Cold War, Part II

Escalation of the Cold War (1949) NATO is created China has a Civil War and Mao wins and China becomes Communist Soviet Union begins matching the United States in nuclear weaponry

Chinese Civil War  Communists won the Chinese Civil War, which led to panic in America, due to fear of communism taking over the world. (China is the 3 rd largest country in the world and right next to the Soviet Union.)  Rather than strong allies, the communist nations of China and the Soviet Union eventually became rivals for territory and diplomatic influence.  American foreign policy under President Nixon in the 1970s exploited this split.

Massive Retaliation The use of atomic bombs in Japan by the United States led the Soviet Union to develop their own atomic bomb. In 1949, the Soviet Union successfully exploded its first atomic bomb. An arms race began - who could develop more weapons, who could create the most powerful weapon?

The Nuclear Option The United States tested the first hydrogen bomb in November 1952 (first Soviet bomb was August 1953).

Massive Retaliation Massive retaliation-if one side was attacked, the other would respond with just as much power or more. ‒ Eisenhower believed that this policy prevented the Soviet Union from using their nuclear weapons. The fear of nuclear war was constant in American lives for the next 30 years. Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) President Eisenhower

The Korean War is a reflection of the foreign policy of containment of communism Communist North Korea invaded South Korea American military (UN) forces led a counterattack that drove deep into North Korea itself. Communist Chinese forces came into the war on the side of North Korea and the war threatened to widen. The war ended in a stalemate with South Korea free of communist occupation. The Korean War ( )

The Korean War is a reflection of the foreign policy of containment of communism June 1950: Communist North Korea invaded South Korea Sept. 1950: Soviet forces aided North Korea and invaded South Korea. South Koreans held them off at the Pusan Perimeter. Nov. 1950: American military (UN) forces led a counterattack that drove deep into North Korea itself. July 1953: Communist Chinese forces came into the war on the side of North Korea and the war threatened to widen. The war ended in a stalemate with South Korea free of communist occupation. The Korean War ( )

The Korean War

 Combat ended in July  Communism had been contained, but the country was still split.  54,000 Americans died A cease fire was signed in July 1951, which divided the country and established a demilitarized zone (DMZ). Countries are split at approximately the 38 th parallel (approximately same location as it started)

The Election of 1960  Vice President Richard Nixon ran for president against Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy in  Kennedy won a narrow election and became the nation’s first Catholic president.

President John F. Kennedy  In President John Kennedy’s inaugural address, he pledged that the United States would “pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”  In the same address, he also said, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”

The Race to Space In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the world’s first satellite. After Sputnik, many Americans were convinced that the Soviet Union had caught and surpassed the United States technologically and blamed public schools and weak math and science programs. In April 1961, Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space.

The Race to Space President Kennedy made it America’s goal to put a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s. – July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon.  “That’s one small step for a man; one giant leap for mankind.” – Neil Armstrong

Origins of the Vietnam War  France ruled Indo-China since the 1880s.  Japanese invaded and held Vietnam through World War II.  The French reestablished control after the war, but Ho Chi Minh demanded independence.  French abandoned Vietnam after losing major battle at Dien Bien Phu.

Origins of the Vietnam War  The United States helped reorganize Vietnam through the Geneva Convention because of the Domino Theory-if one area fell to communism, those around it would follow.  Geneva Accords:  Vietnam divided at 17 th parallel-Communist North, Non-Communist South.  Both agreed to have elections and reunite country.  Southern government refused to hold elections and communist North attacked.

Origins of the Vietnam War  North Vietnam tried to forcefully install a communist government in South Vietnam. The United States tried to help South Vietnam resist.  President Kennedy expanded the military advisors to 15,500 military personnel.  President Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas.  When Kennedy was assassinated it shook the nation’s confidence and began a period of internal strife and divisiveness, especially over war in Vietnam.

Kennedy’s Cuban Crisis  Cuba was also a site of Cold War confrontations.  Fidel Castro led a communist revolution that took over Cuba in the late 1950s.  Castro:  Took away American sugar plantations and oil refineries  Relied heavily on aid from the Soviet Union  Took away the rights of those what opposed him politically

The Bay of Pigs (1961)  In March 1960, the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) began training Cuban exiles for an invasion of Cuba launched at the Bay of Pigs.  The plan was to invade and start a massive uprising that would lead to the overthrow of Castro.  The invasion was a FAILURE and the Cuban people did not rise up.  Invasion was crushed by Castro’s forces in two days and was an embarrassment for the new president and victory for Castro.

The Berlin Wall Goes Up (1961)

The Cuban Missile Crisis  In 1962, the Soviet Union stationed missiles in Cuba, instigating the Cuban Missile Crisis.  President Kennedy blockaded Cuba and ordered the Soviets to remove their missiles and for several days the world was on the brink of nuclear war.  Eventually the Soviet leadership “blinked” and removed their missiles, in return for the U.S. removing missiles from Turkey.

Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

The Cuban Missile Crisis Kennedy warned the American public on October 22 and asserted that any attack on the United States would result in all-out war on the Soviet Union. This was the closest the U.S. has ever come to nuclear war One of the scariest moments in U.S. history