May 2- Took notes
The Second Red Scare
Causes
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg trial- found guilty of spying for the Soviets, executed
The Iron Curtain surrounding Eastern Europe
The USSR detonating their atomic bomb
China becoming communist
The Korean War starting in 1950
Stalin’s actions in Germany-Berlin Blockade
Chiang Kai Shek
Leader of China
Mao Zedong
Communists leader of China
Worked together during the Japanese invasion
Mao won- China became communists
Alien Registration Act
Made it illegal to advocate the overthrow of the US government
Required all non-citizen adult residents to register with the government
215 were indicted under the legislation, including alleged communists, Anarchists, and fascists
Ruled unconstitutional
Senator Joe McCarthy
Gave a speech where he claimed to have a list of 205 Communists in the State Department
Became powerful and influential
Caused panic
Believed he made it up to gain popularity
Downfall
Given the power to hold hearings- went after the people on his list
Accused communists of being in the military
This was the final straw for President Eisenhower, who realized that McCarthy’s movement needed to be stopped
The Senate voted to censure him for his conduct and to strip him of his privileges
Power to hearings was taken away
Died 3 years later from alcoholism
McCarthyism- the practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence
House Un-American Activities Committee-
This organization went after directors in Hollywood
The committee believed that films were spreading communists propaganda
Set up hearings to investigate the movie industry
Hollywood Ten- Each man was found guilty and sentenced to spend a year in prison and pay a $1000 fine
Blacklisted Actors/ Directors
Charlie Chaplin- left the US and didn’t come back because of HUAC
US Test Hydrogen Bomb
1000 times more powerful than the atomic bombs
USSR Launches Sputnik- 1957
May 3- Took notes
Yuri Gagarin- 1961
First man in space
Caused US to panic
Eisenhower Embarrassment
Said the pilot was weather plane
Actually a spy
Berlin Wall
Built a wall to keep people in
Moving from East Berlin to West Berlin
Didn’t want to build it, admit they were defeated
Fidel Castro Overthrows Batista
Leaders of Cuba
Bay of Pigs
We wanted to take out Castro
Didn’t want it to look like the US was invading
Trained Cubans to make it look like they were doing it for themselves
Didn’t work
Gave them baby food to get these people to return
Embarrassment for Kennedy
Cuban Missile Crisis
SU sends nuclear missiles to Cuba
Caused us to go into a 13 day crisis
SU was stockpiling missiles
Kennedy creates a blockade and gains support from Latin America countries
Got the Soviets to stop bringing more missiles in
The Soviets would remove their missiles from Cuba
The US would promise never to invade Cuba
The US would secretly remove our nuclear missiles from Turkey within six months
Leonid Brezhev
Came to power after Khrushchev lost popularity
Nixon
Opening China
Better relationship with the SU
Soviets Invade Afghanistan
Supported the Taliban and Al Qaeda because they were fighting communism
Costs so much money that the Soviet Union couldn’t recover
Reagan Becomes President
Ran on a strong anti-communist platform
- Soviets had just invaded Afghanistan
May 4- Took Notes
Why did the US win the Cold War?
Close ties to our allies and the USSR didn’t
China started siding with us after 1972
The Soviet economy was in shambles whereas the US was flourishing
Huge deficit
High inflation
Corruption
Social problems
Shortage of basic needs
The strong anti-communist presidency of Reagan
Gorbachev’s willingness for change and reform
Glasnost and perestroika
Admitted Soviet mistakes
Took blame for the Cold War
Communist system had failed
Allowed Eastern Europe to do what they wanted
Arms Reduction Talks
SALT, INF, Reagan-Gorbachev meetings
Soviet MIstakes
Invasion of Afghanistan
Ignoring social concerns
Spent everything on military
Post- Cold War
The 90’s seemed to be a much more peaceful place
We didn’t have any major threat to worry about
Closed military bases, reduced the size of the military
9/11 caught the US off guard
Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary join NATO
- Cease-Fire Signed
May 5- Test Day
May 6- Work day
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