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The focus of this unit is to use the theme of beliefs and ideals to show how the United States believed that the spread of communism must be stopped, including even the use of military force to stop its spread. Consequently, the theme of conflict and change will be explored and students will try to determine the reasons for various conflicts during the Cold War and what changed because of them. Finally, by understanding the theme of individuals, groups, and institutions, students will understand the impact a person has on society and the consequences of that person’s actions.
SS5H5 Discuss the origins and consequences of the Cold War.
I can identify the Cold War as the era following World War II and can discuss the consequences of this period.
a. Explain the origin and meaning of the term “Iron Curtain.”
I can explain the origin of the term “Iron Curtain.” (Knowledge)
I can explain the meaning of the term “Iron Curtain.” (Knowledge)
I can explain the relationship of the term "Iron Curtain' to the Cold War. (Reasoning)
Winston Churchill’s Iron Curtain Speech—March 5, 1946.
Churchill’s famed “Iron Curtain” speech ushered in the Cold War and made the term a household phrase.
Churchill believed that it was destroying the post-war unity that existed among allied nations following World War II. The political and economic differences between these democratic and communist nations increased during the decades following the war. These differences increased hostilities in the world and heightened fears of a nuclear war. Students must understand that the term, Iron Curtain, meant more than just a line on a map. Citizens living in the Soviet Union and in countries controlled by the U.S.S.R., lacked the personal freedoms and economic opportunities that existed in the United States and in Western European. Over time, these differences became increasingly pronounced, as leaders in countries “behind” the Iron Curtain imposed harsh measures to prevent dissent from growing.
Iron Curtain
Iron Curtain
To demonstrate understanding of this element, students must be able to define the term “Iron Curtain” and give a summary of the origins of the term’s usage. Students must understand that the term “Iron Curtain” refers to an invisible line that “divided” Communist-influenced Eastern Europe from more democratic nations of Western Europe. In time, this descriptive term was used to describe the division between the the side made up of the United States and NATO, versus the Soviet Union and members of the Warsaw Pact. The term “Iron Curtain” originated in a graduation speech given by Winston Churchill at Westminster College in Missouri in 1946. In this speech, he referred to an “iron curtain” that was descending between eastern and western Europe.
b. Explain how the United States sought to stop the spread of communism through the Berlin airlift, the Korean War, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
I can define communism and can explain communism's role in the Cold War. (Knowledge)
I can identify the Berlin Airlift and can explain how the United States sought to stop the spread of communism through the Berlin airlift. (Knowledge)
I can identify the Korean War and can explain how the United States sought to stop the spread of communism through the Korean War. (Knowledge)
I can identify the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and can explain how the United States sought to stop the spread of communism through the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. (Knowledge)
The Soviet Union was given charge of certain territories and countries following World War II, and how they influenced the post-war governments and economies of these countries. The United States spread their beliefs about democracy and their economic system in various regions and countries following World War II. The Communist ideology opposed capitalism, and the Communist-controlled countries of the 20th century utilized totalitarian dictatorships to gain and maintain control. The Communist Party was the sole governing body of these countries, where citizens’ civil liberties and human rights were ignored and trampled upon for what was believed to be the common good. While this was occurring, people in the United States felt that their way of life was under attack from the Soviets and other Communists. This became known as the “Red Scare.”
The end of the Cold War a positive outcome for BOTH the United States and the countries that made up the Soviet Union because keeping up with the United States in the Cold War was very difficult for the Soviet Union. President Reagan’s promotion of a military buildup forced the Soviets to try to match the United States’ military strength. This meant resources went to military spending and not to the production of consumer goods. Citizen morale was down due to a lack of resources needed to provide good living conditions. It was too financially draining to continue competing with the United States and this led to the end of the Soviet Union. The end of the Cold War was a positive for both sides because both could stop investing so many resources into arms production and instead invest resources in its people. A positive for the United States was Americans did not have to fear a possible nuclear war with the Soviet Union. The end of the Cold War also meant the United States became the world’s only superpower, which made America a powerful world leader. A positive for the countries of the Soviet Union is that the end of the Cold War led to their independence and these countries were now able to elect their own leaders and decide their own futures free from Soviet control.
At the end of World War II, the victorious Allies planned a four-part division of Germany and its capital, Berlin. The United States, France, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union each controlled one quarter of the German country. In addition, the capital city of Berlin was divided into four sectors that were controlled by the same countries. Over time, the Soviet Union began to restrict movement into and out of its portion of the country. The capital city, Berlin, was located entirely within Soviet-controlled East Germany. In the summer of 1948, the Soviet Union began to prohibit movement in and out of Berlin. This violated the post- war agreements, and pushed many people in West Berlin to the brink of starvation. Supplies, including basic foodstuffs, were in short supply in postwar Europe, and many people relied on imported food for survival. When the Soviets cut off rail and road traffic into the entire city, President Truman initiated airplane flights to drop food and other needed supplies. This operation, called the Berlin Airlift, lasted well into 1949. The United States and British military, operating under stressful conditions, largely prevented mass starvation through daily food runs.
Meanwhile in 1949 in Asia, communists had also gained control of China. The Korean peninsula, which had long been subject to occupation and conflict with Japan and China, became a target of the Chinese for spreading communism. By 1950, China had achieved part of this goal when the peninsula was divided, with a Communist controlled government in North Korea, and a democratic government in the South. When North Korea invaded South Korea, many felt that the Cold War had turned “hot.” The United States and its allies intervened, with the intention of stopping Communists from invading the democratic country of Korea. However, the conflict was difficult to fight, with both China and the Soviet Union providing money and military assistance to North Korea. Little progress had been made in China’s attempt to gain control of the region when a truce established a cease-fire that halted military action in 1953. The Korean War left behind long term challenges for the United States, and that it established a policy of intervention in foreign conflicts that continues today. The country of Korea is still divided and there is still conflict in the region.
Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War provided the first confrontation between two nuclear powers. And as the war progressed the conflict demonstrated how difficult it would be for either side to use atomic bombs decisively in battle.
NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is an alliance formed to “guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means.” It promotes democratic values and tries to resolve disputes peacefully. It was formed in 1949 with twelve original members and currently there are 29 member nations in NATO. The United States has always been a member of NATO.
The opening speech takes place Dec. 14, 1957, at the NATO Summit talks in Paris, France.
c. Identify Joseph McCarthy and Nikita Khrushchev.
I can identify Joseph McCarthy. (Knowledge)
I can identify Nikita Khrushchev. (Knowledge)
In the early 1950s, Joseph McCarthy, a United States Senator from Wisconsin, gained notoriety for his claim that the government of the United States had been infiltrated by Communist spies. His goal during this period, which became also known as the “Red Scare,” was to locate hidden communists and expose them. He believed they were a threat to what he called the “American way of life.” Due to his actions and the actions of his supporters, many lives were ruined based on inaccurate or untrue allegations. In fact, few people who were accused posed any threat to American society or were even identified as communists. McCarthy’s fear of communists was characteristic of the environment of the country during the Cold War, as many feared imminent Soviet attack, knowing war would likely involve nuclear weapons and extreme destruction.
Nikita Khrushchev, Premier of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1962, often maintained an adversarial position against the United States and its allies during the Cold War. As the first Soviet leader to visit the United States in 1959, Khrushchev continued his predecessors’ policies of denying civil liberties and human rights within the Soviet Union. Within Eastern Europe and countries that were under the Soviet’s control, he used military force to maintain control.
d. Discuss the importance of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War.
• I can identify the Cuban Missile Crisis and can discuss the importance of the Cuban Missile Crisis to the Cold War. (Knowledge)
• I can identify the Vietnam War and can discuss the importance of the Vietnam War to the Cold War. (Knowledge)
Cold War hostility within the world peaked when Nikita Khrushchev attempted to place nuclear missiles in Cuba in 1962. This led to the Cuban Missile Crisis and what some historians consider to be the moment when the world came closest to nuclear war.
Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Soviet warheads on Cuban soil could have attacked many major U.S. cities.
The Vietnam War was fought between communist North Vietnam and the government of Southern Vietnam. The North was supported by communist countries such as the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union. The South was supported by anti-communist countries, primarily the United States.
The United States lost the Vietnam War. It lasted for twenty years, something the US never expected when it joined in the fight. Not only did the US lose the war and the country of Vietnam to the communists, the US lost prestige in the eyes of the world.
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