The Cold War - PDF

The Cold War What were its causes and key events? The Cold War was a competition and conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union that lasted from 1945-1991 What were the causes of the Cold War? Differences in 4 Key Areas:...

The Cold War What were its causes and key events? The Cold War was a competition and conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union that lasted from 1945-1991 What were the causes of the Cold War? Differences in 4 Key Areas: B A R E Differences in Beliefs The US’s society was based on The Soviet society was based on Capitalism, a system based on Communism, a system based on Private ownership of Government ownership of property and businesses businesses and property Free markets/limited government involvement in Government control of the economy political party and press Democracy (for most, not Limited freedom all) Values: Opportunity, Values: Equality, collectivism Individualism Aims US Soviets Encourage the growth of Control eastern Europe democracy Encourage the growth of Gain access to European communism markets Rebuild the USSR Rebuild Germany and Europe Keep Germany divided Resentment The Soviets resented the U.S. because…. The U.S. took so long to fight the The US resented the SU Nazis while the Soviets lost over because…. 20 million people in WW2 The Soviets occupied Eastern Europe after WWII The U.S. intervened in a civil The Soviets limited access to markets and war during the Russian freedom Revolution The Soviets signed a peace treaty with Hitler and divided up Poland Events The Soviets detonated an atomic bomb in 1949 China, the most populous country, became communist in 1949 Mao Zedong led the Chinese Revolution Both of these events In 1949 heightened fear in the US of the threat of communism Crisis in Berlin Berlin was the capital city of Germany It was divided into 3 sections: The US and its allies wanted to unite and rebuild West Berlin The Soviets saw this as a threat and started to block food and fuel shipments to West Berlin and its 2 million people If you were president, what would you do? 1. Nothing 5. Other? 2. Attack the Soviets in East Berlin with ground forces (soldiers) and by air 3. Threaten to use a nuclear weapon vs. the Soviets 4. Negotiate  The Berlin Airlift The U.S. organized an airlift to bring supplies to the people of West Berlin US planes flew round the clock missions dropping fuel, food, and vital supplies Over 2 million people were saved by this campaign More Communist threats in 1949 The Soviets detonate an Mao Zedong leads a atomic bomb revolution; China becomes Communist Domino Theory The idea that when one country becomes communist, other countries will follow Many US leaders embraced this theory during the Cold War Containment U.S. adopts a strategy of trying to contain Soviet expansion Pres. Truman announces that U.S. will support governments under attack by armed minorities Known as the Truman Doctrine U.S. provides Military aid to Greece and Turkey; both countries faced armed communist rebels The Korean War Communist North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950 The US feared the Domino Theory The U.S. sent soldiers to defend South Korea The war became a stalemate; the American forces contained the North Korean forces Berlin Wall The Soviets built a wall in Berlin in 1961 to separate West Berlin (democratic and capitalist) from East Berlin (Communist) The Soviets wanted to prevent people from fleeing from E Berlin to West Berlin. You could be shot if you were caught crossing from E Berlin to West Berlin!  Cuban Missile Crisis The Soviets began installing nuclear missiles in Cuba in 1962 To stop the Soviets, President Kennedy set up a naval blockade around the island of Cuba and negotiated with Soviet premier Nikita Kruschev. The conflict was resolved after Pres. Kennedy promised not to invade Cuba and the Soviets agreed to take the missiles out of Cuba.  The Vietnam War/Background: Vietnam has been occupied by foreigner invaders many times. It was colonized by France in the 1800s. During World War II, Vietnam was occupied by Japan. A group called the Vietminh fought against the Japanese occupation; they were led by Ho Chi Minh. HCM was both a nationalist and a communist. He supported communism b/c it opposed European colonization. France tries to reoccupy Vietnam; Vietmihn resist After World II, the French returned to claim power. Ho Chi Minh reached out to the U.S. for help; wanted the U.S. to talk France out of re-occupying Vietnam. The U.S. ignored HCM and aided France HCM and the Vietmihn fought a war of independence against France and defeated the French Ho Chi Minh and the Vietminh were seen as national heroes The Geneva Conference/Accords A peace conference was held at the end of the French-Vietminh War: 1. Vietnam would be temporarily divided 2. Elections would be held in two years to unify the country BUT…. (An election was never held because Ngo Diem, the leader of S. Vietnam believed he would lose to Ho Chi Minh, the leader of the Vietnamese independence movement) The RIse and Fall of Diem Ngo Diem was selected by the US to be the leader of South Vietnam He had lived in the US and was Catholic in a country where the main religion was Buddhism. The U.S. hoped that Diem would govern democratically and not allow Ho Chi Minh and North Vietnam to take over South Vietnam Strategic Hamlet Program One way that Diem alienated (angered) the Vietnamese people was something called the Strategic Hamlet program. To avoid contact with the Vietcong, the Diem government forced thousands of people to move from their home villages to new, more modern villages known as agrovilles. The Agrovilles were more modern, but were surrounded by barbed wire; many villagers resented being forced off of their land, where their ancestors were buried. Diem was a corrupt and brutal leader; he did not tolerate criticism, cracked down on religious freedom, and alienated many Vietnamese. Many people in South Vietnam became alienated by his leadership. Diem cracked down and limited the freedom of Buddhist monks; this led to protests One monk even lit himself on fire and sacrificed his life to show his opposition to Diem Eventually, Diem was killed by his own military US Leaders John F Kennedy (1961-1963): sends in military advisors to support the South Vietnamese Army Lyndon Johnson (1963-1968): Escalates the war by sending in U.S. soldiers and bombing South and North Vietnam RIchard Nixon (1969-1973): Reduces U.S troops, encourages S. Vietnamese army to fight VC; bombs Cambodia (Vietnamization) Tonkin Gulf Incident and Resolution The U.S. began doing raids in North Vietnam launched from U.S. ships On August 2, 1964, a North Vietnamese ship fired on a U.S. ship. The U.S. called this an act of aggression On August 4, 1964, U.S. ships initially believed they had been attacked again by NV ships; however, this attack never happened Tonkin Gulf Resolution President Johnson used these attacks as an excuse to escalate the war He did not want to be the first president to lose a war vs. communism Congress passed a resolution giving Pres. Johnson unlimited power to send in U.S. soldiers and increase bombing of S and N Vietnam Only one Congress member voted against the President Lyndon Johnson signing the Tonkin Tonkin Gulf Resolution Gulf Resolution Post-Diem Period: Escalation President Lyndon Johnson increased the U.S. military presence in Vietnam after Diem was killed. By 1968, there were over 500,000 US soldiers fighting against the Vietcong in Vietnam. US Strategy: War of Attrition The U.S.’s strategy in Vietnam was to create a “killing machine” that would defeat the VietCong rebels and the North Vietnamese army U.S. would send in massive number of soldiers and bomb the VC/NV forces until they surrendered. The U.S. used this strategy, known as a war of attrition, in World War II and it worked against Nazi and Japanese armies. However, it didn’t work in Vietnam US Bombing The U.S. dropped many bombs on South Vietnamese villages suspected of being Vietcong. These included the use of napalm, a jelly like substance that burns the skin. Agent Orange. A herbicide that was supposed to destroy the foliage to expose the VIetcong’s supply lines; it led to very harmful health effects such as brain damage and birth deformities for Vietnamese and U.S. soldiers Why US. Bombing was ineffective See Why the U.S. Lost the Air War The Hanoi Hilton This was a prison where U.S. prisoners of war were held The conditions were extremely harsh and brutal Some prisoners were held for up to seven years! Read an excerpt from In the Presence of Mine Enemies to learn more about the conditions that U.S. soldiers endured  Tet Offensive The Vietcong launched surprise attacks on all cities in South Vietnam. It was a military victory for the US. and South Vietnamese army, but it was a political defeat. People in the U.S. began to lose trust in their government and this led to more protests against the war. President Johnson lost support and decided not to run for reelection. The War At Home Protests against the war intensified after the Tet Offensive: Students opposed the draft (requiring all young people to serve in the war) Dr. King opposed the war because it was killing too many poor soldiers and Vietnamese civilians Others believed that the U.S. was spending too much money and resources on Vietnam  Vietnamization President Richard Nixon started a new policy: US soldiers would train the S. Vietnamese army and let them do more of the fighting against the Vietcong. Nixon ordered thousands of U.S. soldiers to return to the U.S. This policy was known as Vietnamization The War Expands to Cambodia President Nixon ordered US troops into Cambodia (the country next door to Vietnam) to cut off supplies to the Vietcong Many Americans were outraged (angry) that Pres. Nixon had expanded the war when he had said he would bring the war to an end. Protests exploded across the US., especially on college campuses. At Kent State university, a protest turned deadly and four students were killed by the Naitonal Guard. The End of the War The U.S. bombed North Vietnam and negotiated with its government The U.S. removed its troops from Vietnam in 1973 Two years later, the Vietcong and North Vietnamese took over South Vietnam. The remaining U.S. officials tried to help thousands of people in South Vietnam who had worked with the U.S. and were afraid they would killed by the Vietcong Many people who fled Vietnam came to the U.S and settled in California.