What was the Cold War?
- global confrontation between Soviet Union & US
- avoidance of direct war, but battles fought through smaller countries
What did the USSR want in the Cold War?
spread communism
What did the US want in the Cold War?
stop spread of communism
What was the Big 3?
US (Roosevelt), Great Britain (Churchill), Soviet Union (Stalin)
What occurred at Yalta?
- Germany/Berlin split into 4 zones
- Stalin allowed elections in East Europe
- representative of 50 counties created United Nations
What did members of the United Nations do?
- settle problems peacefully
- promote justice
- solve international problems
What was the General Assembly?
all nations came together in the United Nations
What was the Security Council?
US, GB, USSR, China, and France could veto any policies in United Nations
When does FDR die?
1945; Harry Truman succeeds
What do Stalin and Truman want during their meeting in Potsdam of 1945 and what does this cause?
- Stalin wants reparations
- Truman wants Polish elections
- causes friction
What are satellite nations?
- border nations between USSr and the west
- buffer zone against attacks
What does Churchill give his speech about?
Iron Curtain
What was containment?
- US know they can’t do anything about the countries that are already communist
- goal is to “contain” spread, not get rid of it
- ida of diplomat George Kennan
What was the Truman Doctrine?
- official policy of containment
- US would support free people who resist communists
- first applied with Greece and Turkey
- $400 million in aid
- official policy
What was the Marshall Plan?
- created by Secretary of State George Marshall
- countries would create recovery plans and receive US money
- 17 Western European nations joined plan
- received $13 billion in aid
- US and Europe benefit
- Soviet refused aid
- Europe struggles
How many people were in West Berlin?
2.5 million
What did the allies do with their portions of Berlin?
merged their zones and created West Germany
What did Stalin do after the allies created West Berlin?
- closed all access to West Berlin
- gave up blockade after a year
What was Operation Vittles?
- US and British flew food and supplies into West Berlin
What do the United States propose when the Soviets prevent postwar problems from being solved through vetoes?
- proposed “association of democratic, peace loving states”
- look to become lead in world affairs
- didn’t want to be only ones fighting communism
What is NATO?
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
“an armed attack against one or more of them (US, Canada, 10 Western European nations)… shall be considered an attack against them all”
What was the Warsaw Pact?
- created by Soviet Union
- military alliance between USSR and satellite countries
What was going on in China during the Cold War?
- had been in civil war since 1920s
- communists win
- Truman is blamed for not helping nationalists
Who led the nationalists in China?
Change Kai-Shek
