01:512:104 Lecture 26: Chapter 26
15 May 2018
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Chapter 26 - The Cold War
Global Insecurities at War’s End
- WWII created an international interdependance - one country’s actions
affected others
- Opposing national interests made a continuing Soviet-US alliance impossible
“The American Century”
- Many economists feared an economic downturn similar to the one following
WWI
- 1944 - Reps from 44 Allied countries met to create the World Bank and the
International Monetary Fund to help rebuild Europe
- As US was main contributor to both agencies, they could control the world
economy
- When the Soviet Union refused to join the World Bank or the IMF, it isolated
itself
The United Nations and Hopes for Collective Security
- US wanted to join the UN, because they did not join the League of Nations
(mistake)
- Designed to promote collective security
- Eleanor Roosevelt - one of the first US delegates to the UN
- Nuremburg Trials - Nazi leaders tried for their war crimes and atrocities
- Nuremburg Principle - no human should follow orders that conflict with
human rights
- Could not be enforced
The Division of Europe
- Atlantic Charter (1941) - made Allies renounce new territories claimed by
war
- Violated by Allied leaders before the war had even ended (spheres of
influence)
- Western powers wanted to rebuild Germany as a trade partner, Soviets
didn’t
- West Germany became capitalist; much like the US - E. Germany was like
Sov. Union
- Fulton, Missouri - 1946 - Churchill states that “an iron curtain has fallen
across Europe”
The Policy of Containment
- Many feel that FDR would have been able to help in US-Soviet relations
find more resources at oneclass.com
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- Truman lacked FDR’s diplomacy and desire for peace
- Under Truman, Containment became the key facet of US foreign policy
- Remained this way for several decades
The Truman Doctrine
- 1947 - Mediterranean crisis - Truman decides to take over area before
Soviets can
- Convinces US that personal freedoms rely on the containment of
communism
- Became known as the Truman doctrine
The Marshall Plan
- Common name for the European Recovery Program
- Began a series of US attempts to use economic policy to contain
communism
- Began in 1947 by chief of staff George C. Marshall
- Under this plan, most of the nations of Western Europe became capitalist
and open to trading with US markets
- Stalin denounced the plan as an attempt to make West Germany into an
anti-Soviet bloc
- Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan worked hand-in-hand
The Berlin Crisis and the Formation of NATO
- When Stalin saw the allies uniting their sectors of West Germany, he
blockaded West Berlin, which although controlled by the allies, was located
deep in East Germany
- Allies began Operation Vittles, airlifted 2,000,000 tonnes of supplies to
the West Berliners
- May 1949 - Soviets lifted blockade
- NATO was formed to strengthen economic ties between allies and to keep
Soviets out
- Huge step away from isolationism
- Soviets and homies form the Warsaw Pact in May 1955 - essentially an anti-
NATO
- Completed the division of the East and the West
The Cold War in Asia
- In exchange for economic help, US was allowed to keep military supplies in
Japan
- Let the US keep a close eye on the Soviets
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Wwii created an international interdependance - one country"s actions affected others. Opposing national interests made a continuing soviet-us alliance impossible. Many economists feared an economic downturn similar to the one following. 1944 - reps from 44 allied countries met to create the world bank and the. As us was main contributor to both agencies, they could control the world economy. When the soviet union refused to join the world bank or the imf, it isolated itself. The united nations and hopes for collective security. Us wanted to join the un, because they did not join the league of nations (mistake) Eleanor roosevelt - one of the first us delegates to the un. Nuremburg trials - nazi leaders tried for their war crimes and atrocities. Nuremburg principle - no human should follow orders that conflict with human rights. Atlantic charter (1941) - made allies renounce new territories claimed by war.
