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Yalta and Potsdam
At the Soviet Black Sea resort of Yalta, leaders of the United States, the Soviet Union, and Britain met. They decide to divide Germany into zones of occupation that would be controlled by the Allied military forces, Germany would pay back the Soviet Union, an that Stalin would join the war against Japan. This is under the GASPIRE theme Political, because it shows governments coming together to do what they thought was politically right. This furthered the war because it brought in Stalin. -
Creation of the United Nations
48 countries created the United Nations (UN), which protected it's members against aggression. It formed the General Assembly, the Security Council, and a handful of permanent members. This goes under the theme Political because it is all the politicians of these nations forming alliances to protect there own citizens. This furthered the war by setting boundaries that prepared nations for war. -
Containment/The Truman Doctrine
Containment was a policy directed at blocking Soviet influence and stopping the expansion of communism. The Truman Doctrine was Truman's support of countries that were against communism. This falls under the theme Political because it's all about communism. This furthered the war by getting America involved. -
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was America giving aid to European countries in grave need of jobs and food. The program used a total of $12.5 billion in food, machinery, and other materials used to rebuild Europe. This is under the GASPIRE theme Economic because of Europe's lack of resources. This furthered the war by helping west Europe get out of it's slump. -
The Berlin Airlift
While Berlin was within the Soviet occupation zone, the people were stranded. American and British officials flew food and supplies into West Berlin until the Soviet Union admitted defeat and took down the blockade. This falls under the theme psychological because the officials didn't have to help the starving city, but did so anyways. This furthered the war by delivering another defeat to the Soviet Union. -
Iron Curtain
Europe was divided. Germany had been split in two; one side controlled by the Soviets, the other under communism. The term "Iron Curtain" comes from the Churchill quote "From the Stettin in the Baltic to Treiste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent." Since the devide was maily a social one, this fits under the GASPIRE theme Social. This furthered the war by making tensions worse in Europe. -
Creation of Nato
Ten Western European nations joined with US/Canada to form a defensive military alliance called the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO. Attacks on NATO would be met with violence from other members. This event is under the Intellectual theme because it was a smart move for all of those countries to watch each others backs, especially when they were each under so much danger. This furthered the war by raising tensions and increasing the threat of nuclear war. -
Communists take power in China
Mao Zedong led the Communists in China, who had an army of literate and loyal peasants. They were victorious against Japan and later signed a treaty of friendship with the Soviets. Many in the US were afraid the communism would spread. This falls under the theme Political because of all the communism and treaties. This furthered the war by creating a friendship between China and the Soviets. -
Development of H-bomb
Hydrogen bombs are thousands of times more powerful than A-bombs. H-bombs are detonated with the forced fusion of hydrogen, which is much more powerful then splitting atoms. This falls under the theme social, because the bombs were mostly only ever used as social threats, and not real ones. The thermonuclear bomb furthered the war by putting the US and the Soviets in an arms race to produce more weapons. -
Interview with Veteran
The veteran interviewed had been born towards the end of the war, so he remembers some bomb drills and panic, but not much. His father was born right before the Vietnam war, which he fought in, as well as Grenada. The interviewee says he can remember knowing that the Soviet's communist ideology was bad, and threatened our western ideals of democracy and capitalism. He also says recalls that after the war, he didn't think we'd ever be in long term military engagement again.
