CHAPTER 18
THE COLD WAR
GENERAL INFORMATION
-
A WAR OF WORDS AS OPPOSED TO A WAR FOUGHT WITH WEAPONS
o
CHARACTERIZED BY AN ARMS RACE
§ AN ONGOING ATTEMPT TO BUILD
A ”BIGGER AND BETTER BOMB”
-
CHARACTERIZED BY BI-POLARITY
o
Def – THE DIVISION OF THE WORLD INTO 2 SPHERES OF INFLUENCE DOMINATED
BY THE
-
THE 2 SUPERPOWERS WOULD AVOID WAR BUT BLOCK EACH OTHER’S GOALS AROUND
THE WORLD
-
SOME DATE THE BEGINNING OF THE COLD WAR TO THE CONFERENCES AT
o
TRUMAN WAS ADAMANT THAT HE WOULD NOT BE ASSOCIATED WITH APPEASEMENT AS
WAS CHAMBERLAIN
-
SOVIET VIEWPOINT (REASONS FOR DISTRUST)
o
SOVIETS RESENTED ALLIED ATTEMPTS TO UNDUE THE REVOLUTION OF 1917
o
SOVIETS RESENTED THE ALLIES FAILURE TO OPEN UP A 2ND FRONT
QUICK ENOUGH
o
SOVIETS HAD A NEED FOR A BUFFER ZONE
o
SOVIET FEAR OF
18/2
-
o
FEAR OF THE DIALECTIC
o
DISTRUST OF STALIN RESULTING FROM THE NON-AGGRESSION PACT WITH HITLER
o
US AWARENESS OF STALINIST PURGES
o
SOVIETS RENEGING ON PROMISE TO HOLD FREE ELECTIONS IN
-
CONTAINMENT
o
def – US FOREIGN POLICY THAT
ATTEMPTED TO RESTRICT COMMUNISM TO ITS CURRENT BORDERS
§ AUTHORED BY GEORGE KEENAN
-
TRUMAN DOCTRINE
o
def – US FOREIGN POLICY THAT
PROVIDED MILITARY AID TO ANY COUNTRY RESISTING COMMUNIST AGGRESSION
§ INITIALLY TARGETED AT
-
o
def – US FOREIGN POLICY THAT PROVIDED ECONOMIC AID TO WAR RAVAGED
COUNTRIES
§ TO REBUILD ECONOMIES
§ OFFERED TO ALL EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
(INCLUDING THE
-
THE
o
STALIN HOPED TO FORCE THE ALLIES TO GIVE UP
o
TRUMAN INSTITUTES THE
§ IF THE SOVIETS WERE TO FIRE
UPON US AIRCRAFT, IT WOULD BE CONSIDERED AS AN ACT OF WAR
§ TRUMAN RISKS WORLD WAR III
INSTEAD OF BACKING DOWN ON
o
§ STALIN LOSES FACE IN THE
EYES OF THE WORLD BECAUSE HE COMES ACROSS AS A VILLAIN
§ TRUMAN COMES ACROSS AS BEING
HEROIC
§ LEADS TO THE ESTABLISHMENT
OF
· GDR – GERMAN DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC (
· FRG –
· NATO –
o
MUTUAL DEFENSE PACT OF WESTERN NATIONS
§ Def – AN ATTACK ON ONE WOULD
INCUR REPRISALS BY ALL
·
§ FOREVER ENDS ANY THOUGHTS OF
-
THE COMMUNIST REVOLUTION IN
o
A CLASSIC FAILURE OF CONTAINMENT
o
THE
MAO TSE
SUNG
§ WHY – WE PERCEIVE THE
REVOLUTION AS A COMMUNIST TAKEOVER
§ THE
· REDISTRIBUTE PROPERTY TO THE
PEASANTS
· TO END CORRUPTION IN GOVERNMENT
· TO SHARE POWER WITH THE
COMMUNISTS
§ AFTER THE REVOLUTION, THE
· WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT
NATIONALIST
· WE FAIL TO RECOGNIZE THE
-
THE KOREAN WAR – 1950
o THE PROBLEM HAS ITS ROOTS
FOLLOWING WORLD WAR II
§
§
THE COMMUNISTS UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF KIM IL SUNG DIDN’T
RECOGNIZE THE RESULTS OF THE POST WAR ELECTION AND SEPARATED FROM
§
o THE NORTH CROSSES THE 38TH
PARALLEL ON
o THE
§
THIS WAS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THE SOVIETS HAD BOYCOTTED THE VOTE AND WERE
UNABLE TO CAST THEIR VETO AS A PERMANENT MEMBER OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL
o U.N. TROOPS UNDER THE
LEADERSHIP OF DOUGLASS MACARTHUR ARE AT FIRST SUCCESSFUL UNTIL THE COMMUNIST
CHINESE ENTERED THE WAR
§ WHEN MACARTHUR REACHED THE
§ AFTER INITIAL SETBACKS TO
U.N. TROOPS, WAR STALEMATES ALONG THE 38TH PARALLEL
-
THE TRUMAN/MACARTHUR CONFRONTATION
o
TRUMAN FAVORS A LIMITED WAR
§ HE DOESN’T WANT
§ HE FEARS SOVIET
PARTICIPATION AND THE POSSIBLE USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS
o
MACARTHUR WANTS TO EXTEND THE WAR INTO
§ HE SEES AN
o
TRUMAN REPLACES MACARTHUR
§ HIS ROLE AS COMMANDER IN
CHIEF
-
o
THE WAR CONVINCED AMERICANS THAT MILITARY PREPAREDNESS WAS A GOOD IDEA
§ LED TO A HUGE PEACETIME
MILITARY BUILDUP
· RATIONAL FOR THE ARMS RACE
o
THE PUBLIC SUPPORTED THE PRESIDENT’S ACTION OF COMMITTING TROOPS W/O A
CONGRESSIONAL DECLARATION OF WAR
§ ENHANCED THE POWER OF THE
PRESIDENT TO CONDUCT EXECUTIVE WAR
-
o
STALIN BECOMES MORE BELLIGERENT TOWARDS THE
§ THERE IS AN INCREASE OF
ESPIONAGE
· RATIONALE – ACQUIRE ATOMIC
SECRETS
-
CHURCHILL INFLAMES AMERICANS WITH HIS FAMOUS “IRON CURTAIN” SPEECH
-
REPUBLICANS ACCUSE TRUMAN OF BEING SOFT ON COMMUNISM
-
A NATIONAL PHOBIA “RED SCARE” IS RE-INSTITUTED
o
TRUMAN ISSUES AN EXECUTIVE ORDER TO CREATE LOYALTY REVIEW BOARDS
§ INTENT WAS TO INVESTIGATE
AND POSSIBLY DISMISS ANY GOVERNMENTAL EMPLOYEE CONSIDERED TO BE DISLOYAL
o
HUAC IS INSTITUTED
§ SEEKS TO RID
§ “THE
· MANY ARE ACCUSED OF BEING
SUBVERSIVE AND SPREADING SOVIET PROPAGANDA
o
CONGRESS PASSES THE MCCARREN ACT OVER TRUMAN’S
VETO
§ OUTLAWS COMMUNIST POLITICAL
ORGANIZATIONS
o
SPY HYSTERIA
§ ALGER HISS ACCUSED OF SPYING FOR THE
SOVIETS
· RICHARD NIXON MAKES A NAME
FOR HIMSELF
§ ETHEL AND JULIUS ROSENBERG ARE CONVICTED OF AND
EXECUTED FOR ESPIONAGE
o
MC CARTHYISM – EPITOME OF ANTI-COMMUNIST
HYSTERIA
§ JOE MC CARTHY
HEADED THE SENATE INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE ON UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES
· HE ACCUSED INDIVIDUALS FROM
THE MILITARY AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT AS BEING COMMUNIST
§ THE USE OF INTIMIDATION AND
UNFOUNDED ACCUSATIONS IN THE NAME OF FIGHTING COMMUNISM
· IN MANY INSTANCES NO
EVIDENCE WAS EVER PROVIDED TO SUBSTANTIATE ACCUSATIONS
· MANY CAREERS WERE RUINED
§ EFFECTS OF MCCARTHYISM
· MANDATORY LOYALTY OATHS
· HESITANCY OF PEOPLE TO SPEAK
OUT ON ISSUES
· DECLINE IN UNION ACTIVITY
-
IKE AND JOHN FOSTER DULLES RAISED THE ANTE DURING THE COLD WAR
o MASSIVE RETALIATION
§ Def – THE
· ELIMINATED THE POSSIBILITY
OF A CONVENTIONAL WAR
o BRINKMANSHIP
§ A FOREIGN POLICY OF NEVER
BACKING DOWN EVEN IF IT MEANT GOING TO WAR
o
THESE THREATS WERE PREMISED UPON THE RATIONALITY OF THE SOVIET
§ M.A.D. – MUTUALLY ASSURED
DESTRUCTION
§ NUCLEAR WINTER
-
IKE’S PEACE INITIATIVES (CARROT)
o ATOMS FOR PEACE SPEECH
§ HE CALLED FOR THE SOVIETS TO
CONTRIBUTE NUCLEAR MATERIAL TO A STOCKPILE FOR NUCLEAR RESEARCH
o OPEN SKY’S SPEECH
§ WOULD ALLOW BOTH THE
· KHRUSHCHEV DISMISSES THE
PLAN