MT7: The Cold War Lt2: Understand how Americans responded to the cold war: Protest Vietnam war and Nuclear freeze

Presidents of the Cold War Truman 1945- 1953 - vice president who became president Eisenhower 1953-1961 Kennedy 1961- assassinated Johnson 1964- vice president who became president Nixon 1968-1974 –resigned Ford 1974 - vice president who became president Carter 1977-1981 Regan 1981-1989

Vietnam War (USA vs. Vietnam communist) Following WW2 in 1945 Vietnam was taken from Japan Vietnam was divided (at the 17th parallel) Soviet Union was in charge of the North USA was in charge of the South North Vietnam became communist and south Vietnam remained somewhat democratic (they acted like the people had a voice and choice) So why was there a Vietnam War/altercation??? The USA felt that they needed to CONTAIN communism; Keep communism from spreading Based on the domino theory that communism would reach the USA USA sent money, supplies and soldiers to fight the communist in Vietnam (known as the Vietcong) https://youtu.be/r0t-YBemwzs

Americans protest the Vietnam war All American leaders stated the war would be over soon American army leaders felt that the USA was stronger than the Vietcong, therefore the war would be over soon The Vietnam war was the first war televised Americans watched soldiers and Vietnam civilians massacred nightly Nov. 1969: An army platoon massacred 200 unarmed south Vietnamese civilians (old men, women, young children) Watch at about 4 mins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0oCdTH0jWQ&feature=player_detailpage 2/3 of Americans wanted America out of the war Americans protested by Peace movement (flower children/ wood stalk /hippies-make peace not war) teach-ins (college campus) Refused to go to class Draft burning- burned their notices to go to war Issues over the fact that 18 yr olds could go to war but not vote = 26 amendment, voting age moved to 18 African Americans protest Parades, rally's, sit-ins Highest number of Americans dying were African Americans https://youtu.be/Bk09F1fTs1E

End of Vietnam War Nixon and both leaders of North and South Vietnam signed an agreement to end the war on January 27, 1973 American troops left By march 1975, North Vietnam invaded South Vietnam Effects of Vietnam war on America 170 billion spent on war 58,000 Americans died Soldiers who lived faced a lot of mental problems They had become hooked on drugs (heroin, alcohol) Americans lost faith in their government Government had lied to get in war and lied about how they treated the Vietnamese people South Vietnam fell to communism so the war was seen as a waste of time, money and lives

Salt 1 President Nixon (1964) and Brezhnez of the Soviet Union met in Moscow to discuss the arms race The USA and Russia had enough weapons to kill the world over 10x Both nations had nuclear weapons placed in different parts of the world in case they needed to attack How was this nuclear threat fixed? Both leaders signed the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty = SALT 1 They agreed to stop creating nuclear weapons

Nuclear Freeze Why was the freeze needed? What was it? The American people were afraid a nuclear war was going to happen They protested, wanting a Nuclear freeze- to stop the production, and transportation of nuclear weapons One million people gathered in New York City’s Central Park, the Rose Bowl in Pasadena (90,000 in attendance), and in San Francisco (50,000). They were able to get 2.5 million signatures to have a nuclear freeze President Regan put Nuclear missiles in Western Europe to counter Soviet missiles aimed at Europe 1980 President Regan agreed to cancel the shipment of Missiles if the Soviet Union removed their missiles The soviets refused and walked out of the Peace Talks President Regan felt that if a Nuclear attack happened … the USA could not defend it’s self so he created “strategic Defense Initiative = Star Wars Weapons to intercept and destroy incoming missiles New missiles were developed that were very advanced

Extra Info President Kennedy Assassinated Nixon and water gate scandal Nixon resigns as president Malcolm X assassinated Martin Luther King Assassinated Tiananmen square in China = protesters killed by communist government Berlin Wall destroyed by Germans

Questions How many presidents became presidents after something happened to the first president? (They were vice presidents first) Who fought in the Vietnam war? Which sides? Why did Americans not want to be part of the Vietnam war? What did Americans do to show their displeasure with the Vietnam war? Why were nuclear freeze protested created? Why did people protest against in Central Park?