Module 9: The Cold War - The 1950s

Considering all that you just witnessed, the Cold War may not stay cold for long. Martina and Terrance cannot agree if the Cold War was really a “cold” war or if it should be considered a “hot” war. They want you to review what you just experienced to help them settle their disagreement.

You began this quest at the end of World War II with the Soviet Union occupying Eastern Europe and Great Britain, France, and the United States occupying Western Europe. Germany was divided among the four countries, and Japan was under American occupation. Great Britain, France, and the United States helped the countries they occupied become democratic, self-governing, and capitalist countries, while the Soviet Union prevented East Germany from adopting those democratic institutions. The United States launched the Marshall Plan to help European economies rebuild, and the United Nations was formed to prevent future global wars. The second stop in the quest explored why a Cold War developed from those conditions. The United States and the Soviet Union were promoting opposing political and economic viewpoints, which led to competition. The two superpowers engaged in a nuclear arms race, with the Soviet Union using spies to help them get ahead. The United States promised “massive retaliation” with nuclear weapons if attacked. At home in the United States, the fear of communism spreading prompted Senator Joseph McCarthy to accuse many people of being communist. While he made these accusations to advance his career, his actions ended up hurting him. The threat of nuclear war led to drills in schools, encouragement to build bomb shelters, and an emphasis on foreign policy in presidential elections. The final stop on this quest explored the Truman Doctrine, and how the United States applied the policy of containing communism with the creation of NATO and participation in the Korean War. Before you weigh in on Martina and Terrance’s argument about the Cold War, perhaps you should explore what occurred during the 1960s and 1970s.

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