U8 P3

The Cold War in Latin America and Asia, and the Youth Culture of the 1960s

LG 8-7: Explain the various military and diplomatic responses to international developments over time.

Development and Responses #1: The Cold War expanded into Latin America

  • Development in Cuba

    • The United States supported the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista during the 1950s.

    • In 1959, Fidel Castro overthrew Batista and sought aid from the Soviet Union.

  • US Response

    • The Bay of Pigs invasion occurred in 1961, where US-backed Cuban exiles failed to overthrow Castro.

  • Soviet Response

    • During the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, the USSR attempted to place nuclear missiles in Cuba.

    • The US responded by blockading Cuba.

    • The crisis was resolved when the US promised not to invade Cuba and removed missiles from Turkey, leading the Soviets to withdraw their missiles from Cuba.

LG 8-7: Explain the various military and diplomatic responses to international developments over time.

Development and Responses #2: Americans debated the merits of a large nuclear arsenal

  • Eisenhower’s Warning

    • In his Farewell Address in 1961, President Eisenhower warned of the emerging military-industrial complex.

    • He noted that a large military and arms industry was a new phenomenon in US history.

    • Eisenhower feared that individuals within these sectors could gain excessive power by exploiting the fear of war, leading to a limitation of individual liberties.

    • Irony: There is an irony in Eisenhower's warning since he had been a military leader and President during this military expansion.

  • Policy of Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD)

    • Robert McNamara outlined the doctrine of MAD, emphasizing that the certainty of mutual destruction would deter nuclear war.

LG 8-8: Explain the causes and effects of the Vietnam War.

Causes of the Vietnam War

  • Cause #1: The Vietnamese desire for independence

    • Vietnam was colonized by the French, who were defeated by Ho Chi Minh's Vietminh forces in 1954.

    • Due to Cold War tensions, Vietnam was divided into communist North Vietnam and non-communist South Vietnam.

  • Cause #2: The US policy of containment and the belief in the domino theory

    • Ho Chi Minh's communist forces (the Vietcong) sought to unify Vietnam under communism.

    • The domino theory posited that if one Southeast Asian country fell to communism, neighboring countries would follow suit.

    • The US supported corrupt leaders in South Vietnam and dispatched military “advisers” known as Green Berets.

    • Notable protests included monks self-immolating in opposition to the war.

  • Cause #3: The Gulf of Tonkin Incident and Resolution (1964)

    • This incident was exploited by President Lyndon Johnson to expand military involvement in Vietnam, increasing troop numbers by 8 times by 1965.

Effects of the Vietnam War

  • Effect #1: Massive destruction of Vietnamese population and landscape

    • The war resulted in over 3 million Vietnamese deaths and approximately 58,000 American deaths.

    • Operation Rolling Thunder involved saturation bombing of the countryside.

    • Napalm and Agent Orange were utilized to destroy vegetation covering Vietcong supply routes.

  • Effect #2: Division of American society and war protests

    • The war led to significant societal division in America, with protests nearly doubling as public opinion shifted, influenced largely by television coverage.

    • Events such as the My Lai Massacre in 1967 and the Tet Offensive in 1968 underscored growing dissent.

  • Effect #3: Debates about the power of the Presidency

    • President Johnson never received an official declaration of war. As the situation worsened, Congress sought to reassert its authority.

    • The War Powers Act of 1973 stipulates that a President can only deploy troops for 90 days without Congressional approval or a declaration of war.

  • Effect #4: Fall of South Vietnam

    • In 1975, South Vietnam fell, leading to the unification of Vietnam under a communist regime.

LG 8-12: Explain how and why opposition to existing policies and values developed and changed over the course of the 20th century.

Youth Culture and Rebellions of the 1960s

  • The rebellions of the 1960s were spearheaded by youth who opposed multiple issues:

    • Opposition to the Vietnam War

    • Awareness of racial inequities faced by individuals who were drafted or served in the war, exemplified by figures like Muhammed Ali.

    • Perception of the war as economically motivated, benefiting corporations financially.

    • Moral objections to the expansion of the war into Cambodia.

  • Notable incidents include the Kent State Shootings in 1970, which highlighted the fierce opposition to the war.

  • Lyndon Johnson's Liberal Policies

    • Promoted a series of social reforms to address issues such as civil rights and economic disparities.

  • New Left and Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)

    • The Port Huron Statement from SDS criticized liberal politicians for not sufficiently addressing economic and racial inequalities domestically.

  • The culture of conformity vs. The Counterculture

    • The Counterculture emerged as a youth-led rebellion against societal norms, largely inspired by the Beats.

    • This culture was characterized by:

    • Anti-materialism

    • Open attitudes towards sex and sexuality

    • Emergence of a drug culture