The United Nations and Cold War Conflicts

• Study notes based on the provided text:

United Nations (UN)

• The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945 after World War II to increase political and economic cooperation among member countries.

Soviet Leaders & USSR & "Satellite Nations"

• Soviet leaders controlled the USSR and exerted influence over "Satellite Nations" in Eastern Europe.
• These Satellite Nations were countries nominally independent but politically and economically dominated by the Soviet Union.

Containment - Truman Doctrine

• Containment was a U.S. foreign policy strategy to prevent the spread of communism abroad.
• The Truman Doctrine, established in 1947, pledged U.S. support to countries resisting communist influence.

Iron Curtain - Winston Churchill Speech - Domino Theory

• The term "Iron Curtain," popularized by Winston Churchill, symbolized the ideological and physical boundary dividing Europe into communist and non-communist areas.
• The Domino Theory posited that if one country fell to communism, neighboring countries would follow.

NATO vs. Warsaw Pact

• The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was a military alliance formed in 1949 by Western nations to counter Soviet expansion.
• The Warsaw Pact was a military alliance formed in 1955 by the Soviet Union and its satellite states in response to NATO.

John Foster Dulles & Brinkmanship

• John Foster Dulles, as Secretary of State, advocated "brinkmanship," the practice of pushing dangerous events to the brink of conflict to achieve the most advantageous outcome.

Mutually Assured Destruction

• Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) is a doctrine of military strategy and national security policy in which a full-scale use of nuclear weapons by two or more opposing sides would cause the complete annihilation of both the attacker and the defender.

Marshall Plan

• The Marshall Plan was a U.S. initiative that provided economic assistance to help rebuild Western European economies after World War II.

Cold War Events

• Berlin Crisis: A series of confrontations over the status of Berlin, including the Berlin Blockade in 1948-1949.
• U2 Incident: The shooting down of an American U-2 spy plane over Soviet territory in 1960.
• Korean War: A conflict from 1950 to 1953 between North Korea (supported by China and the Soviet Union) and South Korea (supported by the United States and the United Nations).
• Fall of China: The Chinese Communist Revolution in 1949, leading to a communist government in China.

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) & "Hollywood Ten"

• The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) investigated alleged communist influence in the entertainment industry.
• The "Hollywood Ten" were a group of writers, directors, and producers who refused to answer HUAC's questions and were blacklisted.

Senator Joseph McCarthy & McCarthyism

• Senator Joseph McCarthy led a campaign against alleged communists in the U.S. government and other institutions during the early 1950s.
• McCarthyism refers to the practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence.

Election of 1960

• The 1960 presidential election was between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon.
• Televised debates played a significant role in swaying public opinion.

Earl Warren (Warren Court)

• Earl Warren served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from 1953 to 1969.
• The Warren Court issued landmark rulings that reshaped American politics and society through a more liberal interpretation of the constitution.

Supreme Court Cases

• Gideon v. Wainwright (1963): Ruled that states are required to provide legal counsel to indigent defendants in criminal cases.
• Miranda v. Arizona (1966): Established that criminal suspects must be informed of their constitutional rights, including the right to an attorney and the right to remain silent, before interrogation.

John F. Kennedy (JFK)

• JFK's "New Frontier" was a set of domestic and foreign policy proposals aimed at addressing poverty, promoting civil rights, and expanding the space program.
• The Peace Corps, established by JFK, is a volunteer program run by the United States government to provide international social and economic development assistance.

NASA

• NASA engaged in a "Race to the Moon" with the Soviet Union.
• Yuri Gagarin was a Soviet cosmonaut and the first human in space, in 1961.
• Neil Armstrong was an American astronaut and the first person to walk on the Moon, in 1969.

Sputnik/Space Race

• Sputnik was the first artificial satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957.
• The Sputnik launch initiated the Space Race, a competition between the United States and the Soviet Union for dominance in space exploration.

Kennedy Assassination

• JFK was assassinated on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas.
• Lee Harvey Oswald was identified as the assassin.

Warren Commission & Warren Report

• The Warren Commission was established to investigate the assassination of JFK.
• The Warren Report is the official report of the commission's findings.
• Conspiracy theories persist regarding the assassination.

Berlin Crisis of 1961

• Heightened tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union over the status of Berlin.
• The Berlin Wall was constructed by East Germany to prevent its citizens from fleeing to West Berlin.

Cuba Falls to Communism

• Fidel Castro led a revolution that overthrew the U.S.-backed Cuban government in 1959.
• Cuba became a communist state allied with the Soviet Union.

Bay of Pigs

• The Bay of Pigs invasion was a failed CIA-sponsored attempt to overthrow Castro's government in 1961.

Cuban Missile Crisis

• The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 was a thirteen-day confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union over the presence of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba.
• Nikita Khrushchev was the Soviet leader during the crisis.

U2 Incident (1960)

• Involved the shooting down of an American U-2 spy plane over Soviet territory, increasing Cold War tensions.

Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ)

• LBJ's "Great Society" was a set of domestic programs aimed at reducing poverty, combating racial injustice, and improving education and healthcare.
• LBJ also declared a "War on Poverty" to address economic inequality.
• Escalated U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

War on Poverty Programs

• Economic Opportunity Act: Created programs like Job Corps and VISTA to combat poverty.
• Job Corps: A program offering education and job training to disadvantaged youth.
• VISTA: Volunteers in Service to America, a domestic version of the Peace Corps.

Medicare Act (1965) - Medicaid

• Medicare provides health insurance for the elderly and disabled.
• Medicaid provides health insurance for low-income individuals and families.

Elementary & Secondary Education Act

• Head Start Programs: Early childhood education programs for low-income children.

Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD)

• A federal agency responsible for addressing housing needs, promoting community development, and enforcing fair housing laws.

Election of 1964

• Landslide victory for Lyndon B. Johnson over Barry Goldwater.
• "Daisy commercial" was a controversial ad used by Johnson's campaign.

French Rule in Vietnam

• France colonized Vietnam in the 19th century.
• Battle of Dien Bien Phu (1954): A decisive victory for Vietnamese forces against the French, leading to French withdrawal.
• Geneva Accords (1954): Divided Vietnam into North and South along the 17th parallel.

Domino Theory

• The domino theory suggested that if one country in Southeast Asia fell to communism, others would follow.

Ho Chi Minh & Ngo Dinh Diem

• Ho Chi Minh was the communist leader of North Vietnam.
• Ngo Dinh Diem was the leader of South Vietnam, supported by the United States.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964)

• Gave President Johnson broad authority to escalate U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

Search & Destroy Missions

• Military tactics used in Vietnam; involved inserting ground forces into hostile territory, searching out the enemy, destroying them, and withdrawing immediately afterward.

Napalm & Agent Orange

• Napalm: A highly flammable jelly-like substance used in bombs.
• Agent Orange: A defoliant chemical used to clear vegetation, in order to expose enemy hideouts.
• Ho Chi Minh Trail: A network of trails used by North Vietnam to supply its troops and resources to South Vietnam.

William Westmoreland

• U.S. Commanding General in Vietnam.

Draft & Lottery System

• The draft was used to conscript young men into military service.
• A lottery system was introduced to make the draft more equitable.

"Hawks" vs. "Doves"

• "Hawks" supported the Vietnam War.
• "Doves" opposed the war and advocated for peace.

Tet Offensive (1968)

• A series of surprise attacks by North Vietnamese forces during the Tet holiday.
• It significantly impacted public opinion in the United States and led to increased anti-war sentiment.

1968 Election

• Richard Nixon (R) won the election.
• Other candidates included Hubert Humphrey, Eugene McCarthy, and Robert Kennedy.

Silent Majority

• Nixon appealed to the "silent majority," Americans who he believed did not express their opinions publicly.

Vietnamization (1969)

• Nixon's policy of gradually withdrawing U.S. troops from Vietnam and transferring responsibility for the war to the South Vietnamese government.

My Lai Massacre (1968)

• The mass killing of unarmed Vietnamese civilians by U.S. soldiers.
• Lt. William Calley was convicted for his role in the massacre.

Kent State University & Jackson State University

• Anti-war protests at Kent State University and Jackson State University resulted in the deaths of students.

Pentagon Papers (1971)

• Daniel Ellsberg leaked classified documents about the Vietnam War to the press.
• The Pentagon Papers revealed that the government had misled the public about the war.

War Powers Act (1973)

• Limited the powers of the President to commit troops to foreign conflicts without Congressional approval.

Counterculture Movement

• Timothy Leary: Advocate of psychedelic drugs.
• Haight-Ashbury: A neighborhood in San Francisco known for its association with the counterculture.
• Woodstock: A music festival that symbolized the counterculture movement.

Protest Songs

• Became a tool to voice against the war and social injustice.

Essential Questions

• The below are possible answers to the questions

Which program from the New Frontier, Great Society, or War on Poverty had the greatest impact on American society? Explain.

• Possible answer - Medicare had the greatest impact by guaranteeing health insurance for the elderly and transforming healthcare access in the U.S.

How did the decisions of the Warren Court affect American society? Be sure to mention (2) Supreme Court cases/decisions in your response.

- Possible answer - The Warren Court significantly reshaped American society by expanding civil rights and liberties.
- Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) ensured legal representation for all, while Miranda v. Arizona (1966) protected the rights of the accused during police interrogations.

Which Cold War event of the 1960's created the biggest challenge to the United States? Why? Explain. (Berlin Wall, Cuban Missile Crisis, or Vietnam War)

- Possible answer - The Cuban Missile Crisis created the biggest challenge to the United States because it brought the world to the brink of nuclear war.

How did the Vietnam War lead to the rise of the counterculture movement? Explain.

- Possible answer - The Vietnam War led to the rise of the counterculture movement by fueling disillusionment with the government, promoting anti-establishment views, and inspiring a generation to question authority and societal norms.