4 The spread of the Cold War Flashcards
spread of cold war
not limited to EU -> “warfare” extended to other regions -> some been developed to war -> many casualties
1. chinese civil war
2. korean war
3. vietnam war
4. cuban missile crisis
Chinese civil war year
1946-1949
Chinese Civil War
1946 -> full scale civil war broke out between communists + nationalists (Kuomintang) in China -> fighting since the 1920s
during WW2 -> US gov support nationalists -> weak due to corruption + inefficiency
communists stronger -> strong leaders Mao Zedong + Zhou Enlai + PLA (people’s liberation army) helped communists secure control over most of countryside
1949 -> nationalists under Chiang kai-shek defeated -> communists officially proclaim birth of People’s Republic of China in Beijing 1st oct -> Chiang and remaining forces fled to Taiwan
US gov worried about Communists’ takeover of China -> success important sign of communist expansion + they signed treaty of friendship between communist China + soviet union in 1950 -> sent aid to Nationalists in Taiwan (an american fleet was even sent)
-» tension between communist + capitalist spread from Europe to Asia
Korean War date
1950-53
Korean War background
WW2 end -> two opposing governments set up
NK -> communist -> kim il sung -> Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
SK -> US created anti-communist government by Rhee Syngman -> Republic of Korea
two zones governed under different political systems -> separated along 38th parallel
both wanted to unite Korea -> open hostility unavoidable
4 stages of the Korean War
- 25 June 1950 -> NK invade SK -> forces captured whole of SK except area around Pusan -> SK gov nearly collapsed
- 16 member states help (UN help) -> army formed to help South Korea -> main fighting done by Americans -> drove NKs out of SK by Nov 1950
- China intervened on the side of communist gov on North Korea in 1950 -> 200,000 soldiers sent + UN army forced to back to a line near 38th parallel
- war continued until July 1953 -> both sides unable to break through the other’s defence -> armistice signed -> restore original boundary between North + South Korea
results + significance of Korean War
around 4 million koreans died -> country still divided into communist NK with capital at Pyongyang + capitalist SK with capital at Seoul
1. showed determination of US protecting her interest in Asia
2. Korean War first direct “hot” conflict between East + West during Cold War period
3. made US adopt strong policy in Asia -> regarded China as dangerous giant who was to be isolated
Vietnam war date
1961-75
Vietnam War background
another battle broke out in 1961 -> part of international conflict between capitalism and communism
vietnam -> part of French colony Indochina -> included Laos + Cambodia WW2 -> Japan occupied -> Ho Chi Minh led guerrillas against Japanese
1945 -> Ho set up Democratic Republic of Vietnam to fight against French
1954 -> French driven out of Vietnam
WW2 end -> Geneva peace conference -> independent -> divided into 2 parts along 17th parallel:
1. NV communist country under Ho Chi Minh
2. anti communist in SV under Ng Dinh Diem -> dictator
French retreat -> civil war broke out
The Vietnam War
1959 -> communist guerrilla fighters (Viet Cong) -> start rebellion in SV with support of NV -> US determined to prevent Communist takeover -> began to help SV government -> fear the fall will spread communism in other Asian Countries (Domino theory)
SU + China -> supplying aid to Vietcong -> Vietnam War developed into military competition
The intervention by the US in the Vietnam War
US president Eisenhower afraid if SV turned communist -> other countries in East Asia will fall like dominoes to Communism -> sent US advisors + weapons to South Vietnam to keep her from the Communists
John F Kennedy + Lyndon B Johnson followed policy + continued with US involvement in war
1968 -> half a million Americans in Vietnam -> 30 billion dollars a year -> expenditures + casualties shocked Americans -> Anti-war movements gained in strength in US
US unable to defeat Viet Cong (guerrilla experts) -> gradually withdrew -> armstice signed in Paris between US + NV in 1973 -> but war continued -> SV defeated in 1975 -> vietnam reunited communist rule -> Laos + Cambodia also became communist
significance of Vietnam War
failure of US alarmed Americans-> killed over 45,000 -> people begin to support President Nixon’s policy of no direct intervention -> ease tensions between capitalist + communist
Cuban Missile Crisis year
1962
The Cuban Missile Crisis background
early 1950s -> stalins successor Khrushchev declared policy of “peaceful coexistence” with west -> showed willingness to settle disputes through negotiations -> however cold war between East and West intensified with Cuban Missile Crisis
To Americans -> Cuba’s location was strategically important to country’s national security (near south of Florida) -> Cuban gov friendly to US for years
1959 -> Fidel Castro established communist gov + maintained close relationship with SU -> Kennedy saw this as threat -> supported move by Cuban exiles to overthrow Castro government -> attempt failed Castro even closer with SU
US set up intermediate range ballistic missiles in Turkey (country bordering the SU) -> SU leader Khrushchev wanted to take advantage to turn Cuba into Soviet nuclear missile base
The Cuban Missile Crisis
1962 -> US discovered SU was building nuclear missile sites in Cuba + shipping nuclear missiles to country -> saw as serious threat to US national security -> relations tense
