Chapter 31 The Cold War

The United Nations Yalta Conference – Feb 1945 June 1945 Stalin, Roosevelt, Churchill Decided on dividing Germany June 1945 Developed the U.N. New York Five permanent members (China, Britain, U.S., France, U.S.S.R.)

Eastern Europe USSR wants to shield itself Established Communist gov’ts in E. Europe – against Yalta Potsdam Conference Truman pushes Stalin – Stalin refuses Churchill declares E. Europe under an “Iron Curtain.” Germany divided into four parts France, U.S., Britain, USSR (Communist)

Containment Truman’s policy to contain communism to its current borders Truman Doctrine Aid to countries that challenge communism Marshall Plan Food, machines, etc to countries that needed it – rebuild Europe

Berlin Airlift Germany divided/Berlin divided West wants to unify three zones Stalin cuts off supplies to W. Berlin (surrounded by Communism). Instead of invasion – West airlifts supplies to Berlin for 11 months. Stalin seen as evil/U.S. heroes

Alliances NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Warsaw Pact Western nations – an attack on one = attack on all Warsaw Pact Communist Counter to NATO

Atomic Weapons U.S. had technology USSR gains technology in 1949 U.S. begins building Hydrogen bomb – fusion (1952) USSR gains in 1953 Space Race ICBM USSR – Sputnik Oct 4 1957 Open skies (U2 incident)

Cuban Missile Crisis Cuba has a Communist revolution in 1959 Fidel Castro comes to power Seizes all American companies America plans invasion Bay of Pigs – fails Cuba turns to USSR (Khruschev) for help Khrushchev sends nuclear weapons to Cuba Kennedy demands their removal Closest we’ve been to nuclear war – ends peacefully – USSR removes weapons from Cuba – we remove weapons from Turkey (secretly).

China Chiang Kai-shek (Jiang Jeishi) fights Mao Zedong U.S. supports Chiang He doesn’t provide support for peasants post-war Many turn to Communists Chiang flees to Taiwan – Mao takes mainland China U.S. supports Taiwan, USSR China China invades countries around it – Tibet Dalai Lama flees to India

Korea Korea divided along 38th parallel Soviet Union backs Communists Communist North, Democratic South Soviet Union backs Communists Invades south – don’t think U.S. will help UN sends troops as well All under General Douglas MacArthur War Communists push all the way south, U.S./UN push all the way north, China enters – pushes back to 38th parallel. 5 million dead North still Communist, South has dictatorship until 1987

Vietnam France controlled Vietnam since Imperialism Ho Chi Minh turns to Communists to help win independence France jails protesters After WWII, they hoped for independence Nationalists and Communists join to fight France

Vietnam The Vietnamese have peasant support Major French defeat at Dien Bien Phu U.S. worried about Domino Theory Countries falling to Communism like Dominos After defeat at Dien Bien Phu – they divided Vietnam into two halves at the 17th parallel. South controlled by Ngo Dinh Diem – did not provide peasant support

Vietnam Southern Communists start to challenge Diem – known as Vietcong U.S. starts to aid in training of Vietnamese soldiers U.S. declares that two U.S. ships were attacked in the Gulf of Tonkin U.S. begins to send fighting soldiers – and begin to bomb North Vietnam

Vietnam Vietnamese use guerilla tactics against Americans U.S. begins to use air bombings with napalm to destroy trees – trying to find enemy soldiers on the ground Farmland destroyed – peasants support Communists Nixon begins to withdraw from Vietnam in 1969 – train Vietnamese to fight own war Vietnamization Fully withdraw in 1973 Communists gain control of Vietnam two years later 1.5 million Vietnamese dead 58,000 Americans

Cambodia Cambodia had been bombed during the Vietnam War Communists set up brutal regime in 1975 – Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot Slaughtered 2 million people Vietnam invades and overthrows him Democratic Constitution in 1993 Pol Pot tried for war crimes