It was China that caused a fundamental shift in US Cold War strategy by 1951

Introduction

1. Partially agree?

2. Outbreak of Korean War in 1950/China's intervention in support of North Korea caused United States to adopt a more aggressive containment policy

3. But recognize the pre-existing context of American foreign policy, characterized by the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan

4. Impact of Soviet actions in Eastern Europe and rise of global communism played equally significant roles in shaping US strategy

5. While China's actions helped accelerate an ideological confrontation and militaristic stance, they were part of a broader interaction of factors that collectively dictated US Cold War strategy

6. China played a crucial but not singular role in this shift, highlighting the complexity of international relations during this period

Agree

1. Awareness of communist power in Asia caused US focus on Japan - eventually develop Japan’s economic and political stability, military capability and consolidating Japan as us Cold War ally

2. US strategy: Truman Doctrine, Rolling Thunder (roll back communism in North Korea), Acheson speech (defensive perimeter strategy, built around Japan, Press Club speech), confusion he creates, tries to support nationalists in their civil war, go to Taiwan, US support Chang in Taiwan, stop Chinese invading Taiwan 

3. Recognition of containment not being enough to deal with communist threat - Chinese civil war showed this, US reviewed strategy, produced NSC68 - advocated increased tax to pay for military needs and rejected isolationism, fearing it would leave Europe and Asia vulnerable to soviet expansionism, build up of American conventional and nuclear weapons and rejected preventative war fearing to would lead to soviet retaliation and renewed war

Disagree

1. China not so important; US knew they were going communist/going South, couldn’t do anything, predictable

2. Focused on Japan  

3. No surprise that the US would focus on Asia's containment without the influence of China 

4. US not putting combat troops there anyway 

5. Korean War: 1950, 38th parallel, showed US how much military capability SU/China had, US setbacks, how to respond to communism, led move away from rollback with more emphasis on military buildup, more assertive stance (massive retaliation)

Other factors

Agree:

1. Europe’s main focus, pre-Korea 

2. Truman not connected communist expansion in Europe to expansion in Asia 

3. - nuclear technology? Soviet Union had successfully detonated their atom bomb by 1952

   Disagree:

   1. Defensive perimeter strategy
      - Dean Acheson defined US defense strategy in which he identified the areas that the USA saw as critical for defense (Aleutian Islands, Philippines, Japan)

Conclusion

1. Provide balanced argument 

2. Support your argument 

3. Sum up each paragraph