2.4 Alliances and Shifts

Question 1

Describe the Warsaw Pact

Answer 1

• May 1955
• Defence treaty established by the Soviet Union and seven other Soviet satellite states in response to FRG joining NATO

Question 2

What was SEATO?

Answer 2

• September 1954
• Southeast Asia Treaty Organisation
• prevent communism spreading

Question 3

Who took office in Jan 1953?

Answer 3

• Eisenhower
• John Foster Dulles (Secretary of State)

Question 4

Describe Eisenhower’s New Look Policy

Answer 4

• Rollback/liberation without any direct superpower confrontation - high risk, unrealistic
• ‘massive retaliation’ and brinkmanship
• ‘more bang for the buck’ focused on more funding towards nuclear weapons and less on a traditional army. Defence spending fell from ⅔ of government expenditure to ⅓

Question 5

When was Brinkmanship used effectively?

Answer 5

• Taiwan Straits crises Sept 1954-May 1955 and Aug - Oct 1958 US
• Threatened PRC with nuclear weapons (PRC didn’t have and Krushchev refused to back him)

Question 6

Attitude to French struggle in Indo-China

Answer 6

August 1945 Japanese surrendered in Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh (communist nationalist) established Democratic Republic of Vietnam after Minh established Viet Minh in 1941
US began to support France in Vietnam (backing a colonial power), aided war with Viet Minh, invested almost $billion prior to 1954
French withdrawal led to direct military intervention from the US - didn’t sign Geneva Accords, supported formation of democratic South Vietnam (buffer against communists in the north)
1954 Ngo Dinh Diem appointed leader
By 1960s South Vietnam was vulnerable to invasion from North

Question 7

Describe the Geneva Conference

Answer 7

• July 1954
• Geneva Accords …
• Undermined by mistrusts and tension

Question 8

What were the Geneva Accords?

Answer 8

• Laos and Cambodia to be made independent, Vietnam to be divided along the 17th parallel, French forces withdraw from the north of the line and Viet Minh forces withdraw from south of the line, democratic elections scheduled for united Vietnam in July 1956, North and South Vietnam couldn’t have military alliances with other countries
• Eisenhower refused to sign the accords - didn’t agree to elections (Communism would spread) or giving up the alliance with South Vietnam (also didn’t sign)