The Cold War

From the IB Syllabus, material for detailed study:

10. The Cold War and the Americas 1945-1981
This section focuses on the development and impact of the Cold War on the region. Most of the second
half of the 20th century was dominated by the global conflict of the Cold War. Within the Americas, some
countries were closely allied to the United States and some took sides reluctantly. Many remained neutral
or sought to avoid involvement in Cold War struggles. A few, influenced by the Cuban Revolution, instituted
socialist governments. No nation, however, escaped the pressures of the Cold War, which had a significant
impact on the domestic and foreign policies of the countries of the region.
• Truman: containment and its implications for the Americas; the rise of McCarthyism and its effects on
domestic and foreign policies of the United States; the Cold War and its impact on society and culture
• Korean War and the United States and the Americas: reasons for participation; military developments;
diplomatic and political outcomes
• Eisenhower and Dulles: New Look and its application; characteristics and reasons for the policy;
repercussions for the region
• United States’ involvement in Vietnam: the reasons for, and nature of, the involvement at different
stages; domestic effects and the end of the war
• United States’ foreign policies from Kennedy to Carter: the characteristics of, and reasons for, policies;
implications for the region: Kennedy’s Alliance for Progress; Nixon’s covert operations and Chile;
Carter’s quest for human rights and the Panama Canal Treaty
• Cold War in either Canada or one Latin American country: reasons for foreign and domestic policies
and their implementation