People started presenting their songs and projects. Kept continuing until we were done with this topic. Obviously.
1. What were the goals for the US during the Cold War? Stop the spread of communism
2. What were some of the major events that took place during the Cold War?
-Berlin Blockade/airlift: Germany was split into four zones. Berlin was also split into four zones. Soviets wanted control over all of Berlin. Germans blockaded the city, so we airlifted supplies to West Berlin. A very tense situation between Soviet Union and the United States and neither country wanted war. Dropping off supplies every hour for 10-11 months.
-Red Scare/McCarthyism: Second Red Scare Both happened after World Wars Communists International- trained people for communist revolutions. Senator Joe McCarthy gave a speech that said he had over 200 hundred names of communist people. McCarthy was one of the most powerful people in the US at this time. No one saw the names, but it spread panic throughout the country. Supporters of McCarthy were republicans, Catholics, conservative Protestants, Blue collar workers Joesph and Robert Kennedy. Joesph Kennedy raised his kids to be presidents of the US. His eldest son died in WWII. John F became president. In spring of 1954 he accused US army of being communist and then the Senate silenced him. Term McCarthyism means anti-Communists fervor, reckless accusations, and guilt by association.
-Bay of Pigs: A year earlier Fidel Castro came to power in Cuba and became Communist. Eisenhower had the plan to attack Cuba, but lost his presidency so JFK. JFK agreed. United States train anti-Castro Cubans in Mexico. We didn't want it to look like we were being aggressive to a smaller, weaker country. 1400 men were trained to go against Cuba. We didn't do the airstrikes, because it would have looked like the US was doing it. We were hoping civilians would join the revolutionists. After this, Cuba aimed missiles at the US.
-Cuban Missile Crisis: Never been closer to war with Russia. Kennedy said we could not allow Cuba to keep missiles. The quarantine would keep missiles from being put on Cuba, but it did not get rid of the missiles on Cuba. We were going to do airstrikes to get rid of the missile sites, and then we would send troops. We were hours away from nuclear war with Cuba. Our compromise would be US not invading Cuba and Russia would get rid of their missiles in Cuba. Six months later, we promised to take our missiles out of Turkey. Cuba was the hot spot of the Cold War in the early 60's.
-Berlin Wall: 1961 East Berlin wanted to keep the communists in. West Berlin was democratic. 61-89 The wall was a symbol of the Cold War. Government officials had to go through a checkpoint. Families were split apart. Mid-1980's a new person (Mikhail Gorbachev) came to power in USSR. If countries tried to break away from Russia, Russia would come in and crush them. Countries broke free after his speech. Momentum couldn't be stopped, people tested going through the Berlin Wall, and then people started tearing the Berlin Wall down.
-End of the Cold War:
3. Why did the US go to war in Korea and Vietnam and what were outcome of those wars?
Korea War: US never officially declared war on Korea. Most of the fighting took place in the first year. After WWII, Korea was split in two. North(USSR) and South(US). North gave power to Communist party with Kim IL-Sung. South gave power to Synman Rhee. In January, 1950, US government said Korea was "outside our defense perimeter" meaning they were too far away to protect them. Before Kim invaded South Korea, he got permission from Stalin. Kim told Stalin that Mao said okay, and told Mao that Stalin had said okay when he didn't. Mao killed many people, more than Stalin. Most people died because of famine that Mao brought to China. North Korea attacked South, and because of the attack, the United Nations attacked the North back. China becomes nervous because we are pushing North Korea up towards China. China had a counterattack. The Korean War was the first armed confrontation of the Cold War. It proved that we could fight without using nuclear weapons. US had 54,000 deaths. The Cold War had mostly been in Europe, but that changed.
Vietnam War: 1950-1975 France had control of Viet Minh Ho Chi Minh- was called Uncle Ho disguised himself to look poor so he could fit in better with the Vietnamese and to be their leader. Vietnam was partitioned temporarily into a Northern and a Southern zone of Vietnam at the 17th parallel. Geneva Conference set up elections to unify the country, but it was never held because neither side wanted to lose. North wanted communism, and south didn't. Army of the Republic of Viet Nam (ARVN south Vietnamese Army) People's Army of Viet Nam (PAVN the North Vietnamese army) US Involvement Escalation-slowly getting more involved in the conflict
Escalation: Late 50's we sent military advisors to the South Then we started using special forces (Green Barets) for commando style operations. Use of regular troops whose purpose was to be defensive only. Use of regular troops in offensive combat. Once US troops were in active combat, escalation shifted to the adding of more US troops.
News people were over in Vietnam. Diem vs. the Buddhists Buddhists set themselves on fire in protest of Diem's government.
Gulf of Tonkin- Resolution several US ships were supposedly attacked by North Vietnamese torpedoes in the gulf of Tonkin. Resolution where Congress gave Johnson the power to wage war. General William Westmoreland kept saying that with more troops we will win the war. Most Americans believed them, but they kept saying this year after year.
Tet Offensive- enemy attacked nearly every major city in South Vietnam Vietnamese were like a tiger and the US was like an elephant We were big and strong but the Vietnamese would strike quick they would kill us slowly
Unpopular War: Pentagon Papers- study how the government was lying to the public helped make Vietnam an unpopular war. Operation Rolling Thunder- nonstop bombing raids in North Vietnam purpose was to discourage the North from fighting anymore Kent St. Massacre- National Guard shot students biggest student protest during the war 1968- My Lai Massacre worse year US troops killed little kids and older people, raped women Some people got out of the draft for Vietnam- go to college, fail the physical exam, people fled the country, some would get married (would not guarantee your freedom), Joined the National Guard or Peace Corps, claimed homosexual, being rich
De-escalation and Peace with honor: Nixon becomes president "Vietnamization" of the war- US troops would leave, but train the South Vietnamese to fight the North Expanded the war into Laos and Cambodia- created college protests- Kent. St. Paris Peace Accords- Fighting stopped, US would pull out of Vietnam, North and South Vietnam would recognize each other's independence The peace agreement didn't last- March 1975 North invaded the South South was not strong enough and fell quickly US did not help the South North and South became Socialist Republic of Vietnam on July 2nd, 1976 Vietnam is still communist today
4. How did the Cold War come to an end?
US won and USSR lost because: We were close with our Allies- Britain, France China started siding with us
They were not close with their allies Soviet's economy was in shambles whereas the US's was flourishing huge deficit, high inflation, corruption, social problems, shortage of basic items (food, houses, clothing)
In the 70's, Ronald Reagan had a strong anti-communist government Gorbachev's willingness for change and reform- Glasnost and perestroika- both mean an openness to change Admitted Soviet mistakes Took blame for the Cold War Communist system failed **Allowed Easter Europe to do what they wanted**
Out of Czechoslovakia- Czech Republic and Slovakia Yugoslavia broke into-Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia USSR- Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova
Arms Reduction Talks- SALT, INF, Reagan-Gorbachev meetings
Soviet Mistakes: Invasion of Afghanistan, Ignoring social concerns, Spent everything on military USSR was invited to come into Afghanistan by the communist government Afghanistan was to Russia like Vietnam to US
Post Cold War: In the 1990's, the world seemed to be a much more peaceful place The Taliban doesn't like us in the Middle East President Clinton reduced the military size and bases 9/11 caught US off guard
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