World History Unit 15: The Cold War (1945­1991) NC Essential Standard 7: Conflict and World Wars I. End of WWII A. Yalta Conference ­ met to divide Germany into 4 occupation zones 1. West – 3 zones run by France, Great Britain, US (promoted democracy) 2. East – controlled by the USSR (promoted communism) B. Potsdam Conference 1. post­war arrangements in Europe 2. redistribution of land in Germany and Poland C. United Nations (replaced the League of Nations) 1. international peacekeeping organization; negotiate peace to avoid war 2. General Assembly – representative from all member nations 3. UN Security Council – 5 permanent members – US, USSR, Great Britain, France, China 4. The creation of Israel (Jews were homeless and misplaced following the Holocaust) a. Jews were refugees after WWII; went to Biblical homeland in Palestine b. UN Resolution – create 2 states 1. Israel – Jewish state; US supports 2. Palestine – Arabic state; USSR supports c. effect – area is a religious homeland to both and has created ongoing conflict II. Cold War A. competition between the US and USSR; tension that might lead to war between the end of WWII in 1945 and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1991 1. no fighting or declaration of war between the US and USSR 2. tension and military conflicts around the world B. Superpowers 1. United States a. democracy – government by the people b. containment – to keep communism from spreading c. NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organization (1949) 1. association of peacekeeping democratic countries 2. led by the US d. SEATO – Southeast Asia Treaty Organization) ­ Asian version of NATO e. OAS – Organization of American States (the US invested money in Latin American businesses to suppress communist influence) f. US policy was to aid any nation fighting against communism 1. Harry S. Truman – invest money to rebuild Europe 2. Dwight D. Eisenhower – use force if necessary 2. Soviet Union (USSR) a. communism – government control of property; a classless society b. satellite nation – countries under Soviet control c. Warsaw Pact – alliance of communist nations formed as a result of NATO C. Iron Curtain 1. phrase by Churchill of Great Britain 2. imaginary division in Europe between democratic (west) and communist (east) nations III. Arms Race – a struggle to gain weapons superiority; build nuclear weapons A. Atomic Bomb 1. used by US in WWII 2. USSR develops an A bomb B. Hydrogen Bomb 1. US makes a bomb 1000 times more powerful than A bomb 2. USSR develops an H bomb 3. France, Great Britain, and China all had H Bombs by 1964 C. ICBMs (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles) 1. developed by the USSR 2. long­range rockets D. Deterrence – the US military becomes so strong that no one wants to attack us for fear of retaliation E. Brinkmanship – Sec. of State Dulles 1. getting to the verge of war without actually going to war 2. risk war to protect national interests IV. Space Race – competition to gain the upper hand in space travel and technology A. Sputnik – the first satellite to orbit Earth; launched by the USSR ­ the US later launches Explorer I B. Yuri Gagarin – the first human in space, a Soviet – the US later sends Alan Shepherd in space C. John Glenn – the first American to orbit the earth D. Neil Armstrong – the first man to walk on the moon E. NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) – US government space program V. Germany A. West – Federal Republic of Germany – US, Great Britain, France (democratic) B. East – German Democratic Republic – USSR (communist) C. Berlin (capital) – also divided because located in the communist side of Germany 1. West – US, Great Britain, France (democratic) 2. East – USSR (communist) 3. Berlin Wall built by the USSR between the two sides of the city as a symbol of division 4. Berlin Airlift a. USSR cut off transportation routes into West Berlin b. US flew planes dropping 13,000 tons of supplies over West Berlin VI. China A. The Republic of China 1. led by Chiang Kai­shek 2. nationalists (democratic) – supported by the US 3. fled to the island of Taiwan (formally Formosa) to escape communists B. The People’s Republic of China 1. led by Mao Zedong 2. communist – supported by the USSR; established control in China 3. the capital Peking became Beijing VII. Korea (The Korean War: 1950­1953) A. North – communist; supported by China and USSR B. South ­ non­communist; supported by US and UN (forces led by US General Douglas MacArthur) C. 38th parallel – division between north and south ­ both sides pushed each other back and forth across the DMZ (demilitarized zone), taking and losing territory D. Outcome ­ war ends in stalemate – no winner; Korea remains divided at the 38th parallel E. Effect – the US upheld the policy of containment (stop the spread of communism) VIII. Cuba A. Bay of Pigs, Cuba (1961) 1. Fidel Castro overthrows Fulgencio Batista and establishes communism 2. US plans to overthrow Castro and the CIA trains anti­Castro refugees 3. refugees invade Cuba at Bay of Pigs but are defeated by Cuban forces 4. JFK vetoed US involvement; US air and naval support never arrive to help refugees B. Cuban Missile Crisis (13 days in October of 1962) 1. USSR gave weapons to Cuba (missiles aimed at US) 2. U­2 spy plane spots missile launches in Cuba 3. JFK orders naval blockade of Cuba to stop Soviet deliveries 4. JFK demands missiles removed from Cuba 5. Soviets arm missiles and US B­52 bombers are ready ­ TENSION, BRINK OF WAR 6. Soviets sail to Cuba, but turn from blockade and retreat to USSR 7. Khrushchev dismantles missiles; US promises to stay out of Cuba and remove missiles in foreign cities IX. Vietnam (The Vietnam War: 1954­1975) A. Geneva Accords 1. settle issue of French control in Vietnam (France had previously owned Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, all known as French Indochina, but lost control) 2. 17th Parallel – the division established between North and South Vietnam a. North Vietnam 1. Communist 2. Capital – Hanoi 3. Leader – Ho Chi Minh; “He Who Enlightens” 4. Vietminh – League for the Independence of Vietnam b. South Vietnam 1. Non­Communist (US supports) 2. Capital – Saigon 3. Leader – Ngo Dinh Diem (assassinated; unpopular with US and South Vietnam) – imprisoned opponents; misused US money; tried to force Catholicism on Buddhists 4. Vietcong – National Liberation Front – guerilla fighters aided by Northern Vietminh; get supplies by Ho Chi Minh Trail B. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution – justification for declaring war 1. Background ­ North Vietnamese torpedo boats attacked US destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin; attack was used to increase support for American involvement 2. President asked Congress for the authority to “take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against forces of the US and to prevent further aggression” ­ gave the President control over what the US did in Vietnam without a declaration of war by Congress C. US Policy and Opinion 1. Domino Theory ­ fear that if one southeast Asian nation fell to communism, others would too 2. JFK – prevent the spread of communism (containment) 3. LBJ – increased US involvement to avoid losing Vietnam to communism D. Fighting 1. Vietminh/Vietcong – lacked high tech equipment of the US a. guerilla warfare – hide in swamps and jungles; sneak attacks and sabotage b. locals – hide Vietcong; participate in fighting; Who is a friend? Who is the enemy? c. punji trap – camouflaged pit full of razor­sharp stakes that are poisoned d. land mines – explosive device in the ground activated when stepped on e. grenades – triggered by concealed wires f. tunnels – method to move supplies to South Vietcong from north (Ho Chi Minh Trail through Laos and Cambodia) 2. US – General William Westmoreland – Commander of US forces a. B­52 Bombers – smash roads and bridges b. saturation bombing – planes drop tons of explosives over large areas c. fragmentation bombs – pieces of thick metal casing thrown in all directions upon explosion d. agent orange – herbicide dropped on areas of vegetation (jungle) to expose hiding places of Vietcong; harmful health effects e. napalm – jellylike substance that splattered and burned uncontrollably; stuck to bodies and burned flesh f. Operation Rolling Thunder – relentless bombing campaign for 3 years; Vietcong refused to surrender g. search and destroy missions – search for and destroy the enemy; no matter how brutal, nothing stopped the Vietcong 3. Tet Offensive (Tet – Vietnamese New Year; US suspected no attacks because of a holiday) a. Tet Offensive – major attack by Vietcong and North Vietnamese on major cities and towns and American military bases in South Vietnam b. Saigon – capital is attacked; attacks on American embassy and South Vietnamese Presidential Palace c. 3 to 5 thousand killed in the city of Hue E. US Response 1. Hawks – support the war in Vietnam; increase troops for quicker victory; extend democracy 2. Doves – oppose the war; war is morally wrong; the US should not intervene in a civil war 3. Selective Service Act – draft law 4. Conscientious Objector – one who opposes the war on moral or religious grounds 5. Deferment – official postponement of the call to serve; college students exempt from going to war 6. Draft dodgers – common ways to get out of going to war; flee to Canada; claim physical disabilities 7. Effect – 26th Amendment – lowered voting age to 18 because able to be drafted but couldn’t vote 8. University of CA at Berkely (1965) ­ students were stopped from distributing civil rights and antiwar material and argued their free speech was violated; students trap police car; raid administration building; refuse to attend class; 700 arrested 9. Kent State University, Ohio (1970) ­ violent student reaction to invasion of Cambodia; burned ROTC building on campus; National Guard uses teargas on students; shots fired on those refusing to leave; 4 students killed; some only bystanders F. The End of War in Vietnam 1. Paris Peace Talks/Accords – 1973 peace negotiations a. US withdraws all troops within 60 days b. all POWs released c. end all military activities in Laos and Cambodia d. 17th parallel is division between north and south Vietnam 2. Vietnamization (President Richard Nixon and Sec. of State Henry Kissinger) a. Nixon’s policy to remove US soldiers and replace them with South Vietnamese soldiers b. allows war to escalate in Cambodia (more troops and military involvement) 3. Pentagon Papers (revealed Nixon’s escalation of Vietnam) a. told of lies by the White House to cover actions in Vietnam b. increased American opposition to the war 4. US Withdrawal ­ US helicopters airlifted Americans and South Vietnamese to aircraft carriers as North Vietnam launched strikes against Saigon 5. Fall of Saigon a. North Vietnam surrounded the southern capital of Saigon b. last minute evacuations of the city c. Saigon falls and South Vietnam surrenders to North Vietnam d. Vietnam becomes a united communist country G. Effects of War
1. Cost – 58,000 dead, 300,000 wounded, 2,500 POWs or MIAs, $150 billion 2. Vietnam Veterans Memorial – designed by Maya Ying Lin (college student); names in order people died, long so visitors could see each name 3. War Powers Act (written as reaction to the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution) a. a President can only commit troops to a foreign war for 60 days b. Congress must declare war or troops return home c. limits presidential power to declare war