The Cold War

Truman

33rd President of the US after FDR. Made the decision to use the atomic bomb against Japan, helped rebuild postwar Europe, worked to contain communism, and led the US into the Korean War. Adopted policy of containment toward the SU and spread of communism. Introduced Truman doctrine to provide aid to Greece and Turkey to protect them from SU aggression. Also introduced Marshall Plan which aided european nations economically. Initiated the airlift of food and supplies to West Berlin.

Walter LeFeber

American historian who is considered one of the leaders of historical revisionism movement in a subtle way. LeFeber presents the Cold War as stemming from American Expansionism, mistrust on both sides, and the failure of the superpowers to come to a recognition of the other's sphere. He is considered to be a member of the "New Left" in regards to his school of thought.

George Kennan

An American diplomat and historian who is best known for his advocacy of a containment policy to oppose Soviet expansionism. Argued for US counterpressure whenever the SU threatened to expand and predicted that the pressure would lead to either SU willingness to cooperate or a collapse of the SU.

John L. Gaddis

Believed that both America and Russia wanted to keep the peace after the war but that conflict was caused by mutual misunderstanding, reactivity, and above all the American inability to understand Stalin's fears and need to defend himself after the war.

Berlin

Berlin was the capital city of the unified Germany, and is located on the eastern side of the nation. It was the focus of the Cold War in the early years. In 1947 the Soviet Union blockaded Berlin, so that no supplied could reach the areas under control of western countries. The United States responded with a massive airlift to keep the city supplied, and by 1948 the two Germanies were separated by heavy fortifications along their mutual borders. In 1961 Berlin's divisions became clearly visible when the East German government built the Berlin Wall that separated East Berlin from West Berlin, intended to prevent its citizens from fleeing to noncommunist areas of the city.

Korean War

Conflict between the Chinese backed North Korean government and the US backed South Korean government. NK was backed by China and begrudgingly the SU. US backed SK troops had massive levels of success after and initial invasion by NK, however, US troops pushed too close to China resulting in a fierce retaliation. At the end, both sides remained fixed at the 38th parallel which divided NK and SK in an armistice to this day. No peace has been reached.

Containment

Containment is a foreign policy adopted by the United States early in the development of the Cold War. As a description of U.S. foreign policy, the word originated in a report George Kennan submitted to U.S. Defense Secretary James Forrestal in 1947, which was later used in a magazine article. It meant preventing the spread of communism beyond areas where it had already spread. Containment is reflected in the Truman Doctrine, as it proclaimed the U.S. willingness to protect Greece and Turkey, as well as in U.S. involvement in both the Korean War and the Vietnam War, since the U.S. was stimulated by the desire to stop the spread of communism.

Stalin

Dictator of the USSR from 1929 to 1953. Under Stalin, the Soviet Union was transformed into an industrial and military superpower. Collectivized farming and had enemies executed or sent to forced labor camps.

John Foster Dulles

John Foster Dulles was an American diplomat who served as the United States Secretary of State under President Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1953 to 1959. Dulles left an important mark on U.S. foreign policy that included close cooperation between the Department of State and the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency). He was a significant figure in the early Cold War era, advocating for an aggressive stance against communism throughout the world.

McCarthyism

McCarthyism was the name given to the extreme paranoia which swept the US in the 1940s-1950s. During this period, Senator McCarthy became determined to expose traitors to the US and communist sympathisers. McCarthyism has often been compared to a witch hunt where hundreds were implicated of being communist sympathisers. This rose in fervor when McCarthy made a speech claiming over 200 communist sympathisers had infiltrated the US Government. McCarthy also led a series of televised hearings for these so called communist. This further divided the rift between the US and the SU and also increased the push for the US government to behave more harshly towards the SU.

NATO

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is an intergovernmental military alliance between several North American and European countries based on the North Atlantic Treaty that was signed on 4 April 1949. The NATO alliance was constructed upon the foundations laid by the Treaty of Brussels, included a standing military committee and a a mutual defence clause. The formation of NATO reflected an important change in American foreign policy. For the first time since the 1700s, the U.S. had formally tied its security to that of nations in Europe-the continent that had served as the flash point for both world wars. NATO formed the backbone of the West's military bulwark against the USSR and its allies for the next 40 years, with its membership growing larger over the course of the Cold War era.

COMECON

Organization established in january 1949 to facilitate and coordinate the economic development of E. European countries belonging to the Soviet bloc. The original members were the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. Promoted coordination in economic planning, trade, research, and development.

Eisenhower

President from 1953-1960 known for ending the Korean War. Promised military aid in Middle East for those trying to resist communism (containment). Used the domino theory which is the idea of one country becomes communist then others would follow. Used by him to justify giving money to South Vietnam. He expanded New Deal programs and social welfare programs. His new look at foreign policy emphasized nuclear weapons and threat of massive retaliation against the Soviet Union to cut costs and deter USSR from spreading communism abroad.

Revisionism

Stressed that American expansionism was the cause of the Cold War, and that at the end of WWII the SU was weak, but the US prospered and possessed monopoly on the atomic bomb. Argue that Stalin's main priority was to recover from the war years. Place the blame of the Cold War on the nature of capitalism and viewed marshall aid as a way of seeking new markets and expanding the US economy.

New Look

The "New Look" was a U.S national security policy in 1953 that was made by Eisenhower. The main elements of it were maintaining the vitality of the U.S. economy while still building sufficient strength to prosecute the Cold War, relying on nuclear weapons to deter Communist aggression or to fight a war, using the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to carry out secret or covert actions against governments or leaders "directly or indirectly responsive to Soviet control", and strengthening any allies and winning the friendship of nonaligned governments. This defense policy cut spending on conventional forces while increasing budget for the Air Force and nuclear weapons.

EEC

The EEC (European Economic Community) was an organization that aimed to bring economic integration amongst its members. It was created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957 and it brought economic integration through a common market and customs union to its six members: Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany.

Marshall Plan

The Marshall Plan was an American initiative to aid Western Europe, in which the United States gave over $13 billion in economic assistance to help rebuild Western European economies after the end of World War II. The plan was in operation for four years beginning on April 8, 1948. The goals of the United States were to rebuild war-torn regions, remove trade barriers, modernise industry, improve European prosperity, and prevent the spread of Communism. The Marshall Plan was proclaimed by the United States in response to Russia's power plays in eastern Europe. From the soviet point of view, the United States was trying to dominate Europe economically and the lines between western and eastern Europe were drawn firmly in the sand.

Post-Revisionism

The Post Revisionists say that a conflict was inevitable because of the power vacuum left by the fall of Germany. The weakened world after the war made it easy for a bipolar interaction to occur between the Soviet Union and the United States. Neither power was willing to allow the other control of Europe because of both security and economic reasons. John L Gaddis is considered the father of this group.

Potsdam

The Potsdam Conference was held in occupied Germany from July 17 to August 2, 1945. Churchill and Truman met with Stalin to protest the establishment of communist regimes. Stalin let them know that he has no intention of keeping promises made at Yalta regarding the freedom of eastern European countries. The conference also arranged details of occupation and tems of future Japanese surrender. In a further sign of growing tension, Truman disclosed to Churchill (and not to Stalin) his plans to use the atomic bomb. The Potsdam Conference made apparent the differences among the capitalist, democratic countries and the communist Soviet Union, setting the stage for post-war political divisions.

Truman Doctrine

The Truman Doctrine was an American foreign policy whose stated purpose was to counter Soviet geopolitical expansion during the Cold War. It was first announced to Congress by President Harry S. Truman on March 12, 1947 and further developed on July 12, 1948 when he pledged to contain threats to Greece and Turkey. More generally, the Truman Doctrine implied American support for other nations allegedly threatened by Soviet communism. The Truman Doctrine became the foundation of American foreign policy, and led, in 1949, to the formation of NATO. Historians often use Truman's speech to date the start of the Cold War.

Warsaw Pact

The Warsaw Pact was a collective defence treaty signed in Warsaw, Poland among the Soviet Union and seven Soviet satellite states of Central and Eastern Europe during the Cold War. The Warsaw Pact was the military complement to the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON), the regional economic organization for the socialist states of Central and Eastern Europe. The Warsaw Pact was created in reaction to the integration of West Germany into NATO, but it is also considered to have been motivated by Soviet desires to maintain control over military forces in Central and Eastern Europe. However, it also provided a pretext for continued Soviet troop presence in Eastern Europe, and a convenient war for ?Moscow to keep its satellites in line.

Yalta

The Yalta Conference, held from February 4 to 11 in 1945, was the World War II meeting of the heads of government of the United States, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union for the purpose of discussing Germany and Europe's postwar reorganization. The countries could not agree on a cooperative approach to handling post-war Germany, so they divided Germany into four occupation zones: Britain, the United States, France, and the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union wanted to eliminate Germany industrial power, but Britain and the United states didn't agree, since they believed that Germany might ally with them against the USSR. Strong arguments erupted over the status of eastern European countries, with Stalin wishing to control their governments, and Britain and the United States wanting them to ally with them.

Berlin Airlift

The event that followed the SU blockade of Berlin, which cut off West Germany from Berlin. The US and its allies responded by supplying their cities from the air.

Realism

The first school of interpretation of the Cold War to emerge in the U.S. was realism, or "orthodox". The realist school places the responsibility for the Cold War on the Soviet Union and its expansion into Eastern Europe. Realists believe that the breakdown of postwar peace was the result of Soviet expansionism in the immediate years following World War II. They argued Stalin violated promises he had made at the Yalta Conference, imposed Soviet-dominated regimes on unwilling Eastern European populations and conspired to spread communism throughout the world. From that view, U.S. officials were forced to respond to Soviet aggression with the Truman Doctrine, plans to contain communist subversion around the world, and the Marshall Plan. The interpretation has been described as the "official" U.S. version of Cold War history. Although it lost its dominance as a mode of historical thought in academic discussions in 1960s, it continues to be influential.