Cold War Revision

The Conferences

Key Dates

1945

  • February - Yalta
  • May - VE Day
  • July → August - Potsdam
  • August - Atomic bombings in Japan
  • September 2nd - VJ Day

Yalta

  • Four power control of Germany
  • Alteriation of Polish borders
  • Declaration on Liberated Europe
  • Agreed to launche the United Nations

Potsdam

  • Germany would be disarmed, demilitarised, denazified and decentralised
  • Freedom of speach, expression and the press in Germany
  • Germany would be a single economic unit
  • USSR would recive reaprations from its won zone as well as 25% from western zones
  • West would revieve reparations from their own zones and get agricultural products from the Soviet zone
Soviet Occupation of Eastern Europe
Escalation

Reasons for Increased Tensions by 1953

  • China goes communist in 1949
  • USSR first nuke in 1949
  • Sino-Soviet Pact in 1950
  • Korean War exacerbated US fears of communism in Asia
  • Anti-Communist ideology whipped up McCartyism

McCartyism

  • From 1947 to 1954, US senator Josephy McCarthy whipped up anti-communist sentiment → leading to the ‘Red Scare’ which was a fear of subversion.
  • HUAC resumed its investigation into people suspected of communism, Alger Hiss was convicted by HUAC in 1950
  • McCarthy claimed that major US public institutions has been infiltrated by communists, Truman was soft on communism and American media was also infiltrated by communists.
  • McCarthy was discredited in 1954 when he went after the DoD. His baseless claims has a singificant impact on the domestic and foreign policy of Truman and Eisenhower.
  • McCarthyism has a massive social impact, it creates a society where people are suspicious of eachother.
  • Has an impact on government policy, US government introduces the Defesive Perimeter Strategy and NSC-68. Leads to massive military spending with the build up of nuclear and conventional forces.

Eisenhower

  • Introduces the New Look Policy (Q: To what extent is the New Look Policy different from Truman’s foreign policy - generally quite similar, neither want to directly interven in communist affairs and the goals of both policies are similar)
    • Brinkmanship
    • Massive Retaliation - Nuclear Umbrella
  • Eisenhower looks to reduce US militray spending by expanding military alliances such as SEATO and focusing on nuclear weapons. US cannot afford to keep bank rolling countries around the world - countries have to stand on their own to be under the nuclear umbrella.
<<Truman Doctrine & Containment<<
  • Truman sets up the Loyalty Programme and uses the FBI to investigate American institutions for subversive elements that could undermine American values.

Greek Civil War and the Truman Doctrine

  • UK initially supporting Greek monarchists against Greek communists until 1947 whe it had to pull out becuase of financial constraints.
  • Americans took over from the UK in an effrot to ensure that Greece did not go communist. Anti-communist support in Greece and Turkey reflected the infleunce of KLT and the Iron Curtain Speech on US froeign policy.
  • The will to indirectly assist countriess resisting communist aggression became the key aspect of the Truman doctrine.

Cominform

  • Stalin set up the Cominform in late 1947 becuase he was sure the US was creating an snti-Soviet global alliance.
  • Cominfrom fromalised Soviet influence over other communist countries in order to cooridnate the actions of communist groups around the world.
  • Yugoslavia was expelled fro being too free thinking and not being subservient to Moscow.
US Involvement in Europe
  • Marshall Plan
  • Greek Civil War
Conflict in Germany
  • \
<<Korean War<<

Leadership

  • DPRK - Kim Il Sung
    • Strong DPRK militray, based on guerilla tactics
    • Communist
    • Goal: united communist Korea
  • ROK - Syngman Rhee
    • Capitalist and democratic
    • Believed in a strong ROK militray
    • Goal: United democratic, capitalist Korea

Key Dates

1950

  • June - DPRK invades ROK and capture Seoul
  • September - US forces counter attack at Incheon
  • October - US forces occupy Pyongyang and China enters the war

1951

  • March - MacArthur’s China ultimatum
  • April - MacArthur dimissed for wanting to nuke everybody
  • July - Peace negotiations strat at Kaesong

1952

  • July - US bombs the shit out of Pyongyang and the Yalu River on the border with China
  • November - Eisenhower becomes POTUS

1953

  • March - Stalin gets offed by nature
  • July - Panmunjom Armistice signed

Causes of the War

  • Korea was supposedly temporarily divided between the allies after WW2
  • UN planned election but neither side was willing to compromise with other so they didn’t take place
  • Kim and Rhee wanted to unify Korea but under their own ideology - both happy to use force
  • ROK not in the defensive perimeter

Positions of the Major Countries

USSR

  • Stalin initially refused militray support to Kim in 1949 but chnaged his mind in 1950, supplying equipment
  • Not prepared to risk a conflict with the US so no direct involvement
  • Communist Korea would put pressure on Japan, a key US ally

China

  • Mao initially unwilling to help due to the youth of his new regime and the need for consolidation
  • Didn’t want US tropos on Chinese border so chose to intervene when US forces got near to the Yalu River in Novemebr 1950
  • Mao also decided to intervene becuase he didnt think the US would use nukes and becuase he wanted to esbtablish China as a leader in the communist world

USA

  • DPRK invasion made South Korea a major priority, despite it being previously left out of the defensive perimeter
  • USA wanted to minatain stability and stop communisim in east Asia

Panmunjon Armistice

  • Signed in July 1953, marked a return to the pre war status-quo
  • DMZ along the 38th parallel
  • Withdrawl of all militray forces
  • Repatriation of PoWs
  • Enabled by Stalin’s death

Consequences of the Korean War

  • Intensified ideological divisions
  • Created hostile US-China realtions
  • Led to a long-term American committment to containment in Asia
  • US allowed West Germnay to rearm in order to greater protect it
  • USSR support for Kim was costly, Stalin accelerated iundustrisation which created a lack of consumer goods, turning some away from communism
<<Vietnam War<<

Johnson’s Policies

  • Wanted to continue Kennedy’s policies until he won his own mandate from the Amercian people, however, Kennedy was reportedly rethinking involvement in Vietnam when he was offed in 1963
  • Continued US commitment to the counterinsurgency strategy
  • Little support for US policies amongst European nations, however, SEATO members were more eagre to offer their support

Gulf of Tonkin

  • In August 1964, USS Maddox was attacked twich by North Vietnamese in the Gulf of Tonkin
  • This led congress to pass the Gulf of Tonking Resolution in August 1964
  • Resolution gave the President the power to take any necessary action to resist attacks on US forces
  • Gave Johnson the baility to act without consulting Congresserjnrvfjknlfbm;’kregjk

Escalation of the Vietnam War

  • War devleopled in favour by 1964 with support from China and the USSR
  • North Vietnam was funneling troops and supplies down the Ho Chi Minh trail to the Vietcong
  • Vietcong grew its strength, espeically around Saigon
  • Afther his voctroy in 1964 and the Tonkin resolution, Nixon decided to escalate the war by strating Op Rolling Thunder

Rolling Thunder

  • February 1965, Jonhnson ordered a straetgic bombing campaign that would last until 1968
  • The aims of Rolling Thunder:
    • Destroy North Vietnamese infrastructure
    • Disrput the transport of manpower and equipment along the Ho Chi Minh trail
    • Get North Vietnam to stop supporting communist forces in South Vietnam

Tet Offensive

  • January 1968, Vietcong used the religious celebration of Tet to smuggle mens and weapins into RoV to prepare for an attack
  • Vietcong then launched simultaneous attacks on over 100 targets in South Vietnam, including the US Helicopter Base at Camp Holloway
  • Did not lead to the nationalist uoprising that the North wanted and ended up being a defeat for the Vietcong as 25,000 were lost → decimated its armed strength
  • Despite militray victory for the US, the Tet Offensive terminally damaged US public support for the war in Vietnam as it showed the range and detemrination of North Vietnamese troop
  • Following Tet, Johnson made the descison to begin descalation. In March 1968, Johnson announced he would not stand for re-election

Nixon’s Policies in Vietnam

  • End the war in Vietnam by seeking “peace with honour” as the US was having its credibility shredded by its inability to achieve victory and he was concerned about falling public opinion → opposition increased after the My Lai Massacre triggered student demonstartions spread across the US
  • Nixon simultaneously tried to expand the war by attacking Cambodia in 1969 and Laos in 1972, however, this failed and by the end of 72 he was ready to make peace and seek a realignment of realtions with China and the USSR
  • Kissinger engaged in peacetalks with North Vietnam and brokered a secret visit to China by Nixon in 1972
  • Vietnamisation → making the war South Vietnams problem by throwing equipment and money at them and then running away. Air support still provided.
    • Should have led to a peaceful withdrawl of American forces and allow Nixon to strengthen his negotiatong position
  • Ultimatly not very successful, in the 1972 Spring Offensive, the ARNV suffered 8000 casualties and remained an iffective fighting force.

Cambodia

  • Operation Menu commenced in 1969 and aimed to destory the NVA’s ability to use the Ho Chi Minh trail as a supply route to the south. Nixon also hoped that it expanding the war would compensate for the US’ withdrawl by demonstaring a commitment to the South Vietnam, theryby forcing the North to negotiate.
  • US backed coup led to Prince Sihanouk being overthrown by pro-US General Lon Nol → North Vietnam backed the opposing communit party, the Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot.
  • Positive Outcomes for US:
    • Vietcong operations in Cambodia severly hindered
    • Possbility of a major NVA offensive was hindered by loss of supplies
  • Negative Outcomes for US:
    • NVA and Vietcong stregthen presence in Cambodia in response
    • No strategic gains
    • Counterproductive
    • Increased domestic opposition to the war, student protests in the 1970
    • Gulf of Tonkin Resolution repealed by congress and US troops banned from entering other countries

Laos

  • Operation Lam Son 719 in early 1971 extended the war into Laos as the Ho Chi Minh trail was still operating and Nixon was eager to disrupt communist supply lines.
  • US could not directly interevene so it gave air support to a South Vietnamese attack. PAVN proved its ineptitude as it couldnt achive its objectives with 30,000 troops agaisnt the better trained and better led North Vietnamese forces.
  • RoV President oredered forces to stop any advance that reached 3000 casualties.
  • Failure encourage the North Vietnamese to start a counteroffensive

Peace Talks

  • 1968 - Start of peace talks
  • 1970 - Secret peace talks in Paris
  • 1971 - Start of secret US-China talks
  • 1973 - Seasefire agreement in Paris and withdrawl of US forces in Vietnam

The peace process was continually delayed and nearly collapsed due to neither side wanting to compromise. Despite Chinese pressure, the US would not allow for the ousting of Presidnet Thieu as it would destabilise South Vietnam.

North Vietanm ended up making concessions as a means of extending the war to wear down American resolve as much as possible.

<<Cuba<<
  • 1 Jan 1959 - Batista regime is overthrown, Fidel Castro comes to power with the help of Che Guevara and ‘los barbudos’.
  • May 1959 - Land reforms in Cuba led to the seixure of many US assets, did instantly generate a hostile response.
  • February 1960 - Soviet deputy PM, Anastas Mikoyan, visited Cuba and arranged $100 million of credit for Cuba.
    • This tied Cuba into an economic realtionship with the USSR - USA concerned that Cuba would become a Soviet sattelite where communist regimes in the Americas could be manged.
  • October 1960 - Castro siezed $1 billion of US assets after a period of sprialing realtions, US placed 95% tariff on Cuban sugar after Castro nationalised US oil assets in April 1960.
    • This prompted the US to decide that Castro could no longer remain in power and efforts began to remove him.
  • Bay of Pigs Invasion, April 1961
    • Kennedy inherited the plan from Eisenhower - 1,500 anti-Castro exiles landed on Cuba with CIA support in an attempt to launch a military coup.
    • Unmittagted and embarassing disaster for the US which served to consolidate Castro’s power in Cuba - protected Cuba from American imperialism.
  • November 1961 - Kennedy approved Operation Mongoose, use of covert operations to facilitate and anti-Castro revolt.
    • OPLAN 312 - Airstrike Plan
    • OPLAN 314 - Land attack plan
  • March 1962 - US excersies in the Caribbean ‘Quick Kick’, prompted Soviet defence minister to determine the if attacked, Cuba would last no more than a week.
    • Khruschev decided to deploy nuclear weapons to Cuba in Operation Anadyr
  • Soviets viewed positioning short and medium rnage nuclear weapons in Cuba as a way to adress the imbalance between US and USSR missile capabilities - better situatednuclear forces would help Khruschev to achive lower speinding on convetnional forces, allowing more to spent in the civillian economy.
  • 13 Days of the Missile Crisis
    • 14 October → U-2 photograpphs Soviet missile sites in Cuba
    • 16 October → Kennedy covenes ExComm to consider options
    • 22 October → Kennedy announces the naval blockade of Cuba to prevent additonal weapons being sent to Cuba

    The number of missile sites in Cuba meant that the US would not be able to destroy them all before the USSR retaliated - made a military response very undesirbale and seen as an absolute last resort.

  • 23 october → UNSC condemns USSR nukes in Cuba
  • 24 October → First Soviet ships to reach the quarantine line turn around
  • 26 October → Khruschev realised the Soviet nukes have not deterred American agression, agrees to remove them if US promises not to invade Cuba. Castro convinced an attack is imminet, orders AA to fire on reconaissance aircraft.
  • 27 October → Khruschev demands US removes nukes from Turkey, seen as a big concession so kept secret. U-2 shot down over Cuba, killing the pilot - ExComm advocate realiating against Soviet AA positions. Kennedy agrees to Khruschev’s terms.
  • 28 October → Khruschev agrees to remove missiles from Cuba, Castro livid and refuses UN inspections of missile sites.
    • Cuba led to a new awareness of the dangers of nuclear war and a new era of arms negotiations.