1. What were the goals for the US during the Cold War?
Wanted to promote open markets for US goods to prevent another depression
Promote democracy throughout the world, especially in Asia and Africa
Stop the spread of communism
2. What were some of the major events that took place during the Cold War?
Berlin Blockade/airlift: Russians wanted control over all of Berlin, so they formed a blockade in June 1948. US and Allies airlifted necessary supplies to western Berlin to help them survive. Soviets admitted defeat 11 months later and lifted the blockade.
Cuban Missile Crisis:
Red Scare/McCarthyism: Joseph McCarthy, Republican Senator from Wisconsin, claimed to know of 205 communists in the State Department. It caused great panic throughout the US and made McCarthy a very powerful man. Supporters included Republicans, Catholics, Conservatives, Blue-collar workers, and the Kennedy family. 4 years later, he was found as a bully without any evidence and was striped of his power.
Space Race:
Bay of Pigs: Castro came to power in Cuba, brought communism to the country. US was worried over a communist country as close as Cuba, so they planned an invasion to overthrow him. CIA trained anti-communist revolutionists (from Cuba) to preform the invasion. US hoped the invasion would encourage Cuban citizens to revolt, but they didn't. The operation failed as all the revolutionists were killed or captured.
Berlin Wall: 13 years after the Berlin Blockade, the Soviets created the Berlin wall to separate East from West. They didn't want to build the wall, but they didn't want everyone to flee East Berlin. Kept people in for 29 years, then the new Soviet leader gave a speech that said the USSR won't interfere in Eastern Europe. Wall was brought down by hundreds of citizens with no resistance.
3. Why did the US go to war in Korea and Vietnam and what were outcome of those wars?
Korean War: "The Forgotten War", not in the press very much. US never declared war on Korea, but was told to wage war there by the UN.
Origins: Korea was invaded and ruled by Japan from 1910 to 1945; After Japan was defeated, Korea was split in two (USSR leading the North, US leading the South) along the 38th parallel; UN set an election for the unification of Korea, but the USSR ignored the election and gave the North to Kim IL Sung; Syngman Rhee was elected to rule the South
Invasion: Both sides wanted to unite Korea, but under their own influence (North: communism, South: Democracy); Sung decided to invade the South, but only after Stalin and Mao gave him backing; June 25, 1950, Sung invaded the South; was successful until US got involved
End: After 2 years of fighting along the 38th, an armistice was signed to end fighting; DMZ was made to serve as the new boarder for Korea; Korean War made the Cold War heat up
Vietnam War: US goal: stop the spread of communism,North Vietnamese goal: get independence (from France)
War:
1. Beginning: After WWII, Vietnam thought that that they would gain independence from the weakened France, but they didn't; Fought French troops in 1954 to gain independence; Ho Chi Minh, wise and wealthy man, plead for Vietnamese independence during the Treaty of Versailles, didn't get it. After fighting the French away, he thought they had earned independence. France didn't allow it, though, and split Vietnam into North (Minh) and South (Diem). Elections were going to be held for the unification of Vietnam, but both sides were too afraid of losing to participate.
2. US Involvement: Escalation- Started by sending money (1950's), then Military advisers, then special ops (Green Berets), then troops for defense, then troops for offense, then more and more troops (1964-69) until de-escalation
3. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: US ships were supposedly torpedoed by North Vietnamese, resolution made soon after gave president Johnson the power to wage war
4. Tet Offensive: North Vietnamese troops attacked every Southern Vietnamese city on January 30, 1968; Big US victory, but it was seen badly by the public
5. Unpopular War: Started with the Tet Offensive; Johnson and General William kept saying that with more troops, we would win the war; public believed them until the supposedly defeated enemy mounted the huge offensive; People started to distrust what the government told them; US troops Injuring/killing innocent people (My Lai Massacre); US supported a bad government (Diem); Pentagon paper was top-secret info leaked to the press, proved that the government was lying to the public; Kent St., students began violent protests on campus, National guard opened fire and killed 5 students
6. De-escalation & "Peace with Honor": Vietnamization, US troops leave and let the South Vietnamese fight the war, train the South Vietnamese to fight; Destroy Ho Chi Minh trial in Laos and Cambodia, failed and led to protests in the US
7. The End: January 27, 1973, Paris Peace Accords were signed, ending US involvement in Vietnam; two years later, the North invaded and took over the South; Though the US promised to help South Vietnam if the North invaded, the United Nations didn't allow us to
4. How did the Cold War come to an end?
1. Allies had closer ties with our allies than the USSR did
2. China began siding with us after 1972
3. Soviet Union economy wasn't good during the war
-high deficit
-high inflation
-corruption
-social problems
-shortage of basic needs (food, housing)
4. Strong anti-communist presidency of Reagan
5. Gorbachev's willingness for change and reform
-glasnost and perestroika
-admitted Soviet mistakes
-took blame for the Cold War
-communist system had failed
*-allowed Eastern Europe to do what they wanted*
6. Arms Reduction Talks
-SALT, INF, Reagan-Gorbachev meetings
7. Soviet mistakes
-invasion of Afghanistan
-ignoring social concerns
-spent everything on military
Post-Cold War:
-In the 1990's, the world seemed to be a much more peaceful place
-President Clinton closed down military bases (made the US military smaller)
-9-11 caught the US off guard
1990's European changes:
Germany unified, Czechoslovakia split in two (Czech Republic & Slovakia), Yugoslavia split (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo), Soviet Union split (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova)
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