Containment Of Communism Flashcards
What was McCarthyism? Was he right?
- thought USSR had conspiracy to get com sympathisers Kent positions in american life
- though he overstated their influence in US, overseas events did show that com getting stronger, Red China 1949.
- US worried about domino effect and thought cominform helping SE Asian countries become com
What had happened in Korea before the war?
- ruled by Japan til 1945. Afterwards USSR took top and US bottom.
- north com and south not democratic but anti com. Hostility btw 2
- UN involved in establishment of SK gov
What happened in the Korean war? (Before UN landing)
- NKs, lead by Kim Il Sung overran south, trying to make it com, helped by R equipment
- meeting of security council UN
- US put pressure on UN to condemn and tell NK to withdraw troops. If UN hadn’t done it, US would have. Normally USSR would veto call for action, but had walked out over China’s membership of UN, ∴ US, as main contributor for budget, could influence them
- UN told NK to withdraw to 38th parallel, as had broken world peace. They didn’t. US asked to take control, they sent in troops
What happened in the Korean war? (after landing)
- Sept 1950, UN troops (but vastly American. Branded as UN for legitimacy) landed at Inchon, and helped SK troops.
- Lead by MacArthur, pushed past 38th parallel, despite warnings from Mao that china would join war
- Oct, reached Yalu river, clear wanted to wipe out com from K entirely
- China joined (Jan 1951), as M wanted to prove that com could beat cap, and liked NK as a ‘buffer’ state.
- Un position collapsed and pushed past 38th parallel
How did the Korean war end? What was the outcome?
- peace talks began Jun 1951, but broke down
- US bombed north to make them negotiate
- 1952, Eisenhower became pres, and he wanted to end war
- july 1953 armistice signed
- US had managed to hold the line, but not stop com, ∴ stalemate still in place
What was MacArthur like? What happened to him?
- no-nonsense approach. Wanted to remove com from K entirely
- wanted to invade into China and even use nuclear weapons, but Truman felt saving SK good enough
- april 1951 sacked by Truman as he wanted just containment
Was containment the right policy?
- some felt Macarthur’s aggressive approach not enough, and wanted to take the fight to the USSR
- US gov set up series of anti com alliances, e.g SEATO (south east Asia) and CENTO (central)
- USSR felt threatened ∴ accused US of encircling them and set up Warsaw Pact 1955 btw USSR and com east European countries
What was the coexistence in the late 50s to early 60s like?
• 1955 CW entered new era. Khrushchev the new leader talked about peaceful coexistence
• 1955 K met w Tito of Y to make peace saying ‘different roads to communism” West thought he’s no longer insist all com countries took orders from Russia
• met 1955 and 1960 (first in 10yrs) not much achieved, but got talking
• however not all leaders convide by K as:
➯ Hungary, put down anti com rising killing 30,000
➯ Aug 1961 built Berlin Wall
What happened in the arms race?
- US 1st atomic bomb 1945 didn’t tell USSR
- after det clear that if was weapon of future
- USSR create down Aug 1949- 4yrs before US estimates
- h bomb (1000x powerful) created 1952. 1953 USSR creates their own
- U-2 Crisis 1960: US spy plane shot down in Russia. Eisenhower denied it then R produced pilot as evidence. K demanded apology, e didn’t give ∴ k let peace talks he was supposed to be attending w A
- US + USSR nuclear test ban treaty Aug 1963
What is the background of the Cuban Missile Crisis?
• US owned most businesses and had large naval base. 1959, after 3yr civil war, Fidel Castro replaced pro-us dictator Bautista
• for 3yrs remained frosty relationship. Let US keep naval base. Said wanted to rule wo interference, but US knew USSR delivering arms since 1960
• jan 1961 US broke off relations, as clear they wouldn’t tolerate a soviet satellite state in their sphere of influence
• April 1961 US supplied arms to exiles trying to overthrown Castro. Bay of Pigs invasion failed badly. Cuba + USSR thought this showed US unwilling to get involved directly
➯ showed USSR they were weak but made Castro + K suspicious of US
• Ken thought US policy to blame for strength of com as backed hated Batista
What did the USSR do in Cuba?
• 1962 began supplying w weapons- US seemed to tolerate
However wouldn’t tolerate missiles
• 11 spent USSR told US wouldn’t put nukes on cuba
• 14 oct US spy planes took photos of Cuba showing nukes being built there by the Russians
• 16th, Kennedy told. Formed ExComm
What could the US have done in Cuba?
- nothing: US had bigger arsenal ∴ USSR wouldn’t risk using nukes but shows weaknesses had sent warning
- selective air attack: destroys missiles but mightn’t destroy all and if soldiers killed USSR could retaliate. Also, no warning ∴ immoral
- diplomacy: avoid conflict, but if forced to back down- weakness
- blockade: show US serious, bout not act of war. Could still do other stuff if failed. Burden on K to act next. Wouldn’t solve main prob- missiles still on Cuba
What did the USA do in the cuban missile crisis?
- 16 oct formed ExComm to advise him
- 22 oct ken announces Blockade. K refuses to observe it and doesn’t mention missiles, accusing US of piracy
- 24- blockade begins. Soviet ships w missiles turn around, but R still building the bases
- 26- ken gets personal letter from K saying missiles purely defensive, and saying would dismantle sites if Ken lifted blockade and didn’t invade
- 27- K sends another letter, this time demanding that his condition is that US remove missiles from turkey
- Ken accepts terms from first letter, but secretly removes turkey missiles
- 28 oct K agreed
- 20 nov russian bombers leave C, and ken lifted blockade
Why did the USSR put missiles on Cuba?
• must’ve known would cause crisis. Didn’t camouflage sites
1- test US. Would they back off or face up?
2- wanted upper hand in arms race. So concerned they’d seize any opp. Knew US unlikely to first strike
3- depend Cuba
4- Trap US, wanted to draw them into a nuclear war
5- bargain w them. If nukes on Cuba could agree to remove them for US concessions
What was the outcome of the Cuban Missile Crisis?
- missiles withdraw, but Cuba stayed com and highly armed
- increased co-cop. Hotline btw K+K set up, and 1963 signed Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Start of the end of the Cold War
- Ken improved rep and K seemed like moe of a peacemaker
- US removed Jupiter missiles from Turkey
- cuba left alone by US
