| Origins of the Cold War and Containment (1946-1982) |
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Sections:- Winston Churchill: Iron Curtain Speech (1946)
- George Kennan: The Sources of Soviet Conduct
- Truman Doctrine (1947)
- George Marshall: The Marshall Plan (1947)
- Defense Alliances: NATO Treaty and Warsaw Pact
- Cold War Maps
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| Historical Context
In 1946, Winston Churchill delivered his "Iron Curtain" speech to an audience at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. Although today it is regarded as one of the most influential speeches of the period, the speech was not well received at the time. Some thought Churchill was seeking an Anglo-Saxon alliance against the Soviet Union -- something the general American public felt unnecessary at the time.
Attached Documents
The two attachments here include the text of the speech as well as a short audio clip (0:20 minutes) that includes his famous "Iron Curtain" statement.
Questions to consider
1. Why does Churchill voice concern that the world may be drawn into another war?
2. What kind of "opportunity" is Churchill referring to? |
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| The single document that best illustrated American anti-communism and general suspicion of Soviet aspirations, was George Kennan's famous Long Telegram of 1946. The Long Telegram was perhaps the most cited and most influential statement of the early years of the Cold War.
George Kennan had been a American diplomat on the Soviet front, beginning his career as an observer of the aftermath of the Russian Civil War. He witnessed collectivization and the terror from close range and sent his telegram after another two years' service in Moscow from 1944 to 1946 as chief of mission and Ambassador Averell Harriman's consultant. In 1946, Kennan was 44 years old, fluent in the Russian language and its affairs, and decidedly anti-communist.
The essence of Kennan's telegram was published in Foreign Affairs in 1947 as "The Sources of Soviet Conduct" and circulated everywhere. The article was signed by "X" although everyone in the know knew that authorship was Kennan's. For Kennan, the Cold War gave the United States its historic opportunity to assume leadership of what would eventually be described as the "free world."
Attached Document
Included here is the text of Kennan's historic "Long Telegram."
Questions to consider
1. How does Kennan suggest the United States deal with Soviet expansionism? Why does he favor that particular stance? Do you agree or disagree?
2. According to Kennan, what expectations should the United States have about its relationship with the Soviets?
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| In this famous address to Congress, President Truman stressed the duty of the United States to combat totalitarian regimes worldwide.
His March 12, 1947 speech specifically called for $400 million in aid to be delivered to Greece and Turkey, both of which he suspected were threatened by possible communist insurrections. Congress responded to Truman's appeal by allocating both the requested financial aid and U.S. troops to administer the postwar reconstruction.
Attached Document
Included here is the text of Truman's speech.
Quesions to consider
1. Do you agree with Truman's assertion that the establishment of totalitarian regimes in other countries undermines the security of the United States? Why or why not?
2. Summarize the Truman Doctrine. What is the mission of the United States and should it be accomplished? |
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| Historical Context
Born from the minds of wise and diplomatically skilled visionaries, the Marshall Plan was proposed to help Europe begin its ascent from the ashes of World War II. The Plan took root in the Economic Cooperation Administration (ECA) created by Congress in April, 1948. Its official title was the European Recovery Program. It is called the Marshall Plan, however, in honor of the man who introduced it- Secretary of State George C. Marshall.
Attached Documents
Attached is the text of the Marshall Plan Speech, delivered by Marshall at the 1947 Harvard University commencement ceremony.
Also attached is the response by the Soviet Union to the plan, which saw the economic proposal as a means for the United States to exert control over all of Europe.
Questions to consider
1. Explain why the European economic system was fractured. How did this affect rural and urban people in their daily lives?
2. How does the United States intend to help war ravaged countries? Why is this important?
3. Summarize the Marshall Plan from the Soviet perspective. Do you think they were justified in regarding the Plan with suspicion? Why or why not?
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| Historical Context
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was established as an international organization for defense collaboration established in 1949 which attempted to align nations opposed to Soviet expansion. Similarly, the Warsaw Pact was signed by eastern European nations in an effort to combat western alliances.
Attached Documents
Included here are the texts of both the NATO Treaty and the Warsaw Pact.
Questions to consider
1. List the obligations of the parties to the NATO Treaty.
2. Compare and contrast the obligations entailed in each treaty.
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| | These two maps illustrate the shifting global alliances evident from 1959 to 1982 at the end of the Cold War. |
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