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Home , Eastern Bloc

United States vs.

“Reds” Part I: Background What is the ?

General definition: A state of conflict; does not involve military action, rather it involves political and economic action

The Cold War Era was vs. , East vs. West, Soviet Union vs. U.S. Comparison of Systems Communism focuses on a total command economy, high government control, and limited individual freedoms. – In a communist economy, the government owns the means of production (such as stores, farms, etc.) Capitalism focuses on a where private individuals or corporations own the means of production. Who Started Communism? • Karl Marx is considered to be the Father of Communism. • The goal of pure communism is to create a utopian society where every individual is equal (a “class-less” society). – That sounds nice, so what’s wrong with that? What’s the big deal about communism? • According to Marx, there must be no opposition to communism in order for the to achieve supreme equality. • The system would need to spread around the world until all countries were on board. • Most examples of communism has involved violent takeover, dictatorships, and suppression of rights. Symbolism • The symbol of communism is a sickle laying over a hammer, which represents working in harmony as equals. – sickle is a symbol for agriculture – hammer is a symbol for industry/factories

• Red is the color associated with communism. Communism Then Communism Now Part II: Causes Cause:

July 1945: Truman, Churchill, and Stalin met at the Potsdam Conference. . Truman told Stalin that the U.S. had a bomb “of unusual destructive force.” . Stalin was secretly aware of the bomb and was doing his own atomic research in the Soviet Union. . After the Potsdam Conference, Stalin’s army occupied Eastern and turned them into communist countries controlled by the Soviet Union. USSR’s Cause: Use of the bomb

. The U.S. using the bomb on Japan also is considered a cause. . This was seen as an aggressive, threatening move on the world’s stage. Cause: Speech On 5, 1946, Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” speech warned of spreading Communism/Soviet power in .

This message angered Stalin and he accused U.S. and Britain of being The “iron curtain” is the “imperialist racists” and dividing border between compared them to democratic and leadership under Hitler’s communist eastern Europe. . Truman’s Policies, Doctrines, and Plans • – Financial aid to help European countries rebuild after World War II (and also avoid communism). Policy – U.S. would send military and/or financial aid to countries to stop the spread of communism. (keep it contained to where it already was at)

– This provided U.S. aid to people/countries fighting to remain democratic. – Examples: and Turkey remained non- communist due to Truman Doctrine aid, despite being surrounded by communist countries. NATO (non-communist )

• North Atlantic Treaty Organization: This political/economic/military alliance began in 1949. • Member countries agreed to defend each other in response to an outside attack.

• NATO began with U.S., Canada, and several Western European countries.

• It still exists today and has expanded. Pact (communist alliance)

• This alliance formed in 1955 was directly in response to formation of NATO. • Member countries agreed to defend each other in response to an outside attack. • This included Soviet Union and Eastern European communism countries, and no longer exists today. NATO

Warsaw Pact Foreign The U.S. and the Soviet Union both wanted to protect their allies and weaken their enemies.

U.S. intervened in Communist leadership in , Guatamala, and Egypt. Part III: Division of Germany 1945-1948 - Germany is divided and controlled by Allies post-WWII. End of occupation: While three allied areas reunited and formed Democratic , Stalin formed his area into Communist . The capital city of Berlin was also occupied and divided; it was located within the east. Berlin Airlift

• To take over , Stalin blocked land access. • Truman authorized the Berlin Airlift. – U.S. and Britain flew two million tons of supplies into West Berlin for nearly a year. West Berlin Berlin Airlift • Effect: West Berlin stayed out of Stalin’s control and continued to be the capital of West Germany, even though geographically located completely within East Germany. • West Berlin became “an island of in the sea of Communism.” Rise of the wall: • Construction of the war began overnight in 1961. Before this, over 2.5 million people from escaped to West Berlin between 1949 and 1960. Other walls and • The wall was to keep security areas were East Berliners from built at country escaping into West borders as well. Berlin. Berlin Wall

• Over the years, the wall became much more complex. Escaping East Berlin/East Germany became very difficult and dangerous.

• Many families were separated until the wall came down almost 30 tears later.

• The wall became a symbol for the Cold War. Berlin Wall Part IV: Communism Spreads In 1943, became Chairman of the . He took over as dictator of in 1949.

In 1948, came communist rule when Kim il Sung took over.

Fidel Castro took over in 1959 when he led a Communist-inspired revolt.

Cuba was the first communist country in the western hemisphere. U.S. supported Cuban exiled rebels to invade and overthrow Castro. The Bay of Pigs incident embarrassed the U.S. because Cuba knew about the “secret” attack to overthrow , and the rebels were easily defeated and captured. Fear of Communism • Spread of Communism became a major fear in the U.S. • Convicted spies validated that fear: – Alger Hiss, a state department official – Ethel and Julius Rosenberg: executed “McCarthyism” – Senator McCarthy encouraged the “Red Scare” (fear of communism spreading in the U.S.) by announcing he had a list of government employees who were part of the Communist Party (without much facts or evidence). McCarthy was put on trial, ending his career and reputation. Now the term McCarthyism applies to any wild accusations against someone. Government role in fear of communism • Truman ordered “loyalty checks” on government workers; many were forced to resign. • House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) : this government agency was formed to investigate suspected communists. – Targeted the movie industry – Many people were “blacklisted” – Fear spread even further compare and contrast

McCarthy HUAC Similarities • Sought out communists • Contributed to fear of communism • Damaged reputations Differences Differences • Reprimanded for his • Official Congressional actions committee • Targeted government • Targeted movie officials industry CIA

The Central Intelligence Agency was developed in 1947 as a result of Truman’s National Security Act; this still exists today. The CIA looked for communist spies as well as used their own spies to find threats to communism. Part V: Domino Theory: The idea that if one country fell under Communist power, all nearby countries would follow – U.S. used this theory to justify involvement in other countries’ conflicts (such as the Korean War and War). Korean War

Like Germany, Korea was divided and occupied after WWII. Soviet occupation supported a Communist government coming to power in the North, led by Kim il Sung. Korean War

The U.S. entered the Korean War because communist North Korea invaded South Korea, a U.S. ally. U.S. troops, led by General MacArthur, and UN troops pushed them back close to China, ignoring China’s warning to not get too close. Korean War

Effect of MacArthur’s push north: • China joined North Korea, and pushed U.S./UN forces out. The 38th Parallel (38 degrees North) became the final dividing line of North and South Korea. Korean War

Outcomes: Truman fired MacArthur for his actions during the war. Many Americans felt frustrated by the indecisive war; it never officially ended with a treaty. North Korea is still communist, under a harsh controlling dictatorship that requires complete loyalty and limits nearly all personal freedoms. Part VI: Races and Conflicts U2 Incident

The Soviets shot down a U2 spy plane. President Eisenhower denied it was a spy plane until Soviet leader Khrushchev said the pilot had been captured.

Outcome: Peace talks between the U.S. and the Soviet Union were cancelled.

• The arms race was a competition between U.S. and Soviet Union with amount and power of weapons.

• This led to major scientific and technological advancements. Arms Race timeline:

1) 1945: U.S. developed and used the first atomic bomb

2) 1949: First Soviet test of atomic bomb

3) 1952: first test of Hydrogen bombs by the U.S.; more powerful than atomic bomb

4) 1961: Soviets test most powerful bomb ever: a atmospheric nuclear bomb Preparing for attack • Fear of communism led to regular preparations for nuclear attack, such as school duck and cover drills and building personal bomb shelters.

Arms Race Irony MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) was the idea that if a nuclear attack is launched against another nuclear-armed country, it would result in the annihilation of both countries. The arms race ultimately was build up of weapons only; no attacks happened between the U.S. and Soviet Union because that would have destroyed both sides. The Soviet Union and Cuba made a deal for the Soviets to place nuclear missiles in Cuba to prevent U.S. attacks. (Meanwhile, U.S. also had missiles near Soviet Union, in Turkey).

This conflict was the closest the U.S. and Soviet Union came to engaging in nuclear war. Cuban Missile Crisis U.S. president Kennedy and Soviet leader Khruschev negotiated, and the crisis ended when the Soviet Union agreed to remove the Cuban missiles and the U.S. agreed not to invade Cuba. Arms Race Slows Down

U.S. president Reagan and Soviet leader Gorbachev agreed to reduce arms in the 1980s.

The Arms Race ended with the Cold War, but both sides continue to have atomic weapons, in addition to other countries. Like the arms race, the space race was a technological competition between the U.S. and Soviet Union. The space race focused on advancements of space science and technology. 1957: Soviet launch of Sputnik was the world’s first satellite into space and began the “Space Race.” Space Race

The Soviet Sputnik launch led directly to the creation of NASA in the U.S. (National Aeronautics and Space Administration). Space Race Timeline April 12, 1961: The Soviet Union launched the first man into orbit. May 5, 1961: U.S. put their first man into space.

1969: U.S. puts the first men on the moon. 1975: The Space Race ends when the Soviets and the U.S. agree to do a joint space mission. Today, both countries continue space funding and exploration. Part VII: Early • Late 1880s until WWII: Vietnam was part of the colony , which also included and . • 1930 - Communist groups formed to revolt against the French, united their leader by . World War II

• These rebels formed as a communist group called the Viet Minh after Japan took over Indochina during WWII.

• Viet Minh’s goals: get rid of foreign rule, become independent, and unify Vietnam. End of WWII • After Japan’s surrender at the end of WWII, Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam’s independence, but France attacked to regain to control. Vietnam War under Truman and Eisenhower

• Due to Containment Policy and Domino Theory, the U.S. aided France financially to stop and contain the spread of communism in . Geneva Accords

This agreement between France and the Vietnamese divided Vietnam into and South Vietnam at the 17th Parallel (DMZ) until an election was held. North and South Vietnam Leadership North Vietnam Leader: Ho Chi Minh • communist, popular with his people

South Vietnam Leader: Ngo Dinh Diem • Anticommunist, but corrupt • did not have support of the South Vietnam people Failure of South Vietnamese government • Diem refused to hold the election. Eisenhower supported this, since he knew Ho Chi Minh being would have been elected as leader of all of Vietnam.

• Diem led a corrupt government who jailed, tortured, and killed opponents.

• Under Kennedy, the U.S. increased financial and military aid to South Vietnam due to containment.

• In 1963, both Diem and Kennedy were assassinated (not connected). Vietnam War under Johnson Escalation policy: This increased Vietnam intervention into military involvement. Gulf of Tonkin Incident • August, 1964 – U.S. Navy destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin near Vietnam reported possible unprovoked attacks from the Vietnamese.

President Johnson was able to push Congress to pass the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which gave the president the power to use military force in Vietnam, even though war making powers belong to Congress. Viet Cong • Southern Vietnamese formed a rebel group, called the Viet Cong, that aligned with the goals of Viet Minh and Ho Chi Minh in the north. The Viet Cong were very skilled at using guerilla warfare.

• Viet Cong launched surprise ambush attacks, then disappeared in the jungle or into a huge network of tunnels. • They used land mines, covered pits, and booby traps. Viet Cong Tunnels Ho Chi Minh Trail

• This trail was the North Vietnamese supply route to South Vietnam, which cut through the jungle and mountains of Laos and Cambodia

• The U.S. did not close down the trail because they did not want to expand the war into Laos and Cambodia. Geography and Climate • U.S. troops were not used to the mountainous jungle and humid tropical climate. • The U.S. used chemical weapons--napalm bombs and Agent Orange--to kill the plants to reveal and destroy Viet Cong hideouts. Part VIII: Later Vietnam War U.S. Conflict at Home

Doves: people who Hawks: people who opposed the supported the Vietnam War Vietnam War Protests Against the War Protestors (doves) believed that the U.S. should not be involved in someone else’s civil war, the methods used to fight were immoral, and the costs to American lives and the economy were too high.

Kent State Killings, May 4, 1970: National Guard troops fired into a crowd of protestors, killing four and wounding nine. U.S. Draft and Inequality Draft: involuntary service in the armed forces There was a disproportion between African Americans who were drafted and other races, and lower classes to higher.

Upper classes could avoid the draft by going to college or leaving the country. Some practiced civil disobedience by refusing to serve and/or burning draft cards. Civil Rights and the Vietnam War

Martin Luther King, Jr. was concerned that the war took money from antipoverty programs in the U.S. Draft disproportion showed racial inequalities.

During the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement was spreading across the country. Vietnam War under Nixon Nixon’s policy: turn the ground fighting over to the South and end the war quickly.

• Nixon also wanted to improve relationships with other communist countries, China and the Soviet Union, to help bring peace. Nixon and Cambodia • Nixon authorized secret military action inside Cambodia to destroy communist troops and supplies to end the war sooner. • When Americans found out, the antiwar protests increased. My Lai Massacre • March 1968 – a U.S. search and destroy mission was looking for Viet Cong, but U.S. troops massacred 300 unarmed civilians (non-military) in the village of My Lai. • This was a huge scandal and tragedy, further increasing opposition to the war.

Lieutenant Calley, who gave the command to kill everyone, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison, but later released. Pentagon Papers • June 1971 – These secret papers, leaked to , showed the U.S. government was not honest with the public about its involvement in the Vietnam War. – Effect: U.S. distrust of the govt. increased Vietnam War Ends

Paris Peace Accords: March 29, 1973 - U.S. ended its involvement by withdrawing U.S. combat troops.

• April 30, 1975 – North Vietnamese troops entered Saigon, the South Vietnamese capital, and the government surrendered. War Toll Approximately…. • 58,000 U.S. soldiers killed 300,000 wounded • 224,000 South Vietnamese killed • 1 million wounded • 1 million North • Countless numbers Vietnamese and Viet of civilians from Cong killed South and North • 600,000 wounded Vietnam were killed American Soldiers Return Home

• Some people treated the returning Vietnam Veterans poorly, blaming them for losing the war. • Many soldiers returning from the war developed stress disorders as a result of their experience in Vietnam. Overall Effects of the War in the U.S. • Public distrust of the U.S. govt. grew. • The U.S. spent over $200 billion, damaging the economy. • Americans began to question involvement in other countries’ affairs. • 26th Amendment was passed, lowering the voting age from 21 to 18. This was passed because the draft age was 18, but the voting age was 21. • War Powers Act – This limited the president’s war- making powers, and was passed due to the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. Effects of the War in Vietnam

• North and South Vietnam were united into one country in 1976, and still remains a united Communist country today. – Division between rich and poor shrank and Vietnam’s literacy rate increased. Napalm and Agent Orange: The U.S. damaged • Over 1 million Vietnamese the local environment emigrated from Vietnam and caused health affects between 1975 and 1990. both for U.S. soldiers and local Vietnamese. Part IX: The Thaw of the Cold War Soviet Leader Gorbachev’s Reforms = “freedom of speech” or “openness”

Reforms: • Freedom of speech • More openness/transparency in government • Freedom of the press

Examples: • More protests were legal • More media coverage of the government • Un-banned books were un-banned Soviet Leader Gorbachev’s Reforms

Perestroika = “restructuring” Reforms: Restructured the Soviet economy, shifting away from total command economy

Examples: • Private ownership allowed • Smaller government role in the economy Fall of Berlin Wall November 9, 1989: • As the role of communism weakened in Eastern Europe, the East German government initiated a plan to open up the borders…an official accidentally said “effective immediately.”

• Crowds rushed to the wall, and were allowed through. This turned into a big celebration and people began to even chip away at the wall. Cold War Ends • Germany was officially reunited almost one year later, on October 3, 1990.

• Many communist economies and governments were growing weak, and Eastern Europeans were calling for freedom and end of communism.

• The Cold War officially ended in 1991 when the Soviet Union broke up.

Communism Today There are far fewer communist countries today than during the Cold War. Only China, North Korea, Cuba, Laos, and Vietnam are communist. Communism Today These governments each had an era of extreme harsh , ranging from limits on freedom of speech/media to mass genocide.

North Korea still exists under total suppression of rights and conformity/ loyalty towards their leader, the grandson of Kim il Sung.