The Cold War and the Americas 1945-1981 CH 1-4

Monroe Doctrine (1823)

US foreign policy regarding Latin American countries stated that further efforts by European nations to colonize land or interfere with states in North or South America would be viewed as acts of aggression, requiring U.S. intervention.

"Colossus of the North"

The name given to America by Latin America; It was seen as the overbearing policeman

Panama Canal

a ship canal 40 miles long across the Isthmus of Panama built by the United States (1904-1914)

Roosevelt Corollary

Roosevelt's 1904 extension of the Monroe Doctrine, stating that the United States has the right to protect its economic interests in South And Central America by using military force

Great Depression

The economic crisis beginning with the stock market crash in 1929 and continuing through the 1930s
Allowed dictators to consolidate power in LA.

Neo-colonialism

control by a powerful country of its former colonies (or other less developed countries) by economic pressures. LA's believed they were victims of this from the US

WWII

War in which the US gave loans, technical expertise and equipment to assist LA industrialization

Act of Chapultepec

adopted by 20 republics, resolved to undertake joint action in repelling any aggression against an American state.

Poverty

Main internal problem facing Latin America in 1945

Communism

Suppressed human rights at home and was expansionist abroad

Marriage of Convenience

People called the ally-ship of Roosevelt and Stalin a ________ _____ _______ because they considered the Cold War inevitable

Grand Alliance

the alliance between the United Kingdom, United States, and the Soviet Union against Nazi Germany during World War II

Atomic Bomb

Weapon developed by the US during WWII that it shared development plans of with Britain but kept secret from the USSR.

Communist Regimes

Stalin established these in Eastern Europe, which the US perceived as aggression

Truman

US President after FDR in 1945 that dropped the atomic bomb in WWII

Buffer Zone

The various Eastern European states that became communist after WWII created a communist '_________ ________'

Orthodox interpretation (Cold War)

Sees the West as always right, blames USSR for conflict

Revisionist Interpretation (Cold War)

Blames US for the conflict

Post-Revisionist Interpretation (Cold War)

Puts blame equally on the US and USSR

Greek Civil War

The US mistakenly believed that Stalin helped Greek Communists to forment revolution in this conflict

Turkey

The US and UK indicated that they would always recognize Stalin's interests in this country, but obtained $100 million to combat Communist threat.

Truman Doctrine

1947, President Truman's policy of providing economic and military aid to any country threatened by communism or totalitarian ideology.

Containment

Truman's policy of resisting further expansion of communism around the world

State Department

The US federal government department that deals with foreign affairs. It claimed that Moscow's foreign policy was based on Russian expansionism, revolutionary Communist ideology, and Stalin's paranoid suspicions, and also promoted containment

Arms Race (Cold War)

US and USSR compete for technological and nuclear supremacy, generated by Truman Doctrine and Containment

Marshall Plan (1947)

US plan to revive war-torn economies of Europe. This plan offered $13 billion in aid to western and Southern Europe on condition they wouldn't become communist. Helped contain communism in Europe and helped US economy as Europe bought from US businesses to rebuild.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

Military alliance created in 1949 made up of 12 non-Communist countries including the United States that support each other if attacked.

Berlin Blockade

The blockade was a Soviet attempt to starve out the allies in Berlin in order to gain supremacy. The blockade was a high point in the Cold War, and it led to the Berlin Airlift.

Rio de Janeiro Conference

1933 - Delegation of 21 Latin American leaders in Rio in which the US sought a 'collective security system'. Led to the break in diplomatic relations between the U.S. and the Latin American powers.

Rio Treaty

A military agreement between the United States and several Latin American countries to provide collective security in the Western Hemisphere (LA cooperated to get Marshall Aid)

Brazil, Cuba, Chile

Latin American countries that banned communist organizations and cut off diplomatic relations with the USSR in 1948

Organization of American States (OAS)

US-Controlled North and South American organization established to control communism and govern hemispheric relations

Columbian Riots

US saw this conflict in 1948 as organized by communist subversives, proving its misinterpretations of events under a Cold War lens.

Point IV Technical Assistance Program

Truman program which aimed to promote technological, scientific, managerial and economic self-help programs in less developed countries (Grouped LA with Asia and Africa)

Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLA)

UN Commission tasked with prompting economic development in Latin America, including through the provision of loans and investigating obstacles to development. Criticized US economic policies towards LA as exploitive

Atheistic

Denying the existence of God; Communism identified as this

Red Scare

The fear that communists were working to destroy the American way of life

Bolshevik Revolution (1917)

The second stage of the Russian Revolution in November 1917 when Vladimir Lenin and his Bolshevik party seized power and established a communist state. The first Red Scare developed after this.

House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC)

A congressional committee created to search out disloyal Americans & Communists.

Smith Act (1940)

Made it illegal to advocate the overthrow of the US government by force or violence, targeted acts of revolution and communism

Hoover

FBI Director under FDR that investigated possible communists and initiated programs to seek out 'security risks'

Hollywood 10

10 witnesses from the film industry who refused to cooperate with the House Un-American Activities Committee's investigation of Communist influence in Hollywood. They were convicted of contempt and got one year sentences.

International Security Act (ISA)

This act said that members of communist-affiliated organizations had to report to the federal government or face jail/fines. They could be denied passports or be deported. Vetoed by Truman.

Executive Order 9835

Signed by Harry Truman in 1947 to establish a loyalty program requiring federal employees to sign loyalty oaths and undergo security checks

How did Republicans gain success in the 1946 Congressional elections?

Republicans criticized Democrats for not waging Cold War with enough vigor

Joseph McCarthy

1950s; Wisconsin senator claimed to have list of communists in American gov't, but no credible evidence; took advantage of fears of communism post WWII to become incredibly influential.

Tydings Committee

a subcommittee authorized by S.Res. 231 in February 1950 to look into charges by Joseph R. McCarthy that he had a list of individuals who were known by the Secretary of State to be members of the Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA), reported claims as fraudulent

Mark Twain

Classic American author whose books were censored under McCarthyism

Adlai Stevenson

The Democratic candidate who ran against Eisenhower in 1952. He was mocked by McCarthy and Nixon in accord with class hatred and suggestions of homosexuality

Army-McCarthy Hearings (1954)

Congressional hearings called by Senator Joseph McCarthy's to accuse members of the army of communist ties. In this widely televised spectacle, McCarthy finally went too far for public approval. The hearings exposed the Senator's extremism and led to his eventual disgrace

Nuclear Holocaust

Refers to a possible complete or nearly complete annihilation of human life by the use of a large enough quantity of nuclear weapons to produce a Doomsday device. Hollywood played on fears of this.

Charlie Chaplin

US 'silent entertainer' who was considered a subversive and became increasingly unemployed

"One nation under God"

Phrase added to the pledge of allegiance during the Cold War era to show loyalty to Christianity and oppose communism

National Defense Education Act

Provided funds for education and training in science, math ,and foreign languages that could help defeat Communists and convince other nations to oppose them.

Korean War (1950-1953)

North Korea (aided by SU) fighting to take over South Korea (Aided by US). Cold War proxy war in which 36,000 Americans died and cost taxpayers $67 billion.

Inflation

A continuous rise in the price of goods and services; occurred in the US after the Korean War

Desegregation of Armed Forces

The Korean War facilitated this due to shortages of manpower, but it was an exception rather than a rule.

Pan-American

Covering North and South America

United Nations

international organization established after World War II with the goal of maintaining peace and cooperation in the international community

FBI & Justice Department

These two organizations were greatly involved in hunting communists and were determined to root out Communism from the USA.

US Information Agency (USIA)

Established by President Eisenhower to educated foreigners about the USA. McCarthyites attacked this because it exhibited the work of 'radicals'

Detente

A relaxation in Cold War tensions; slowed by McCarthyism

Reunification

Goal of US and USSR for North and South Korea after Japanese Surrender during WWII.

Syngman Rhee (S. Korea) (ROK)

The leader of democratic south Korea during the Korean war elected under UN-Supervised elections

Kim Il Sung (DPRK)

Communist leader of North Korea; his attack on South Korea in 1950 started the Korean War. He remained in power until 1994.

List the 6 main reasons for US entry into the Korean War

1) American Anti-Communism
2) World Balance of Powers
3) McCarthyism and Domestic Political Concerns
4) NSC-68
5) Fears for Japan
6) UN and Lessons from History

Loss of China

Lost by Truman. China was lost of communism, and this fueled Senator Joseph McCarthy's hunting down of communists in the U.S., because many people were becoming increasingly afraid of China after it became communist.

NSC-68 (1950)

Top-secret policy paper approved by President Truman that outlined a militaristic approach to combating the spread of global communism.

Japan

Country which the US did not want to jeopardize to Communism; one reason for US intervention in the Korean War

collective security

A system in which a group of nations acts as one to preserve the peace of all (the US wanted to avoid failures of this that occurred with the LON, encouraged it to get involved in Korea)

Appeasement

Accepting demands in order to avoid conflict (the US wanted to avoid failures of this that occurred with the LON, encouraged it to get involved in Korea)

Traditional interpretation (Korean War)

US involvement was motivated by an anti-communist attitude and containment

Revisionist Interpretation (Korean War)

US involvement was motivated by economic imperalism

Taiwan Straits

Area of Taiwan where the US sent the 7th fleet during the Korean War

Douglas MacArthur

General in charge of the UN forces in the Korean War. He began to invade North Korea and recapture the South Korean capital. China threatened to attack if the southern forces get any closer to the Chinese border. A truce was made in 1953. Truman fires MacArthur because he disobeyed orders. Truman loses popularity.

Why did Truman and MacArhur disagree about how the Korean War should be fought?

Truman wanted a limited, defensive war while MacArthur wanted to go all in.

'Truman's War'

The name given to the Korean War since whatever outcome would be blamed on/accredited to Truman

What conditions made it difficult for ROK and US forces in the summer and autumn of 1950?

fighting a limited war for ideology made it difficult to maintain morale, high temperatures, suffering of dysentry, communication problems, US air/ground coordination was poor, SK had non tanks and were forced into retreat

Bugout fever

The tendency of inexperienced and frightened American troops to flee the battlefield out of formation in the early days of the Korean war.

Pusan Perimeter

The line where U.N. troops stopped the advance of North Korea in 1950

How did the US maintain success despite poor conditions?

US controlled the sea/skies because they had less territory to defend and more troops

Incheon (September 1950)

Macarthur's plan to launch an amphibious assault on this location near the Korean border was a great victory and allowed US/ROK forces to take the capital Seoul

What was the US aim in the Korean War after September 1950?

'destruction of NK armed forces and re-unification'

What was Macarthur's biggest flaw?

He was overconfident that China and/or the USSR would not intervene in the Korean War (China eventually does)

What were the three main reasons that China intervened in the Korean War?

1) Security Reasons (US operating in Taiwan and near Yalu River/ MA supporting Chiang)
2) Opportunity for China to re-establish global status
3) Mao sought to repay North Korea for help in the CCW.

Frozen Chosin

General Douglas MacArthur troops were cornered in North Korea by the Chinese and Koreans in freezing temperatures

Was the Korean War a US or UN war?

US war: UN police action was spearheaded by US, Commanded by McArthur, MacArthur reported to Truman, US gave 90% of fighting men

Canada

After US and UK, this country was the third largest contingent in Korea, giving 27,000 soldiers

What is the only LA country that sent troops when the US/ROK forces were struggling in the Korean War?

Columbia

Matt Ridgeway

US ground commander appointed by Truman that turned US army and morale around, possessed an abundance of tanks, and got US/ROK forces to retake Seoul a he 38th parallel.

What did Truman do in April 1951 that led his popularity to plummet?

Truman dismissed MacArthur

Tickertape Parade

Parade of honor given to MacArthur in NYC after his dismissal

Armistice (1951)

This was proposed by China in the Korean War as all sides were struggling, but it was not actually accepted until 1953 when both the US and USSR experienced a change in leadership.

Free World

Made up of countries with non-communist governments; Truman refused o send Chinese POWs back to China because he feared they would defect o this.

Eisenhower

New president of the US after Truman that signed the armistice ending the Korean War in 1953.

What were the outcomes of the Korean War?

1) Intensified McCarthyism
2) Greatly damaged Truman's presidency
3) Generated inflation and cost US $67 billion
4) Outbreak/Course of war shaped greatly by public opinion

Successes of Korean War?

1) Truman succeeded at containing and "saved" SK
2) Ensured Japan's security and development into an ally
3) Helped American prestige
4) Germany/Japan/Taiwan/SK became closely allied with US

Failures of Korean War?

1) Could not achieve re-unification
2) Signaled W Europe was more important to US interests than Asia
3) Escalated arms race
4) Sino-American relations deteriorated
5) Confirmed US marginalization of LA regimes to combat Communism

Other outcomes of Korean War

1) Center of war shifted to Asia and convinced Truman of Communist spread.
2) US increased financial aid to French fighting communism in Vietnam and later got involved in Vietnam
3) Strengthened NATO and US began re-militarizing Germany

1951 Mutual Security Act

This act gave $38 million of military spending to LA to combat communism