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Download Cold War and Vietnam (American History)
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June 1945 - 50 nations formed the United Nations which was (and is) an organization dedicated to resolving international conflicts One of the first decisions of the U.N. was to divide Palestine into separate Arab and Jewish states on May 14, 1948 U.S. quickly recognized the new Jewish state Arab forces attacked Israel, but Israeli forces drove them back and both sides reached a truce in 1949 Cold War = this phrase described the struggle for global power between the United States and the Soviet Union (U.S.S.R.) After Stalin created a Communist government in Poland, he created “satellite states” which were countries under Soviet control Iron Curtain = term refers to the division between Soviet controlled countries and the Western world The term “iron curtain” was coined by Winston Churchill in 1946 Truman urged free elections but Stalin refuses In 1946, Stalin said capitalism and communism cannot co-exist Germany divided; East Germany - Communist, West Germany - Democratic Containment = U.S. plan to prevent the Soviet Union from expanding its influence around the world Truman Doctrine = U.S. supported countries that rejected communism; for example, Congress approved Truman’s request for aid to Greece and Turkey to stop Communist revolutions in those countries Much of Western Europe was in ruins after World War II Marshall Plan = U.S. program of assisting Western European countries; Western Europe received over $13 billion in U.S. loans and grants Congress approved the Marshall Plan after Communist takeover of Czechoslovakia In 1948, the U.S., Britain, France withdrew forces from West Germany Berlin Blockade - Soviets stopped land and water traffic and trade into West Berlin West Berlin, which was located in Soviet occupation zone, faced starvation U.S. and Britain flew in (airlifted) supplies for 11 months until the blockade ended In 1949, the U.S., Canada, and West European countries form NATO NATO = North Atlantic Treaty Organization was a defensive military alliance In 1955, Soviets, Eastern European nations signed Warsaw Pact alliance In 1961, Soviets and Khrushchev built the Berlin Wall to separate East and West Berlin and prevent workers from leaving East Berlin President John F. Kennedy (JFK) allowed the wall to be built because he was unwilling to go to war over the issue Fair Deal = Truman’s plan that wanted a higher minimum wage, the creation of a national health insurance plan for all Americans, end to racial discrimination in hiring, and expansion of Social Security benefits for the elderly (only the minimum wage and Social Security parts were approved) Dixiecrats (Southern States' Rights Democratic Party) were segregationist and angered by the plan because they wanted to perpetuate racial discrimination in hirin G.I Bill of Rights = offered veterans money for school as well as loans for houses, farms, and businesses In 1946, prices rose, so workers went on strike to demand higher wages; this posed a political problem for President Truman Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 = Congress passed this act to reduce the power of labor unions; this act outlawed closed shops (businesses that could only hire union members) In 1948, Truman officially ended segregation in the Armed Forces due to pressure from African-American groups Many American businesses moved to southern and western states where taxes were low Interstate Highway Act of 1956 – many Americans migrated to the suburbs William Levitt designed homes in Long Island, NY to be affordable for middle class Americans (Levittown, NY) Federal Urban Renewal Program = improved city services and housing Television had one of the biggest impacts on American popular culture in the 1950s Many women were dissatisfied with the post war years because society seemed to assume a woman’s principal role was as a housewife and mother The bebop style of jazz, invented by Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, was a fastpaced, complex form of jazz U.S. and Soviet Union both developed more powerful hydrogen bomb (nuclear proliferation – building more nuclear weapons) Brinkmanship—policy of willingness to go to the edge of war In October 1957, Soviets launched Sputnik which was the first unmanned satellite Launching of Sputnik caused U.S. to spend more money on education and technology and to develop more rigorous science and math programs and investment in the space program in the 1960s; we were worried Soviets would be able to launch missiles at us from space Uprisings in Hungary in 1956 and the Soviets shooting down and American U-2 spy plane in 1960, increased tensions between our countries Wisconsin Senator, Joseph McCarthy, believed that Communists were trying to infiltrate the U.S. government (Red Scare) Many Hollywood actors were accused of having Communist ties and were blacklisted Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were accused of providing Soviet spies with secret details about our atomic bombs; they were tried and executed in 1951 McCarthy took advantage of a frightened nation and brutally bullied witnesses He was brought down when he charged that there were Communists were in the U.S. Army Chinese Communists (led by Mao Zedong) and Nationalists (led by Chiang Kai-shek) were united against Japan because they had a common enemy The Communist takeover of China was a U.S. foreign policy failure because we supported the Nationalists after WWII Korea was controlled by Japan during WWII and then it was divided by the U.S. and Soviet Union after the war 38th parallel—line dividing Korea into North Korea and South Korea In 1950, North Koreans invaded South Korea with Soviet support South Korea requested UN assistance; President Truman 15 nations send troops Douglas MacArthur—led UN forces against North Koreans North Koreans controlled most of peninsula when MacArthur attacks Half of the North’s army surrendered, the rest retreated UN troops pushed North Koreans almost to Chinese border Just when it seemed North Korea would successfully be invaded, Chinese sent 300,000 troops against UN forces and captured Seoul MacArthur called for nuclear attack and wanted to invade mainland China; as a result, Truman removed him from command In 1953, cease fire signed and border established at 38th parallel In 1959, Fidel Castro (Communist) gained power, nationalized economy, and seized U.S. property Bay of Pigs Invasion - In 1961, Castro’s forces defeated U.S.-trained Cuban exiles at Bay of Pigs; CIA trained these Cubans but they failed to assassinate Castro; this plan was originally implemented by President Eisenhower Cuban Missile Crisis - In 1962, U.S. spy planes discovered the Soviets were installing nuclear missiles in Cuba, so we demanded the removal of the missiles; Soviets withdrew missiles and U.S. promised not to invade Cuba; nuclear war was averted Peace Corps – JFK set this up to support developing nations of the world July 20, 1969 – Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin were the first people to land on the moon French Indochina – Vietnam was a colony of France The U.S. supported France’s attempt to suppress the Vietminh (Vietnamese Communists), because we feared a spread of Communism in the region Ho Chi Minh—Vietnamese Communist leader; he wanted a Communist revolution In 1954, French surrendered to Vietnamese after major defeat Domino theory—U.S. theory of Communist expansion in Southeast Asia; one nation falls, the rest will follow International peace conference agreed on a divided Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem—led anti-Communist government in South Vietnam Vietcong—South Vietnamese Communist guerillas who fought against Diem 1954 Geneva Accords – temporarily set up North and South Vietnam; France leaves 1964 – U.S. ships off the North Vietnamese coast reported being attacked and that led to our rapid involvement Tonkin Gulf Resolution – gave the President (Lyndon Johnson) the authority to take all necessary means to repel an armed attack against U.S.forces In 1964, U.S. sent troops to fight Vietcong and North Vietnamese U.S. fought guerilla war To disrupt the Ho Chi Minh Trail (supply line), U.S. forces dropped napalm and Agent Orange to kill troops, destroy supplies, and clear forests General Westmoreland’s search-and-destroy missions targeted hidden enemy camps Vietcong gained support from Ho Chi Minh, China, Soviet Union Escalation – President Johnson’s policy of increased involvement between 1965 and 1968 War grew unpopular in U.S.; in 1969, Nixon starts withdrawing troops My Lai Massacre – American soldiers killed 500 unarmed villagers, including women and children in 1968 After the massacre, many Americans started questioning the war Vietnam highlighted race and class differences because white, wealthy college students were able to get deferments, releasing them from the draft. Vietnamization—Nixon’s plan to withdraw U.S. from war gradually President Nixon angered many Americans in 1970 when he announced he sent troops into Cambodia There was a huge protest against the secret bombings of Cambodia at Kent State University Last U.S. troops left in 1973; South Vietnam was overrun in 1975 Vietnamization—Nixon’s plan to withdraw U.S. from war gradually President Nixon angered many Americans in 1970 when he announced he sent troops into Cambodia There was a huge protest against the secret bombings of Cambodia at Kent State University Last U.S. troops left in 1973; South Vietnam was overrun in 1975 War Powers Act – president must get congressional approval before committing troops to an armed struggle Saigon renamed Ho Chi Minh City; Vietnam united as Communist nation Vietnam War Veterans were met with hostility when they returned home Many Americans turned inward after the war
