The Cold War

The Korean War In 1950, both the Soviet Union and United States agreed to pull out of Korea The Soviets had trained North Korean communists to attack South Korea when U.S. troops were gone In 1950, they launched a massive assault on South Korea, forcing U.S. troops, led by Douglas McArthur to come back The U.S. drove the North Koreans back to the border of China China launched a counter strike which drove the Americans back to the dividing line between North and South Korea

The Korean War In 1953, both sides called for a cease-fire The cease-fire is still in place today and is the reason why there are still 2 Koreas

Impact at Home Americans were horrified when American nuclear secrets leaked to the Soviet Union –Alger Hiss –Julius and Ethel Rosenberg McCarthyism- Senator Joe McCarthy accused many people of having communist sympathies Sputnik

Alger Hiss

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

Joe McCarthy

Sputnik

John F. Kennedy Kennedy defeats Nixon –Inaugural speech: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” “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.” Berlin Crisis

John F. Kennedy Bay of Pigs- Fidel Castro –Fidel Castro led a communist revolution that took over Cuba in the 1950’s –Cubans fled to Florida and later attempted to invade Cuba and overthrow Castro. With support from US. U.S. never sent troops.

John F. Kennedy Cuban Missile Crisis- –1962 Soviets stationed missiles in Cuba –Monroe Doctrine used to block incoming Soviet missiles to Cuba –Blockade of Cuba  Our ships pointing missiles –Kennedy ordered the Soviets to remove their missiles and for several days the world was on the brink of war Kennedy assassinated in Dallas, Texas –Shook nations confidence

John F. Kennedy

Che Guevara and Fidel Castro

JFK in Dallas

The Vietnam War By the mid 1960s, many Americans feared Communism would take over the world From 1949 to 1959, Americans watched as communism spread to China, North Korea and Cuba In keeping with the policy of “containment” the U.S. will attempt to stop communism from spreading to South Vietnam

The Vietnam War South Vietnam, supported by democratic France after World War II, faced constant attacks from he North Vietnamese communists After Kennedy’s death in 1963, Lyndon Johnson will increase the number of troops in Vietnam For the next 9 years, the United Sates will continually defeat the North Vietnamese, but fail to end the war

The Vietnam War Failure to bring a quick end to the war divided Americans, and in 1968, the anti- war movement grew larger –Americans were bitterly divided –Active opposition especially on college campuses In 1968, Lyndon Johnson decided not to run for president again

Suspected Viet Cong Executed

Peace Activists

The Vietnam War In 1968, Richard Nixon won the presidency –Vietnamization- the gradual withdrawal of American troops from Vietnam By 1974, virtually all U.S. troops were out of Vietnam Many troops were not welcomed at home, and often faced hostility from anti-war activists In 1975, South Vietnam fell to North Vietnam ( Soviet supplied). Today, Vietnam is united under communism

Richard Nixon

The Cold War In 1975, Richard Nixon resigned as president –Watergate Scandal In 1981, Ronald Reagan is elected president Reagan’s plan was to force the Soviet Union into spending to keep up with the U.S. –“Star Wars” By 1985 the Soviet Union faced economic collapse –Glasnost- openness –Perestroika- economic restructuring In 1989, the Berlin Wall came down, and for the next year, the Eastern Europe voted out the communist parties

Ronald Reagan

Berliners Gather on the Berlin Wall

Results of the Cold War Although no war was never declared between the U.S. and U.S.S.R., the conflict caused thousands of lives and billions of dollars Eastern Europe and Russia still suffer from economic hardship although they are no longer communist