Standard and Objective
Strand 1: American History
Concept 9: Postwar United States
PO 1: Analyze aspects of America’s post
World War II foreign policy:
a. International Activism
Students will comprehend America’s
policy towards the Soviets as
tensions continued to rise by
identifying important people and
organizations.
The Early Cold War
Years
Containing Communism
The Long Telegram
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The U.S. was getting frustrated with the
Soviets’ refusal to cooperate so they asked the
american Embassy in Moscow to explain the
behavior
Diplomat George Kennan wrote back what
became known as the long telegram explaining
his views of the Soviets
He believed their views came from a traditional
“Russian sense of insecurity” and fear of the
West
Kennan proposed that America focus on
containment, believing that their system was
weak and would eventually collapse.
The Long Telegram became the basis for the
U.S. policy of containment of the Soviet Union
Crisis in Iran
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First major crisis was in Iran -The U.S.
controlled the South Iran and the
Soviets controlled the North
The Soviets were supposed to
withdraw after the war but they didn’t,
instead, Stalin demanded access to
Iran’s oil supply and and helped local
communists set up a government in the
north
America saw it as a Soviet push into
the Middle East and sent a message
demanding that Soviet forces
withdraw and also sent in a battleship
The Soviets withdrew
Russian Aggresion
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Stalin wanted to control the
Dardanelles since it was of
strategic significance to Russia
Stalin demanded that Turkey give
joint control to Russia
Again, this was seen as the Soviet
Union attempting to control the
Middle East
The U.S. sent in an aircraft carrier
to help patrol with the battleship
The Truman Doctrine
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When England could no longer afford to
help Greece fight off communist
guerrillas, America had to step in
Truman went before Congress and asked
for $400 million to fight communist
aggression in Greece and Turkey
His speech outlined a policy that became
known as the Truman Doctrine, the goal
of which was to fight the spread of
communism worldwide
The Marshall Plan
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Europe was facing a lot of problems
after the war -starvation, political
chaos, and ruined economies
Secretary of State, George Marshall
came up with the European Recovery
Program better known as the Marshall
Plan
The plan was to give aid to nations that
needed it to rebuild their economies
Truman saw this as essential to
containment
It was offered to the Soviet Union and
its satellite nations, but it refused an
implemented its own economic
program
Let’s Review the Objective
The students will comprehend
America’s policy towards the Soviets
as tensions continued to rise by
identifying important people and
organizations.
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Who was George Kennan and why
is he important?
What was the Truman Doctrine?
What was the Marshall plan and
why is it important?
The Berlin Airlift
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America and the Soviet Union still strongly
disagreed about what to do with Germany -Russia
wanted heavy reparations
The U.S. believed that Russia was trying to
undermine the German economy
England, France and the U.S. merged their zones
and allowed the Germans to have their own
government -the Federal Republic of Germany or
West Germany
They also merged their zones in Berlin creating
West Berlin
The Soviet Zone became the Democratic Republic
or East Germany
The Berlin Airlift
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With the creation of West Germany, the Soviets
realized they were never going to get the
reparations they wanted
They blockaded West Berlin hoping to force the
U.S. to reconsider or to abandon West Berlin
Truman didn’t back down and sent bombers
capable of carrying atomic bombs to bases in
Britain
He then ordered the air force to fly supplies into
Berlin rather than troops
The airlift began in June 1948 and continued
through the spring of 1949
Brought more than 2 million tons of supplies to
the city
Stalin finally lifted the blockade on May 12, 1949
The Creation of NATO
• The Blockade on Berlin convinced
many Americans the Soviets
were bent on conquest
• There was increased public
support for a military alliance
with Western Europe
• April 1949 and agreement was
made to form the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization (NATO)
which was a mutual defense
alliance
NATO and the Warsaw Pact
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Initially included 12 countries
Members agreed to to come to the
aid of any other member who was
attacked
For the first time America was
committed to to maintaining peace in
Europe
Six years after its creation, NATO
admitted West Germany alarming the
Soviets and prompting them to create
an Eastern European military alliance
known as the Warsaw Pact
Conclusion
What was the Soviet Union’s reaction to the Berlin Airlift and NATO?
What were the key differences between NATO and the Warsaw
Pact?
Objective: Students will comprehend America’s policy towards the
Soviets as tensions continued to rise by identifying important people
and organizations.