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Cold War: Containment & Confrontation |
"There are now two great nations in the world which, starting from different points, seem to be advancing toward the same goal: the Russians and the Anglo-Americans.
... Their point of departure is different and their paths diverse; nevertheless, each seems called by some secret desire of Providence one day to hold in its hands the destinies of half the world."
Alexis de Tocqueville (1835) Democracy in America, Vol 1 (Full Quotation & Citation) |
Lesson Objectives
Build a foundation for understanding the genesis, issues, and strategies of the Cold War. Describe and analyze the strategy of containment and become familiar with the conflicts and confrontations that resulted. Describe and analyze the concept of deterence in the Cold War. Describe and analyze the causes, conduct, and consequences of the Berlin Airlift. Describe and analyze the causes, conduct, and consequences of the Korean War. |
Study Guides
When did the Cold War begin? What were its underlying causes? How was the strategy of containment developed? What were its major components and stipulations? What were the risks involved in opposing the Soviet blocakade of Berlin? What was at stake for the Western Allies? In general terms, how was the Berlin Airlift conducted? How did the U.S. become involved in the Korean War? Describe the conduct of the Korean War, particularly the first year. What are the parallels between the Korean War and the First Gulf War (1991)? How were they dissimilar? |
Assignment
Readings: "Cold War" (overview) Global Security "The Legacy of World War Two: Decline, Rise and Recovery" William R. Keylor BBC History: World War Two NOTE: Pay particular attention to "The Iron Curtain" (Origin of the term and the reaction) Timeline of the Cold War ThinkQuest "The Berlin Airlift" Air Force Historical Studies Office "Berlin [Airlift]: Interactive Map" nbsp; Timeline PBS: American Experience "Truman's War" Herman S. Wolk Air Force Magazine, November 2000 "Korea War" GlobalSecurity.com Korean War Timeline Bert Kortegaard The Korean War Korean War Phases (maps) Animated Map The Korean War 1950 (multimedia) Part 2: 1951-1953
Supplemental Resources: George Kennan and "The Long Telegram" (1946) Full text Wikipedia This is considered the defining document of the Cold War with its detailed assessment of Soviet psychology and intentions. "Truman and the Origins of the Cold War" Arnold A. Offner BBC History: World War Two "The Origins of the Cold War" Steven Kreis The History Guide: Lectures on Twentieth Century Europe Iron Curtain Wikipedia "Narrow Victory: the Berlin blockade and the American military response" Major Harry R. Borowski, USAF Air University Review, July-August, 1981 NSC-68 US Objectives & Programs for National Security National Security Council Washington, DC: April 14, 1950 Naval War College Review, Vol. XXVII (May-June, 1975), pp. 51-108 "The Korean War, 1950-1953" American Military History, Vol. II, Ch. 8 Richard W. Stewart (general editor) Washington: Army Center of Military History, 2005 The U.S. Army in the Korean War U.S. Army Center for Military History Phases of the Korean War (animated map) Mathew White "The logistics of that time, and the logistics for the Korean War" Max Hermansen United States Military Logistics in the First Part of the Korean War Dissertation, University of Oslo, Spring, 2000 |
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