Military Actions, Domestic Policy, and Foreign Policy

Military Actions

• Examples include the Vietnam War

• The Korean conflict is also military.

Domestic Actions

• Definition: Actions that occur inside the United States and involve only Americans.

• Examples:

  • The Berlin Airlift is not a domestic event because it did not occur in the US.

• Wars inside The US:

  • The last war fought inside the US was the Civil War.

  • Violent conflicts don't qualify as domestic actions.

Foreign Policy

• Definition: The policy of the United States related to international affairs.

• The Truman Doctrine:

  • Focuses on fighting communism anywhere it emerges.

• Containment Policy:

  • The idea of preventing the USSR from expanding its influence and limiting communism to existing areas.

• The Marshall Plan:

  • Related to the Truman Doctrine and containment.

Containment Explained

• Containment is the policy of trying to prevent the USSR from expanding its influence or trying to keep communism only where communism already exists.

Truman Doctrine Explained

• The Truman policy is the idea of fighting communism anywhere it pops up.

• Analogy: Whack-a-Mole

  • The world is initially democratic and capitalist.

  • The Soviet Union introduces communism.

  • The US aims to allow communism only in the Soviet Union.

  • If communism emerges elsewhere (e.g., Italy, France, West Germany), the US intervenes.

Exceptions and Challenges

• China:

  • Communism emerges in China with Soviet support.

  • The US avoids direct confrontation due to the Cold War.

• Smaller Countries:

  • Communism emerges in Vietnam, Korea, and Cambodia, which are smaller countries.

• Korea:

  • The US intervenes and successfully saves half of Korea (South Korea) from communism.

• Vietnam:

  • South Vietnam wants to be capitalist, while North Vietnam wants to be communist.

  • The US intervenes to prevent the spread of communism.

Vietnam War Outcome

• The US did not win in Vietnam.

• Vietnam becomes communist.