Embedded Files
SS5H5 The student will discuss the origins and consequences of the Cold War.
a. Explain the origin and meaning of the term "Iron Curtain."
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.
c. Identify Joseph McCarthy and Nikita Khrushchev.
d. Discuss the importance of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War.
What was the Cold War?
What was the Cold War?
Unlike World War II, the cold war was a war of words and threats. The Soviet Union and the United States became the two leading world powers after World War II. They both developed atomic weapons, which made the thought of an atomic war very scary. It was also a war of ideas. The Soviet Union thought that countries should become communist, which gave all the power to the government and tried to make everyone else equal. The United States believed in capitalism, which gives people the opportunity to be successful by working hard. For over 40 years from 1945 until 1991 the United States and the Soviet Union were constantly competing to make sure the other did not gain in advantage. This competition was a major reason several wars were fought, as well as the reason space exploration began.
SS5H7 The student will discuss the origins and consequences of the Cold War.
a. Explain the origin and meaning of the term "Iron Curtain."
Vocabulary: origins, consequences, Cold War, “Iron Curtain,” communism, dictatorship, democratic
Map of the Iron Curtain
Map of the Iron Curtain
It is interesting to notice that the city of Berlin is actually on the Soviet side of the Iron Curtain. Half of the city remained free and because of the agreement that was signed after WWII. However, the Soviets tried to blockade the city of west Berlin from receiving any supplies from the west. They would have been able to take control of west Berlin had it not been for the year long efforts of the Berlin Airlift.
What was the difference between the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain?
What was the difference between the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain?
In 1946 Winston Churchill, the prime minister of Great Britain, delivered a speech in which he declared than an iron curtain was descending upon Europe. What he meant was that after the World War II ended the Soviet Union took control of all of the countries in eastern Europe. The countries that fell into Soviet control lost much of their freedom, but they were not given the opportunity to seek freedom elsewhere. The borders were guarded and they could not leave to go to the free countries in western Europe even if they wanted too. The Iron Curtain was not actually a physical wall in most places, but it separated the communist and capitalist countries.
The Berlin wall on the other hand was actually a wall that was built right through the middle of Berlin the capital of Germany. West Berlin became free after WWII, while east Berlin was controlled by the Soviets and did not receive the same freedom. While the city was divided soon after World War II, the actual Berlin Wall was not actually built until 1961. This wall split the city in half and made it almost impossible for citizens of east Berlin to escape into free west Berlin.
SS5H5 The student will discuss the origins and consequences of the Cold War.
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.
Vocabulary: communism, airlift, treaty, democracy, capitalism, free market, ideology, totalitarian, dictatorship, intervention, containment, alliance
Voluntary Exchange
Voluntary Exchange
Capitalism is based on the idea of voluntary exchange, which allows business to do business with whomever they want. They can shop for their supplies wherever they want and sell their products for whatever price they want. Communism is not based on voluntary exchange and is ultimately controlled by the government. The government controls how business should be run, where they should buy their supplies and how much they should charge for their goods.
Many communist countries have changed their business practices to a "market" or capitalist format, even though the government is still controlled by a single political group. China is an example of this. They are still technically communist and the government controls many things about what people can believe or say, but they now allow businesses to decide how to run their businesses. Clearly voluntary exchange is good in China now. Just look around and see how many things say, "Made in China."
Communism vs. Capitalism
Communism vs. Capitalism
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.”
You can check out a propaganda cartoon that aired in the cold war era. The cartoon attempts to show the difference between communism and capitalism.
Berlin Airlift
Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Airlift was a year long effort by the America and Great Britain to maintain control of West Berlin following WWII. They refused to give any ground to Joseph Stalin, fearing that he may try to dominate the world in the same way Hitler had a few years earlier. To find out all about the Berlin Airlift visit the PBS Berlin Airlift page.
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 postwar 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.
Korean War
Korean War
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 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.
NATO
NATO
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.
SS5H5 The student will discuss the origins and consequences of the Cold War.
c. Identify Joseph McCarthy and Nikita Khrushchev.
Vocabulary: infiltrated, allegations, accusations, nuclear weapons, premier, adversary, hostility
Joseph McCarthy
Joseph McCarthy
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
Nikita Khrushchev
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. Cold War hostility within the world peaked when he 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.
SS5H5 The student will describe the importance of key people, events, and developments between 1950-1975.
d. Discuss the importance of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War.
Vocabulary: tensions, escalation, interactions, destruction, nuclear missiles, missile sites, adversary, bomb shelter, policy makers, offensive, casualties, anti-war demonstrations
Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
As the tension between the United States and Soviet Union escalated, both nations armed themselves and stockpiled nuclear weapons. Citizens in the United States and around the world could easily recall the impact of nuclear weapons that had been used on Japan at the end of World War II. Fear continued to grow, partly due to improvements in technology. Americans could now learn about events that were occurring in the world almost immediately by watching television. They could tune in to the evening news in the comfort of their homes, where they could witness each country’s movement towards nuclear war and possible world destruction. Conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union almost erupted in October of 1962, when Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev ordered construction of nuclear missile silos and attempted to place nuclear missiles on the communist island of Cuba. These missiles, which targeted the United States and its allies, were being built in secret. American spy planes flying over Cuba spotted the construction of the missile silos. In response, President John F. Kennedy ordered a naval blockade of the island, and issued an ultimatum to the Soviet Union. He demanded that the Soviets remove any existing missiles from Cuba, destroy the missile sites under construction, and turn around Soviet ships that were headed towards Cuba. This was important because U.S. intelligence feared that these ships held more nuclear missiles which would make Cuba an even greater threat to the U.S. While the initial discussions about these missiles were in secret, on October 22, 1962, President Kennedy addressed the American public to describe the situation. For many Americans, this was a defining moment of the Cold War when “hysteria” and fear of nuclear war was at its height. Students should be aware that because of this intense fear, some people built bomb shelters in their yards, and children regularly participated in bomb drills at schools. Fortunately, war was averted when the Soviet Union and United States came to an agreement where both countries removed missiles from close-range positions to their adversary. This incident ultimately became known as the Cuban Missile Crisis.
John Franklin Kennedy
Kennedy and Khrushchev
Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War began as a struggle for political control of the country. During the 1950s the United States began to provide economic and limited military aid to contain the spread of communism. The country of Vietnam, was divided into two regions with communist forces in the North and a pro-Western government in the South. By 1960, the United States involvement in this region continued to grow when it provided more economic and military support. This assistance by the United States continued until the wars ended in the early 1970s. This policy of intervention was highlighted in our discussion of the Korean War, and continues to be one of concern. The Republic of South Vietnam and the United States were battling the communists who controlled North Vietnam and a military organization called the Vietcong. During this time, many American policymakers believed that if South Vietnam fell to the communists, then communism would spread throughout Southeast Asia and the world. Communist fighters, the Vietcong, continually frustrated U. S. forces using guerrilla warfare. In 1968, the Vietcong and North Vietnamese Army launched an eight-month-long military offensive named the Tet Offensive. This series of attacks was the Vietcong’s largest and most damaging campaign of the entire war. Ultimately, this offensive failed to achieve its goal of driving the Americans out of Vietnam, but it resulted in huge casualties on both sides that led many citizens in the United States to question our country’s involvement. In fact, this led to protesting and anti-war demonstrations in many major American cities and on college campuses. The Vietnam War affected the United States and its foreign policy. With the conclusion of military action in Vietnam, over a million Vietnamese people had lost their lives as well as 60,000 U. S. soldiers. Ultimately, Vietnam was unified under a communist government in 1975 when the United States withdrew its troops and closed its embassy in South Vietnam. This war led to political and social upheaval in the United States, as well as increased feelings of discontent with the government that had led Americans into this conflict.
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