Why the US won the Cold War. Harry Truman made the decision to concentrate their focus on the European theatre rather than the Pacific. 400 million dollars was given in aide to Greace and Turkey which helped these two countries stopped communism from taking over.
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Marshall Plan was an economic and financial assistance plan to help Western Europe fight off Communism. They tried to strengthen the governments and economy. The US also helped France and Great Britain on a blockade of Soviet Union ships.
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NATO, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, was formed as a union of nations (not the UN) to fight against communism. The Warsaw Pact was the treaty between Western Europe and the Soviet Union. Six Years later the WArsaw pact failed. Treaties were also formed in Asia. the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) was the NATO equivelent for Asia.
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During JFK's early presidency, many Cuban exiles were trained by the CIA to fight Castro and try to get rid of Communism in Cuba. In 1963, both sides reached a nuclear arms control agreement. This agreement banned any nuclear testing on land, sea, and in space.
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During Nixon's presidency, relations improved greatly. Made several arms agreements. Missile defense systems were cut down some. Banned testing of long range missiles for five years. Gorbachev withdrew from Afghanistan and agreed to destroy many missiles. In 1989, Eastern Europe was cutting their ties with the USSR Gorbachev allowed relations to improve and let EAst and West Germany reunite. The Warsaw pact then dissolved.
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The fall of communism ended the Cold War. After the USSR failed, nearly all of the other communist countries left communsim within the next five years. It was a great day when the Berlin wall fell and East and West Germany were reunited. The world took a large step towards unification.
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After World War 2, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel. Soviet and US zones were occupied. In 1948, governments were established in the country. Douglas McArthur was the Supreme commander of the US forces under Harry Truman. McArthur was fired because he wanted to invade and bomb China. Truman knew that this would involve the Soviet Union and start WW3. He was replaced by Mathew Rodgeway.
The Korean War started on January 25, 1950. It was not an official war because congress had not officially voted that we go to war, but the president authorized military efforts. The US had 15 other UN nations under its command for the invasion of Korea. The war was a containment war. The North part of Korea wanted one country under communism, and the US and South Korea wanted one country under democracy. The US faced little opposition in the first few weeks of engagement.
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At first, the North had invaded the South and had won most of the country. McArthur then invaded with the US and we pushed the North Koreans back and nearly took the country. China got scared at our advance and assumed that we were going to invade China. China invaded and pushed us back towards about the middle of the country where both sides were holding each other off. AFter months of fighting, the conflict had returned the nation back to how it was at the 38th parallel and it remained there for the remained of the war. It was a Stalemate. Negotiations failed 4 times. Finally on July 27, 1953, after Eisenhower had issued nuclear threats and by force, North Korea accepted an Armistice agreement.
There ahs never been an official agreement between the North and South. The US continues to occupy that area and tensions are always tense. The two countries are still officially at war.
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