The Cold War Part II
Including Ms. Rohweller’s report on
the background, conflict and
relationship of the Vietnam war to the
Cold War.
In Review
 At your tables, take just a few minutes to
discuss the following questions:
 What were the major causes of the Cold War?
 When do you believe the Cold War actually
began? (Try to agree on a year as a group)
 Do you believe that the Cold War could have
been avoided?
What you need to remember for
the upcoming exam:
 The leadership and policies of both Truman
and Stalin
 The Marshall Plan and the Truman Doctrine
 Churchill’s Iron Curtain Speech
 NATO
 The significance of the Berlin Airlift and
blockade
What you need to remember for
the upcoming exam:
 Warsaw Pact (along with the Council for
Mutual Economic Assistance)
 The causes, actions and effects of the
Korean War (June 1950-July 1951).
 Containment Policies in various regions
 The Domino Theory
 Senator McCarthy and HUAC (House UnAmerican Committee).
What you need to remember for
the upcoming exam:
 The leadership and policies of both Eisenhower
and Khurshchev
 U.S.-U.S.S.R rivalry played out in the rest of the
world (notes that you took from the class
presentations).
 Soviet satellite nations: Poland, Hungary,
Romania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and East
Germany.
 U.S. and Soviet influences around the world
Two important vocabulary words
to consider:
 Brinkmanship: creating an impression that a
country is willing and able to push a highly
dangerous situation to the limit rather than
concede.
 Détente: relaxing or easing of tensions
between two rivals, usually characterized by
increased diplomatic negotiations and talks.
The years 1955-1975
 Escalating nuclear arms/missiles race
 Stockpiling of nuclear arms in an effort to
“preserve the peace”.
 The space race begins-1957 the Soviet
Union launches Sputnik (the first satellite
into outer space). The U.S. follows with
Explorer I.
The years 1955-1975
 The greatest confrontations of the Cold War
came during the Kennedy presidency (19611963).
 Closing the Missile Gap
 American would reach the moon by the end of
decade.
 Increased aid to developing countries through
the Peace Corps
 Crisis in Cuba
The Bay of Pigs
 Castro gives American businesses the boot out of
Cuba
 Thousands of Cubans flee to the U.S. (mostly
around the Miami area)
 Castro openly joins with the communist party
 U.S. institutes a trade embargo and the CIA begins
to secretly train a group of Cuban refugees for
invasion of the island.
The Bay of Pigs Cont…
 Eisenhower had been concerned about
communism is the Western Hemisphere,
Kennedy inherits this plan.
 In April, 1961--the invasion begins and
most of the 1,500 invaders were captured.
Inadequate air protection was a major
reason for the failure of the attack.
Cuban Missile Crisis
 Khrushchev announces his intensions in defending
a second U.S. invasion of Cuba
 Soviet soldiers are sent to construct missile sites.
 U.S. intelligence supplies photos of the missile
sites-they had proof that the Soviets were on the
doorstep of the United States.
 13 Days of tension and negotiations begin in the
fall of 1962.
Cuban Missile Crisis Cont…
 Kennedy imposed a quarantine of Cuba, which did
not allow arms or supplies into Cuba.
 Kennedy was fully aware that this military standoff could lead to full nuclear war.
 Negotiations continue between Khrushchev and
Kennedy (who stood firm, but fully aware of the
nuclear threat).
 Kennedy promises not to invade Cuba and remove
missiles from Turkey, Khrushchev agreed to
remove missile sites in Cuba.
 Khrushchev is weakened by the event and is ousted
from power in 1964.
One last event…
 The Berlin Wall is built in the summer of 1961.
 The Soviets built the wall to stop the mass exodus
of East Germans (almost 3 million had left up to
that point).
 The wall was 28 miles of concrete and barbed
wire with armed guards stationed along it.
 The wall was a physical, visual reminder of the
Cold War.
Vietnam….Background
 Officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
 Predominately rural population, in 2005 only 27%
of the population lived in urban areas.
 In the 2nd century BC, China invaded. The
Vietnamese would restore their independence by
939 BC and remain independent and expand along
the coast for the next thousand years.
Vietnam….Background
 In the late 19th century, France invaded and
divided Vietnam into three regions. These regions
were joined with Laos and Cambodia and become
known as French Indochina.
 Resources were exploited from Vietnam for the
benefit of France.
 After WWII, anti-colonial groups revolted against
French rule. These revolts were lead by the
Indochinese Communist Party.
Vietnam….Background
 In 1954, the French were defeated by Vietnamese
forces at Dien Bien Phu.
 Vietnam was divided into two zones; North
Vietnam which was controlled by the communists
and South Vietnam which was controlled by the
anti-communists.
 South Vietnam would spend the next 20 years
trying to stop North Vietnam’s attacks and
attempts to unify the country.
Vietnam….The Conflict
 Officially lasted from 1959-1975
 In 1965, the sent in troops to prevent the South
Vietnamese government from collapsing.
 The U.S. also became involved because of their
belief in the domino theory-if an entire country
fell to communist control, all of Asia would fall as
well.
 3.2 Vietnamese and 58,000 Americans were killed.
By 1976, Vietnam was united as a communist
nation, the U.S. had failed in its goal.
Vietnam….The Conflict
 During WWII, Japan controlled Vietnam. At the
time, Bao Dai was emperor of the country.
 The U.S. demanded that the Japanese leave and
supported guerilla fighters called the Viet Minh,
who were lead by Ho Chi Minh.
 The Japanese surrender and Ho Chi Minh takes
advantage of the situation and declares
independence from France.
Vietnam….The Conflict
 With its defeat in 1954, France is humiliated and
tired of war. It asks for help from other nations to
begin a plan for withdrawl.
 Vietnam is divided along the 17th Parallel and
French troops remain in the south as they prepare
to withdraw.
 Ho Chi Minh remains in control in the North and
Bao Dai was in control of the South. He appoints
Ngo Dinh Diem as Prime Minister.
Vietnam….The Conflict
 In 1954, the U.S. establishes SEATOSoutheast Asian Treaty Organization.
 A regional alliance that extended protection
to South Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos in
cases of Communist subversion or
insurrection
 The U.S. would use SEATO as justification
for direct involvement in Vietnam.
Vietnam….The Conflict
 Diem wins election and becomes leader of South
Vietnam. Many are opposed to his government
and the National Liberation Front (or NFL) is
formed.
 Rebellions erupt in South Vietnam, especially in
the rural areas.
 Diem speaks out against Viet Mihn influence,
calling them Viet Cong (the English equivalent of
“commies”)
Kennedy and Vietnam
 The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN)
was created in 1955 by the United States. This
army was intended to help with the rebellions in
South Vietnam.
 Kennedy felt ARVN could be affective. He
increased advisors from 800 in 1961 to 16,700 by
1963.
 U.S. airpower was assigned to support ARVN
through the use of Agent Orange.
Johnson and Vietnam
 President Johnson felt he needed to take a tough
stand on the spread of communism.
 Johnson increased the U.S. advisors in Vietnam to
27,000.
 Johnson believed that success could come from
intimidating North Vietnam with the threat of full
scale U.S. intervention.
 He also increased the bombing along the Ho Chi
Minh Trail in Laos.
Johnson and Vietnam
 On August 2, 1964, North Vietnamese gunboats
fired on the U.S.S. Maddox in the Gulf of Tonkin.
 Johnson orders the first air strikes on North
Vietnam.
 The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution is passed by
Congress, which gave Johnson war-making
powers until such time as peace and security
return to Vietnam.
The Tet Offensive
 The North Vietnamese and the NFL decided that it
was time an offensive to inflict severe casualties
and significantly affect the public mood of the
U.S.
 The North Vietnamese and the NFL attack a U.S.
base in December 1967. 50,000 troops are called
in to support the base.
 This is exactly what the NV and the NFL hoped
for and Dec. 31 (Tet is the start of the Vietnamese
lunar New Year) and began attacking every major
city in South Vietnam.
Tet Offensive Continued
 The Offensive lasted until the fall of 1968, during
which time the embassy in Saigon was controlled
for several hours by NV and the NFL.
 45,000 NV and NFL troops died.
 In March 1968, U.S. troops wipe out the village of
My Lai, killing 500 unarmed citizens (mostly
women and children).
 This event would be covered up for over a year
Nixon and Vietnam
 By the time Nixon took office in 1969, slightly
over 30,000 U.S. troops had died in Vietnam.
 His plan for war was “Vietnamization”, which
meant withdrawing U.S. troops and having South
Vietnam take over the fighting.
 Nixon orders troops into Cambodia, U.S. college
campuses erupt in protest. Students are killed at
Kent State and and Jackson State. (May 1970)
 The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution is repealed.
Congress passes the Cooper-Church Amendment
which forbade the use of troops outside of
Vietnam. Bombing is never specifically
mentioned.
Nixon and Vietnam
 Nixon continues the bombing of Laos along the
Ho Chi Minh Trail.
 On March 30th 1972, 30,000 North Vietnamese
troops crossed the 17th Parallel. Only 6,000 U.S.
troops remained at the time in South Vietnam.
 Known as the Easter Offensive, Nixon orders
massive bombings and 100,000 communist troops
are killed.
Nixon and Vietnam
 By 1973, Nixon was facing impeachment
over the Watergate Scandal and it was
revealed that the U.S. had secretly bombed
Cambodia.
 By mid-January, Nixon halted all military
action against the North Vietnamese.
 On January 27, 1973 a peace treaty is
signed in Paris to end the conflict.
The End of the Conflict
 On March 29th, 1973 the last U.S. troops
left Vietnam
 On April 30th, 1975 South Vietnam
surrenders to North Vietnam and after 30
years since Ho Chi Minh’s proclamation of
an independent Vietnam, it was united.
Connections to the Cold War
 You tell me--take a few minutes at your
table to discuss (and make sure that your
brains are still working :)
 How does the Vietnam conflict relate to the
Cold War?
Your Homework
 Research a country that was NOT affected or
involved in any way in the Cold War.
 Between the years of 1945 and 1990.
 Mexico and Canada are not options.
 Your findings should be at least 1 1/2- 2 pages.
Describe the country, what was going on during
the Cold War era and why this country was NOT
involved.
 This assignment is due Thursday, April 10th.