7. Increasing Cold War Tensions Flashcards
Who were the rosenburgs?
-convicted of passing American nuclear secrets to the USSR =execution
When was McCarthyism reach most prominence?
By 1950
What committee carried out investigations on communist sympathisers+ when and what did they do?
- 1938
- house of un-American activities committee
- they investigated communist infiltration
Why were so Many innocents convicted by ‘house of in-American activities committees’?
- people Believed communist infiltration was very prominent and this created fear
- people became sacrificial victims to feed into the paranoia
- as MCcarthy promoted the idea that there was an army of communist conspirators working with US government influencing policies
- eg. Alger Hiss
What was the aim of McCarthy’s pressure on Truman?
-McCarthy’s pressure was designed to tighten governments attitude toward the communist threat on USA.
Who were the targets During McCaugheys anti-Communism attacks
- state department
- film industry
- democratic parties
- universities
Who did Edgar J Hoover believe was undermining American tradition+ feelings about the UN
- teachers who he referred to as reducators a reference to the nickname of red’s (communists)
- He believed that the UN favoured Left wing and liberal causes
date/ explain the US senate decision against McCarthy and what did this mean for him?
- December 1954
- They voted in favour of McCarthy been guilty of having brought the body into disrepute
- He was finished and all those who had joined the anti communist bandwagon
What Significance did McCarthy have on foreign policy
- Emphasise the urgency of moving away from a Eurocentric policy towards an ‘Asian first’
- said Asia was less secure than the Europe where the west had consolidated their position
What factors resulted in a more Asia first policy
- Domestic Americans who rejected the Eurocentric focus
- And McCarthyism =strength of the shift towards a more clearly defined Asian first policy
why could Britain no longer maintain its pre-war role as USA’s main partner in Europe
- lead to USSR destabilising Europe while international community focuses on Asia
- it meant an increase defence spending by Britain due to tension
- Korean conflict jeopardise stability and stability created by NATO
What year was the UN made and headquarters?
- October 1945
- New York
Explain the composition of the UN membership +(members+numbers)
-Did not reflect the emergence Of two Ideologically divided power blocks
-capitalist membership
-weighed in favour of pro-western interests
-50 members
-20 capitalist American states
-members from Middle East were pro-Western (Iran)
^all USA’s natural allies
What was the impact of Europe’s empires on the UN membership
- European empires were still intact meaning it limited the number of potential new members
- ensuring the USA Had support as most member countries were capitalist allies
- protecting US dominance in UN
what factor within china insured that USA’s dominance remained in UN?
-usa insisted that mainland china could not take china’s seat (ran from taiwan) and potential challenge to US dominance was excluded.
describe the composition of the security council? (main members)
- permanent members: USA, Britain, France, China and USSR
- each had the power of ‘veto’ to block UN intervention
who many times had veto been used by USSR, USA and China and what did this mean for the USA?
USSR-75
China-1
USA-0
-the use of ‘veto’ weakened US influence in the UN
what could the US use the UN for?
- a vehicle for intervention to enhance its own foreign policy and aims
- global policeman
what happened during the security council meeting regarding Korea?
- security council passed a resolution calling for a ceasefire and the return of Northern forces to North Korea
- the USSR were not present and therefore were not able to Veto this resolution
what happened between the first and second security council regarding Korea?
- without sanction from the UN, Truman order MacArthur to provide US military support to SouthK
- when NK troops did not withdraw USA organised a second security council meeting
what was agreed at the second security council meeting?
- US called upon members to aid SK
- claiming the conflict was compromising international peace
- agreed upon collective military force
describe the composition of the UN military force sent to aid SK?
- composed predominantly of US troops
- commanded by General MacArthur
when did Truman no longer want to detach involvement in china?
- 1950
- when china and the ussr formed an alliance
- sino-soviet treaty
who led the UN military force sent to aid SK?
-general MacArthur
what was the most alarming element of the sino-soviet alliance for the USA?
- the commitment of mutual security
- guarantee to combat any aggression form any state that may cooperate with japan
- this reinforced USA’s need to form its own power base and japan to be a part of USA’s far east strategy
what did the sino-soviet treaty do to help the Soviets?
-worked to the USSR’s advantage by:
-brought china under the communist umbrella
-consolidated the USSR”S security in the far east
-forced USA to review its policy towards Asia
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