Vietnam Exam 1

HUAC

• House Committee of Un-American Activity (HUAC) was formed in 1938 to investigate communist activity

• Grows to a powerful organization after WW2  

• Launches an investigation into Hollywood and incarcerates the Hollywood 10 

• Turned fear of communism into a political issue contributing to the Red Scare

Sainteny Agreement

• After WWII, Chinese troops occupied North Vietnam to accept Japan's surrender

• Ho Chi Minh wants to sign an agreement to get them to leave

• He signs the Sainteny Agreement, removing the Chinese but letting Vietnam be a free state under France

• France breaks agreement to reassert colonial control by destroying Haiphong

• This led to the 1st Vietnam War

Inchon

• After the US/UN force was pushed south by the North Koreans in the Korean War

• Douglas MacArthur steps in

• Turns war around with amphibious invasion at Inchon, restoring the 38th parallel

• Due to this triumph, Truman and MacArthur change goals from containment to unification 

• Pushback leads to greater conflict with China

Berlin Airlift

• After the Soviets set up a ground + water blockade on anything in Berlin in 1948

  • Wanted Western allies to give up Berlin

• US Bombers fly over, dropping in supplies and keeping the city alive

• Stalin lifts blockade

• Truman huge foreign policy win before election

  • US saves Berlin, and Stalin looks evil

Czech Coup

• After Congress had rejected the Marshall Plan to save the European economy

• The Communist coup in Czechoslovakia gained government control

  • Replay of the Munich Conference leading to WW2

• Svoeit threat increasing

  • Senate approves Marshall Plan

  • Brussels Treaty signed

  • Truman increased CIA power

• Expansion of military for the Cold War 

1949 FP Setbacks and Response

Setbacks

1. Soviets developing and testing the atomic bomb means no more atomic advantage for the US

   1. Lead to questions about spies

2. China turning communist

   1. Americans don’t believe it was inevitable

   2. Red Scare

Response

1. Development of H-Bomb gave the US an atomic advantage again

2. National Security Document 68: Raised military spending 4x

   1. Global response to communism

Imperial Presidency and how it arose form the Korean War

• North Korea invades the South

  • Truman sends troops without approval

  • Didn’t get in trouble because it was necessary

•  Establishes that the president can commit to foreign war without congressional approval

• Becomes a road map for Johnson and the Vietnam War

EDC and why it was important in terms of US policy in the Franco-Viet Minh war?

• After WW2, Europe wants a collective defense system against the USSR

  • EDC

• Same time, Framce starts war with Viet Minh

• US helps France because they want them to join the EDC

• US policy was about the global Cold War conflict, not just Vietnam