The Cold War, 1946-1953

Libertyville HS

Cold War in Europe, 1948-53

• Marshall Plan had “saved” Western Europe

• Contest shifted eastward– Greeks won their civil war– Italians defeated Communist

party in elections, 1948– Soviet coup in

Czechoslovakia, 1948– Berlin Blockade, 1948-49

The Berlin Blockade• First major crisis of Cold War• Berlin made up of four

sectors• Allies merged theirs into

Western Berlin, started redeveloping area

• Stalin instituted a 15 month blockade of food, materials, and supplies (1948-49)

• US, RAF airlifted 2.3 million tons of food, supplies on 278,000 flights to Berlin

1 Flight Every30 Seconds!!!

Formation of NATO, Warsaw Pact• April 1949: North

Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) formed– Defense pact among

western nations• Soviets formed “Warsaw

Pact” in 1955, in reaction to West Germany joining NATO

The Soviets Get The Bomb• Soviets had been working

on atomic weapons since 1930s

• Problem: getting enough uranium, inefficiency of leaders

• Post WW2, Stalin gave program highest priority

• Exploded first bomb in 1949– Espionage helped Soviets

avoid mistakes (Rosenbergs)

First Soviet test explosion, 1949

Julius & EthelRosenberg,post-conviction

Chinese Revolution and SEATO• 1949: Mao Tse-Tung

defeated US backed government, est. Communist government

• Soviets recognized new Chinese government

• US formed Southeast Asian Treaty Organization (SEATO) in response

• Containment thus “Expanded” to include Latin America, Asia. Africa

Founding members in purple

Korean War (1950-53)

• Korea divided at end of WWII– North communist (Kim Il-Sung)– South democratic (Syngman

Rhee)– Each leader intent on bringing

whole peninsula under their system

– North Capitol: Pyongyang– South Capitol: Seoul

Korean War• 6/25/50: North invaded

across 38th parallel– UN condemned action– US promised military support– North advanced quickly;

South military disintegrated– “Pusan Perimeter”

• Douglas MacArthur appointed UN commander– Based in Japan– 19 nations contributed troops

Korean War• Inchon Landing (9/15/50)– “End Run” around North– Surprise, successful –

threatened to trap North’s army, in South

• UN forces pursued North across 38th parallel– Captured Pyongyang– North’s army disintegrated

Korean War• Chinese intervention

– Chinese concerned about invasion by UN across Yalu River

– 11/1/50: 250k Chinese “volunteers” attacked UN troops in North Korea

– Pushed UN troops across 38th Parallel

– Truman fired MacArthur!!!• 1951-53: Stalemate• July 27, 1953: armistice

signed, ending war, after Stalin died – “DMZ”

Nuclear Weapons, 1950s

• Nuclear (fission) bomb (“Atomic bomb”)– Dropped on Hiroshima, Nagasaki– Least “technical” bomb to build– Yield = 500 kt (500,000 tons of TNT)

• Hydrogen (fission + fusion) bomb– Thermonuclear device– Developed 1952 in US, 1955 USSR– Yield = sky’s the limit (largest detonated =

50 megatons, or 50 million tons of TNT)

1950s Cold War Nuclear Strategy

• US strategy– Strategic in nature (massive

response, against Soviet cities)– Based on jet propelled bomber

fleet (until 1960s)• USSR strategy

– Limited strategic use b/c of technical limitations (until ICBMs developed, in 1957)

– Conventional war would follow– Anticipated use of tactical

(battlefield) nuclear weapons against enemy troops in Europe

Bomber tracks from USSR, 1951

US Reaction to Nuclear Weapons

• Public wanted to feel safe• Fallout shelters– Protection against “fallout”

(radioactive debris) in case of nuclear attack

– Usually built underground or of special materials (lead, etc)

• Education of kids– Schools taught kids how to

survive an attack– “Duck and Cover”