The Cold War Abroad

2. The Cold War Abroad The War of Words (and sometimes weapons) between the USA and Communists By: Christopher W. Miller, ZHS

3. Capitalism vs. Communism There were some basic fundamental differences between the USA and the USSR which made it difficult to get along. • The Soviet economic system of communism called for government ownership ofthe means of production and centralized decision making. • In the US, we practicecapitalism (a free market economy) which is based on private ownership of the means of production, free markets, and individual freedom. V1 – 1947: A Year of Division There were also differences in political organization • In the US, the people elect their leaders from differing political parties and practice democracy. • In the Soviet Union, a totalitarian government was created bythe Communist Party which allowed no opposition. At the top of the Communist Party was a dictator, like Lenin, Stalin, or Khrushchev. Three Leaders of the USSR: Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, and Nikita Khrushchev

4. Yalta and Potsdam The first disagreement came at the Yalta Conference in February, 1945. • Joseph Stalin favored a harsh approach towards Germany, and wanted to divide it into occupation zones so that it couldn’t threaten the USSR again. Churchill disagreed and US President FDR was against such action. • A compromise was agreed upon. Germany would be split into 4 zones (1 French, 1 British, 1 American, and 1 Soviet zone), and Stalin promised free elections in Poland and other areas occupied by the Soviets. Further disagreements would be seen in July and August of 1945 at the Potsdam Conference. The original leaders of the Big Three were not all at Potsdam, as Harry S. Truman had replaced FDR , and Churchill had been ousted by Clement Attlee. Only Stalin remained. • Stalin had broken his promise concerning free elections in USSRcontrolled territory (such as Poland). This angered Truman. • It had been agreed to at Yalta that the Allies would take reparationsfrom Germany, but Truman disagreed with this at Potsdam. Stalinpushed Truman to give in, but eventually had to settle for reparationsfrom only his occupied area of Germany. The Big 3 at Yalta: Winston Churchill of G.B., FDR of USA, and Stalin of the USSR The New Big 3 at Potsdam: Clement Attlee (G.B.), Harry Truman (USA) and Joseph Stalin (USSR) Germany Divided after WWII

5. The Iron Curtain Falls – US/USSR Policies In March, 1946, Churchill described Europe by saying that it was as if an “Iron Curtain” had fallen across and separated thecontinent. In Western Europe, the nations were generally allied with the U.S. In the East, the nations were generally allied with the USSR. • Stalin wouldstrengthen his grip on Eastern Europe . He set up communist governments in these nationsand they became satellites of the USSR. These countries included Poland, Hungary, Romania, and East Germany. • Truman would respond in 1947 by adopting the Truman Doctrine, which called for the United States to aid groupswhich were resisting communist infiltration. It called on the U.S. to practice containment. By doing so, the US would prevent the extension of communism to other countries. • The first countries to benefit from the Doctrine were Turkey andGreece who were trying to prevent a communist take over. Theyreceived over $400 million dollars from the US. • Other countries in Western Europe would benefit from U.S. aid through the Marshall Plan which by 1951, had given $13 billion in aid to 16 countries. U.S. Secretary of State George Marshall Relative Amounts of aid given to European Creator of the Marshall Plan Countries under the Marshall Plan

6. The Berlin Blockade and Airlift • In 1948, the U.S., France, and G.B. combined their three occupied zones inGermany into one nation. However, one piece of their territory was in jeopardy: Western Berlin. It was surrounded by Soviet territory. • Stalin wanted to bring all of Berlin under Soviet control.He shut down all highways and railroads into the city and attempted to starve West Berlin into submission. This was called the Berlin Blockade. • The U.S. and G.B. responded by flying food and supplies into the city. The Berlin Airlift, as this action came to be known, lasted from June, 1948 until May, 1949 and brought 2.3 million tons of supplies into the city. Eventually, the USSR gave in and opened the roads. V2 – Candy Bomb • Following the crisis, both Western Europe and Eastern Europe created their own military alliances. 12nations in the West, including Canada and the United States, formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949. Eight nations from the East, including the USSR, formed the Warsaw Pact in 1955.

7. The Korean War • Before and during WWII, Korea was controlled by Japan. • After WWII, Japanese-occupied Korea was divided in two by the Soviets and the United States. North of the 38th parallel a communist nation was formed, while south of the parallel a pro-western government was formed. • In June, 1950, North Koreans, under leader Kim Il Sung, invaded the South. The U.S. and the U.N. retaliated, and pushed the North Koreans all the way back to the Chinese border at the Yalu River. • The communist Chinese reacted by invading Korea in November, 1950 with over 300,000 troops, pushing the U.S.-led forces back behind the 38th parallel. The U.S. would regain the parallel, but a stalemate began which would last for the next two years. The First Two Dictators of North Korea: KIM JONG IL and his father KIM IL SUNG (both deceased)

8. MacArthur vs. Truman • U.N. and U.S. Commander Douglas MacArthur then demanded an all-out war, perhaps using nuclear weapons against the Chinese and their leader Mao Zedong. Truman wanted a limited war, confined to a single area which would eventually bring peace. • MacArthur wouldn’t back down. He decided to go overTruman’s head, and got in contact with the press and Republican leadersin Congress. He urged them to support his views on China. • This put MacArthur in direct conflict with President Truman. Truman firedhim on April 1, 1951. Public opinion turned against Truman, and his popularity shrank while the General’s went up. However, MacArthur would lose support after an investigation revealed his insubordination. • When the MacArthur controversy died down, the USSR proposed a cease-fire in June, 1951. Over the next two years negotiators on both sideshammered out an agreement, and in July of 1953 an armistice was signed at the village of Panmunjon. This ended fighting, but the war is officially still going on and tensions have increased due to North Korea’s new leader Kim Jong Un V3 – Inside N. Korea North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un and former NBA Star Dennis Rodman General Douglas MacArthur and President Harry Truman Chinese Leader during the Korean War, Mao Zedong U.S. General Douglas MacArthur

9. The Berlin Wall • At a summit in Vienna, Austria in June of 1961, JFK let Khrushchev, the leader of the USSR know that he would not give up his access to West Berlin • This was a problem for Khrushchev. As long as West Berlin lay under U.S. influence and its borders lay open to East Berlin and East Germany, the citizens of East Germany would flock to the West. This departure of refugees showed the failure of communism and hurt the economy of East Germany. • Khrushchev would end this crisis by building a huge wall on August 13, 1961. This wall surrounded West Berlin and stopped the refugees. It divided East and West until 1989 when East Germany fell. V4 – Checkpoint Charlie Visual Layout of the Berlin Wall Brandenburg Gate in Berlin in 1989 at the fall of the Berlin Wall

10. The Cuban Missile Crisis - Background • The U.S. had always been involved in Cuban affairs, ever since the Spanish-American War of 1898 saw the U.S. take control of the island. • In the 1950s, much of Cuba’s resources were owned by wealthy Americans. At the same time, most Cubans were very poor. • In 1958, Cuban leader Fulgencio Batista was overthrown by Cuban lawyer Fidel Castro, and American property was taken. Cuba was remade into a communist country. • In response, the U.S. would train anti-Castro Cubans to invade the island and overthrow Castro. • The invasion was ordered by JFK on April 17, 1961. 1500 fighters landed in the Bay of Pigs in Cuba on that day. The invasion was a complete failure and was an embarrassment for the U.S.A. • JFK would then try to disrupt Castro’s government by interrupting Cuban trade, ordering more raids, and planning to assassinate Fidel. • Castro would then turn to his ally Nikita Khrushchev, the leader of the USSR, and ask for protection from further U.S. attacks. Prisoners after the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion New Cuban Dictator, Fidel Castro Overthrown Cuban Dictator, Fulgenico Batista Fidel Castro and USSR Leader Nikita Khrushchev hugging. Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders in Cuba, 1898 Cartoon making fun of JFK after the Bay of Pigs Invasion

11. The Cuban Missile Crisis – The Conflict • Castro and Khrushchev then installed nuclear weapons in Cuba. The U.S. discovered this on October 14, 1962. • JFK ordered a naval blockade on Cuba. No Soviet ships would be allowed to get through. JFK announced this on 10/22 on TV V5 – 13 Days Blockade Excerpt • By 10/24/62 the blockade was in place and the US military was on alert. For the next two days, a tense standoff ensued. On 10/26 Khrushchev offered to remove the missiles if JFK would vow never to attack Cuba and remove U.S. missiles from Turkey. • JFK agreed to the 1st demand but publicly refused the second . Secretly, though, JFK agreed to remove the missiles from Turkey 6 months later. • On 10/28 Khrushchev backed down. The incident was seen as a victory for the United States.

12. The Vietnam War - Background • The Vietnam War has its roots in WWII. During WWII, the French surrendered Vietnam to theJapanese. After Japan was defeated, France expected that its territory would be returned, but the Vietnamese had other ideas. • Led by communist Ho Chi Minh, the Vietnamese rebelled against French rule in 1946 after WWII. By 1954, the Vietnamese had defeated the French, ending with their takeover of the French stronghold of Dien Bien Phu. • U.S. presidents Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower sent aid to the French during the fight, but it didn’t help. • The Geneva Accords of July, 1954 would dictate the peace between France and Vietnam.Vietnam would be split along the 17th parallel, with N. Vietnam controlledby the Communists and Ho Chi Minh and S. Vietnam controlled by theanti-communist Ngo Dinh Diem. The two countries would be united byelections in 1956. • The U.S. would not allow that to happen. U.S. officials feared that if Vietnam fell to communists, therest of the area would do the same. This was known as the domino theory. • When Ngo Dinh Diem refused to allow elections, the U.S. backed him. Gradually, the U.S. would increase its support for Diem and South Vietnam, giving both financial and military support. The U.S. became more and more entangled in Vietnam’s business. Anti-communist Ngo Dinh Diem Communist leader Ho Chi Minh French territory before WWII can be seen in gray above.

13. The Vietnam War – The Overthrow of Diem • Ngo Dinh Diem was not popular because of his treatment of Buddhists. He severely restricted their religious freedom causing some of them to protest through self-immolation (setting themselves on fire). • Communists in the South would organize against Diem in 1957. They formed the Vietcong (VC). It would be supported by Ho Chi Minh. A network of paths through Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia would be developed in 1959 to support the VC, it was called the Ho Chi Minh trail. • As his presidency progressed, Diem became more and more corrupt and unpopular due to his failure to address the land needs of the peasants. A U.S. backed coup assassinated Diem on 11/1/63 and overthrew his government. A Vietcong soldier lays a land mine. Buddhist monk Thích Quảng Đức sets himself on fire in June of 1963 to protest Ngo Dinh Diem

14. The Vietnam War – U.S. Involvement • President Lyndon Johnson (LBJ) wasafraid S. Vietnam would fall to communism. He asked Congress for authority to repel attacks on U.S. forces. Congress granted him this authority with the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, in August of 1964. It gave LBJ broad powers in Vietnam. • LBJ sent U.S troops to fightwith the South Vietnamese. Troops would build up under the American commander inSouth Vietnam, William Westmoreland. By 1965, 180,000troops were there. By 1967, 500,000 were present. This was done because Westmoreland had little trust in his ally the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). • The fighting in Vietnam made the U.S.’s superior technology, manpowerand weapons ineffective. The enemy used the jungle terrain and guerilla(hit and run) tactics to wear the U.S.soldiers down and frustrate them. V6 – Punji Pits A Vietcong booby trap used to kill or hurt U.S. soldiers. This is called a punji pit. Gen. William Westmoreland Pres. Lyndon Johnson

15. 1968 – The Turning Point • On January 30, 1968, known at Tet, or the Vietnamese New Year’s Eve, the Vietcong launched a huge offensive on American and S. Vietnamese positions. This was called the Tet Offensive and it would last about a month before U.S. and S. Vietnamese forces could regain full control of their positions. • The Tet Offensive was a surprise to Americans because LBJ had been telling them that the U.S. was winning the war and that the Vietcong was losing. Now, that seemed like a lie. There was a credibility gap between what LBJ said and what was really happening. • When popular newscaster Walter Cronkite criticized LBJ on TV, it was the last straw for him. On 3/31/1968, LBJ decided that he would not run for President again and that the U.S. would negotiate with the enemy to end the fighting in Vietnam. • With LBJ giving up and with the assassination of Robert Kennedy (JFK’s brother), the presidential election was left open to the Republicans. Richard M. Nixon would win the presidential election in 1968. Newscaster Walter Cronkite JFK’s brother, Robert Kennedy A North Vietnamese spy executed by a ARVN Officer during the Tet Offensive.

16. Richard Nixon’s War • Upon taking office in 1969, Nixon and his national security advisor, Henry Kissenger, would plan a pullout of U.S. forces from Vietnam. They would call for a policy of Vietnamization in which South Vietnam’s forces would take a more active role in fighting the Vietcong and the North Vietnamese while the U.S. troops would be gradually removed. • Nixon removed 25,000 troops in 1969 and by 1972, only 25,000 U.S. troops remained in Vietnam. • But Nixon didn’t stop the fighting. He ordered more bombing raids on not just N. Vietnam but also nearby Cambodia and Laos. Nixon wanted peace with honor. • He also invaded Cambodia with troops in 1970 to disrupt the N. Vietnamese’s supply lines. Cambodia’s flag. Henry Kissenger Pres. Richard Nixon

17. The U.S. Leaves and the End of the War • A peace agreement was made in 1973 between the U.S. and the North Vietnamese. • Under this agreement, U.S. combat troops would leave Vietnam in March, 1973 and N. Vietnamese forces would remain in S. Vietnam. Fighting for U.S. servicemen was over, but the war continued. The North would invade the South in March of 1975. All U.S. involvement with Vietnam would cease when the U.S. embassy in Saigon was abandoned by officials on April 29, 1975. The capital would fall to North Vietnam forces a day later. The last helicopter leaves the U.S. Embassy in Saigon, South Vietnam

18. To be continued…… Next we will look at how the Cold War was handled at home in the United States