Week of May 2nd - 6th

MON:

The second red scare 1947-57

- causes

  1. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg Trial 

     - found guilty of spying for the Soviets executed in 1953

Causes of 2nd red scare cont

- the iron curtain surrounding Eastern Europe - 1945

- the USSR detonating their atomic bomb - 1949

- china becoming communist in 1949

- the korean war starting in 1950 - Domino effect 

- Stalin's effect on Germany

Alien registration act of 1940 (smith act)

- made it illegal to advocate the overthrow of the US government

- required all non-citizen adult residents to register with the government

- prosecution under the Smith act

McCarthyism 

- the practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence

TUE:

 

Berlin Wall

- 1961-1990

Fidel Castro Overthrows Batista 

Soviets invade Afghanistan 1979

WED:

Yuri Andropov 

- USSR leader 1982

Konstantin Chernenko 

- USSR leader 1985

Mikhail Gorbachev 

- comes to power in 1985

Berlin Wall comes down 

- Nov. 9, 1989

Boris Yeltsin 

- president of Russia 1991-1999

Why did the US win the cold war?

- closer Allies

- China started siding with US after 1972

- the soviet economy was in shambles whereas the US's was flourishing 

a. huge deficit

b. high inflation

c. corruption

d. social problems

e. shortage of basic needs (food, housing)

- strong anti-communist presidency of Reagan 

- Gorbachev's willingness for change and reform 

a. glasnost and perestroika

b. admitted soviet mistake

c. took blame for the cold war

d. communist system had failed

e. allowed Eastern europe to do what they wanted

- arms reduction talks

a. SALT, INF, Reagan-Gorbachev meetings

- soviet mistakes 

a. invasion of Afghanistan 

b. ignoring social concerns 

c. spent everything on military 

Post - cold war

- in the 1990s the world seemed to be a much more peaceful place

- we didn't have any major threat to worry about

- Clinton closed down numerous military bases around the country reducing the size of the US military

- 9-11 caught the US off guard

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