Cold War- ideological and political struggle for global power and domination between the Communistic, Soviet Union and Free-market, Democracy of the United States
UNITED STATES PRESIDENT HARRY TRUMAN (atomic bomb) USSR COMMUNIST LEADER JOSEPH STALIN (WWII)
USSR Soviet & Eastern Bloc Nations [ Iron Curtain ] GOAL- spread world-wide Communism UNITED STATES US & the Western Democracies METHODOLOGIES: Espionage [KGB vs. CIA] Arms Race [nuclear escalation] Ideological Competition for the minds and hearts of Third World: Fought via proxy wars Bi-Polarization of Europe [NATO vs. Warsaw Pact] GOAL- Containment of Communism & the eventual collapse of the Communist world. [George Kennan]
The United States favored democracy and capitalism. The Soviet Union, however, practiced communism. Leaders from the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union met at the Yalta Conference, February 1945. 1st: They agreed to create a world peacekeeping organization-u.n. 2nd to support free elections in liberated nations, i.e. Poland Stalin failed to follow 3rd: Truman gives the Eastern Block Nations to the Soviets in exchange for Soviet involvement with war against Japan
Joseph Stalin (Soviet Union), Clement Attlee &Winston Churchill (Great Britain), Harry Truman (United States) They divided Germany and Austria into four occupied zones. City of Berlin also divided into four occupied zones England & US want to rebuild postwar Europe; Soviets want to strip Eastern Block Countries They also hoped to prevent Germany from starting another war.
Iron Curtain- a metaphor- the imaginary boundary dividing Europe in two separate areassymbolizes the efforts the Soviet Union took to block itself and their satellite states from open contact with the West and non Soviet controlled areas. Satellite states- a country that is formally independent but under heavy influence or control by another country.
Intended to find peaceful means to world conflicts and help member nations The United Nations is composed of six main administrative organs: General Assembly (All Nations) supervises the work of the other five administrative organs, Secretary General: Elected by General Assembly that coordinates actions of the UN Security Council (15 total w/5 permanent Nations) is the most powerful branch of the United Nations. The Council makes final decisions on actions the United Nations should take and has the authority to approve or disapprove new members. The Security Council has 15 members-- five permanent members and 10 elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms. The permanent members are: China, US, GB, Russia, France
North Atlantic Treaty Organization: France Britain U.S. Japan Turkey Etc. Anti Communist expansion Warsaw Pact Members: Soviet Union E. Germany Poland Czechoslovakia Hungary Romania Albania Yugoslavia N. Korea China Communist expansion
Europe was still having trouble rebuilding after the war. Marshall Plan: aimed at rebuilding Europe so that they would not turn Communist- economic aid package to help European countries rebuild through Cheap loans Grants Food
Truman Doctrine: Contain Communism where it already existed halt its spread (Containment) Ex. Greece, Berlin He announced that the United States would give money to help foreign countries fight communism.
Stalin wanted West Berlin under communist control Russians blockaded rail and road travel into W. Berlin Truman responds with transporting food and supplies by air for the 2million Residents of W. Berlin were delivered: 2,323,738 tons of fuel, food, machinery & supplies $224 million Stalin backs down within 3 months and opens routes to W. Berlin
Yalta allowed Soviets to control N. Korea Communist Victory in China influenced North Korea 1949, Soviets left a well-trained military The U.S. gave the Chiang Kai-shek millions of dollars, but the communists won the war. 1950 North Koreans invade the south, hoping to unite Korea under Communist control UN condemns actions of N. Korea Russia was not present to veto resolution US and S. Korean forces are pushed backed to Pusan
Gen. MacArthur surprises N. Koreans landing at Inchon and cut the North s forces in half Macarthur captures N. Korean capital N. Korean forces retreat to Yalu River, the border of China China then invades with a million Volunteers Macarthur goes behind Truman s back and wants to Nuke China 1951 Truman fires MacArthur Americans Retreat back to 38th Parallel Neither side can move beyond the 38th Parallel 1953 an armistice is signed but not a peace treaty still technically at war today Final results Nothing changed from the 38th parallel from the beginning of the war 54th American deaths, 2million Koreans & Chinese
Fear and anger at the Soviets caused America to fear that communism was taking over America & the world: Soviet failure to leave the Eastern Block, Russian atomic bomb, Soviet spies caught in the US with atomic secrets And China s conversion to communism
1947 Truman sets up Loyalty boards to root out the Red Menace Politicians use Red threat to gain politically R. Nixon and J. McCarthy Hollywood even investigated for spreading pinko ideas Anyone who didn t cooperate was Blacklisted and called a Commie many jailed without trial Congress passed the Internal Security Act or McCarran Act in 1950. The act made it illegal to combine, conspire, or agree with any other person to perform any act which would substantially contribute to... the establishment of a totalitarian government. The Smith Act made it a crime to call for the overthrow of the U.S. government or belong to an organization that did so.
A.Hiss Pumkin Papers vs. Time Mag. And W. Chambers J. and E. Rosenberg Case Klaus Fuchs gave the Russians the bomb Joseph McCarthy gained the spotlight of the Committee by claim falsely that he had 205 names of Commies in the Govt. Claims were baseless but caused mass hysteria and ruined lives Claimed commies existed in the military Hearings were challenged by army lawyer Roy Cohn and TVs respected E.R. Murrow McCarthy proved in the public to be a fraud 1954 McCarthy censured by the Senate 1957 McCarthy died of alcoholism
The Nuclear Super-Powers compete for Nuclear supremacy Americans lived under the threat of nuclear war in the 1950s In 1952 the United States tested its first hydrogen bomb The "Ivy Mike" test of the first hydrogen bomb Less than a year later, the Soviet Union tests its own hydrogen bomb Both countries rush to increase their nuclear stockpiles
UNITED STATES PRESIDENT DWIGHT EISENHOWER USSR COMMUNIST LEADER NIKITA KHRUSHCHEV
1957 promising military or economic aid to any Middle Eastern country needing help in resisting communist aggression to eliminate or roll back communism throughout the world
Many people believed that the United States would have to go to the very brink, or edge, of war to oppose communist nations. M utually A ssured D estruction M.A.D- relied on the idea of massive retaliation of nuclear weapons should the Soviets strike first Assured that neither side could win in nuclear war
Bombers- air crafts Boomers- ballistic missile submarine ICBM- Intercontinental ballistic missile
Bomb shelters
Super-powers compete the propaganda war for Technological Supremacy October 1957 the Soviets launched Sputnik the world s first artificial satellite, into space Congress responds by creating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) an agency to conduct space research.
President Eisenhower used the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to conduct covert operations- carry out secret spy operations against foreign enemies of the United States.
1953,Mosaddeq, popularly voted into office wanted to nationalize Iranian oil Nationalize- transfer from private to state ownership or control Mosaddeq popular with the people however the US and GB do not like his communist ideas and fear him remaining in power US work with the Shah- he is pro West however not popular among Mosddeq supporters- to overthrow Mosaddeq- unsuccessful. Shah leaves the country ( sick ) CIA arrested Mosaddeq- 3 years prison then died under house arrest 1978, Shah is overthrown by Muslim extremists that kidnapped U.S. hostages until 1981 (Argo)
1956 Israeli, French, & British fearful that Nassar (Egyptian leader) will Nationalize the Canal, capture the canal Nassar wanted to nationalize the canal for a while- bring money to his own country Nassar turns to the Soviets for help USSR threatens to bomb the area US responds with threatening to put sanctions on France and GB if they do not remove their men France and GB follow suit, Israel follows later
Proposals: Tax cuts to stimulate economy Programs to help the poor Better civil rights Expand military Expand space program Foreign Policy: Maintain strong military Increase supply of nukes Gave money to Africa, Asia, Latin America to fight communism New Frontier - work for freedom and justice around the world. Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country Faces 3 Cold War conflicts Cuban Missile Crisis Bay of Pigs Berlin Wall
Fidel Castro became dictator of Cuba- 1959 Turned Cuba communist Became allies with Soviet Union Cuba is only 90 miles from the US The U.S. became worried as Cuba received increased amounts of aid from the Soviet Union.
UNITED STATES PRESIDENT JOHN F KENNEDY USSR COMMUNIST LEADER NIKITA KHRUSHCHEV
Purpose- overthrow Castro 1,500 CIA trained Cuban exiles Wade ashore at the Bay of Pigs Invasion was a disaster Cubans did not rise up in support of exiles Castro personally led defense of island 300 killed, the rest captured JFK accepted full blame- after all he approved the invasion Some lost confidence in JFK
To keep people from leaving communist East Berlin, the Soviet Union built the Berlin Wall A cement & barbed-wire wall that separated East from West Berlin. Kennedy sent U.S. troops to West Berlin to guard against a Soviet attack. He was not willing to go to war with the Soviet Union over the border closing.
The Soviet Union began to build missile bases in Cuba, worrying Americans that we were vulnerable to attack. United States discovers the Soviets putting nuclear missiles in Cuba Kennedy demands the Soviets remove the missiles U.S. Navy then surrounds Cuba to prevent Soviet ships from reaching the island Soviet Union removes the missiles & the United States agrees not to invade Cuba United States & Soviet Union sign the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty This treaty ends the testing of nuclear weapons aboveground
Kennedy and his wife were riding in a parade- open top convertible Ten miles, crowds waving Passed the Texas School Book Depository Shots fired from the 6 th floor Kennedy taken to hospital and pronounced dead within 30 minutes Lee Harvey Oswald was found two hours later Lyndon B Johnson sworn in as President Two days later, Oswald was shot and killed by Jack Ruby Warren Commission- investigate the crime. Was Oswald the only one responsible? PLENTY of conspiracy theories surround this event
Style differs greatly from JFK His new program called The Great Society
To help poor Americans, Johnson starts what he calls the War on Poverty Between 1965 and 1966, Congress passed 181 of the 200 major bills that President Johnson requested. Some members of Congress were concerned about the rapid pace of reform.
Johnson's reforms focus on improving health care Medicare helps people over 65 pay for their medical expenses Medicaid gives health insurance for people with low incomes
Russian- Yuri Gagarin- first human to fly into space US- Ham - first monkey into space May 5, 1961 NASA send the 1st American into space Alan Shepard John Glen- 1st American astronaut to orbit the earth
Apollo 11- first moon landing July 20, 1969, U.S. astronauts reach the moon Symbolic victory in the space race
After helping the US fight Japan- the US wanted to of course avoid China becoming communist Civil war breaks out between Chinese Nationalists (backed by the US) and the communist (backed by Soviet Union) Nationalists were superior until widespread corruption and a poor economy virtually destroyed the middle class- the main source of support for the Nationalists They surrendered to the Communists with little resistance. China Communist in 1949
Small country in S.E. Asia 1883 France had conquered: Vietnam Laos Cambodia France calls territory French Indochina1900- Vietnam nationalists fight for independence Led by Ho Chi Minh he who enlightens During WWII he leads fighting against the Japanese Vietminh- League for Independence for Vietnam After WWII, France still claims they own Vietnam Minh tries to make peace with France, France says no= fight
US supplies French troops; fearful of Domino Theory Domino Theory- If Vietnam fell to the Communists, then all of S.E. Asia would fall, like dominoes in a row
Vietminh trap & surround 12,000 French soldiers French suffer more than 7,000 casualties Surrender May 7, 1954
Vietnam becomes divided North- Communist- Leader Minh South- backed by US- Leader Diem 1955 President Diem delays, then rigs election and refuses to permit further elections causing civil war in the South 1961 Kennedy sends in 8,000 Advisors - claims US is responsible for stability 1963-16,000 troops fighting in Vietnam 1963 Buddhist protests
Gulf of Tonkin Two US ships report exchange in fire with North Vietnamese ships In water they shouldn t be First incident real, second totally made up Allows for LBJ (who supports the war) to pass Gulf of Tonkin Resolution authorizing President Johnson to take any measures he believed were necessary to retaliate and to promote the maintenance of international peace and security in southeast Asia Passes in the House entirely. Only two votes oppose in the Senate- both accuse LBJ of lying
Operation Rolling Thunder (March 1965) Air attacks destroy factories in North Vietnam Bomb Ho Chi Minh Trail Supply route that the Viet Cong uses to bring supplies from North to South Johnson follows policy of escalationincreased US involvement in the war Search and Destroy- search for Viet Cong and destroy them Jungle warfare was difficult, and it was hard to locate the enemy. In addition, it was very difficult to identify which South Vietnamese were our allies and which were supporting the Vietcong
Agent Orange- was the nickname given to a herbicide and defoliant used by the U.S. military in its Herbicidal Warfare program during the Vietnam War. Crop dusting in Vietnam during Operation Ranch Hand lasted from 1962 to 1971.
Tet Offensive Attack on more than 100 major South Vietnam cities Major news coverage of the offensive showed the world the atrocities committed= little public support for remaining involved in the war Turning point in the war Begins the slow withdrawal from Vietnam
1968 Pres. Johnson won t run for reelection; Nixon wins 1970s Nixon bombs Cambodia Nixon offers peace with honor Vietnamization: training & equipping the South while pulling out US troops 73 Congress passes War Powers Act, limiting the ability of the Pres. To wage war 1975 Pres. Ford withdraws from Vietnam Last Americans leave Vietnam- South falls to communist Rule the next day
End of the war: Armistice signed 1973, Last troops leave 1975
SALT- Strategic Arms Limitations Treaty- signed with Brezhnev agreeing to limit how many nuclear missiles each world power had in their arsenal. 1972 War Powers Act- Attempt by congress to limit Presidential power in declaring war. Nixon vetoed the bill saying it imposed on presidential authority, however congress voted and passed the law over his veto. 1973.
FAST FORWARD A DECADE.
Soviet Union loses control in satellite states- elections brought noncommunist leaders to the forefront Soviet Union poor economy- too much money spent on arms race Many people still escaping East Berlin Soviet leader Gorbachev has no choice in the face of revolutions to be open to West Berlin Nov 1989- East Berlin citizens allowed to leave Summer 1990- Demolition on Wall begins 1991- Demolition completed USSR formally dissolved in Dec 1991