Events Outside Europe Flashcards
Korea
The US got involved in the Korean war because; it was concerned as China had a massive population and huge resources, thry believed China’s turn to communism was a result of Stalin’s scheming, this also occurred shortly after the the USSR successful atomic bomb test which pressured Truman to stand up to communism more and Korea had been freed from the Japanese by the Soviets in 45
The USSR did not enter the war directly but helped by providing ‘advisors’, weapons and doctors. They also sent 63 fighter planes which had Chinese markings and were flown by Soviet pilots dressed in Chinese uniforms
China feared the US would invade them through North Korea. China sent 250,000 ‘volunteers’ to North Korea to push back the US soldiers
Consequences of the war; Over 2 million deaths, containment succeeded, US-Chinese relations deteriorated further, NATO became a military alliance
Vietnam
The US got involved after the Tonkin incident where the USS Maddox was attacked by a North Vietnamese gunboat, US president Johnson used this as an excuse to get involved in the war. The US used primarily bombing campaigns and chemicals such as Agent Orange and Napalm, they also massacred Vietnamese civilians
China sent 170,000 Chinese soldiers and military equipment to Vietnam
Cuban missile crisis
The crisis started when Fidel Castro overthrew the previous leader of Cuba. Castro nationalised several US owned business resulting in growing hostility and a decline in trade between the US and Cuba until Cuba turned to the USSR as it’s new trading partner. By 61 Cuba had become communist
The USSR placed nuclear missiles in Cuba to match the US’s in Turkey. In response the US formed a blockade against the Russian transport ships
As a result a hotline was made between Washington and Moscow which led to relations improving
Soviet war in Afghanistan
The Soviets became involved because it had valuable gas fields
