The Cold War Abroad and at Home Angela

The Cold War Abroad and at Home Angela Brown Chapter 16 Section 2

WWII Costs • WWII in Europe left 21 million people homeless. • 20% Poland’s population died. • 1 out of 5 houses in France and Belgium damaged. • Across Europe, Industry and transportation in ruin (livestock and equipment lost).

Turning Point: The Marshall Plan • The U. S. would help restore the war torn nations of Europe to create stable democracies and achieve economic recovery in order to avoid mistakes of Post-WWI. • Truman Doctrine was one of two fundamental shifts in foreign policy - the Marshall Plan was the other.

• The Marshall Plan called for nations of Europe to draw up a program for economic recovery – The U. S. would then support the program with financial aid • Unveiled by Sec of State George C. Marshall in 1947 • Soviet Union was invited to participate but refused and pressured satellite nations to do so.

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• Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov called Marshall plan a scheme to “buy its way” into European Affairs. • 17 Western European nations joined plan: • 1948 Congress approved Marshall Plan – Known in Europe as recovery program • U. S. sent $13 billion in grants and loans to Western Europe over next four years.

The Berlin Airlift • By 1948 America, Great Britain, and France convinced Stalin would not allow reunification of Germany – joined their three occupation zones to create Federal Republic of Germany or West Germany • Hundreds of thousands of Eastern Europeans left their homes in Communist-dominated nations, fled to East Berlin – crossed into West Berlin – booked passage to freedom

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• Stalin tried to close route by forcing Western powers to abandon West Berlin • 1948 – dispute developed over using West German money in West Berlin – Soviets blocked all shipments through East Berlin – threatened to create severe shortages of food and supplies • Truman did not want to risk war by using the military or give up West Berlin so began the Berlin Airlift – moving supplies into West Berlin by plane.

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• For 15 months, U. S. and Great Britain military aircraft made more than 200, 000 flights – 13, 000 tons of food arrived in West Berlin daily • Soviets gave up blockade in May 1949 – airlift ended in September • Had achieved economic stability in Western Europe • Berlin remained a focal point of East-West conflict

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• Pilot, Gail Halvorsen, began to make airdrops of chocolate bars and chewing gum to crowds of West Berlin’s children. • He was called “Uncle Wigglywings – signaled the children by rocking his planes wings as he approached the city.

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NATO • Soviet Unions frequent use of its veto power in the Security Council prevented the UN from effectively dealing with a number of postwar problems. • Clear that Western Europe would have to look beyond U. N. for protection • In 1946, Canadian foreign Minister Louis St. Laurent proposed creating an “association of democratic peace-loving states “to defend Western Europe.

• Truman did not want the U. S. to be the only nation in Western Hemisphere pledged to defend Western Europe • April 1949 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) formed “an attack against one = an attack against all” • Collective Security – principle of mutual military assistance = U. S. actively involved in European Affairs

• 1955 – Soviet Union responded to formation of NATO by creating the Warsaw Pact – a military alliance with satellites in Eastern Europe • In 1955, The Civil Defense Administration (CDA) staged first nationwide nuclear air raid drill, dubbed “Operation Alert 55”. • 60 cities underwent mock hydrogen bomb attacks and were evacuated.

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Communist Advances The Soviet Atomic Threat • September 1949 Truman announced Soviets successful test of atomic bomb jolted Americans. • Truman responded in 1950 by approving development of hydrogen or thermonuclear bomb. • First successful thermonuclear test in 1952 • Federal Civil Defense Administration – flooded nation with posters and other info. to survive a nuclear attack

• Included plans for building bomb shelters and instructions for holding air raid drills in school. • Privately experts ridiculed these programs as almost totally ineffective. • People built backyard bomb shelters – students had “duck and cover” drills at school.

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China Falls to the Communists • Civil War between Communist Mao Zedong and Jiang Jieshi prewar leader. • 1947 Mao forces occupied most of countryside – Jieshi ask Truman for additional aid – Truman considered China lost – focused on Western Europe • 1949 Capital Peking (now Beijing) fell to communists. • Mao proclaimed creation of People’s Republic of China.

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• Jiang and followers withdrew to island of Taiwan, off Chinese mainland. • They continued as the Republic of China – claiming to be the legitimate government of the entire Chinese nation. • With U. S. support, the Republic of China held on to China’s seats in the UN’s General Assembly and Security Council.

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