1. Many neutral observers in Vietnam were critical of US policy. Explain why.
In 1954 the U.S.A prevented Vietnam from holding elections in fear that a communist leader would be elected. In 1955 the Americans help set up the Republic of South Vietnam. The U.S. supported corrupt leaders in Vietnam and supplied over a billion dollars in the 1950, they had no other way to try to stop communism but to support anti-communist people, weather they were corrupt or not. President Kennedy sent military personal that he referred to as advisers to fight the Viet Cong, but as time went on, between 1963 and 1964, tension between North and South Vietnam increased and so did the amount of military assistance in Vietnam. Many neutral observers were critical of U.S. policy because the U.S. was sending astonishing amounts of money as well as a great deal of soldiers into Vietnam without any real reason. They were bombing helpless citizens and they supported corrupt leaders.
2. Explain how US politicians would have defended their policies.
US politicians would have defended their policies because they claimed that if Vietnam fell to communism, than it would have been the start of all of Asia. American's saw what was happening in Vietnam as a domino effect, if Vietnam fell to communism than many other Asian countries like Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Burma and maybe even India would fall right behind them. Communism was a huge fear of the United States and they went to any measure they could in stopping it. The policy of sending troops into Vietnam was one of the only ways that the US could be sure that they were driving out communism and keeping a nationalist balance. The money they gave anti-communist leaders in Vietnam was very important because it was able to set up a government that was anti-communist and supported by some peasants.
3. The following events are not listed in correct date order. Place them in the correct chronological order. (Write the year inside the parenthesis, i.e. (1965). Then note the reason for each U.S. action, and how it brought the U.S. into deeper involvement in Vietnam.
The reasons you can choose from are: No direct involvement; financial support; political involvement; military involvement. Also, note what events triggered the increased involvement.
( 1963 ) Assassination of JFK - Johnson becomes president- political involvement- When Lyndon Johnson became president, he was more prepared than Kennedy to commit the USA to a full-scale conflict in Vietnam to prevent the spread of communism. It brought the U.S. deeper into involvement in Vietnam because Johnson was up for a war while Kennedy was hesitant, so with Johnson being president, the U.S. was ready to go to war.
( 1954 ) Formation of South Vietnam- political involvement- elections could not be held to determine what was going to happen in Vietnam, so at the Geneva peace conference in 1954, Vietnam was split into two different countries, North and South. With the constant fighting and disagreements between the communists and the anti communists in Vietnam, the involvement was increased. The U.S. was brought deeper into involvement with Vietnam with the formation of South Vietnam because the U.S. needed to stop communism from spreading, and making sure that Vietnam was equally divided, it would not spread any further.
( 1964 ) Gulf of Tonkin Incident- military involvement- North Vietnamese patrol boats opened fire on US boats in the Gulf of Tonkin. This infuriated Johnson and members of conference. The US was now authorized to do whatever it took to prevent further aggression in Vietnam, and the answer was war. The Gulf of Tonkin increased the US' involvement in Vietnam because now Vietnam was threatening US people and started fighting against them.
( 1962 ) Number of 'advisers' reaches over 11,500- military involvement- Kennedy was sending military 'advisors' to Vietnam to fight against the Viet Cong. When the tension increased between the Vietnams, more and more advisors were sent. With the increasing of advisors entering Vietnam, it increased the involvement of the USA because more and more American soldiers and people were entering Vietnam, they needed to fight and help defeat the Viet Cong.
( 1962 ) JFK sends military advisers- military involvement- JFK sent military personal to Vietnam to fight the Viet Cong, it was a sign that the Viet Cong was very strong and powerful and US assistance was needed. The sending of military advisers was an increase of involvement of the USA because the president was sending members of the military to engage in undeclared warfare in Vietnam and to help out fighting against the Viet Cong and their guerrilla tactics.
( 1965 ) U.S. Marines land at Da Nang- military involvement- with the landing of U.S. marines on Da Nang, the Vietnam War was started. Fire was opened upon U.S. ships, so war was declared and Marines were station to Da Nang. This brought the US into deeper involvement in Vietnam because they were now at war and fighting against the communists and the Viet Cong.
( 1954 ) U.S. stops elections in Vietnam- political involvement- the U.S. stopped elections in Vietnam because they were in fear that a communist would win and it would then result in a domino effect and other Asian surrounding countries would fall to communism. The involvement was triggered because the USA was scared of what would have happened if communism kept growing. The U.S. stopping elections in Vietnam increased the involvement of the U.S. in Vietnam because now they were interfering with the government of the Vietnamese.
( 1963 ) U.S. supports South Vietnam government after army overthrow Diem-political involvement- the U.S. supported the South Vietnam government because they were anti-communist, although they have may have been corrupt and not the best leaders or government to support, the U.S. had no other choice, they knew no one that was better. The involvement was triggered by the overthrowing of Diem by the army because his decisions and actions were not working. The supporting of the South Vietnam government increased the U.S. involvement in Vietnam because now they were supporting part of the country and the government that ran it.
( 1960-2 ) Viet Cong attacks on U.S. and South Vietnam bases- military involvement- The Viet Cong attacked American air force and supply bases as well as the South Vietnamese government's buildings, forces, and officials. The involvement was triggered by the formation of the Viet Cong and their ideas of communism and how they were against the South Vietnamese government and it's supporters. The Viet Cong attacks increased the involvement of the U.S. in Vietnam because they were now fighting the Viet Cong and the communists in Vietnam.
( 1960 ) Viet Cong formed-military and political involvement- the Viet Cong was against the South Vietnamese government and they killed peasants who were not in support of them. They attacked the US and the Southern Vietnamese government. The involvement was triggered by how the Viet Cong used guerrilla tactics and were extremely hard to face when it came to fighting. The formation of the Viet Cong increased the involvement of the U.S. in Vietnam because now they had to deal with skilled fighting and another force that wanted communism to expand and wanted the United States out.
4. Choose two events that you think were critical in getting the U.S. involved in a war in Vietnam. Explain your choice.
The Gulf of Tonkin incident- The Gulf of Tonkin incident was critical in getting the U.S. involved in a war with Vietnam because now Northern Vietnamese people and ships were fighting against the U.S. American lives were now at risk and were being threatened, Johnson and the Congress agreed that something had to be done and they had to take desperate measures to conserve peace and prevent further aggression.
JFK sends military advisers- JFK sending military advisers was very critical in getting the U.S. involved in a war in Vietnam because he was basically sending the army into Vietnam, they were in fact military personal. With American soldiers going into Vietnam to fight the Viet Cong, it was battle. When the numbers of 'advisers' increased, the fighting came more and more, and eventually a war pursued.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
The Cuban Missile Crisis
1. Kennedy described Wednesday, Oct. 24 and Saturday, Oct. 27 as the darkest days of the crisis. Use the information on page 350 to explain why.
October 24 was a very dark day because the blockade began and the Soviet ships closest to the blockade stop or turn around. October 27 was a very dark day in the crisis because the Soviet Unions refused to remove their missiles from Cuba unless the United States removed their missiles from Turkey. They could not do this and a U-2 plane was shot down over Cuba, the pilot was killed and Kennedy was advised to attack but held off.
2. Do you think that nuclear war was ever a possibility in this crisis?
Yes I do because Iron Ass was part of the crisis on the American side and his strategy was just to bomb Cuba instead of an invasion. It would have been a very bad idea as the Soviet Union would have bombed the USA.
3. Is Source 26 a Soviet or an American cartoon? Explain your answer by referring to the details in the cartoon.
Source 26 is an American cartoon because it is explaining how the nuclear bombs of the Soviet Union were controlled by the decisions and the strength of president Kennedy and the United states. Whoever had more strength was able to drop and release the bombs first. The reason that U believe it is an American cartoon is that it clearly shows how things are based on the decisions of Kennedy.
4. Using Source 27 list any evidence you can find for and against each of the explanations.
To bargain with the USA- For bargaining, the United States would benefit because the Soviet Union would take the missiles out of Cuba. Against bargaining, the United states had to give up some of their concessions when it really was not fair.
To test the USA- For testing, it showed the strength of the United States and how they could go up against the soviet union without being afraid. Against the testing, the Soviet Union wanted to test out the abilities of Kennedy and thought he would back off to them.
To trap the USA- For trapping, if the Soviet Union was trapping, the United States should not have had any thoughts of negotiating with them or removing their bombs. Against trapping, the Soviet Union was trying to trick the Americans and making them start a nuclear war.
To get the upper hand in the arms race- For getting the second hand in the arms race, the U.S.S.R wanted to take the missiles off Cuba because it meant that the USA would be less likely to attack. Against getting the upper hand in the arms race, the U.S.S.R. was seizing opportunities against the United States.
To defend Cuba- For defending Cuba, the United states were not in direct threat with the U.S.S.R., against defending Cuba, the U.S.S.R. was giving Cuba too many weapons and missiles.
Why did the Soviet Union place nuclear missiles on Cuba?
To bargain with the USA
To test the USA
.....................................................................................
To trap the USA
To get the upper hand in the arms race
To defend Cuba
5. Choose the explanation(s) that you think best fit what you have found out about the crisis. Explain your choice.
To test the USA is most definitely the best fit of what I have found out about the crisis. The Soviet Union was testing the USA and they planted missiles in Cuba to see what the United States would do. The United states could either back off or threaten the Soviet Union and Cuba. By testing the United States, the U.S.S.R. was able to discover how strong the United States was and how much they would fight back to the Soviet Union.
October 24 was a very dark day because the blockade began and the Soviet ships closest to the blockade stop or turn around. October 27 was a very dark day in the crisis because the Soviet Unions refused to remove their missiles from Cuba unless the United States removed their missiles from Turkey. They could not do this and a U-2 plane was shot down over Cuba, the pilot was killed and Kennedy was advised to attack but held off.
2. Do you think that nuclear war was ever a possibility in this crisis?
Yes I do because Iron Ass was part of the crisis on the American side and his strategy was just to bomb Cuba instead of an invasion. It would have been a very bad idea as the Soviet Union would have bombed the USA.
3. Is Source 26 a Soviet or an American cartoon? Explain your answer by referring to the details in the cartoon.
Source 26 is an American cartoon because it is explaining how the nuclear bombs of the Soviet Union were controlled by the decisions and the strength of president Kennedy and the United states. Whoever had more strength was able to drop and release the bombs first. The reason that U believe it is an American cartoon is that it clearly shows how things are based on the decisions of Kennedy.
4. Using Source 27 list any evidence you can find for and against each of the explanations.
To bargain with the USA- For bargaining, the United States would benefit because the Soviet Union would take the missiles out of Cuba. Against bargaining, the United states had to give up some of their concessions when it really was not fair.
To test the USA- For testing, it showed the strength of the United States and how they could go up against the soviet union without being afraid. Against the testing, the Soviet Union wanted to test out the abilities of Kennedy and thought he would back off to them.
To trap the USA- For trapping, if the Soviet Union was trapping, the United States should not have had any thoughts of negotiating with them or removing their bombs. Against trapping, the Soviet Union was trying to trick the Americans and making them start a nuclear war.
To get the upper hand in the arms race- For getting the second hand in the arms race, the U.S.S.R wanted to take the missiles off Cuba because it meant that the USA would be less likely to attack. Against getting the upper hand in the arms race, the U.S.S.R. was seizing opportunities against the United States.
To defend Cuba- For defending Cuba, the United states were not in direct threat with the U.S.S.R., against defending Cuba, the U.S.S.R. was giving Cuba too many weapons and missiles.
Why did the Soviet Union place nuclear missiles on Cuba?
To bargain with the USA
To test the USA
.....................................................................................
To trap the USA
To get the upper hand in the arms race
To defend Cuba
5. Choose the explanation(s) that you think best fit what you have found out about the crisis. Explain your choice.
To test the USA is most definitely the best fit of what I have found out about the crisis. The Soviet Union was testing the USA and they planted missiles in Cuba to see what the United States would do. The United states could either back off or threaten the Soviet Union and Cuba. By testing the United States, the U.S.S.R. was able to discover how strong the United States was and how much they would fight back to the Soviet Union.
The U.S. Attempts to Contain Cuba
1. Why was Cuba so important to the United States?
It had been an American ally for a long while and Americans owned most of the business on the island. The USA had a very large naval base there. The United states had a lot of influence in Cuba and they controlled most of the business, including many sugar industries.
2. Why do you think the Americans chose to equip Cuban exiles rather than invading themselves?
I believe that the Americans chose to equip Cuban exiles rather than invading themselves was because they knew that that if they invaded Cuba, than the Soviet Union would launch bombs at attack them. The United States did not want to be the cause of an invasion of Cuba because it would just create a lot of tension between them and the U.S.S.R.
3. Why did the invasion fail?
The invasion failed because the Cuban military was equipped with tanks and modern weapons, along with 20,000 troops, which overwhelmed the exiles. The United States was suppose to provide air support, which would have given the exiles a chance. But because the United States is filled with political babies, they became scared and failed to authorize the air strikes.
4. Compare Source 17 on page 345 (in the Arms Race.pdf reading) with Source 24 on page 348. Describe how the Soviet Union missiles on Cuba changed the Cold War balance of power.
American missiles were stationed in the USA and they were aimed toward Soviet Union cities and were estimated to take about 30 minutes to hit, according to source 17. With the Soviet Union having missiles set up in Cuba, the amount of accuracy at where they could aim their bombs sky rocketed, the time it would take the bombs to hit decreased drastically, and it made everything easier. It chanced the Cold War balance of power because now the Soviet Union was a major threat to the United states. They could fire deadly missiles at short range with barely any warming and it would be devastating to the U.S.
It had been an American ally for a long while and Americans owned most of the business on the island. The USA had a very large naval base there. The United states had a lot of influence in Cuba and they controlled most of the business, including many sugar industries.
2. Why do you think the Americans chose to equip Cuban exiles rather than invading themselves?
I believe that the Americans chose to equip Cuban exiles rather than invading themselves was because they knew that that if they invaded Cuba, than the Soviet Union would launch bombs at attack them. The United States did not want to be the cause of an invasion of Cuba because it would just create a lot of tension between them and the U.S.S.R.
3. Why did the invasion fail?
The invasion failed because the Cuban military was equipped with tanks and modern weapons, along with 20,000 troops, which overwhelmed the exiles. The United States was suppose to provide air support, which would have given the exiles a chance. But because the United States is filled with political babies, they became scared and failed to authorize the air strikes.
4. Compare Source 17 on page 345 (in the Arms Race.pdf reading) with Source 24 on page 348. Describe how the Soviet Union missiles on Cuba changed the Cold War balance of power.
American missiles were stationed in the USA and they were aimed toward Soviet Union cities and were estimated to take about 30 minutes to hit, according to source 17. With the Soviet Union having missiles set up in Cuba, the amount of accuracy at where they could aim their bombs sky rocketed, the time it would take the bombs to hit decreased drastically, and it made everything easier. It chanced the Cold War balance of power because now the Soviet Union was a major threat to the United states. They could fire deadly missiles at short range with barely any warming and it would be devastating to the U.S.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
The American Dream in the 1950s
For each term or name, write a concise sentence or two explaining its significance.
1. Baby Boom
The Baby Boom was significant because it explained the population explosion in the United States from the 1940s to the 1960s. The birthrate soared and at it's height in 1957, one baby was born every seven seconds, resulting in the largest generation in United States history.
2. Dr. Jonas Salk
Dr. Jonas Salk was very significant because he discovered a vaccine for the crippling disease of polio. Polio killed many people, most of them being children, in the 1900's. His vaccine would prove to prevent polio from crippling children.
3. Interstate Highway System
The Interstate Highway System was significant because it created 41,000 miles of expressways in the United States. The new roads encouraged the development of suburbs outside of cities. They made high-speed, long-haul trucking possible which lead to a decrease in the need of commercial railroads. It also helped to unify and homogenize the nation.
4. Franchise
A franchise is a company that offers similar products or services in many locations. The development of franchises were significant because they generated a lot of money. By offering low prices and being convenient to the customer, places like fast food restaurants received a lot of money and were able to expand and become franchises.
5. In a paragraph, describe in detail how Americans spent their leisure time in the 1950s
There was a great deal of leisure time in the 1950's due to new innovations that made chores quicker, set hours for jobs, and a higher ambition to get work done. Millions of Americans engaged in sports such as fishing, bowling, hunting and golf. Sports like basketball, baseball, and football saw many more fans as people became interested in them a lot more and other Americans watched professional sports on television. Many Americans read a lot, they read books about virtually everything from cooking to homemaking. People began to read a lot more magazines and comic books and that is when they became pouplar.
1. Baby Boom
The Baby Boom was significant because it explained the population explosion in the United States from the 1940s to the 1960s. The birthrate soared and at it's height in 1957, one baby was born every seven seconds, resulting in the largest generation in United States history.
2. Dr. Jonas Salk
Dr. Jonas Salk was very significant because he discovered a vaccine for the crippling disease of polio. Polio killed many people, most of them being children, in the 1900's. His vaccine would prove to prevent polio from crippling children.
3. Interstate Highway System
The Interstate Highway System was significant because it created 41,000 miles of expressways in the United States. The new roads encouraged the development of suburbs outside of cities. They made high-speed, long-haul trucking possible which lead to a decrease in the need of commercial railroads. It also helped to unify and homogenize the nation.
4. Franchise
A franchise is a company that offers similar products or services in many locations. The development of franchises were significant because they generated a lot of money. By offering low prices and being convenient to the customer, places like fast food restaurants received a lot of money and were able to expand and become franchises.
5. In a paragraph, describe in detail how Americans spent their leisure time in the 1950s
There was a great deal of leisure time in the 1950's due to new innovations that made chores quicker, set hours for jobs, and a higher ambition to get work done. Millions of Americans engaged in sports such as fishing, bowling, hunting and golf. Sports like basketball, baseball, and football saw many more fans as people became interested in them a lot more and other Americans watched professional sports on television. Many Americans read a lot, they read books about virtually everything from cooking to homemaking. People began to read a lot more magazines and comic books and that is when they became pouplar.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
The Arms Race
Your answers are due by 8:20 a.m. Monday, April 12.
1. Read Source 12. What methods do you think Dulles had in mind to 'liberate captive peoples' without a war?
Dulles was thinking about the methods short of war, including the method of containment. But some people felt containment was weak and did not work. Dulles was referring to the anticommunist organizations he set up throughout the world, including SEATO and CENTO. They were anti communist alliances that were made by Dulles to resist communism.
2. Look at Source 13. Would you agree that the Communist world was encircled? Explain your answer.
Yes I agree that the communist world was encircled because they had anti communist allies surrounding them in every direction. The anti communist allies were set up in different parts of the world so that the USSR would be encircled and could not expand any further.
3. Carefully examine the verticle timeline on page 343. Then look back at Source 12. Do you think the development of nuclear weapons was what Dulles might have had in mind?
No I do not believe that the development of nuclear weapons was what Dulles might have had in mind because with the development of nuclear bombs, war would be inevitable if one of them was dropped. The bombs created great concern in both the US and the USSR, if one was actually dropped than a war would have happened, and Dulles was against having a war so he was not talking about nuclear weapons and their development.
4. Look at Source 16. What is the Soviet cartoon saying about the U-2 plane?
Source 16 is saying that the U-2 plane is spying on the USSR and that the United States is watching the Soviet Union. The Soviet cartoon is saying that the U-2 plane is flying over the USSR and looking at what is going on in the Soviet Union and is spying.
5. Read the Factfile on page 344. Explain why the USSR was so angry about the US spy flights.
The USSR was so angry because the U.S. was spying on them by using U-2 flights because the U-2 flights flew so high that they could not be shot down and the US could keep tabs on the weapons being made by the USSR. The USSR was also very mad because when first accused Eisenhower lied about the spying and then when the evidence was overwhelming he had to confess.
6. How would the USA justify this violation of Soviet territory?
Eisenhower lied about the violation of Soviet territory. When accused he denied it and said that the planes were just flying over for no reason and that they were not spying. But when the Soviets shot down a U-2 plane and providing evidence that they were spying, Eisenhower had to come clean.
7. If the USSR had had U-2 planes, do you think it would have used them? Why?
Of course they would have used them. The U-2 planes were very helpful in spying because they had very high tech cameras and speakers that made it easy to hear and see from very far away. The U-2 planes provided very helpful information for the US during the Cold War and they worked very well.
8. Look at Source 17. Why do you think the USA had missiles based in Europe?
The US had missiles based in Europe because the missiles based in Europe were a shorter distance to the USSR, therefore the short range missiles would have better accuracy and aim to the USSR, so the United States had some of their missiles based in the NATO countries of Europe.
9. Define the term 'nuclear deterrent' in not more than 20 words.
No side would attack first if they knew that their attack would screw them over and hurt them as well as their enemy.
1. Read Source 12. What methods do you think Dulles had in mind to 'liberate captive peoples' without a war?
Dulles was thinking about the methods short of war, including the method of containment. But some people felt containment was weak and did not work. Dulles was referring to the anticommunist organizations he set up throughout the world, including SEATO and CENTO. They were anti communist alliances that were made by Dulles to resist communism.
2. Look at Source 13. Would you agree that the Communist world was encircled? Explain your answer.
Yes I agree that the communist world was encircled because they had anti communist allies surrounding them in every direction. The anti communist allies were set up in different parts of the world so that the USSR would be encircled and could not expand any further.
3. Carefully examine the verticle timeline on page 343. Then look back at Source 12. Do you think the development of nuclear weapons was what Dulles might have had in mind?
No I do not believe that the development of nuclear weapons was what Dulles might have had in mind because with the development of nuclear bombs, war would be inevitable if one of them was dropped. The bombs created great concern in both the US and the USSR, if one was actually dropped than a war would have happened, and Dulles was against having a war so he was not talking about nuclear weapons and their development.
4. Look at Source 16. What is the Soviet cartoon saying about the U-2 plane?
Source 16 is saying that the U-2 plane is spying on the USSR and that the United States is watching the Soviet Union. The Soviet cartoon is saying that the U-2 plane is flying over the USSR and looking at what is going on in the Soviet Union and is spying.
5. Read the Factfile on page 344. Explain why the USSR was so angry about the US spy flights.
The USSR was so angry because the U.S. was spying on them by using U-2 flights because the U-2 flights flew so high that they could not be shot down and the US could keep tabs on the weapons being made by the USSR. The USSR was also very mad because when first accused Eisenhower lied about the spying and then when the evidence was overwhelming he had to confess.
6. How would the USA justify this violation of Soviet territory?
Eisenhower lied about the violation of Soviet territory. When accused he denied it and said that the planes were just flying over for no reason and that they were not spying. But when the Soviets shot down a U-2 plane and providing evidence that they were spying, Eisenhower had to come clean.
7. If the USSR had had U-2 planes, do you think it would have used them? Why?
Of course they would have used them. The U-2 planes were very helpful in spying because they had very high tech cameras and speakers that made it easy to hear and see from very far away. The U-2 planes provided very helpful information for the US during the Cold War and they worked very well.
8. Look at Source 17. Why do you think the USA had missiles based in Europe?
The US had missiles based in Europe because the missiles based in Europe were a shorter distance to the USSR, therefore the short range missiles would have better accuracy and aim to the USSR, so the United States had some of their missiles based in the NATO countries of Europe.
9. Define the term 'nuclear deterrent' in not more than 20 words.
No side would attack first if they knew that their attack would screw them over and hurt them as well as their enemy.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Eisenhower & The Cold War
How did the United States react to the following 7 events, and why?
1. The Soviet Union exploded its first atomic bomb in 1949.
The United States reacted to the Soviet Union exploding its first atomic bomb in 1949 by forcing Truman with the decision to make a deadlier weapon. The bomb would be more horrifying and more powerful.
2. In 1951, the Iranian prime minister placed the oil industry in Iran under the Iranian government’s control.
The United States reacted to this by sending money to anti-Mossadegh supporters because the US feared that Mossadegh might look to the Soviet Union for money because the economy went down when Britain stopped buying oil. The CIA wanted the pro-American Shah in charge of the oil and they returned to power eventually. They did this to avoid communism leaking into Iran.
3. The Guatemalan head of government gave American-owned land in Guatemala to peasants.
The United states reacted to this by training an army which then invaded Guatemala, the army did not defend the president and he had to resign and the military leader became the dictator. The United states invaded because it was believed that Guatemala had communist sympathies.
4. In 1956, Britain, France, and Israel invaded Egypt and occupied the Suez Canal.
The United States reacted to this by persuaded Britain, France, and Israel to withdraw from the Canal so they could avoid a war with Egypt. Egypt kept control of the Canal but the US made a good decision because they believed that if Britain, france and Israel occupied part of the Canal and Egypt part of the Canal than the forces would clash and fighting would break out.
5. Soviet tanks invaded Hungary and fired on protesters in 1956.
The United States did nothing to help Hungary break free of Soviet control because the American policy of containment did not extend to driving the Soviet Union out of it's satellite nations.
6. In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik.
The United States reacted to the Soviet Union launching Sputnik by pouring money into their own space program because the US was shocked that the Soviet Union had beat them in creating an artificial satellite. The first attempt of a US satellite failed but the second was successful.
7. In 1960, the Soviet Union brought down an American U-2 piloted by Francis Gary Powers.
Eisenhower denied that the U-2 had been spying over the Soviet Union because it would create great tension between the two powers but the Soviets had evidence that the U-2 was there to spy, and Eisenhower had to admit it, and inevitably it caused a lot of tension.
1. The Soviet Union exploded its first atomic bomb in 1949.
The United States reacted to the Soviet Union exploding its first atomic bomb in 1949 by forcing Truman with the decision to make a deadlier weapon. The bomb would be more horrifying and more powerful.
2. In 1951, the Iranian prime minister placed the oil industry in Iran under the Iranian government’s control.
The United States reacted to this by sending money to anti-Mossadegh supporters because the US feared that Mossadegh might look to the Soviet Union for money because the economy went down when Britain stopped buying oil. The CIA wanted the pro-American Shah in charge of the oil and they returned to power eventually. They did this to avoid communism leaking into Iran.
3. The Guatemalan head of government gave American-owned land in Guatemala to peasants.
The United states reacted to this by training an army which then invaded Guatemala, the army did not defend the president and he had to resign and the military leader became the dictator. The United states invaded because it was believed that Guatemala had communist sympathies.
4. In 1956, Britain, France, and Israel invaded Egypt and occupied the Suez Canal.
The United States reacted to this by persuaded Britain, France, and Israel to withdraw from the Canal so they could avoid a war with Egypt. Egypt kept control of the Canal but the US made a good decision because they believed that if Britain, france and Israel occupied part of the Canal and Egypt part of the Canal than the forces would clash and fighting would break out.
5. Soviet tanks invaded Hungary and fired on protesters in 1956.
The United States did nothing to help Hungary break free of Soviet control because the American policy of containment did not extend to driving the Soviet Union out of it's satellite nations.
6. In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik.
The United States reacted to the Soviet Union launching Sputnik by pouring money into their own space program because the US was shocked that the Soviet Union had beat them in creating an artificial satellite. The first attempt of a US satellite failed but the second was successful.
7. In 1960, the Soviet Union brought down an American U-2 piloted by Francis Gary Powers.
Eisenhower denied that the U-2 had been spying over the Soviet Union because it would create great tension between the two powers but the Soviets had evidence that the U-2 was there to spy, and Eisenhower had to admit it, and inevitably it caused a lot of tension.
Monday, April 5, 2010
The Red Scare (1950s)
Title: The Red Scare (1950s). Labels: Red_Jello, Red_Scare, McCarthy, McCarthyism, Rosenbergs, Blacklist, Alger_Hiss
For each term or name, write a concise sentence or two explaining its significance.
1. HUAC
HUAC was an agency that investigated possible Communist influence in the U.S. government as well as outside of it. HUAC investigated the movie industry for possible communist propaganda ideas.
2. Blacklist
The blacklist was a list that was instituted by Hollywood executives that was a list of people who they condemned to have a Communist background. Around 500 people were on the blacklist, and their careers were virtually ruined.
3. Alger Hiss
A former communist spy, Whittaker Chambers, accused Alger Hiss of being a soviet spy in 1948. Hiss was convicted of perjury
and sent him to jail.
4. Ethel and Julius Rosenberg
They were minor activists in the American Comunist party. The Rosenbergs denied all of the charges that were brought up and pleaded the fifth amendment. They were found guilty of espionage and were sentenced to death. To some, the Rosenbergs were responsible for one of the clashes of the Cold War.
5. Joseph McCarthy
He was the most famous anti-communist activist and he was a Senator. McCarthy needed an issue that would make him reelected and he came up with the issue that Communism was taking over the government.
6. McCarthyism
McCarthyism was when McCarthy made accusation after accusation with no evidence to back them up, the attacks on suspected communists in the early 1950s were referred to as McCarthyism. It is the unfair tactic of accusing people of disloyalty without being able to back it up.
7. In a paragraph, describe the motivations and actions of Joseph McCarthy during the 1950s. What prompted his actions? What did he do? What happened as a result of his actions?
Joseph McCarthy was a senator and republican of Wisconsin. He was very much an anti communist. His actions were prompted because he had a reputation for being ineffective in the legislator. He needed a winning issue in order to be reelected in 1952. McCarthy came up with the idea that Communism was taking over the government. He made many accusations on suspected communists without supporting the accusations. McCarthyism was invented by the actions of Joseph McCarthy and it was the unfair tactic of accusing people of disloyalty without providing evidence to back it up.
For each term or name, write a concise sentence or two explaining its significance.
1. HUAC
HUAC was an agency that investigated possible Communist influence in the U.S. government as well as outside of it. HUAC investigated the movie industry for possible communist propaganda ideas.
2. Blacklist
The blacklist was a list that was instituted by Hollywood executives that was a list of people who they condemned to have a Communist background. Around 500 people were on the blacklist, and their careers were virtually ruined.
3. Alger Hiss
A former communist spy, Whittaker Chambers, accused Alger Hiss of being a soviet spy in 1948. Hiss was convicted of perjury
and sent him to jail.
4. Ethel and Julius Rosenberg
They were minor activists in the American Comunist party. The Rosenbergs denied all of the charges that were brought up and pleaded the fifth amendment. They were found guilty of espionage and were sentenced to death. To some, the Rosenbergs were responsible for one of the clashes of the Cold War.
5. Joseph McCarthy
He was the most famous anti-communist activist and he was a Senator. McCarthy needed an issue that would make him reelected and he came up with the issue that Communism was taking over the government.
6. McCarthyism
McCarthyism was when McCarthy made accusation after accusation with no evidence to back them up, the attacks on suspected communists in the early 1950s were referred to as McCarthyism. It is the unfair tactic of accusing people of disloyalty without being able to back it up.
7. In a paragraph, describe the motivations and actions of Joseph McCarthy during the 1950s. What prompted his actions? What did he do? What happened as a result of his actions?
Joseph McCarthy was a senator and republican of Wisconsin. He was very much an anti communist. His actions were prompted because he had a reputation for being ineffective in the legislator. He needed a winning issue in order to be reelected in 1952. McCarthy came up with the idea that Communism was taking over the government. He made many accusations on suspected communists without supporting the accusations. McCarthyism was invented by the actions of Joseph McCarthy and it was the unfair tactic of accusing people of disloyalty without providing evidence to back it up.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Korean War Lessons
Dear Mr. Eisenhower,
There is numerous reasons of what the United States can learn from the war. The U.S.' aims was to drive North Koreans out of South Korea to prevent South Korea from going communist. The support of the UN helped tremendously because eighteen states provided troops or support of some kind, although most of the members in the UN were American, including the commander General Macarthur. The United States and United Nations exceeded their aims by driving North Korea beyond the 38th parallel in weeks, as well as advancing into North Korea, despite the warnings by China. China's leader Mao warned the UN that if they invaded North Korea that China would get involved in the world and they did just that.
General Macarthur should not gave been able to invade North Korea because it caused many problems which led to a great deal of US casualties. The Chinese were powerful and when they joined the North Korean troops they launched a very big attack. The soldiers were taught to hate Americans and they were avid supporters of communism, therefore they were not fond of American's and the ideas they brought to North Korea. Th soldiers pushed the UN back into South Korea and the fighting reached stalemate around the 38th parallel.
The United Nations advised the United states and General Macarthur not to attack China. Macarthur ignored the instructions set forth by the UN and threatened an attack on China, that is when Truman removed Macarthur from the position of commander and ordered him to return home. The military suffered 30,000 American lives and 4,500 other United Nation lives and a great deal of money was lost to the Korean war with tanks and war supplies.
The policy of containment worked to a minor extent because the UN and the US itself kept communism out of South Korea, Greece, and other southern European countries, but communism did take over many European countries, also known as the Satellite countries, which is the case as to why containment did not work as well as it was intended to. Stalin and the Soviet Union set up communist governments in many European countries and tried in many more but the policy of containment prevented them in doing so.
There is numerous reasons of what the United States can learn from the war. The U.S.' aims was to drive North Koreans out of South Korea to prevent South Korea from going communist. The support of the UN helped tremendously because eighteen states provided troops or support of some kind, although most of the members in the UN were American, including the commander General Macarthur. The United States and United Nations exceeded their aims by driving North Korea beyond the 38th parallel in weeks, as well as advancing into North Korea, despite the warnings by China. China's leader Mao warned the UN that if they invaded North Korea that China would get involved in the world and they did just that.
General Macarthur should not gave been able to invade North Korea because it caused many problems which led to a great deal of US casualties. The Chinese were powerful and when they joined the North Korean troops they launched a very big attack. The soldiers were taught to hate Americans and they were avid supporters of communism, therefore they were not fond of American's and the ideas they brought to North Korea. Th soldiers pushed the UN back into South Korea and the fighting reached stalemate around the 38th parallel.
The United Nations advised the United states and General Macarthur not to attack China. Macarthur ignored the instructions set forth by the UN and threatened an attack on China, that is when Truman removed Macarthur from the position of commander and ordered him to return home. The military suffered 30,000 American lives and 4,500 other United Nation lives and a great deal of money was lost to the Korean war with tanks and war supplies.
The policy of containment worked to a minor extent because the UN and the US itself kept communism out of South Korea, Greece, and other southern European countries, but communism did take over many European countries, also known as the Satellite countries, which is the case as to why containment did not work as well as it was intended to. Stalin and the Soviet Union set up communist governments in many European countries and tried in many more but the policy of containment prevented them in doing so.
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