COLD WAR CONFLICTS - WordPress

COLD WARCONFLICTSUS vs. USSR

PART 2: THE COLD WAR HEATS UPCHINA:For two decades, Chinesecommunists hadstruggled against thenationalist governmentof Chiang Kai-ShekThe U.S. supported Chiangand gave the NationalistParty 3 billion in aidduring WW IIHowever, Mao Zedong’sCommunist Party inChina was strong,especially among Chinesepeasants

CHINESE CIVIL WAR: 1944-1947After Japan left China at theend of the War, ChineseNationalists and Communistsfought a bloody civil warDespite the U.S. sending billions to the Nationalists,the Communists under Maowon the war and ruled ChinaChiang and the Nationalistsfled China to neighboringTaiwan (Formosa)Mao established the People’sRepublic of ChinaMAOKai-Shek

AMERICA STUNNEDThe American publicwas shocked thatChina had fallen to theCommunistsMany believedcontainment hadfailed and communismwas expandingAmerican fear ofcommunism andcommunist expansionwas increasing

KOREAN WARSovietcontrolledU.S.controlledJapan had taken overKorea in 1910 and ruledit until August 1945As WW II ended,Japanese troops north ofthe 38th parallelsurrendered to theSovietsJapanese soldiers southof the 38th surrendered tothe AmericansAs in Germany, twonations developed, onecommunist (North Korea)and one democratic(South Korea)

NORTH KOREA ATTACKSSOUTH KOREAOn June 25, 1950, North Korean forcesswept across the 38th parallel in asurprise attack on South KoreaWith only 500 U.S. troops in South Korea,the Soviets figured the Americans wouldnot fight to save South KoreaInstead, America sent troops, planes andships to South Korea

MACARTHUR’SCOUNTERATTACKAt first, North Koreaseemed unstoppableHowever, GeneralMacArthur launcheda counterattack withtanks, heavyartillery, and troopsMany North Koreanssurrendered; othersretreated across the38th parallel

CHINA JOINS THE FIGHTJust as it looked like theAmericans were going toscore a victory in theNorth, 300,000 Chinesesoldiers joined the waron the side of the NorthKoreansThe fight between Northand South Korea hadturned into a war inwhich the mainopponents were ChineseCommunists vs. America

MACARTHUR RECOMMENDSATTACKING CHINATo halt the bloody stalemate,General MacArthur called foran extension of the war intoChinaFurthermore, MacArthurcalled for the U.S. to dropatomic bombs on severalChinese citiesPresident Truman rejectedthe General’s requests

MACARTHUR VS. TRUMANMacArthur continued to urge President Truman toattack China and tried to go behind Truman’s back –Truman was furious with his generalOn April 1, 1951, Truman made the shockingannouncement that he had fired MacArthurAmericans were surprised and many still supportedtheir fallen generalMacarthurwas givena tickertapeparade

AN ARMISTICE IS SIGNEDNegotiatorsbegan workingon a settlementas early as thesummer of 1951Finally, inJuly 1953, anagreementwas signed thatended the warin a stalemate(38th parallel)America’s cost:54,000 livesand 67 billionKorean War Memorial, Washington D.C.

The Shifting Map of Korea[1950-1953]

Korean War[1950-1953]Kim Il-SungSyngman Rhee“Domino Theory”

Significance of the Korean WarPrior to 1950 Cold War was fought withpolitical pressure and economic aidUS and Soviet Union began a huge militarybuildupExpanded the Cold War from Europe to AsiaAmericans began to give aid to the Frenchwho were trying to hold onto their colony inVietnam.

Brinkmanship and the Arms Race(1949) Soviets set off their own AtomicBomb.(1953) Eisenhower’s policy of Brinkmanship “Massive retaliation” threatened to usenuclear weapons if a Communist state triedto seize territory by force.brought both nations to the edge of war andencouraged a huge arsenal of nuclear weaponsand a strengthened militaryThe arms race beginsMAD - Mutually Assured Destruction

Deterrence and Forward PresenceFrom Great Powers to Superpowers!What would WW III look like?Underneath all the political and militaryaction

Atomic and Nuclear Weapons

ICBM - Intercontinental Ballistic Missile

SLBM – Submarine-launched Ballistic Missile

Strategic Bombers

Nuclear tests

Numbers of Nuclear Weapons

Why so many Weapons: DeterrenceSoviet First Strike: Successful USSR “wins”US Second strikeUSUSSR

Soviet First StrikeUS Second StrikeCapabilityUS Second strikeScenario: Everyone DiesUSUSSR

Deterrence and CredibilityInfluencing the enemy’s decision makingprocess

PART 3: THE COLD WAR AT HOMEAt the height of WW II,about 80,000Americans claimedmembership in theCommunist PartySome feared that thefirst loyalty of theseAmerican Communistswas to the Soviet UnionOverall, Americansfeared communistideology, a worldrevolution and SovietexpansionAnti-Soviet cartoon

U.S. GOVERNMENT TAKES ACTIONIn March of 1947,President Truman set upthe Loyalty Review BoardThe board was created toinvestigate federalemployees and dismissthose disloyal to the U.S.governmentThe U.S. Attorney Generalalso drew up a list of 91“subversive” organizations– membership in any ofthese was ground forsuspicion

THE HOUSE UN-AMERICANACTIVITIES COMMITTEEThe HUAC was a governmentbody which first madeheadlines in 1947 when itbegan investigatingcommunist influence in themovie industryThe committee believed thatCommunists were sneakingpropaganda into filmsThe HUAC subpoenaedwitnesses from Hollywood todiscuss their involvement

THE HOLLYWOOD TENTen witnesses refusedto cooperate becausethey believed theproceedings wereunconstitutional – theywere jailedSubsequently, thecommittee blacklisted500 actors, directors,writers and producerswhom they believedhad communistconnectionsThe “Hollywood Ten”(and two lawyers)

SPY CASES STUN THE NATIONNixon examinesmicrofilm in HisscaseTwo spy cases addedto the fear grippingthe nationAlger Hiss wasaccused of being aspy for the SovietsA young Republicancongressman namedRichard Nixon gainedfame by tirelesslyprosecuting HissHiss was found guiltyand jailed – less thanfour years later Nixonwas VP

THE ROSENBERGSAnother high profiletrial was the Rosenbergspy caseThe Rosenbergs wereaccused of providinginformation to Sovietswhich enabled them toproduce an atomicbomb in 1949Ethel and JuliusRosenberg were foundguilty and executedThe Rosenbergs were the first U.S.citizens executed for espionage

MCCARTHY LAUNCHES“WITCH HUNT”The most famous anti-Communist activist wasSenator JosephMcCarthy, a Republicanfrom WisconsinMcCarthy took advantageof people’s concern aboutCommunism by makingunsupported claims that205 state departmentmembers wereCommunists

AntiCommunistpropagandaduringMcCarthyera

MCCARTHY’S DOWNFALLFinally, in 1954 McCarthywent too farHe accused high rankingArmy officers of beingCommunistsIn the televisedproceedings McCarthy’sbullying of witnessesalienated the nationalaudienceThree years later he diedof alcoholism at age 49McCarthy’s attacking style andutter lack of evidence led to hisdownfall

THE AMERICANSHAMEToday, thoseCongressional witch huntsand episodes of “redbaiting" are universallydiscredited as abuse ofofficial powerThe history of the blacklistera has come to stand fordemagoguery, censorship,and political despotism;and the blacklisting,persecution, and jailing ofAmerican citizens for theirpolitical beliefs - or theirperceived political beliefs is regarded as a shamefulchapter in modernAmerican history

ConclusionsCold War foreign policy dominated Americanthoughts throughout the 1940s & early1950s:Defense spending increased dramaticallyThe nuclear arms race made people anxiousabout the futureWith Eisenhower’s election in 1952, Americananxieties subsided as the Cold War becamemore covert

PART 2: THE COLD WAR HEATS UP CHINA: For two decades, Chinese communists had struggled against the nationalist government of Chiang Kai-Shek The U.S. supported Chiang and gave the Nationalist Party 3 billion in aid during WW II However, Mao Zedong’s Communist Party in China was strong, especially among Chinese peasants. CHINESE CIVIL WAR: 1944-1947 After Japan left China at the end of the .