A History of the United States: Chapter 28: The Cold War Era

In 1946 Churchill said that an iron curtain had come down on Europe. The iron curtain cut off much of Eastern Europe from the West.

He believed the two countries could not cooperate, or work together.

The United States had to be firm with its new enemy. Kennan called for a policy of containment, meaning the United States had to "contain," or hold back, the Soviets.

Stalin feared that a strong Germany would once again pose a threat to the Soviet Union.

Instead, the United States and Great Britain organized an airlift to save the city. American and British planes began flying food, fuel, and other supplies into West Berlin.

The Berlin crisis was an early battle in a brewing cold war—a war without actual combat.

The Cold War increased Americans' fears of Communist subversion, or secret attempts to overthrow the government from within.

Stories of espionage, or spying, gripped the country.

Hiss was found guilty of perjury, or lying under oath, and sent to prison.

In December 1954, the Senate voted to censure, or formally criticize, McCarthy for "conduct unbecoming a senator."

During the war, the government had set limits on prices. This kept the cost of consumer goods stable, or unchanging.

This rise in prices, or inflation, came from a huge increase in consumer spending.

In September 1945, President Truman presented a plan of domestic reforms.

It outlawed the closed shop, an agreement under which a business owner hires only union members.

He ordered the armed forces to desegregate—to end the separation of races.

General MacArthur assured Truman that neither China nor the Soviet Union would enter the war.

The agreement set up a demilitarized zone—a region in which no military forces are allowed.

When Eisenhower completed his second term, the federal budget had a surplus of $300 million. A budget surplus is an amount left over after meeting all expenses.

The program helped the economy grow, especially the automobile and oil industries.

During the 1950s, the United States and the Soviet Union engaged in an arms race, a competition for military supremacy.

Both sides built more and more nuclear weapons, which used energy stored in atoms.

In July 1955, Eisenhower, NATO leaders, and Soviet leaders held a meeting—a summit—in Geneva, Switzerland.

Overall, Americans of the 1950s enjoyed a higher standard of living, or economic comfort, than in previous decades.

Spurred by several factors, the nation went on a buying spree. One of these factors was affluence, or greater wealth.

Others criticized American materialism—a focus on collecting money and possessions.