WHII.12

The student will demonstrate knowledge of major events and outcomes of the Cold War by a) b) c) explaining key events of the Cold War, including the competition between the American and Soviet economic and political systems and the causes of the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe; assessing the impact of nuclear weaponry on patterns of conflict and cooperation since 1945; describing conflicts and revolutionary movements in eastern Asia, including those in China and Vietnam, and their major leaders, i.e., Mao Tse-tung (Zedong), Chiang Kai-shek, and Ho Chi Minh.

The origins of the Cold War

The Changing American Opinion on Russia

• In September 1945 a poll found that 54% of Americans thought we could trust the Soviet Union (Russia) to cooperate in the post-war period • In two months that number had dropped to 44% • In five months it dropped to 35% • Americans were souring on the Soviet Union and transferring their wartime hatred of Nazi Germany to the Communist in Russia

Underlying Causes of the Cold War

• 1. Disagreement over Poland and the form of government it would have after WWII – Stalin told Truman that Poland was on his border and therefore Russia should have more influence on Poland's future • 2. Tension was caused by America withholding information about the development of the A-Bomb from the Russians.

– We had brought the English in on the project – Stalin knew about the bomb from his spies in America – The Russians felt left out

Causes

• The Russians resented what they saw as a deliberate attempt by America to drag its feet on opening a second front in Europe by Invading France – Russia had nearly half of all casualties in WWII approximately 20 million dead – Stalin had pushed for the invasion of France since 1942 • America did not establish this second front until June 6 th 1944 • Russian leaders felt that a second front could have weakened the Germans in Russia and help reduce the cost of War in Russian lives

Causes

• Americans for their part were still mad at Russia for making a secret non-aggression pact with Germany in 1939.

– As part of that pact Russia had taken half of Poland – America had never really recognized the Soviet Union or its Communist leaders before Germany invaded Russia and make strange allies of the two in the fight against Hitler » It was a situation where neither country liked the other but they had to get along for this one event – There was not real trust

Different Ideology leads to separate paths after war

The Americans dreamed of a world filled with Democracy and Free Trade. America Russia This would best serve Americas economic growth in a post war world Russia was determined to rebuild the world on its terms They resolved they would never be invaded again They needed Friendly Border countries to establish a buffer between them and enemies

Separate Paths

• America • Share democratic principles of life liberty, and happiness with world • Russia – Predicted that communism would prevail by removing the means of production from business owners – Until the above was accomplished a strong central government would control the resources • Stalin created a totalitarian dictatorship which ruled by terror

Time Line

1945 October – United Nations established to maintain peace and international security.

_ Stalin installs a pro-communist government in Poland, this violated the terms of the Yalta Agreement to allow free elections in liberated countries _ Stalin masses troops on Turkish border and demands land and access to Mediterranean Sea

1946 February – Stalin announces that the communist struggle for a world wide revolution would continue *** Western Governments use a show of force to make Stalin back down in Turkey and also Iran August – Communist revolutionaries start a revolution in Greece **** Stalin supported the communist **** England supported the Greek government

1947 12 th of March – President Truman established the Truman Doctrine which said “ The United States would support free people resist takeover by outside or internal pressure.

****400 million was sent to Greece and Turkey to help defend them **** America’s new policy was to be containment

President Harry Truman

• Recognized fact that the United States had emerged form WWII as a world leader {

Superpower

} and helped Americans understand that role and its responsibilities

The Truman Doctrine

• It shall be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation (conquering) by armed minorities or outside pressures • Truman was afraid that the war ruined nations of Europe might become communist if their economic miseries could not be cured.

– A starving man will take up any cause that will feed him • The state department developed a plan to help these countries but Congress would have to approve it – Truman gained the support of the American people by scaring the hell out of them with the threat the Soviet Union posed to the United States – Congress passed the plan approving $400 million for Turkey and Greece

Containment

• American leaders saw a serious threat to United States interest from the Soviet Union • To address these concerns, American officials developed a policy known as

containment

– The United States would need to remove any opportunities for the enemy to establish communist governments in other countries

The Marshall Plan

• By 1947 the Communist Party was growing in many countries – American policy makers feared that the Soviet Union might intervene to support local communist movements – Policy makers were also keen to open new markets for American Goods

In June of 1947 Secretary of State George Marshall unveiled a plan for the nations of Europe, including the Soviet Union, to draw up a program for economic recovery after the war -The United States would then support the program with financial aid -The Soviet Union and its Eastern European neighbors (under Soviet pressure) did not participate -Sixteen Western European Nations did take part requesting $17 Billion over a four year period -Western European nations restored their economic health and the United States was rewarded with strong trade partners in that part of the world

Cold War Conflicts

• The Berlin Airlift • In June 1947 The Soviet Union began blockading the land and water routes into the city of Berlin » At wars end Germany had been split into four zones for occupation by the allies » The Soviets had the zone which included Berlin • Berlin itself was divided up into four sectors controlled by the allies • The Soviets wanted the Americans, French, and English out of Berlin – President Truman did not want to risk war but was not willing to let Berlin go to the Soviets

Berlin Airlift

• Truman and the other western leaders decided to supply Berlin by air.

• Supplies were flown into the city every day • The airlift lasted until May of 1949 when the Soviets lifted the blockade • The Tension that was created by the blockade convinced the Western powers that they needed to from a peacetime alliance for security against the Soviet threat

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

• Established in 1949 • Included • Luxemburg • Belgium • Canada • England • Denmark • France • Iceland • Italy • Norway • Netherlands • Portugal • America

NATO

• The United States vowed that an attack on any of the members would be viewed as an attack on the United States • America dropped all opposition to military treaties with Europe for the first time since the American Revolution • The United States was now directly involved in European affairs

The Russian Response to NATO

• The Soviet Union established its own defense pact with the countries of Eastern Europe, which it dominated, called the Warsaw Pact.

NSC-68

• The National Security Council was developed to provide advice to the President on policies and strategies in the Cold War period.

– The main policy they suggested was to increase defense spending by 3 times.

– Some suggested that 4 times would be better • This spending was justified by the new global demand for security.

• Only a vigorous defense policy would contain communism

The Cold War in Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America

INDIA ISRAEL IRAN CHINA KOREA CUBA VIETNAM

The United Nations Plan to Create a Jewish State in Palestine

• On 29 November 1947 the

United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine

or

United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181

, a plan to resolve the Arab-Jewish conflict in the British Mandate of Palestine , was approved by the United Nations General Assembly , at the UN World Headquarters in New York . The plan partitioned the territory into Jewish Greater Jerusalem and Arab states, with the area, encompassing Bethlehem , coming under international control. The failure of this plan led to the 1948 Arab-Israeli War .

The Boundaries of the Jewish State

• The United Nations attempted to force the Arabs to accept a Jewish State – There was a great deal of pressure to give the Jews a Homeland as a kind of repayment for the Holocaust

Trouble in the Middle East

• Israel – Once the state of Israel was created the Arab countries immediately attacked.

– The United States supported Israel in the United Nations and also with military supplies – America was going to ensure that the only democracy in the middle east survived – Russia was supplying war materials to the Arabs in Syria, Jordan, and Egypt

Israel Win the War in 1948

This map shows the land captured by the Israeli army during the 1948 war for independence.

Palestinian Refugee Camps

• This map shows the location of the displaced (refugee) Palestinian Arabs after the 1948 war for independence

Why the Soviet Union makes a move on Iran and the American Reaction

• As early as 1942 the Soviet Union was assisting separatist movements in northern Iran. This worried the United States, therefore it was decided to give Iran diplomatic support to "prevent the development of a communist take over.” A Soviet presence would be open threat to American interest in the Middle East. • the Soviets saw the Iran as a buffer zone on its southern border to provide protection against attack from the south. The northern region of Iran would be a potential source of oil for the Soviet Union. l

Trouble in the Middle East

• Iran – the United States was concerned that the Russians were active along the border with Iran.

– Iran held oil resources and loss of Iran to the Communist would mean that American Containment Policy was not working.

– The CIA was instrumental in bringing a government to Iran which would be friendly to the United States.

China Falls to Communist

• In January 1949 Beiping was taken by the Communists without a fight, and its name was changed back to Beijing. Between April and November, major cities passed from Nationalist to Communist control with minimal resistance. In most cases the surrounding countryside and small towns had come under Communist influence long before the cities • On October 1 , 1949 Mao Zedong proclaimed the Republic of China . Chiang Kai-shek and 600,000 People's Nationalist troops and 2,000,000 refugees, predominantly from the government and business community, retreated from the mainland to the island of Taiwan

All that remains of Nationalist (Democratic) China

• By 1950 the Chinese Communist had forced the former democratic government out of mainland China, and onto the island of Taiwan.

• The United States signed a treaty with Taiwan guaranteeing its freedom

The Korean War

• At the end of WWII the allies resorted to a short term solution for the independence of Korea.

– Japanese troops north of the 38 th parallel surrendered to the Russians while those south of the parallel surrendered to America – This was not intended to be permanent – Soon Russia set up and supported a Communist government in the North and America set up and supported a Democratic government in the South

Korean War

• While it had been hoped that the two Korea’s would someday unify each wanted it on different terms – In June of 1950 North Korea invaded the South to bring about a unification – The United States assumed – wrongly – that the Russians were behind the invasion • President Truman was determined to intervene and protect South Korea (Containment Theory)

The United Nations becomes involved

• The Korean War from 1950 to 1953 was the most severe test the United Nations had to face since its inception in 1945. As part of the whole Cold War scenario, the Korean War was a complicated issue with which the United Nations had to successfully deal with or lose credibility just five years after it had come into being.

A United Nations War

• Truman did not want to go it alone and went to the United Nations Security Council – China had been excluded from the security council in 1949 when it became communist – Russia was absent from the council because it was protesting China’s exclusion • A resolution calling North Korea was passed and member nations were called on to assist in restoring peace

The Security Council

• There are five permanent members of the UN security council.

– Each of these members has a veto power over the actions of the council • The rest of the membership rotates among the worlds nations

The General Assembly of the United Nations

• On June 27th 1950, America called on the United Nations to use force to get the North Koreans out as they had ignored the Security Council’s resolution of June 25th. This was also voted for and once again the Russians could not use their veto as they were still boycotting the United Nations.

Inchon

• a decisive 15-day invasion and battle during the Korean War . The battle began on September 15 , 1950 , and ended around September 28 . • The UN ground forces were predominantly U.S. Marines , and were commanded by U.S. Army General Douglas Macarthur

A Marine uses a flame thrower to flush out the Enemy at Inchon

Conduct of the War

• General Douglas Macarthur was put in charge of the United Nations forces.

– His war strategy called for an overwhelming force to push the North Koreans back across the 38 followed by a invasion of the North by United Nations troops th parallel – As Macarthur's troops approached the Chinese border in North Korea the Chinese warned us not to go any further – McArthur ignored the warning and in October of 1950 the Chinese entered the war on North Koreas side.

– The war bogged down and McArthur wanted to use Atomic weapons on the Chinese

MacArthur Vs. Truman

• President Truman wanted a limited war and refused MacArthur permission to use nuclear weapons • MacArthur would not back down and sent a letter to Congress which attacked Truman's ability lead.

• On April 5 th 1951 Truman fired MacArthur for insubordination

Chinese Soldiers March across the Yalu River to attack United Nations Forces in North Korea

• The entry of China in the Korean War caught many by surprise • This event caused tension because it appeared to expand the war

China Invades South Korea

• Chinese forces were very successful in forcing the United Nations troops out of North Korea, but made a fertile error in invading South Korea.

– The American and other United Nations troops managed to hold there position at the 38 th parallel – The war ended in an armistice that kept the status quo

The fallout from Korea

• The war was enormously frustrating to Americans – 54,000 Americans had been killed and far more wounded, for very limited results – Americans began to wonder if the government was sincere about stopping the spread of communism – The war led to an even bigger defense budget, just as NSC-68 asked • In 1950 defense was one-third of the total budget. Ten years later it was half of the total budget

The Early War in Vietnam

• At the end of WWII France controlled Southeast Asia.

– Vietnam was one part of this area which sought to gain independence – The leader of the independence movement was Ho Chi Minh a Vietnamese Nationalist • He liked to use the American Revolutionary war as a model for independence – He was also sympathetic to Marxism

The Viet Minh Fight against France for Independence

• Ho Chi Minh established the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945.

– France would not let go with out a fight – The United States was drawn in because we needed France to help us contain communism in Europe • The United States believed that communism was the same everywhere and had to be stopped, even though Ho Chi Minh had no close ties with the USSR, so we gave France large amounts of aid and by 1954 we were paying ¾’s of the cost of France’s fight to keep its colonial empire in Vietnam • Ho Chi Minh had asked President Truman for help against the French in 1945 but Truman had turned him down rather than ruin American relations with France

Outcomes of World War II

France is Defeated

• Even though we were giving them help the French were losing the war in Vietnam.

– The French lost a battle at Dien Bien Phu which turned out to be the turning point of this war.

– American President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who had been elected to replace Truman in November 1952 was very concerned about the expansion of Asian Communism

Vietnam is divided

• To settle the issue of what would become of Vietnam if the French left an international conference was held at Geneva – It was decided at the conference that Vietnam would be divided at the 17 th parallel • A plan which was similar in purpose to those done in Germany and Korea – Ho Chi Minh would control the North and an anti communist government would rule the south • America would provide military aid, equipment, to South Vietnam but resisted further involvement • All this would change in the mid 1960’s

President Eisenhower

• The Domino Theory – Eisenhower believed in this theory which compared the countries of Southeast Asia to dominoes.

– If you knock one down, {allow it to fall to the communist} the rest would soon follow

Eisenhower and the policy of Massive Retaliation

• The doctrine of massive retaliation was based on the west's increasing frustration at its inability to dominate in wars like Korea with conventional strategies. – By relying on a large nuclear arsenal, President Eisenhower power believed that conventional forces could be reduced while still maintaining military prestige and – the U.S. would respond to military provocation "at places and with means of our own choosing." This was interpreted to mean that the U.S. could respond to any foreign challenge with nuclear

(MAD)

•

Mutual assured destruction

(

MAD

) is the doctrine of military strategy in which a full scale use of nuclear weapons by one of two opposing sides would result in the destruction of both the attacker and the defender – This is the theory of deterrence according to which the deployment of strong weapons is essential to threaten the enemy in order to prevent the use of the very same weapons

The Role of the American Military in the Cold War

VUS SOL 12c Explain the role of Americas military and veterans in defending freedom during the Cold War

The Strategic Air Command

• One of the mainstays of deterring aggression was the Strategic Air Command (SAC). During the 1950’s and 60’s the U. S. built a vast nuclear arsenal, most of it under the control of the Strategic Air Command. • Throughout the Cold War, America’s nuclear armada was on a hair trigger.

Weapons of Deterrence

B-52 Bombers (above) and Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (right) were the method of delivering America’s Nuclear Response to an attack by the Soviet Union (USSR)

Hungarian Revolt of 1956

• The

1956 Hungarian Revolution

, also known as the

Hungarian Uprising

or simply the

Hungarian Revolt

, was an anti-Soviet revolt in Hungary lasting from 23 October to 4 November 1956 . The revolt was suppressed by Soviet troops

Suez Crisis 1956

• The

Suez Crisis

, also known as the

Suez War

between or – The conflict pitted against a secret alliance France

1956 War

Egypt , the United Kingdom and Israel . – the European economic and trading interests in the Suez Canal wanted to re-open the canal for Israeli shipping – When the nations had USSR Lester B. Pearson , while Israel threatened to intervene on behalf of Egypt, feared a larger war and forced the British and French to withdraw

Lebanon 1958

• • • • • Lebanese government to join the newly created Muslims pushed the United Arab Republic A Muslim Rebellion and the toppling of a pro-Western government in Iraq caused the Lebanese President Camille Chamoun assistance. to call for U.S.

America’s President Lebanon on July 15 , Eisenhower responded by authorizing 14,000 American soldiers to be sent to 1958 . The goal of the operation was to bolster the pro-Western Lebanese government of President Camille Chamoun against internal opposition and threats from Syria and the United Arab Republic. The presence of the troops successfully quelled the opposition and the U.S. withdrew its forces on October 25, 1958.

U.S. Marines in Lebanon 1958

• Marines occupy the city of Beirut and its airport.

– America had to protect the Friendly Democratic government of this small Middle-eastern country in order to contain communist influence

Batista

Cuba’s Dictator

• In 1940 he was elected President of Cuba • He was out of power from 1944 to 1952 • Staged a military take over in 1952 and abandoned the Cuban Constitution • He was on good terms with America – American companies became rich while the Cuban people became poor

CHE

• The Latin Lenin – He was the inspiration for several Latin American revolutionary movements.

– He died as a result of capture and torture by the CIA and its friends in Latin America

Fidel Castro

• Many people opposed Batista • Castro and his movement M-26-7 started a revolution in 1956 – Batista’s large well equipped army could not put the revolt down – Batista fled Cuba stealing millions of dollars – Castro took over Cuba in 1959 and declared himself a communist

•

The Soviet Union (USSR) and America Face off

• After 1957, tension grew between Russia and America: • Russia’s Sputnik satellite (1957) and space orbit (1961) gave them a psychological advantage. Many Americans believed America was in danger. • In 1959, the Communist Fidel Castro took power in Cuba, right next to America. In 1960, he made a trade agreement with Russia.

Eisenhower and Khrushchev Plan to meet to cool a warming cold war down • A summit was planned for May 1960 to discuss Berlin and nuclear weapons.

The American President Eisenhower wanted an 'open skies' agreement - that Russia and America would let spy planes fly over each other's countries, so that they could be assured the other wasn't preparing for war. Khrushchev refused - but Eisenhower did so anyway.

Flight Path of U2 Flown by Gary Powers

• On 5 May 1960 – just 9 days before the summit – the Russians announced that they had shot down an American U2 spy plane on 1 May

The Summit is Ruined

• • • • • • • • • Paris summit ruined; Cold War continues. The summit met at Paris on 14 May 1960. Khrushchev refused to take part in the talks unless the Americans apologized and cancelled all future spy flights. President Eisenhower agreed to cancel the spy-flights, but would not apologies – so Khrushchev went home ; the Paris Summit collapsed. Eisenhower’s planned visit to Russia cancelled. Khrushchev and the Russians grew in confidence. Americans became angry with Eisenhower, who they said was losing the Cold War. After the U2 incident, America became more aggressive. They elected John F Kennedy, who promised to be much tougher on communism.

Francis Gary Powers

• Gary Powers pictured here on the left was the pilot of the U2 Spy-plane which was shot down.

• He had been given a poison tablet to take if he was captured but failed to follow through.

Kennedy and Ike talk about Bay of Pigs Operation

• United States Cuba of -planned and funded landing by armed Cuban exiles in southwest in an attempt to overthrow the government Fidel Castro in 1961 and marked the climax of anti-Cuban US actions. • the invasion failed miserably and proved to be a major international embarrassment for the Kennedy administration

Berlin Wall “East German Guard Tower”

• At the Vienna summit of

June 1961

, Khrushchev again demanded that the Americans leave West Berlin. Kennedy’s refused – and on

25 July

increased America’s spending on weapons. • On

13 August

, Khrushchev closed the border between east and west Berlin – and built a wall. The West was taken by surprise - the Communists

The Wall Divides a City

• The East German Guards were told to shoot anyone that tried to escape over the wall.

• The wall was intended to keep the people of East Berlin from leaving the communist way of life for the decedent western capitalist world.

• • • • • • • • • • • •

President Kennedy goes to Berlin and gives a famous speech

There are many people in the world who really don’t understand what is the great issue between the free world and the communist world. Let them come to Berlin!

There are some who say in Europe and elsewhere we can work with the communists. Let them come to Berlin! All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin.

And therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words

Ich bin ein Berliner

' ['I am a Berliner'].

President Kennedy, 1963. (Although he meant this to mean: 'I am a Berliner', he should have said in German: '

Ich bin Berliner

'. Outside Berlin, a Berliner -

ein Berliner

- is a German pastry; some people joke that he actually said: 'I am a jelly doughnut'

• •

The USSR’s Leader Nikida Khrushchev becomes Belligerent

"

Whether you like it or not, history is on our side. We will bury you"

- a meaning more akin to "we will attend your funeral" than "we shall cause your funeral".

Several online sources incorrectly claim that he made this statement at the United Nations General Assembly on October 11 reports give the date in most newspapers.) , 1960 explicitly for that purpose). [2] (Occasionally these incorrect , when he is said to have pounded the table with his shoe (or with an extra shoe he had brought with him October 12 , the date this incident was reported

Russian Nuclear Missiles in Cuba

Visible Signs of Danger

• This Fallout shelter sign became a common fixture in public schools, court houses and other facilities that could be set up as shelters in case of nuclear war.

Stock Up on the Caned Goods

• Many people built personal bomb shelters in their backyards and stocked these shelters with the list of goods that the government recommended

How the crisis ended

• • On October 26 , they offered to withdraw the missiles in return for a U.S. guarantee not to invade Cuba or support any invasion. The second deal was broadcast on public radio on October 27 , calling for the withdrawal of U.S. missiles from Turkey October 28 State , Khrushchev announced that he had ordered the removal of the Soviet missiles in Cuba. The decision prompted then Secretary of Dean Rusk to comment, "We are eyeball to eyeball, and the other fellow just blinked.

Buddhist Priest Protest lack of Religious freedom in Vietnam under the Diem Government • On June 11, 1963, Thich Quang Due, a sixty-six year old monk, sat down in the middle of a busy Saigon road. He was then surrounded by a group of Buddhist monks and nuns who poured petrol over his head and then set fire to him. One eyewitness later commented: "As he burned he never moved a muscle, never uttered a sound, his outward composure in sharp contrast to the wailing people around him." While Thich Quang Due was burning to death, the monks and nuns gave out leaflets calling for Diem's government to show "charity and compassion " to all religions

The President of South Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem .

• Events like the burn monk convinced President John F. Kennedy that would never be able to unite the South Vietnamese against communism Ngo Dinh Diem • The CIA, provided a group of South Vietnamese generals with $40,000 to overthrow Diem with a promise that US forces would make no attempt to protect Diem • Three weeks after Diem was overthrown and killed, President Kennedy was also assassinated.

• After the assassination of John F. Kennedy , his deputy, Lyndon B. Johnson became the new president of the United States. Johnson was a strong supporter of the Domino Theory • Johnson, came under pressure from his military advisers to take more 'forceful' action against North Vietnam – On August 2, 1964, the US destroyer, "Maddox" was fired upon by three North Vietnamese torpedo boats in the Gulf of Tonkin. In retaliation, "Maddox" fired back and hit all three, one of which sank. The "Maddox" then retreated into international waters but the next day it was ordered to return to the Gulf of Tonkin. – Johnson now had the excuse he had been waiting for and ignored Captain Herrick's second message. He ordered the bombing of four North Vietnamese torpedo-boat bases and an oil-storage depot that had been planned three months previously.

– The Congress approved Johnson's decision to bomb North Vietnam and passed what has become known as the Gulf of Tonkin resolution by the Senate by 88 votes to 2 and in the House of Representatives by 416 to 0. This resolution authorized the President to take all necessary measures against Vietnam

The War in Vietnam

• By the summer of 1968 over 500,000 American soldiers were on the ground in Vietnam.

• Americans began to see stories nightly on ABC, NBC, and CBS about the war

American Policy for fighting the War

• In 1965, General William Westmoreland developed the aggressive strategy of 'search and destroy'. The objective was to find and then kill members of the NLF. The US soldiers found this difficult. As one marine captain explained: "You never knew who was the enemy and who was the friend. They all looked alike. They all dressed alike." Innocent civilians were often killed by mistake. As one Marine officer admitted they "were usually counted as enemy dead, under the unwritten rule 'If he's dead and Vietnamese, he's VC'."

The Tet Offensive

• on the evening of 31st January, 1968, 70,000 members of the NLF launched a surprise attack on more than a hundred cities and towns in Vietnam. It was now clear that the purpose of the attacks on the US garrisons in September had been to draw out troops from the cities.

The Battle that cost America the War

• The Tet Offensive proved to be a turning point in the war. In military terms it was a victory for the US forces. An estimated 37,000 NLF soldiers were killed compared to 2,500 Americans. However, it illustrated that the NLF appeared to have inexhaustible supplies of men and women willing to fight for the overthrow of the South Vietnamese government. In March, 1968, President Johnson was told by his Secretary of Defense that in his opinion the US could not win the Vietnam War and recommended a negotiated withdrawal. Later that month, President Johnson told the American people on national television that he was reducing the air-raids on North Vietnam and intended to seek a negotiated peace.

Fear

• A South Vietnamese Woman and her daughter show the pain and fear of war on their faces. • As with all wars Vietnam took a heavy toll on civilians

MY LAI An American War Crime

• The War in Vietnam dehumanized it participants.

– The My Lai Massacre occurred because American soldiers hardened by the war and the lose of friends began to see all Vietnamese as the enemy.

– Human life became cheap

First Man on the Moon 1969

• On July 20 th 1969 Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon

Vietnamization

• Soon after taking office. President Richard Nixon introduced his policy of "vietnamization". – The plan was to encourage the South Vietnamese to take more responsibility for fighting the war. It was hoped that this policy would eventually enable the United States to withdraw gradually all their soldiers from Vietnam.

The Paris Peace Talks

• Peace talks between representatives from United States, South Vietnam, North Vietnam and the NLF had been taking place in Paris since January, 1969. By 1972, Richard Nixon , like Lyndon B. Johnson before him, had been gradually convinced that a victory in Vietnam was unobtainable.

The Negotiations

• In October, 1972, the American and North Vietnamese negotiators came close to agreeing to a formula to end the war. The plan was that US troops would withdraw from Vietnam in exchange for a cease-fire and the return of 566 American prisoners held in Hanoi. It was also agreed that the governments in North and South Vietnam would remain in power until new elections could be arranged to unite the whole country. • The only problem with this formula for the United States was that while the US troops would leave the country, the North Vietnamese troops could remain in their positions in South Vietnam. – The North Vietnamese refused to change the terms of the agreement and so in January, 1973, Nixon agreed to sign the peace plan that had been proposed

Detente

• Both America and the USSR had pressing reasons to seek relaxation in tensions. – Leonid Brezhnev and the rest of the Soviet leadership felt that the economic burden of the nuclear arms race was unsustainable. – The American economy was also in financial trouble as the Vietnam War drained government finances at the same time as Lyndon Johnson , and to a lesser extent Richard Nixon , sought to expand the government welfare state .

Summits and Treaties

• The most obvious outcomes of Détente was the series of summits held between the leaders of the two superpowers and the treaties that resulted from these meetings. – Even before people spoke of Détente the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty had been signed in 1963. – Later in the decade the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Treaty and Outer Space were two of the first elements of Détente. – Beginning in 1969 at a summit in Helsinki the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks led to the signing of the SALT I treaty in 1972 , this treaty limited each power's nuclear arsenals – The Biological Weapons Convention and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty were also agreed to – In 1975 Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe met and produced the Helsinki Accords , a wide ranging series of agreements on economic, political, and human rights issues

The End of Detente

• Détente began to unravel in 1979 due to a series of events. The Iranian Revolution and the subsequent hostage crisis embarrassed the United States and led much of the American public to believe their nation had lost its international power and prestige.

• The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to shore up a struggling allied regime led to harsh criticisms in the west and a boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics , which were to be held in Moscow . American President heavily subsidize the anti-Soviet fighters in Afghanistan.

• The Jimmy Carter boosted the U.S. defense budget and began to 1980 American presidential election on a platform opposed to the concessions of Détente and committed to restarting the arms race. Negotiations on saw Ronald Reagan SALT II elected were abandoned and relations once again soured.

Shah of Iran

• An key ally of the United States in the Persian Gulf was the Shah of Iran.

– America had helped him take over the country in the 1960’s – He was disliked by the Shi’i religious faith in Iran and often used a secret police force to control them by terror – In January 1979 the Shah’s control of Iran began to fail and he was forced to flee to Egypt

Ayatollah Khomeini

• The most important leader of the Shi’i in Iran he lived in exile and communicated with his followers via radio and taped messages.

• When the Shah was forced to leave Iran Khomeini returned to his home country and set up the Islamic Republic of Iran.

– Khomeini was not a friend of America like the Shah

Iran

• Iran is a very strategic country in the Persian Gulf Region and has a vast oil reserve.

• During the Cold War both the Soviet Union and America tried to keep it friendly to them.

Iranian Hostage Crisis

• On November 4 th 1979 Iranian students attacked and captured the American Embassy in Tehran the capital of Iran.

– They held 66 people hostage for almost 500 days.

– In 1980 President Jimmy Carter attempted a rescue of the hostages, but the military operation was a failure. – Many people in the world began to think America had become weak and unwilling to fight after the experience of the Vietnam War

The Collapse of Communism

The Presidency of Ronald Reagan

•

Ronald Reagan returned America to the hard line policy of deterrence and (MAD).

–

He describes the policy as promoting “stability through offensive threat.”

–

Enormous amounts of money were allocated for the military in the first few years of Reagan’s presidency.

–

In fact, defence spending increased by 7 percent a year from 1981 to 1985. The Pentagon’s share of the federal budget rose from 23 to a staggering 27 percent.

[12]

–

This massive increase in the defence budget was necessary, in order to “make America strong again after too many years of neglects and mistakes

We must not break faith with those who are risking their lives...on every continent from Afghanistan to Nicaragua ... to defy Soviet aggression and secure rights which have been ours from birth. Support for freedom fighters is self-defence

• Under the Reagan Doctrine: economic and political support for insurgent movements in third world countries where Marxism had been instigated was necessary to protect America. • This is contrary to earlier doctrines, such as the Truman, Eisenhower, and Carter doctrines which “were concerned with prevention, the Reagan approach emphasized cure.”

Pershing II

• Reagan plans to send Intermediate Nuclear missiles to Europe to counter the Soviet Union.

• This is part of the military buildup planned by Reagan as a determent to war

Reagan takes the Moral Stand against Communism

• Ronald Reagan saw a vast moral difference between liberal democracy and communist dictatorship, He thought it important that Western leaders should openly express their recognition of the evils perpetrated by communism. • President Reagan thus broke with traditional diplomatic practice, which tended to eschew harsh rhetoric, by labeling the Soviet Union an "evil empire." – Reagan's denunciations of communism gave encouragement to those citizens in Eastern Europe who were looking for an opportunity to throw off the yoke of communist government. – This may have encouraged people to oppose and later dismantle communism at the end of the 1980s.

Reagan’s most famous Speech on The Evils of Communism

• In late 1987 Ronald Reagan made a trip to the Berlin Wall and Gave a speech in which he said “Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall” • Many people see this a the call which led Eastern Europeans to rise up and end the rule of Communism in their countries

The Strategic Defense Initiative Star Wars Defense

• This Defense system proposed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan on March 23 , 1983[1] to use ground-based and space-based systems to protect the United States from attack by strategic nuclear ballistic missiles. • The initiative focused on strategic defense rather than the previous strategic offense doctrine of mutual assured destruction .

The Soviets and Americans find a way to cool down the Cold War

• Reagan and Gorbachev sign the INF Treaty

The

Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty

• The treaty eliminated nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500 kilometers (300-3,400 miles). – By the treaty's deadline of June 1 , 1991 , a total of 2,692 of such weapons had been destroyed, 846 by the U.S. and 1846 by the Soviet Union. – Also under the treaty, both nations were allowed to inspect each other's military installations.

Poland Leads the Way

• Labor turmoil in Poland during 1980 had led to the formation of the independent trade union, Solidarity , led by Lech Wałęsa , which over time became a political force. – On December 13, 1981, Communist leader temporarily imprisoning most of its leaders. underground organization, supported by the Wojciech Jaruzelski declaring a martial law in Poland, suspending the union, and – Throughout the mid-1980s, Solidarity persisted solely as an Catholic Church , fearful of Soviet intervention started a crack-down on Solidarity, and the CIA . – However, by the late 1980s, Solidarity became sufficiently strong enough to frustrate Jaruzelski's attempts at reform, and nationwide strikes in 1988 forced the government to open a dialogue with Solidarity.

Rising Military Cost kill the Soviet Economy

• The Soviet economy was not functioning well because of its nature.

• Gorbachev was trying to improve the Soviet economy by reducing military spending. – He believed that the military was absorbing too much wealth and scarce resources, and he believed that one way to reduce military spending was to make an arms agreement with the United States

Gorbachev brings Political and Economic Change to the USSR

• The first signs of major reform came in 1986 when Gorbachev launched a policy of

glasnost

(openness) in the Soviet Union, and emphasized the need for economic reform,

perestroika

(economic restructuring

The End of the Cold War

• The

Autumn of Nations

is the series of events in Central and Eastern Europe in the autumn of 1989 , when various Soviet -style Communist governments were overthrown in the space of a few months [1] . – The name of this event refers to the Revolutions of 1848 , known as the

Spring of Nations

. [1] – The Autumn of Nations began in Poland[2] and sparked similar, mostly peaceful revolutions in East Germany , Czechoslovakia , Hungary , Bulgaria , while Romania was the only Eastern bloc country to violently overthrow its Communist regime and execute its head of state.

[3] – This event drastically altered the world's balance of power , marking (combined with the subsequent collapse of the Soviet Union ) the end of the Cold War and the beginning of the Post-Cold War era .

The End of the Soviet Union

• In June 1990, the Warsaw Pact • As the USSR rapidly withdrew its forces from Eastern Europe, the spillover from the 1989 was officially dissolved

Autumn of Nations

began reverberating throughout the Soviet Union itself. • Agitation in the Baltic states for self-determination lead to first Lithuania , and then Estonia and Latvia , declaring independence.

• • Disaffection in other Soviet republics, such as Georgia and Azerbaijan , was countered by promises of greater decentralization. • More open elections lead to the election of candidates opposed to Communist Party rule.

Glasnost

had inadvertently released the long-suppressed national sentiments of all peoples within the borders of the multinational Soviet state. These nationalist movements were further strengthened by the declining Soviet economy,