TRUMAN: FOREIGN POLICY Flashcards
1
Q
The situation of 1945
A
- US spent $350 billion during the war - 2x what they had spent in the history of the government - recovered from the Depression
- Belief in American exceptionalism increased
- Little fighting on US soil - few civilian deaths/damge - emerged strongest (only damage at Peral Harbour)
- Soviet influence began to expand - led to fear of the Domino effect
- European empires began to dissolve
2
Q
Potsdam Conference (July 1945)
A
- Confirmed decisions made at the Yalta Conference (Februaury 1945)
- Division of Germany, putting Nazis on trial
- Free and unfettered elections as soon as possible in Poland
- USSR was allowed reparations from Soviet Zone & 10% of westeren Zones
- US and Britain take reparations from their zones
- de-Nazifying German education & institutions
- Truman & Stalin argued, caused tensions – Truman didn’t tell Stalin about the atomic bomb
3
Q
Dropping the atomic bomb
A
August 6 1945, dropped on Hiroshima
* 3450 soldiers, 70-146,000 civilians dead
August 9 1945, dropped on Nagasaki
* 250 soldiers, 39-80,000 civilians
Military Motive
* To prevent an invasion of Japan & the loss of American lives
Political Motive
* To intimidate Russia and demonstrate their power
4
Q
Sources of Soviet-American tension
A
Opposing Ideologies: capitalism vs communism
September 45: First meeting of council of foreign ministers in London - broke down after a month due to arguments between Soviet & Western power
February 46: Stalin makes speech about ideological incompatibility and the inevitability of war. Kennan sent the Long Telegram warning of Soviet expansionism
March 46: Churchill’s Iron Curtain speech
June 46: Meeting in Paris but no peace treaty agreed due to Soviet-American relations deteriorating further over disagreements about Greece, Turkey & France
5
Q
Division of Germany
A
- During 1945-6, the Soviet plundered their zones and received reparations, but gave nothing
- In 1947, America and the UK combined their zones into Bizonia
- In 1949, France reluctantly joined to form Trizonia
- The economic and political divisions of Europe and Germany were hardening
6
Q
Truman Doctrine
A
- On 12 March 1947, after Greece had fallen into civil war, Truman promised to protect any state from ‘attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures.’
- Military commitment - policy focues on containment and domino theory dominated US foreign policy for nearly half a century
- Left little room for manoeuvre in foreign policy
- Senator Taft: criticised simplistic division of the world
- Kennan: Failed to ask if a threatened state was worth it
7
Q
Marshall Plan
A
- Secretary of State George Marshall suggested offering financial aid to countries for rebuilding - helped containment as communsim is attarctive to those in poverty; therefore, American aid would make those European countries less politically vulnerable to communism also helped future trade as the US made strong links with developing economies
- Gave $17 billion - fastest period of growth in European history as industrial production rose 35%
8
Q
Significance of the Marshall Plan
A
- established US as a superpower/protector of Europe
- Alienated Stalin, as he was unwilling to expose the extent of their economic devestation to the West and had no desire to allow Germany to recver economically or militarily
- Helped seal the division of Europe into two antagonistic blocs, as USSR tightened its hold over Eastern Europe demonstrated the bipartisan approah to the Cold War
9
Q
Berlin Blockade
A
- Stalin, resentful of the division of Berlin due to its economic prosperity making it a beacon of capitalism and its potential as base for spying, blockaded Berlin on 25 March 1948
- First challenge to Truman’s dedication to the doctrine - he responded with an overwhelming demonstration of American wealth & military might
- 1.5 million tonnes of supplues in 275,000 flights were sent to Berlin originally supplued basics, but then luxuries (candy bombers) to demonstrate wealth, strength and determination
- Stalin lifted the blockade on 12 May 1949
10
Q
Aftermath of the Blockade
A
- condiered Truman’s finest hour in foreign policy - comprehensively won and prevented Berlin from falling to communism and entrenched the Truman Doctrine as the basis of foreign policy
- May 1949, constitution drawn up for West Germany - until 1991
- Deterioration of relations with Soviets confirmed the belief that the West need to organise militarily
- Justified creating NATO: thoigh it completed the division of Europe, as the West organised militarily and the USSR tightened the control over Eastern Europe through the Warsaw Pact, it arguably stabilised Europe
11
Q
Fall of China 1949
A
- Chiang Kai-Shek, leader of Chinese nationalists, was defeated in late 1949 by Mao Zedong and his Chinese communists forces, despite the US having given Chiang $2 billion aid and the country became the People’s Republic of China
- Truman was blamed for the loss of China, as was insuffcient US aid & treachery within the State Department
- Increased feat that this would cause revolts by communsits parties throughout Asia
12
Q
Indochina
A
- after WW2, Vietnamese nationalist Ho Chi Ming led the fight for independence against French colonialism
- Despite US’s desire for self-determination, they supported the French, covering 78% of the cost - example of US hypocrisy out of fear of communism
- Truman saw the situation in Vietnam as part of the Cold War
- John Ohley warned the Vietnam situation could get out of control – ‘these situations, unfortunately, have a way of snowballing’
13
Q
Korean War
A
- When 100,000 North Korean Troops invaded the south on 25 June 1950, the US led UN intervention following General MacArthur’s amphibious assault on Inchon in September, the rollbak of communism began - US sought destruction of North Korean forces and the reunification of Korea
- October - China joined the war due to MacArthur going too close to the border despite warnings and he was fired. War came to stalemate
14
Q
Significance of the Korean War
A
- Truman’s initial war aim succeeded - containment arguably worked
- Domestically: cost 14% of US GDP in final, Truman’s approval rating dropped to 22%, almost 37,000 Americans died
- Foreign policy: embittered Chiense-American relations, exacerbated Cold War tensions, Truman increased support for Frencg colonialism in Indochina
- Attempts to reunify the peninsula failed
15
Q
US as a Superpower
A
- Israel: In 1947 the UN developed a plan for partitioning Palestine into Jewish & Arabic zones. Israel was announced on 14 May 1948, and American recognition came after midnight
- Japan: Surrendered on August 14 1945, General MacArthur was given dictatorial powers to transform Japan to a democracy
- Communists banned from government, war renounced as a policy, Japan ecame a functioning democracy with votes for women
- Economy boosted due to military spending in the Korean War and it became a useful base and ally against Chinses communism
- Occupation ended in 1952
- Re-industrialised within a decade, becoming economic competition to the US
