IB History-The Cold War: The Early Cold War & The Americas

Summary

This lecture delves into the early Cold War era from 1945 to the 1950s, focusing on the United States' pursuit of an American Cold War alliance akin to NATO, aiming for collective security and to curb communism in the Americas. The Rio Conference in 1947 led to the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance, with Brazil, Chile, and Cuba banning communist organizations to foster economic ties with the U.S. However, Latin American nations felt neglected compared to Western Europe's Marshall Plan aid. The lecture also covers the Red Scare in the U.S., the Hollywood blacklist, and the rise of Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist crusade, which impacted civil liberties, education, and American society, including the early civil rights movement.

Takeaways

• 🌍 The early Cold War years from 1945 to the early 1950s had a significant impact on the Americas, with the United States seeking to establish a collective security alliance to counter communism, similar to NATO in the North Atlantic.
• 💼 Latin American countries, post-war, were more focused on receiving economic and technological aid from the United States, which led to negotiations and agreements like the Rio Conference and the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance.
• 🚫 Brazil, Chile, and Cuba banned communist organizations and severed ties with the Soviet Union in 1948, hoping for increased U.S. economic assistance, while other Latin American nations felt the U.S. commitment was insufficient.
• 🇺🇸 The United States provided financial aid to Latin American countries, but it was significantly less compared to the Marshall Plan's aid to Western European countries, leading to anti-American sentiments in Latin America.
• 🔍 The post-war period in the U.S. was marked by a "Red Scare," characterized by fear and hatred of communism, which manifested in various ways, including investigations into Hollywood and the creation of blacklists in the film industry.
• 🤔 The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) focused on left-wing extremism, leading to the Hollywood Ten being accused of promoting communist ideology, and the Screen Actors Guild, led by Ronald Reagan, assisted in investigations.
• 📜 The McCarran Internal Security Act of 1950 and Executive Order 9835 by President Truman were responses to the Red Scare, aiming to root out communist influences within the U.S. government through loyalty oaths and investigations.
• 🕵️‍♂️ There were real instances of espionage, such as the cases of Klaus Fuchs and the Rosenbergs, which fueled the anti-communist sentiment and justified the aggressive actions taken by the U.S. government.
• 🗣️ Senator Joseph McCarthy's accusations and investigations into alleged communist activities within the U.S. government led to a widespread fear and the dismissal of many officials, but eventually, his tactics were condemned, and he was censured by the Senate.
• 📚 The Cold War influenced American society, with changes in education, such as duck and cover drills, and the National Defense Education Act funding for subjects that could counter communist threats.
• ✝️ The Cold War also saw a rise in religious affiliation in the U.S., with communism being viewed as atheistic, leading to a stronger emphasis on Christian values and the addition of 'under God' to the Pledge of Allegiance.

Q & A

What were the competing goals between the United States and Latin American countries during the early Cold War years?

The United States wanted to create an American Cold War alliance for collective security and to prevent communism in the Americas, while Latin American countries sought economic and technological aid from the United States.

What was the Rio Conference, and what agreement emerged from it?

The Rio Conference, held in September 1947 in Rio de Janeiro, resulted in the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance. This treaty stated that an attack on any one nation in the Americas was an attack on all, and if two-thirds of the nations agreed, they could take collective military action.

What measures did Brazil, Chile, and Cuba take in response to the Rio Conference agreements?

Brazil, Chile, and Cuba banned communist organizations and cut ties with the Soviet Union in 1948, hoping to receive more economic assistance from the United States.

Why did some Latin American countries feel hesitant about committing to agreements with the United States?

Some Latin American countries felt that the United States was not committing enough economic aid to justify their involvement in such agreements.

What was the Organization of American States (OAS), and what were its objectives?

The Organization of American States, created in 1948, included the United States and most Latin American countries. Its objectives were to organize consultation between American nations, coordinate military strategy, and assert the sovereignty of American states by prohibiting interference and coercive measures against any member state.

How did the United States' financial aid to Latin America compare to its aid to Western Europe after World War II?

From 1949 to 1953, Latin American nations received only about $79 million in American foreign aid, while the rest of the world, especially Western Europe, received nearly $18 billion, leading to growing anti-American sentiments in Latin America.

What triggered the second Red Scare in the United States, and how did it manifest?

The second Red Scare was triggered by fear and hatred of communist ideology, heightened by Soviet and Chinese communism, patriotism after World War II, and Soviet military threats, especially the detonation of a Soviet atomic bomb in 1949. It manifested through investigations into Hollywood, loyalty oaths for government employees, and numerous accusations and trials.

What role did the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) play during the Red Scare?

HUAC, originally created to investigate extremist groups, focused on left-wing extremism and communist influence in the United States after World War II. It investigated Hollywood for communist propaganda, leading to the blacklisting of the Hollywood Ten.

How did President Truman respond to the Red Scare, and what were some key actions taken during his administration?

President Truman attempted to counter accusations of being soft on communism by signing executive orders for loyalty oaths, supporting investigations, and enacting the McCarran Internal Security Act despite initially vetoing it. This Act required government employees to pledge loyalty to the U.S. and targeted communist organizations.

What were some real examples of espionage in the United States during the early Cold War?

Real examples included Klaus Fuchs, who shared atomic secrets with the Soviet Union, and the Rosenbergs, who were implicated in espionage and executed. Alger Hiss, a State Department official, was also found guilty of passing classified information to the Soviet Union.

What impact did Senator Joseph McCarthy have on the Red Scare, and how did his actions ultimately lead to his downfall?

Senator McCarthy's aggressive investigations and accusations of communism within the U.S. government and military led to widespread fear and the firing of many individuals. His overreach, particularly targeting the U.S. military, resulted in his censure by the Senate in 1955 and his eventual disgrace and death in 1957.

How did the Cold War impact American society and civil liberties?

The Cold War led to threats to civil liberties, changes in education with duck and cover drills, increased funding for science and language studies, censorship in Hollywood, a rise in religious affiliation, and significant actions in the civil rights movement, including Truman's desegregation of the military and the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision.

Outlines

00:00

🌎 Early Cold War Alliances and Latin America's Economic Struggles

The script discusses the early years of the Cold War, from 1945 to the early 1950s, and its impact on the Americas. It focuses on the United States' goal to establish an American Cold War alliance similar to NATO, aimed at collective security and keeping communism out of the region. The U.S. sought to create a united front through the Rio Conference in 1947, leading to the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance. However, Latin American countries were primarily interested in economic and technological aid, which they did not receive to the extent they had hoped. Brazil, Chile, and Cuba took steps to ban communist organizations and cut ties with the Soviet Union in hopes of gaining more U.S. support. The script also highlights the disparity in U.S. foreign aid, with Latin America receiving significantly less than Western Europe, leading to anti-American sentiments in the region.

05:01

📽 Hollywood, Red Scare, and the Hunt for Communists

This paragraph delves into the Red Scare period in the United States, characterized by fear and hatred of communism, especially after the Soviet Union and China became communist powers. The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) investigated Hollywood for potential communist propaganda in films, leading to the Hollywood Ten being accused and blacklisted. The Screen Actors Guild, headed by Ronald Reagan, assisted the FBI in these investigations. President Truman's actions, such as the McCarran Internal Security Act and Executive Order 9835, were influenced by the Red Scare, requiring loyalty oaths from government employees. The FBI also investigated communist organizations, leading to numerous resignations. The paragraph mentions real spy cases, such as Klaus Fuchs and the Rosenbergs, and the political exploitation of anti-communism by Senator Joseph McCarthy, which led to widespread fear and the damaging of careers and reputations.

10:03

🕊️ McCarthyism, Cold War Impact on Society, and the Fight for Civil Rights

The final paragraph examines the extreme measures taken during the Cold War, such as McCarthy's communist witch hunts, which eventually led to his censure by the Senate. The impact of the Cold War on American society is explored, including the threat to civil liberties, changes in education with duck and cover drills, and the National Defense Education Act's funding for science and math studies. Hollywood's self-censorship and the rise in religious affiliation are also discussed. The Cold War's influence on the early civil rights movement is highlighted, with President Truman's desegregation of the military and the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education case, which challenged racial segregation. The Soviet Union's use of American race issues for propaganda is noted as a factor in these civil rights advancements.

Keywords

💡Cold War

The Cold War refers to the period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc, after World War II. It is characterized by a lack of direct large-scale fighting between the superpowers, but involves a series of proxy wars, an arms race, and various other forms of indirect conflict. In the video, the Cold War is a central theme, particularly focusing on the early years from 1945 to the early 1950s and its impact on the Americas.

💡Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance

The Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance, also known as the Rio Treaty, was drafted during the Rio Conference in 1947. It established a collective defense agreement among American nations, stating that an attack on any one nation in the Americas is an attack on all. The treaty is a key example of the United States' efforts to create an American Cold War alliance similar to NATO, aiming to provide collective security and keep communism out of the Americas.

💡Economic and Technological Aid

Economic and technological aid refers to the financial and technical support provided by one country to another, often with the goal of promoting development and stability. In the context of the video, Latin American countries sought such aid from the United States in the post-war years, hoping that aligning with the U.S. and banning communist organizations would lead to increased assistance and support.

💡Organization of American States (OAS)

The Organization of American States is an international organization composed of countries in North, Central, and South America. It was created to foster cooperation and consultation among its member states and to coordinate military strategy within the American states. The OAS also issued a statement of sovereignty, emphasizing non-intervention and the prohibition of economic or military coercion against other states. The video discusses the establishment of the OAS and its role during the early Cold War years.

💡Marshall Plan

The Marshall Plan was an American initiative to aid Western Europe, where recovery was especially difficult after the end of World War II. Officially known as the European Recovery Program, it was named after Secretary of State George C. Marshall. The plan provided substantial financial aid to help rebuild war-torn regions and prevent the spread of communism. In the video, it is mentioned that the financial aid given to Latin American countries was significantly less than what was provided to Western Europe under the Marshall Plan, leading to anti-American sentiments in Latin America.

💡Red Scare

The term 'Red Scare' refers to a period of fear or concern about the influence or the infiltration of communism into the society, politics, or government. In the video, it is mentioned that the post-war years in the United States led directly into a 'Red Scare' period, characterized by fear and hatred of communist ideology, heightened patriotism after World War II, and concerns over Soviet military threats.

💡House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

The House Un-American Activities Committee was a committee of the U.S. House of Representatives that investigated alleged disloyalty and subversive activities, particularly those with links to communism. In the video, HUAC is discussed in the context of its focus on left-wing extremism post-World War II, its investigation into Hollywood for potential communist propaganda, and the resulting blacklisting of individuals in the film industry.

💡McCarthyism

McCarthyism refers to the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. It is named after U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy, who alleged widespread communist infiltration in the U.S. government and other institutions during the early 1950s. The video describes how McCarthy's tactics led to the firing and resignation of many government officials and university employees due to suspected communist connections.

💡National Defense Education Act

The National Defense Education Act was enacted in 1958 to provide funding for education in science, math, and foreign languages, which were deemed critical for national defense and the Cold War. The video mentions this act as an example of how the Cold War impacted American society, emphasizing the importance of education in areas that could contribute to the development of new weapons and defense strategies against communism.

💡Civil Rights Movement

The Civil Rights Movement was a social movement advocating for the legal rights for African Americans to be equal to those of whites. In the video, it is mentioned that the Cold War had an impact on the early civil rights movement, with President Truman desegregating the military in 1948 and the Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 that 'separate but equal' facilities were inherently unequal. The Soviet Union's propaganda on racial issues in the U.S. also played a role in prompting action on civil rights.

Highlights

Discussion of the early Cold War years from 1945 to the early 1950s and their impact on the Americas.

The United States aimed to establish an American Cold War alliance similar to NATO for collective security and to prevent communism in the Americas.

Latin American countries sought economic and technological aid from the U.S. post World War II.

The Rio Conference in September 1947 led to the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance, signifying an attack on one American nation as an attack on all.

Brazil, Chile, and Cuba banned communist organizations and severed ties with the Soviet Union in 1948 to encourage more U.S. economic assistance.

Other Latin American nations felt the U.S. aid commitment was insufficient to warrant such agreements.

The Organization of American States was created to foster consultation and coordinate military strategy among American nations.

A declaration of sovereignty among American states was established, prohibiting interference in each other's affairs.

U.S. financial aid to Latin America was significantly less than the Marshall Plan's aid to Western Europe, causing resentment.

The post-war period in the U.S. transitioned into a 'Red Scare' period marked by fear and hatred of communism.

The Hollywood film industry was investigated for promoting communist ideology by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC).

The Hollywood Ten were accused of inserting subversive ideas into their work, leading to blacklisting in the industry.

President Truman's loyalty oath program for federal employees and the FBI's investigation into communist organizations.

Real spy threats within the U.S., including the convictions of Klaus Fuchs and the Rosenbergs for espionage.

Senator Joseph McCarthy's accusations and investigations into communist activities within the U.S. government.

The censure of McCarthy by the Senate in 1955 and his subsequent death in disgrace.

The impact of McCarthyism on U.S. politics, including a harder line against communism and its influence on the Korean War and civil rights movement.

The Cold War's effect on American society, including changes in education, Hollywood, religious affiliation, and the civil rights movement.

Transcripts

all right today we are going to talk

about uh the early cold war years uh

1945 to the early 1950s and their impact

on the americas and this is going to be

some some material that focuses on paper

three of the ib exam we're dealing with

some competing goals here between the

united states and some latin american

countries the united states want an

american cold war alliance

like they are going to build with the

the north atlantic countries with with

nato

to provide collective security in the

americas and keep the threat of

communism out of the americas while

latin american countries in the post-war

years are looking for economic and

technological aid from the united states

this process is going to get rolling in

september of 1947 with a meeting in rio

de janeiro

called the rio conference

and out of this

will be drafted this inter-american

treaty of reciprocal assistance

basically an agreement that an attack on

any one nation in the americas is an

attack on all nations of the americas

and that two-thirds of those nations

would if they agreed to join in on

military action that could could lead to

a united american force

for their part brazil chile and cuba

would ban communist organizations in

their nations and cut ties with the

soviet union in 1948 with the idea that

doing that will lead to more economic

assistance and support coming from the

united states

but other nations in latin america

didn't feel that there was enough

commitment of american aid to tie them

to such agreements

uh in the next year the organization of

american states will be created that

includes the united states and most

latin american countries

and this is meant to organize uh and

lead to consultation between american

nations

to coordinate military strategy within

the americans american states it also

will lead to uh to a statement of

sovereignty of american states that no

state could interfere or intervene in

the affairs of any other american state

and that no economic or military

coercive force could be used against

another state and we'll be able to look

back in in a few weeks as to whether or

not this agreement is upheld with the

actions of the united states and the

soviet union

now we want to recognize that the united

states was giving some financial aid

foreign aid to latin american countries

but it is going to pale in comparison to

what the marshall plan is going to be

providing for western european countries

the united states simply does not see

latin america as immediately threatened

by the soviet union in the way that

western europe was so for example from

1949 to 1953 latin american nations will

only receive about 79 million dollars in

american foreign aid while the rest of

the world received nearly 18 billion

dollars of that money with most of it

going to western europe

and this is going to lead some

anti-american sentiments to grow in

latin america from both leaders and

populations that feel the united states

was ignoring their economic problems

now in the united states the post-war

years are going to lead directly into a

red scare period now this is the second

red scare in the united states the first

started after the 1917 bolshevik

revolution in russia that led to the

soviet union being developed

but this early cold war red scare

stemmed from many of the same things

largely fear and hatred of the communist

ideology

now recognizing it's not just the soviet

union that is communist but china as

well

we also see uh this this world war ii

era patriotism uh that is that is

elevated following the victory in the

second world war and then fears over the

soviet military threats that were ever

present especially with the detonation

of the soviet atomic bomb in 1949

this red scare will manifest itself for

example uh by by looking into hollywood

and the productions of the hollywood

industry the film industry in the united

states

that that may have been pushing some

communist ideology onto its viewers and

this would be looked into

by a house representatives uh committee

called the house un-american activities

commission or huak uh and this was

created before world war ii in the late

1930s to investigate extremist groups of

both the right and the left for

subversive activities but after world

war ii the commission focused

exclusively on left-wing extremism and

the concerns about communism in the

united states

through huax actions uh the hollywood

ten would be accused of of of putting

communist propaganda in their film this

is a group of writers and directors and

producers uh that worked within the

hollywood film industry um that were

accused of of inserting these subversive

ideas and content into their work

the screen actors guild the the actors

union uh that was had that time headed

by future president and current actor

ronald reagan would assist the fbi in

their investigations of communist

sympathizers within the hollywood film

industry and this would lead to the

development of a black list of of

workers writers actors directors that

would ultimately keep them frozen out of

the hollywood film industry for years to

come

now truman for his part also played into

some of these red scare fears um in the

19 in 1950 the mccarran internal

security act um was said uh created by

congress to um to try to

out communist organizations um that had

looked for members within the united

states federal government and it

essentially would force government

employees to sign loyalty oaths

to pledge their loyalty to the united

states now president truman initially

vetoed attempted to veto this act citing

concerns for for civil liberties

but ultimately that veto was overridden

by a deeply republican

congress um

the

executive order 9835

drafted by truman himself would order

loyalty oaths by federal employees this

is that attempt by by president truman

to to try to not appear to be soft on

communism uh amidst the accusations that

were coming from the political right at

the time and the fbi under the justice

department began investigating communist

organizations in the united states that

would lead to thousands of individual

investigations and many hundreds of

people simply resigning from their their

work rather than to deal with difficult

questions

so so was there a real threat of

communism in the united states well

there there were some spies in the

united states that were aiding the

soviet union and contributing to the

development of the soviet atomic weapon

and federal investigations and criminal

trials had proceeded that showed that

this spy threat was real

famously klaus fuchs a and a former

employee with the manhattan project was

convicted of espionage for sharing

atomic secrets with the soviet union

and his trial would reveal information

about ethel and julius rosenberg the

rosenbergs who were implicated within

that investigation and ultimately

themselves um uh

found guilty of espionage and and later

executed now there is some modern

scholarship that has some questions

about uh ethel rosenberg's uh connection

to her husband's actions uh but

ultimately both of them would be uh

would be convicted and executed uh for

for espionage uh state department

official alger hiss was found guilty in

1950 of passing classified information

uh to the soviet union back in the 1930s

so there were real examples of spies in

the united states

now this is just going to lead to

republican attacks uh and and the

senator joseph mccarthy out of wisconsin

to target the truman administration and

the democratic-led

led government at the time for being

soft on communism and they will use this

anti-communism platform as a means to

one try to push communist ideology out

of the united states and two try to win

elections

so joe mccarthy a wisconsin republican

senator became that leading voice

for this threat of communism in the

united states government he'll claim

that over 200 communists were working

for the u.s state department although

his evidence was incredibly flimsy and

the numbers would change depending on

who he was giving speeches to

in 1952 a series of hearings out of the

senate began with mccarthy leading

investigations into communist activities

within the united states from government

officials

hundreds of government officials and

university employees would later be

fired because of possible communist

connections

and fears of mccarthy and his tactics

would lead others to to ultimately

resign from their positions

now over time mccarthy began to to

overstep some bounds but not before the

republican party found success in the

1952 elections

and ultimately took control of the

presidency the senate and the

congressional

houses

now mccarthy goes a little bit too far

and then far too far uh with his

communist witch hunts um in the

mid-1950s accusing secretary of state

dean atchison and secretary of defense

george marshall also a world war ii

general and hero

but it was ultimately his targeting of

the united states military and the army

mccarthy hearings that would be his

final straw

where he would in march of 1955 be

censored by the senate and then he would

pass away in disgrace in 1957

but the impact of mccarthy was real

fears of mccarthy led truman and other

politicians to take a harder line

against communism which had implications

with the korean war

when stalin's death opened up a

possibility of of easing tensions with

the soviet union um eisenhower's new

administration had to be concerned about

how mccarthy would react to the united

states trying to ease tensions with the

soviet union

the cold war also had a number of

impacts on the on americans themselves

the red scare in the u.s government

actions did threaten the civil liberties

of americans during the cold war uh we

see changes in education where children

are having to take part in duck and

cover drills that would offer them

supposed protection in the

if they saw the flash of an atomic bomb

in 1958 the national defense and

education act offered funding for

science math and language studies that

would be needed to help defeat the

communists and create a new body of um

of weapons developers and and foreign

agents that could be working for the

soviet union

hollywood became careful to avoid

producing films that dealt with social

and economic problems like they might

have done in earlier times

entertainers that were seen as leftists

including one of the most famous

entertainers in the world charlie

chaplin were ostracized from the united

states

we would see a rise in religious

affiliation during the cold war as

communism was seen as an atheist

ideology so the united states would

would firmly implant itself as a as a

christian godly nation and we we would

see that manifested in the uh placing

under god to the end of the pledge of

allegiance to our flag

and the cold war would also impact the

early civil rights movement in the

united states president truman threw an

executive order desegregated the

military in 1948

the supreme court would also hear the

brown versus board of education case in

1954 that would ultimately rule that

separate but equal facilities were

inherently unequal and and this was

in large response not only to the the

horrid nature of jim crow america and

the segregation that that it had led to

but also that the soviet union was using

its own propaganda to target the united

states and our handling of race issues

so that's all we got for today we'll

talk to you later