Describe the international role of the United States from 1945 through 1960 relative to the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, the Berlin Blockade, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Chapter 26

 At the end of World War II, the Allies went into Korea to disarm the Japanese troops there.  They divided Korea at the 38th parallel.  USSR controls the north with a Communist Korean government.  US controls the south with an American backed government.  June 25, 1950, North Korean troops invade the south.

 Truman saw the invasion as testing containment.  He asked the UN to help.  They did because the USSR delegate was boycotting.  Truman sends MacArthur from Japan to Korea.  MacArthur will gain the territory lost because he catches the North Koreans by surprise.  MacArthur moves to the border of China.

 China sees the advancing troops and asks them to stop.  The UN troops do not stop and China invades North Korea pushing the UN troops back across the 38 th parallel.  Not wanting to expand the war to fight against China, Truman refuses MacArthur’s demand to attack.  MacArthur publicly criticized Truman and Truman fired MacArthur.

 Truman wanted to remain committed to a limited war.  Achieving a limited objective: communism  General Matthew Ridgway replaced MacArthur.  The Chinese and North Koreans were pushed back over the 38 th parallel.  Peace talks start in  An armistice is sign in 1953 once Eisenhower threatens to use nuclear weapons.  More than 33,600 died in battle, more than 2,800 died from accident or disease.

 The Korean War marked a turning point in the Cold War.  Changed the objectives from political pressure and economic aid to military build up.  It expanded the Cold War to Asia.  America sends aid to French who are in Vietnam.

 Communist Mao Zedong and Nationalist Chiang Kai-Shek fought for control of China before World War II.  During WWII, they combined forces to resist the Japanese Occupation.  After WWII, civil war broke out again.  Both sides needed aid to remain in power.  America sends aid, but it is squandered away and do not send money anymore.  The Nationalists fled to Taiwan.  China fell to Communism and became known as the People’s Republic of China.

 China and the USSR form an alliance.  Fear of Communism spreading because of alliance.  Alliance between China and USSR makes US change it objective with Japan.  Helps Japan recover  Japan is the key to defending Asia against Communism

 After the Korean War ends, Communist China threatened to take two island off the coast of China from the Nationalists.  China tried to liberate these islands from the Nationalists.  Eisenhower asks for help from the US government to aid the Nationalists in Taiwan.  He threatens to use nuclear weapons to stop the invasion.  China backs down.

 In 1953, Stalin dies.  Nikita Khrushchev takes over and criticized how Stalin ran the USSR.  The CIA gets a hold of a copy of the speech in which Khrushchev gave and airs it to Eastern Europe.  By 1956, an full-scale uprising had begun in Hungary.  Krushchev never intended to end Communism, but he would tolerate more freedom in Eastern Europe.  Tanks roll in Budapest and crush the rebellion.

 Fidel Castro overthrew the dictator in  Castro establishes ties with the USSR.  The Communists were in Cuba, too close for comfort.  90 miles from the US  Afraid Communism will spread, Eisenhower authorizes the CIA to train and arm Cuban exiles called La Brigada.  Was supposed to overthrow Castro.  When Kennedy becomes president who goes ahead with the mission.  On April 17, 1961, over 1,000 Cuban exiles landed on the Bay of Pigs.

 The Bay of Pigs incident was a disaster.  Kennedy cancelled the air support of the Cuban exiles.  Because of the lack of support, almost all of La Brigada were killed or captured.  The Bay of Pigs incident exposed the plot to overthrow Cuba’s government.

 A year later, Kennedy goes toe to toe with Cuba again.  He televises American spy planes took photos showing the USSR placing long-range missiles in Cuba.  Kennedy sends a blockade so no more missiles will be delivered, demands the dismantle of the missiles and warns against an attack.  The construction of the missiles did not stop.  A fury of secret talks began.  Krushchev asks Kennedy to remove the missiles in Turkey and not to invade Cuba.  Kennedy asks the Soviets to remove the missiles in Cuba.  The world is at rest.  This became known as the Cuban Missile Crisis.

 Too close a call for war  The US and USSR back off of war: worked to lessen the tensions  They agree to reduce arms and stop testing nuclear weapons in the atmosphere.  Krushchev loses power.  The Soviets start a military build up and are less likely to reach agreements with the west.

 In 1961, Krushchev wanted the US, Britain and France to leave Berlin, which rested entirely in East Germany.  Because they would not leave, Krushchev built a wall in the middle of Berlin.  Berlin Wall  No one and nothing can leave or enter Berlin.  The wall stood for almost 30 years as a symbol to the division between the east and the west.

 Soviets set up government  made up of prewar Polish leaders  would hold free elections  Free elections do not take place