The Korean War & the continuing Cold War

1. The Korean War & the continuing Cold War Ch. 19, Sec 3, 4

2. Communist Expansion in Asia • 1920-1949-Chinese Civil War. • Ended with Mao’s Communist takeover of China. • Japanese annexed Korea during WWII. • Harsh treatment of Koreans, hated. • After war, Korea temporarily divided at 38th Parallel. • USSR accepted Japan surrender north of 38th, US accepted south of 38th. • Communist gov’t established in North Korea, democratic in S. Korea. • 1948-49-USSR & most US troops pulled out.

6. Both Koreas wanted reunification. • June 1950-N. Korean troops crossed 38th, invaded S. Korea. • US blamed USSR for invasion, decided to act. • US asked for and got UN approval & support. • US sent naval & air support to S. Korea, soon sent troops. • Truman did not get declaration of war, but had Congressional support of actions. • 16 UN nations sent troops or weapons, but US made up 80% of force fighting.

7. General Douglas MacArthur led UN forces in Korea. • Existing US & S. Korean forces had been pushed back to southern coast city of Pusan. • MacArthur took risk, landed forces at Inchon, behind N. Korean lines, hit from behind. • N. Koreans trapped, retreated back north of 38th. • UN forces chased, pushed N. Koreans almost to Chinese border, spoke of reuniting Koreas. • China had been Communist less than a year, did not want pro-Western neighbor. • Nov. 24, 1950, Chinese crossed Yalu River into N. Korea, pushed UN forces back into South. • Rest of war was a stalemate.

9. Troops on Pusan Perimeter

10. Inchon

17. MacArthur wanted Chinese Nationalists in Taiwan to invade Communist China, also wanted limited use of nuclear weapons. • Truman said no, MacArthur went over Truman to Congress, Truman fired MacArthur. • War was still on when Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected President. • Stalemate continued until 1953. • 1953-truce signed, both sides return across borders, fighting is over. • US angry over war. • 54,000 dead, 103,000 wounded for no real results. • However, containment worked.

20. McCarthyism • US scared of Communism, Korean War made it worse. • 1950 Wisconsin Senator Joe McCarthy claimed to have list of 205 Communists working in State Department. • Actually 57 names. • McCarthy began to attack people in Senate & in press, destroying reputations & careers. • Attacked Sec. of State George Marshall, other Senators, movie stars, big Hollywood money. • Anyone who tried to stop him accused of being Communist.

23. Early 1954, McCarthy’s aide drafted. • McCarthy couldn’t get draft waived, accused Army of being full of Communists. • Army-McCarthy hearings televised. • USA saw McCarthy bully witnesses, make unfounded accusations. • Lost all support from American people. • Censured by Senate, lost re-election. • Even though McCarthy did expose some Communists & people of questionable background, he ruined many lives and careers.

25. Dwight D. “Ike” Eisenhower • Sworn in as President in 1953. • Ended Korean War. • Provided aid to S. Vietnam when Vietnams were divided. • Supported Jewish Israel against USSR-supported Arab states. • 1957-issued Eisenhower Doctrine-US would use force to countries in Middle East requesting aid against Communist aggression. • Would help our allies, and any asking for help.

27. 1952-Nationalist leader took control in Iran, Shah of Iran removed. • US feared new Iran would be neutral or pro-Communist. • US-supported groups overthrew Iran gov’t, restored Shah to power. • Made US unpopular in fundamentalist Iran. • 1956-Suez Crisis-Egypt President Gamal Nasser asked for USSR support. • US & UK cut off aid to Egypt. • Egypt seized UK-owned Suez Canal. • UK & France attacked Egypt to regain Canal. • Ike persuaded them to back out, losing Canal to Egypt. • Prevented possible war with USSR.

32. Under Ike, US acted to support pro-US gov’ts in Latin America. • Especially where US had business interests. • Helped create Organization of American States (OAS)-to increase cooperation among w. hemisphere nations. • 1954-CIA helped overthrow gov’t of Guatemala, due to left-wing sympathies. • Huge US company, United Fruit, seized by Guatemalan gov’t, new gov’t gave it back. • Actions like this led USSR to believe that US was escalating Cold War.

34. US & USSR both felt WWIII was going to occur. • Wanted to be prepared. • Led to arms race-struggle to have weapons superiority. • 1952-US got H-bomb. • Led to policy of deterrence. • Build military so strong, if you attack us, we will destroy you. • Developed bigger bombs-750x bigger than Hiroshima. • 1953-USSR got H-bomb. • If they launch, we launch, therefore no one launches.

39. Ike & Sec. of State John Foster Dulles used threat of war to achieve goals. • Called policy brinkmanship-make enemy believe you will go to war so they will back down. • Dangerous, but very successful. • US developed powerful weapons to achieve goals. • ICBMs-Intercontinental ballistic missiles. • Fired from US, flew at edge of space, separated into multiple warheads, detonated in USSR.

47. 1957-Space Race began-USSR put first man-made object in space-satellite Sputnik. • 1960-USSR shot down US U-2 spy plane flying over USSR territory. • Pilot Francis Gary Powers supposed to have killed self, didn’t, captured. • U-2 Incident made US feel that they were behind in missile & rocket technology. • US began huge program to put men in space & on moon.