APUSH Cold War and Vietnam War Notes
America as a World Power
Explain the various military and diplomatic responses to international developments over time.
Decolonization
After World War II, European empires crumbled in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
The United States and the Soviet Union saw decolonization as an opportunity to expand their influence.
New, weak countries were susceptible to either communism or American democracy.
Foreign Policy
The U.S. aimed to contain communism and promote democratic capitalism.
The Soviet Union aimed to spread authoritarian communism.
Latin America
Guatemala
The U.S. overthrew a socialist government to protect the United Fruit Company's interests.
The CIA trained Guatemalan insurgents to overthrow the government and install a military dictatorship.
Cuba
Fidel Castro took over Cuba in 1959, establishing a communist regime.
The U.S. government opposed Castro due to his communist ideology and proximity to Florida.
President Eisenhower authorized the CIA to train Cuban exiles to overthrow Castro.
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The CIA trained Cuban exiles to invade Cuba at the Bay of Pigs.
The invasion was a failure, leading to further alienation between the U.S. and Cuba and closer ties between Cuba and the Soviet Union.
Cuban Missile Crisis (1963)
U-2 spy planes discovered Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba aimed at the United States.
The U.S. had previously placed nuclear weapons in Turkey, near the Soviet Union.
Negotiations led to the Soviet Union removing the missiles from Cuba, averting a potential nuclear war.
Middle East
Iran (1953)
The CIA overthrew the democratically elected prime minister to reinstate the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
The Iranian prime minister sought to nationalize Iran's oil industry, threatening Western oil interests.
The Shah was pro-U.S. and ensured the flow of oil to the West.
The Shah's modernization and westernization efforts were unpopular among some Iranians.
Iran Hostage Crisis
After the Shah sought medical treatment in the U.S., Ayatollah Khomeini rose to power in Iran.
Iran demanded the U.S. return the Shah, but the U.S. refused.
Iranian militants attacked the U.S. Embassy and held Americans hostage for over 400 days.
President Carter's attempt to rescue the hostages failed.
The hostages were released on January 20, 1981, when Ronald Reagan was inaugurated.
Asia
Vietnam
Vietnam was a French colony known as Indochina.
In 1956, France was ousted from Vietnam, which was then divided into North and South Vietnam.
The North was communist, and the South was democratic.
Elections to reunify Vietnam never occurred due to communist opposition.
Ho Chi Minh led the communist forces in North Vietnam.
Domino Theory
The U.S. feared that if South Vietnam fell to communism, other countries in the region would follow.
U.S. Involvement in Vietnam
Eisenhower: Sent financial aid.
Kennedy: Sent military advisors.
Lyndon B. Johnson: Sent troops.
Nixon: Withdrew troops.
Military-Industrial Complex
Eisenhower warned against the growing relationship between the military and industrial capacity.
He feared that military production would influence policy decisions about military interventions.
Vietnam War (Vietnam Conflict)
Explain the causes and effects of the Vietnam Conflict.
Background
Vietnam was a former French colony (Indochina).
North Vietnam was communist; South Vietnam was supported by the U.S.
The U.S. supported South Vietnam due to the Domino Theory.
U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War was focused on the containment of communism.
Early U.S. Involvement
Kennedy sent approximately 16,000 military advisors to South Vietnam.
Gulf of Tonkin Incident and Resolution
Two U.S. ships in the Gulf of Tonkin were allegedly fired upon by North Vietnamese forces.
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution granted President Johnson the authority to take "all necessary measures" to protect U.S. interests in the region.
This resolution served as a blank check for Johnson to escalate U.S. involvement in Vietnam.
Congress never declared war on Vietnam.
War Powers Act (1973)
The War Powers Act limits the President's ability to deploy troops without Congressional approval.
It requires the President to seek Congressional authorization for military actions exceeding 60 days.
The War Powers Resolution has never been constitutionally been looked at by the Supreme Court.
Escalation of U.S. Involvement
Johnson implemented a strategy of step-by-step escalation.
General Westmoreland requested increasing numbers of troops, reaching 200,000 by 1968.
Public opinion in the U.S. turned against the war.
Tragedies of 1968
Johnson did not seek re-election.
Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968.
Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in July 1968 after winning the Democratic nomination.
Challenges of the War
The North Vietnamese were more adept at fighting than the Americans anticipated.
American troops faced restrictions and fought against guerilla tactics.
It was difficult to distinguish the enemy due to the lack of uniforms.
Opposition and Disinformation
The Vietnam War was fiercely opposed in the U.S.
Anti-war protests erupted alongside the civil rights movement.
The Johnson administration was accused of disinformation.
Television's Impact
The Vietnam War was the first televised war.
Reporters sent back footage of the situation on the ground, revealing a bloodbath.
Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive was a surprise attack by North Vietnamese forces during the Lunar New Year (Tet).
It inflicted heavy casualties on U.S. troops and exposed the war's reality.
Vietnamization
Nixon's strategy was to gradually withdraw troops and transfer responsibility to the South Vietnamese military.
The U.S. continued to provide financial aid and munitions.
End of the War
By 1973, the U.S. was evacuating its embassy in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City).
Key Points
The Korean and Vietnam Wars were major conflicts during the Cold War.
Vietnam led to Americans distrusting the government.
Johnson expanded the war beyond Vietnam's borders into Cambodia.
The Great Society
Explain the causes and effects of continuing policy debates about the role of the federal government over time.
Explain the continuities and changes in immigration patterns over time.
Lyndon Johnson's Great Society
Johnson's Great Society was a series of programs aimed at correcting societal ills.
It represented the high point of American liberalism.
War on Poverty
The Great Society sought to abolish poverty.
It mirrored the limited welfare state created by the New Deal.
Johnson had a Democratic Congressional majority, allowing him to implement his programs.
Office of Economic Opportunity
The Office of Economic Opportunity implemented self-help programs.
These programs included literacy instruction and vocational training.
Medicare and Medicaid
Medicare provided health insurance for the elderly (over 65).
Medicaid provided federally funded health insurance for those in poverty.
Immigration Reform
The Great Society abolished immigration quotas established in the 1920s.
This created new opportunities for immigrants seeking to come to America.
Other Programs
Head Start: Provided early education for at-risk children.
America Corps/Vista: Volunteers worked in impoverished neighborhoods.
Liberalism
Liberals were united by anti-communism abroad.
They believed in government action to correct societal wrongs.
The Warren Court
The Warren Court made significant decisions that implemented liberal ideals.
Gideon v. Wainwright
Ruled that if a person is impoverished and cannot afford an attorney, the state must provide one.
Griswold v. Connecticut
Ruled that laws forbidding the use of birth control were unconstitutional.
Engel v. Vitale
Deemed school prayer unconstitutional, violating the separation of church and state.
Baker v. Carr
Decided states must redraw their legislative districts to more accurately reflect population density.
Ensured districts adhered to the principle of one person, one vote.