Following WWII, Europe and Asia underwent significant changes - Germany and Berlin were divided between the Western allies and Soviet Union, while the US took sole responsibility for rebuilding Japan and establishing a new democratic constitution under General Douglas MacArthur. Meanwhile, the Cold War emerged between the capitalist West led by the US and the communist Eastern Bloc led by the Soviet Union, which exerted control over countries behind the Iron Curtain and cut off access to West Berlin until the US launched a massive airlift of supplies; this instability continued with the outbreak of the Korean War as North Korea invaded South Korea across the 38th Parallel boundary.
2. Europe after the war
• Allies divided Germany (and Berlin) into 4
sectors. France, US, Britain and Soviet Union
each controlled one sector
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6. Postwar Japan
• US took sole responsibility for rebuilding it
• Douglas MacArthur was in charge of
supervising it
• One of his first priorities was religion
• Helped them write a new constitution, and
elect officials
7. Cold War
• Between the US and Soviet Union
• Soviet Union was spreading its sphere of
influence
• People feared another world war
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10. • Under the Iron Curtain
– Countries under Communist control
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12. Berlin Airlift
• The Soviet Union stopped all use of their
roads and rails into the East Germany
• Left people without food and supplies
• Truman ordered airlift of food and supplies for
the next 321 days into West Berlin
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15. Korean War
• North Korea was communist and South Korea
was free
• North Korea invaded South Korea
• US got involved
• Commander was Douglas MacArthur
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17. • Settled on the 38th Parallel as the boundary
between North and South Korea
