950s for most Americans The Affluent Society population explosion known as the baby boom rapid and extensive suburbanization Cars oil women in the workplace large number of women left their industrial jobs to make room for returning soldiers rosie the riveter gave up her tools and returned home the housewife became the new ideal for the married woman Consumer products o Appliances o
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