THE COLD WAR
READINGS: Smith, et al.,
950-955, 959-985
WHAT WAS THE COLD WAR?

Undeclared War
between Two
Superpowers
• United States
 Democracy
 Capitalism
• Soviet Union (U.S.S.R.)
 Communism

Theatres of Battle:
• Proxy wars in other
countries
• Nuclear Arms Race
• Space Race
• Economic Competition
COLD WAR IN EUROPE


Fear of Communism in
Greece, Italy, and
France
Fear of Revival of
Fascism in Germany
• July 1947 – Marshall
Plan
• April 1949 – Creation of
NATO (North Atlantic
Treaty Orga1nization)
• August 29, 1949 –
Soviets detonate Atomic
Bomb
• 1955 – Soviets form
Warsaw Pact
• October 4, 1957 –
Soviets launch Sputnik
KOREAN PROBLEMS


End of World War II:
North Korea (Soviet Zone):
• Soviets turn North Korea
into militarized Communist
State under Kim Il-Sung

South Korea (U.S. Zone):
• Korean’s Create “People’s
Republic”

U.S. refuses recognition
• Economy so tied into
Japan’s not sure want to
separate it
• Don’t want to give land
confiscated by Japanese
back to Koreans
• Reluctantly agreed to back
South Korea as United
Nations recommended
Korea’s independence
NORTH KOREA

Kim Il-Sung
• Born into Christian
family
• Organized antiJapanese resistance
movement from USSR
in 1930s
• Proclaimed “People’s
Democratic Republic”
(September 9, 1948)
• Institutionalized
dictatorship modeled on
Stalin’s

Repressed/killed
thousands and created
a police state
SOUTH KOREA

Rhee Syngman
• Nationalist and
Christian
• Politically conservative
• Spent many years in
the U.S.
• Unpopular with many
non-Christians
• Unpopular with Koreans
opposed to U.S.
influence

Led to leftist
movements
• He imprisoned
thousands and
created police state
KOREAN WAR (1950-1953)




Both Koreas wanted Reunification
– with force if necessary
United Nations passed resolution
in favor of democratic unified
Korea
North Korea (with Soviet and
Chinese support) invaded South
Korea (June 25, 1950)
• U.S. General Douglas
MacArthur ordered U.N.
invasion of North Korea
 With the successful
invasion of North
Korea, MacArthur
wanted to push into
China
• Threatened by U.N./U.S.
invasion, China supported
North Korean Advance into
South Korea
With stalemate, armistice signed
restoring division at 38th Parallel
(June 27, 1953) – nothing
changed, no treaty signed
North Korea






Kim Il-Sung: “Thinking about
reunification makes it impossible
for me to sleep at night”
In 1961 – North Korea per capita
income twice that of South Korea
Many students in South envious
of northern brothers
But North Korea could not sustain
development without Soviet help,
which gradually, then suddenly
disappeared
North Korea won of poorest
nations in world today
Leaders (Kim Jong-Il and Kim
Jong-sun) have been among most
dangerous
South Korea




Syngman Rhee: “An armistice
without national unification
[is] a death sentence wthout
protest.”
With US aid, South Korea has
become one of Asia’s “Little
Tigers,” a modern industrial
nation that produces
appliances, electronics, and
automobiles for export
Boasts 98% literacy and
claims highest digital literacy
in the world

Remains a solid US ally

Right-slide at 1988 Olympics
NORTH KOREA 2014
South Korea Brothers Memorial
THE CHINESE REVOLUTION



Sun Yat-sen –
Father of Modern
China? (Elected
President Dec. 30,
1911)
May 4th Movement
(May 4, 1919)
1920 – 1949 Civil
War between
Nationalists and
Communists
CHINESE NATIONALISTS


Kuomintang (KMT)
Under leadership of Chiang
Kai-shek
• Allied with Shanghai business
community




Formed United Front with
Chinese Communists to unify
country between 1926 and
1928
1928 - Expelled communists
and killed thousands
Chiang ran the Republic of
China from 1928-1937 from
Capital in Nanjing
Attempted to modernize
China along western lines
• Received significant public
and private aid from the
United States
CHINESE COMMUNISTS

Mao Zedong
• Peasant who saw
base of Communists
in Peasantry
• Used violence to
redistribute property

1935 – “Long
March” with
100,000 soldiers
• Fought 6,000 miles
on foot
• Moved into Northern
Shensi Province
• Set up Headquarters
in Yenan - 1936
JAPANESE INVASION OF CHINA, 1937




Communists and
Nationalists form
uneasy front against
Japan
Communists build up
peasant support in
Northern China
Communists build
mass-based party
Communists foster
cult of
people/peasants
END OF WORLD WAR II IN CHINA

U.S. wants Nationalists and
Communists to form coalition
government
• Nationalists refuse
 Have more U.S. weapons
 Thought could easily
defeat CCP
 Had no cause
 Had no economic program
 Many KMT generals
warlords who fought each
other for territory
CHINESE CIVIL WAR, 1946-1949


Communists had
millions of peasants,
few weapons
Gradually defeated
KMT
• Confiscated weapons


October 1, 1949,
victorious Mao
proclaims “The
People’s Republic of
China”
Chiang Kai-Shek, KMT
flee to Taiwan
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, 1949-1957


Communists
consolidate power
Economy a disaster at
end of war
• Rebuilt it rapidly with
Soviet assistance, but
still backward
• Collectivized agriculture
• Tried to industrialize
along Soviet lines

Failed – too backward
“Great Leap Forward” - 1958

Urban population up
30% 1952-1957
• Grain production
stagnant

Mao solution –
industrialize on the
collectives
• Put factories in rural
areas
• Worked at first
• Failed without Soviet
Assistance

1959 Huge Famine
“THE CULTURAL REVOLUTION” 1960-1978

Famine challenged
communist myths
• Peasants, workers
turned against Mao and
the CCP

The Cultural
Revolution
• Reeducate masses




Universities closed
Dissidents attacked
Millions killed,
tortured, imprisoned
Only ended with Mao’s
Death
U.S. AND CHINA





Both Chiang Kai-Shek and
Mao Zedong committed to
“One China”
Before 1971, U.S. recognized
Nationalist Taiwan as “official”
China
July 1971 – President Richard
Nixon sends Henry Kissinger
to China
October 1971, Taiwan Kicked
out of U.N., “People’s
Republic of China” brought in
May 1973 – Chinese and U.S.
“normalize” all relations
• Nixon agrees Taiwan should
be reunified with China

January 1, 1979 President
Jimmy Carter recognizes
“People’s Republic of China”
as “official” government of
China
CHINA UNDER DENG XIOAPING (1978-1997)

Under Deng Xioping,
China moves rapidly
in a capitalist direction
• Encourages trade,
especially with the U.S.


Limited Democracy –
much official
repression
Tiananmen Square
Massacre
• Brings tanks in to fire
on students protesting
for Democracy, Liberal
ideals of French and
American Revolution
CONTEMPORARY CHINA
With Baoding English Class
CHALLENGES CHINA FACES
TAIWAN



Island largely populated by Malay
peoples
Taiwan only annexed by Qing
Dynasty in 17th Century
•
Encourage Chinese migration
•
•
Fostered Industrialization
Fostered Mass Education
1894/1910 Taiwan becomes
Japanese Colony

1944 – 71% Chinese Literate
•
•
•

Only 10% Literate in Dutch East
Indies and French Indochina
Restricted Taiwanese university
education
Allowed Taiwanese farmers to own
land
Main Point: Taiwan’s 20th
Century History very different
from that of Mainland China
END OF WORLD WAR II

Taiwan Reunified
with China
• KMT ruled Taiwan
as conquered
colony
• Taiwanese Rebellion
1947

10,000 Taiwanese
killed
DEFEAT OF KMT - 1949


Communists defeat
Nationalists (KMT) in
Chinese Civil War
Chiang Kai-shek and 2
million KMT soldiers
flee to Taiwan
• Brutally chase
Taiwanese out of
homes, factories, land
• Thousands more killed
• Taiwanese believe
Chinese Nationalists
worse than Japanese
UNITED STATES AND TAIWAN

1949 - U.S.
recognizes Taiwan as
“true” China
• Taiwan admitted to
United Nations




Taiwan grew
economically
The KMT dictatorship
morphs into
democracy
U.S. invested capital
U.S. provided military
support
IS TAIWAN A SEPARATE NATION OR
A PROVINCE OF CHINA?

Improved U.S. Relations with Mao ->
Taiwan no longer recognized
•

Tensions persist between China and
Taiwan
Lee Teng-hui – member of KMT – first
elected President of Taiwan 1996
•
Proclaims Taiwan will deal with
mainland China on the basis of “special
state-to-state relations”
•
Chen Shui-bian, head of Democratic
Progressive Party, native Taiwanese
elected President March 2000





China rejects “two-state theory”
Platform calls for Independent Taiwan
First victory of native Taiwanese over
KMT
Significant and often escalating
tensions between China and Taiwan
Ma-Ying-Jeou, ardent KMT, becomes
President in March 2008
IS ONE CHINA POSSIBLE?

President Bush stands firm on
U.S. Commitment to “One
China” but…
• Taiwan very democratic, little
democracy in China
• 1992: China’s per capita GNP
$560.00, Taiwan’s $9,300
• 2006: China’s per capita GNP
$7,700,
• Taiwan’s $29,000
• U.S. ignores many human
rights abuses in China, but…



China has 3rd largest economy
in the world
U.S. has many economic
interests in both Taiwan and
China
Much of Chinese investment
comes from Taiwanese
VIETNAM

Under French
colonial control
from 1880s
• Created plantation
economy in hands
of French




Destroyed
Vietnamese families
Took Vietnamese
land
Used Vietnamese as
forced laborers
Much resentment
Ho Chi Minh


One of Many Vietnamese
nationalists opposed to
French rule
Went to Paris seeking
national self-determination
for Vietnam in 1919-1920
• No one would talk to him



Founded French
Communist Party
Studied in the Soviet Union
Launched nationalist
uprisings from China in
1930s
• French put down
uprisings, killing
thousands
• Had little influence in
country
JAPANESE ACQUIRE VIETNAM




Germans make France
give Vietnam to Japan
1940
When obvious would lose,
Japanese attacked French
in Vietnam
U.S. supports Ho Chi
Minh, who creates Viet
Minh to liberate Vietnam
General Vo Nguyen Giap
occupies Hanoi after
Japanese surrender
• Proclaims Provisional
Government with Ho Chi
Minh as President

Ho Chi Minh proclaims
Democratic Republic of
Vietnam – September 2,
1945
VIETNAMESE WAR AGAINST THE
FRENCH




French insist on
keeping Vietnam
leading to war 19461954
Ho Chi Minh controls
North
French create puppet
regime under Bao Dai,
last of Nguyen
emperors in South
War with France ends
when Vietnamese
devastate French
troops in Battle of
Dien Bien Phu - 1954
THE VIETNAM WAR

Geneva Conference
• U.S. originally backed Ho Chi
Minh, but scared by
development of Communism
in Korea and China



“The Domino Theory”
Recognized French
government of Bao Dai
Gave government $4 billion in
aid 1950-1954
• Now U.S. backed division of
country at 17th Parallel




Ho Chi Minh controlled North
Ngo Dinh Diem backed by
U.S. controlled the Republic
of Vietnam in the South
Soviets and China sent
material aid but no soldiers to
North Vietnam
U.S. sent half a million
soldiers to South by 1969
DEFEAT OF SOUTH VIETNAM

South difficult to govern
•
•
•
•

Terrain difficult
•
•


Multiethnic
Divisions between Buddhists and
Catholics
Corruption in Government
Ho Chi Minh sometimes popular as
nationalist
U.S. dropped more tons of bombs
on Vietnam than they did on
Japan in World War II
U.S. used napalm to destroy
foliage
Atrocities led much U.S. public
opinion against war, many
demonstrations
U.S. withdraws after much
protest – 1973
•
•
•
•
•
Two years later, Saigon falls
Vietnam becomes Communist
Those who could, left
Vietnam communist, but moving
in Capitalist direction like China
Still one of poorest countries in
Asia