Cold War Conflicts

1950-1989

Chinese Revolution

• In 1949 Mao Zedong wins the Chinese Civil War & installs an communist gov’t

• Capitalist leader Chiang Kai-shek is exiled to Taiwan

• The new Chinese gov’t= “People’s Republic of China”

Korean War

• Korea was divided between the USSR & US for reconstruction after WWII

• In 1950 North Korea invaded South Korea across the 38th Parallel to reunite it & make it communist

• South Korea asked the UN for help

• UN responds with a “police action” by sending in troops to help South Korea kick out the communists

• UN forces led by US & General MacArthur pushes communists back to China’s border

• China worries US may invade & overthrow them, so sends in troops

• US starts losing so MacArthur suggests dropping an a-bomb on Beijing.

• Truman vetoes a-bomb idea & is criticized by MacArthur.

• Truman fires MacArthur for insubordination.

End of Korean War

• By 1952 the war is stalled at the 38th Parallel where it started.

• President Eisenhower calls for a ceasefire.

• War is paused & the Demilitarized Zone is created along the 38th Parallel. No weapons allowed.

• North & South Korea remain divided.

Domino Theory

• Idea that countries are dominos & if one nation “falls” to communism, then they will push other nations over & they will become communist too.

• Ex: Russia pushes China. China pushes North Korea. North Korea may push someone else.

Ike the Cold Warrior

• Dwight Eisenhower became President in 1952

• Foreign policy= “brinkmanship”= idea that the US needs more powerful weapons to “deter” the USSR from attacking

• If we have more powerful weapons– like the Hydrogen bomb- this gives us the power of “massive retaliation”

• We must be able to go to the brink (edge) of nuclear war to stop the spread of communism

1950s

• Due to the Cold War, the 1950s were all about conformity.

• People all wanted to be the same- get a good job, buy a home in the suburbs & have a family

• Babyboom= lots of babies were born after WWII

• Marriage and the nuclear family became the goal.

• Women were supposed to be housewives & mothers– not all were happy about it. Betty Friedan wrote a book about it “The Feminine Mystique”

Interstate Highway Act

• The economy was booming due to post WWII spending.

• Ike created the interstate system in the 1950s with the Interstate Highway Act

• Goal= increase the movement of goods & people

• Also good for the military= part of the “military industrial complex” in which domestic things could also be used by the military in case of war

1960 Election• In 1960 Ike served his 2 terms.

– Democrat= John F. Kennedy– Republican= Richard Nixon

Issues: Cold War, space race, civil rights, JFK’s Catholicism

TV Debate: 1st televised presidential debate. JFK won due to sex appeal

Outcome: JFK wins extremely close election

JFK’s Domestic Agenda

• In JFK’s inaugural address= calls for a “New Frontier” to improve America:– 1. civil rights (but doesn’t do

much)– 2. put a man on the moon

by the end of the decade (happens in 1969 when Neil Armstrong walks on moon)

– 3. Peace Corps & Alliance for Progress to help improve Latin America (Marshall Plan in western hemisphere)

• Presidency called “Camelot” due to its optimism & JFK’s young trendy wife Jacqueline.

• Says people need to be more involved in improving the world– “Climb every mountain. Make every sacrifice. Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”

Cuban Revolution

• JFK’s 1st foreign policy issue= Cuba.

• In 1959 Fidel Castro won the Cuban Revolution & installed a communist gov’t in Cuba

• It freaked out the US because a “domino” fell to communism in “our” hemisphere.

• JFK inherits a CIA plan to oust Castro from Ike’s administration

Bay of Pigs Invasion

• CIA trains Cuban exiles as soldiers

• Plan= exiles invade Cuba at the Bay of Pigs & overthrow Castro with US air support

• Once president, JFK okays invasion, but at the last minute doesn’t send air support.

• Invasion fails= huge embarrassment to USA

Berlin Wall

• In 1962 the East German gov’t gets tired of people escaping to the west through Berlin

• Builds the Berlin Wall to divide Berlin= physical symbol of the “Iron Curtain”

• US looks dumb because we didn’t stop it from happening.

Cuban Missile Crisis

• Castro becomes paranoid the US is trying to overthrow him (we are) so he allows the USSR to put nuclear missiles in Cuba aimed at the US

• In 1962 US spy planes discover the missiles= huge threat– only 90 miles away from Florida!

• US goes to the UN & demands their removal

• Crisis= closest US & USSR come to nuclear war

• Khrushchev (Soviet dictator) refuses to remove weapons so US imposes a naval blockade to keep more missiles out= 9 day stand off

Cuban Missile Crisis Ends

• USSR & USA secretly negotiate despite macho TV threats to one another

• Peace agreement reached:– USSR removes missiles from Cuba IF– US removes secret missiles from

Turkey aimed at USSR & promises not to invade Cuba again

JFK Dies

• JFK visits Dallas in 1963 where he is assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald

• Oswald is assassinated by Jack Ruby

• JFK’s Vice President Lyndon Johnson becomes president.