3-24-10 “The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall.”   ~Ernesto 'Che' Guevara

The Fall of Saigon

Confrontations over Developing Nations What was life like in third world countries following WWII? Newly independent, suffered poverty and political instability 2. Why was life this way? Due to the long history of imperialism, during which ethnic conflicts and lack of technology and education took place. 3. What were the two main choices of political ideologies? Soviet-style Communism and US-style free-market democracy

Confrontations over Developing Nations 4. How did the US gain influence in the Third World? Backed wars of revolution, provided military aid, built schools, set up programs to combat poverty, sent volunteers to help. 5. What advantages might being nonaligned have offered a developing nation? Control their own politics and economies; ability to accept help from either side. 6. What disadvantages might being nonaligned have offered a developing nation? Lack of economic and military support from the strong superpowers if needed.

Postwar Face-off in Latin America 7. How did the gap between rich and poor lead to conflict in Latin America? the rich were usually backed by the US and favored keeping things the same. The poor embraced the revolutionary ideas of Communism and had strong Soviet support. 8. Do you think it is hypocritical for the US to back Pinochet in Chile? Why or why not? What’s your opinion? 9. Who is the revolutionary that overthrew Batista in Cuba? Fidel Castro

Postwar Face-off in Latin America 10. List 3 positive and 3 negative changes in Cuba under Castro: Positives- improves the economy, literacy, health care, and conditions of women Negatives- suspended elections, jailed or executed his opponents, stopped the free press 11. Why did Eisenhower order a trade embargo on Cuba? Castro took over US owned sugar mills and refineries when he nationalized the economy. 12. Who did Castro turn to for assistance? The Soviet Union

Postwar Face-off in Latin America 13. What was the purpose of the Bay of Pigs invasion? A US supported attempted takeover of Cuba by anti-Castro Cuban exiles. 14. How did the Soviet Union and Cuba respond to the failed invasion? 42 missile sites were built in Cuba to protect it from further invasions. 15. What was the outcome of the Cuban Missile Crisis? The Soviets removed the missiles from Cuba, but this left Castro completely dependent on Soviet support.

Postwar Face-off in Latin America 16. How was Cuba affected by the break up of the Soviet Union in 1991? Cuba’s economy was crippled, suffers a scarcity of vital supplies. 17. Why did the US change its support from the Sandinistas to the Contras? The Sandinistas had aided the socialist rebels in El Salvador.

Confrontations in the Middle East 18. Why did the Middle East lure both Superpowers towards it? It has rich supplies of Oil 19. What are the two main factors that caused the clash in Iran? Traditional Islamic values versus modern Western materialism. 20. Why did the US support the Shah of Iran? To maintain Shah’s alliance with the West and prevent the Soviets from gaining influence in Iran.

Confrontations in the Middle East 21. Why did the ayatollahs oppose Western influence? They saw it as socially and morally corrupting to Muslims. 22. How did Iran change when Ayatollah Khomeini gained power? It became an Islamic state, western influence was banned, Islamic law became the legal code of the country. 23. What was the ayatollahs response to the Shah coming to the US for medical treatment? He had the US embassy in Tehran seized and more than 60 Americans were taken hostage for 444 days.

Confrontations in the Middle East 24. What did Khomeini encourage Muslim fundamentalists in neighboring countries to do? To overthrow secular governments and adhere to Islamic law. 25. Who did the US secretly support in the Iran/Iraq war and why? Iran, in an effort to get the hostages released. 26. Why did the Soviets invade Afghanistan in 1979? A Muslim revolt threatened to topple the Communist regime in Afghanistan.

Confrontations in the Middle East 27. What was the name of the Afghan rebel group supported by the US? The Mujahideen 28. How did the US respond to the Soviet threat in the Persian Gulf? An embargo of grain shipments to the Soviet Union and boycotted the 1980 Olympics and Moscow. 29. In what ways were the US involvement in Vietnam and the Soviet involvement in Afghanistan similar? Both superpowers became mired in long, bloody, struggles with guerilla forces who ultimately defeated them.