KQ5: The Korean War, The Cuban Missile Crisis, and The Vietnam War TIMELINE Flashcards
What happened in June 1950? [2]
- North Korea invaded South Korea, and the UN was asked to help
- The UN organized troops from the USA and 15 other countries
- General MacArthur led the 300,000 UN troops, 87% of them American
What happened in September 1950? [2]
- NKPA easily defeated the Republic of Korea’s army and captured most of South Korea
- The UN forces made an amphibious landing at Inchon and forced the NKPA to retreat, recapturing South Korea
What happened in October and November 1950? [2]
- October: MacArthur invaded North Korea and pushed as far as the Chinese border, which alarmed the Chinese
- China had modern weapons supplied by the Russians, and so a 500,000 troop advance pushed the Americans out of North Korea, advancing into South Korea.
What happened between March 1951 and July 1953? [5]
- March/April1951 : MacArthur wanted to continue the war by invading China with nuclear weapons
- Truman disagreed and felt saving NK was enough; MacArthur ignored this and threatened China with attack
- MacArthur was fired and brought home, and his policy was rejected
- June 1951: Peace talks began, but the fighting continued for 2 more years
- July 1953: Truman replaced by Eisenhower who wanted to end the war, and Stalin died in 1953, with the armistice signed that month.
In what ways was containment successful in Korea? [3]
- Showed that the US had the will and means to contain communism
- Ensured South Korea remained non-communist
- USA had used the UN to enforce its foreign policy
In what ways was containment unsuccessful in Korea?[4]
- Highlighted tensions amongst Americans leaders; hardliners vs. containment
- Truman had been criticised for being weak in not seeking outright victory
- Unified Korea not achieved
- High casualty rates on all sides
What happened in the Arms Race between 1949 and 1954? [4]
- 1949: USSR developed Atom bomb
- 1952: USA tested a hydrogen bomb, 2500x more powerful
- 1954: USSR developed long range bomber plane
- 1955: USSR develops the H-bomb
What happened in the Arms Race between 1957 and 1961?[4]
- 1957: First space satellite, Sputnik I, launched by USSR, leading to the birth of the ICBM
- 1958: USA launched Explorer I(satellite)
- 1960: Polaris submarine by USA, capable of carrying 64 warheads and had second strike capability
- 1961: Soviet submarine launched
When was the Bay of Pigs Invasion?
17th April 1961
When did Eisenhower approve the US National Security Council Plan to remove Castro?
17th March 1960
Why did the Bay of Pigs invasion fail? [3]
- The New York Times published an article in April prior to the event, so Castro was prepared and knew what was coming
- The first air strike did littlle damage and Kennedy called off the second round as he was afraid that the world would know it was US interference. However, they continued the invasion(now much weaker due to the lack of bombing) as they had spent so much money on it
- There was far more support in Cuba for Castro’s regime, which meant that the invasion was a propaganda victory for Castro
With regards to the Cuban Missile Crisis,
What happened in 1960?
USSR tested the biggest nuclear weapon ever built; “Big Ivan”
With regards to the Cuban Missile Crisis,
What happened in May 1960?
The U2 crisis:
- Gary Powers was shot down and paraded on Soviet TV
- The US denied all involvement, saying it was a weather aircraft that went off course and were later exposed for it.
With regards to the Cuban Missile Crisis,
What happened in June 1961?
The Vienna Conference was held between Khrushchev and Kennedy, and Khrushchev thought Kennedy could be intimidated after the Bay of Pigs fiasco.
With regards to the Cuban Missile Crisis,
What happened in August 1961?
The Berlin Wall was built.
With regards to the Cuban Missile Crisis,
What happened in May 1962?
Operation Mongoose:
- The CIA tried to kill Castro
- Khrushchev armed Cuba with missiles, tanks, fighter jets, and technicians
With regards to the Cuban Missile Crisis,
What happened on the 15th October 1962?
Secret U2 spy planes got photos of missile launchers in Cuba
With regards to the Cuban Missile Crisis,
What happened in September 1962?
The first nuclear missiles arrived in Cuba, and reports of this appear in the US.