Mao, Collectivization, Great Leap Forward & Red Scare

• Mao Zedong led the Chinese Communist Party to victory in 1949 and ruled China until 1976.

Collectivization and its Impact

• Collectivization was the forced pooling of land and labor in China to increase agricultural productivity.

The Great Leap Forward

• The Great Leap Forward (1958-1962) aimed to quickly modernize China's industry and agriculture.
• It used collectivized farming and backyard steel production.
• The Great Leap Forward resulted in widespread famine and millions of deaths.

The Cultural Revolution

• The Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) was Mao's campaign to remove capitalist and traditional influences.
• It involved Red Guards attacking intellectuals and shutting down schools.
• Perceived enemies of Mao were imprisoned during this time.

Red Scare

• The Red Scare was a fear of communist influence in Western democracies, especially the U.S.

Containment

• Containment was the U.S. policy to prevent the spread of communism by supporting non-communist nations.

Domino Theory

• The Domino Theory was the belief that if one country fell to communism, neighboring countries would follow.
• It was used to justify U.S. intervention in Vietnam.

Key Figures in Korea

• Kim Il Sung was the communist leader of North Korea, supported by the Soviet Union.
• Syngman Rhee was the first leader of South Korea, backed by the United States.

Dividing Lines

• The 38th parallel divided North and South Korea.
• The 17th parallel divided North and South Vietnam after the Geneva Accords.

Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)

• The DMZ is the heavily guarded border between North and South Korea.

Berlin Wall

• The Berlin Wall separated East and West Berlin.
• It symbolized the division between communism and democracy and fell in 1989.

Key Figures in Vietnam

• Ho Chi Minh was the communist leader of North Vietnam who fought the French and later the U.S.-backed South Vietnamese government.
• Ngo Dinh Diem was the U.S.-backed leader of South Vietnam.
• He was overthrown and assassinated in 1963.

Dien Bien Phu

• At Dien Bien Phu in 1954, the Vietnamese defeated the French, leading to their withdrawal from Vietnam.

Viet Cong

• The Viet Cong were communist guerrilla fighters in South Vietnam who opposed the U.S.-backed government.

Tet Offensive

• The Tet Offensive was a massive 1968 Viet Cong and North Vietnamese attack on South Vietnam.
• It weakened U.S. public support for the war.

Cambodia

• Pol Pot was the leader of the Khmer Rouge, responsible for the Cambodian genocide.
• The Khmer Rouge was a communist group that took over Cambodia in 1975 and carried out mass killings under Pol Pot.

Afghanistan

• Mujahedin were Muslim warriors in Afghanistan who fought against the Soviet invasion, supported by the U.S.

Gorbachev's Reforms

• Mikhail Gorbachev was the leader of the Soviet Union (1985-1991).
• Gorbachev implemented reforms like glasnost and perestroika.
• Glasnost (openness) and Perestroika (economic restructuring) were Gorbachev’s reforms to modernize the USSR.

Poland

• Lech Walesa was the Polish leader of the Solidarity movement and later became president of Poland.
• Solidarity was a labor movement in Poland that opposed communist rule and helped lead to its downfall.

Other Key Figures

• Václav Havel was the leader of the Czech opposition to communism and was later elected president.
• Nicolae Ceaușescu was a Romanian dictator overthrown and executed in 1989.

Superpowers

• The United States and Soviet Union were the two dominant global powers during the Cold War.

Nuclear Arms Race

• The nuclear arms race had The U.S. and USSR stock enough weapons to destroy the world multiple times.
• The nuclear arms race created a constant threat of nuclear war.

Reason for Building the Berlin Wall

• The Berlin Wall was built to stop East Germans from fleeing to West Berlin.

How Mao Gained Support

• Mao gained support by redistributing land to peasants.
• He also fought corruption in the Nationalist government.

Events of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution

• The Great Leap Forward aimed at rapid modernization but led to famine.
• The Cultural Revolution sought to remove capitalist influences through violent purges.

Defeated Chinese Nationalists

• The defeated Chinese Nationalists fled to Taiwan and established a separate government.

China's Involvement in the Korean War

• China entered the Korean War in 1950 to support North Korea.
• China wanted to stop U.S. forces from reaching the Chinese border.

Economies in North and South Korea

• North Korea has a command economy focused on the military.
• South Korea has a capitalist economy.

Significance of the 17th and 38th Parallels

• These divided Vietnam and Korea into communist and non-communist regions.

Vietnamese Guerrillas

• Vietnamese guerrillas fought the French in Indochina to gain independence from colonial rule.

Gulf of Tonkin

• In 1964, North Vietnamese forces allegedly attacked a U.S. naval ship in the Gulf of Tonkin.
• The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution gave President Lyndon Johnson broad powers to escalate U.S. military involvement in Vietnam.

Viet Cong Advantage

• Knowledge of the jungle terrain allowed them to ambush U.S. forces.
• They blended in with civilians, making it hard to distinguish enemy fighters.
• They utilized booby traps and guerrilla tactics effectively against U.S. soldiers.

Problems with Diem's Government

• Ngo Dinh Diem was unpopular among many South Vietnamese.
• He was accused of corruption and persecuting Buddhists, leading to protests.
• His oppressive rule led to growing support for the Viet Cong.

Significance of the Tet Offensive

• Surprise attack by the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese in 1968.
• U.S. and South Vietnam repelled the attack, it shocked the American public.
• Public opinion turned against the war and Americans questioned victory.

Why the U.S. Attacked Cambodia

• The Ho Chi Minh Trail, used by the North Vietnamese to transport supplies, passed through Cambodia.
• The U.S. bombed Cambodia to disrupt these supply lines, despite not officially being at war with the country.

Soviet Economic Problems

• The Soviet economy prioritized military spending over consumer goods, leading to shortages.
• Collectivized farming was inefficient, forcing the USSR to import grain.
• The command economy discouraged innovation and lacked incentives.

Soviet Involvement in Afghanistan and U.S. Response

• The USSR invaded Afghanistan in 1979 to support a communist government facing a rebellion.
• The U.S. backed Mujahedin fighters, supplying them with weapons, including Stinger missiles.
• The war drained Soviet resources, weakening their economy.

Results of Gorbachev’s Glasnost & Perestroika

• Glasnost (openness) led to increased freedom of speech but also exposed government failures.
• Perestroika (restructuring) attempted to reform the economy but led to high inflation and unrest.
• These reforms weakened the Soviet Union, contributing to its collapse.

East German Response to Gorbachev

• East German leaders resisted reforms, but protests grew.
• In 1989, the Berlin Wall fell, signaling the collapse of communist rule in East Germany.

Eastern European Countries

• Many countries staged revolutions and gained independence in 1989-1991.
• Poland’s Solidarity movement, led by Lech Walesa, helped overthrow communist rule.
• Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution led to democratic reforms.
• Romania’s dictator, Nicolae Ceaușescu, was overthrown and executed.

Views on America's Power After Communism

• Some saw the U.S. as the world’s peacekeeper, supporting democracy.
• Others feared the U.S. would become too involved in global conflicts and act as the "world’s policeman."