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How did the Soviet Union seek to expand communism during the Cold War? How did the United States try to contain it?
How did the Soviet Union seek to expand communism during the Cold War? How did the United States try to contain it?
Objectives: Describe efforts and outcomes of attempts to expand and contain communism in Korea, Cuba, Vietnam, and Afghanistan
Objectives: Describe efforts and outcomes of attempts to expand and contain communism in Korea, Cuba, Vietnam, and Afghanistan
The Western Bloc
The Western Bloc
U.S.A. & NATO allies
U.S.A. & NATO allies
Economic System: Capitalism
Political System: Democracy
The United States wanted to contain communism so they pursued the policy of containment.
Containment was a strategy of keeping communism within its existing boundaries and preventing its further expansion. This policy meant the United States would support any nation facing an external or internal communist threat.
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The Eastern Bloc
The Eastern Bloc
Warsaw Pact allies &USSR
Warsaw Pact allies &USSR
Economic System: Command Economy
Political System: Communism
The USSR wanted to promote communism and spread these ideas to other countries.
The promotion of communism was a strategy of expanding communism outside its existing boundaries. This policy meant the Soviet Union would support any nation facing external or internal aggression from the Western bloc.
Cold War Hot Spots
Cold War Hot Spots
The Cold War emerged as a series as wars and conflicts between the United States (and their NATO allies) and the Soviet Union (and their Warsaw Pact allies).
The Cold War emerged as a series as wars and conflicts between the United States (and their NATO allies) and the Soviet Union (and their Warsaw Pact allies).
Even though the Cold War began in Europe, it spread around the world.
Even though the Cold War began in Europe, it spread around the world.
Below, are examples of four Cold War conflicts.
Below, are examples of four Cold War conflicts.
Korean War: 1950-1953
Korean War: 1950-1953
The Korean War is the name given to a civil war between the nations of North Korea and South Korea, which were created out of the occupation zones of the Soviet Union and United States established at the end of World War II. The conflict began on June 25, 1950, and fighting continued until an armistice on July 27, 1953, although, since no official peace treaty was signed, the war is still not technically over. The Soviet Union and People's Republic of China, seeking to expand the communist sphere of influence, aided the North Koreans, while forces representing the United Nations—led primarily by the United States with troops provided by 15 other nations, aided the South Koreans. The Korean War pitted American and Soviet hardware against each other without the threat of all-out nuclear strikes (although limited nuclear strikes were discussed once the Chinese became involved).
Each side wanted to unite the Korean peninsula under its own political ideology. Finally, after massive swings in favor of both the North and the South, at the end of the conflict, Korea remained divided along the 38th parallel. The demilitarized zone (DMZ) between the two nations is still the most heavily fortified border in the world. There is a constant hope among the populations in both North and South that Korea will again be united under one flag.
Photograph of US Marines fighting to help the South Koreans watching bombs explode on Chinese troops who assisted North Korean troops in December, 1950.
Photograph of US Marines fighting to help the South Koreans watching bombs explode on Chinese troops who assisted North Korean troops in December, 1950.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Koreacloseairsupport1950.JPEG
Map of Korea Today
Map of Korea Today
"The 38th Parallel," is the line of lattitude that divides North Korea (red) and South Korea (blue).
Vietnam War: 1954-1975
Vietnam War: 1954-1975
Why did this conflict begin?
The Vietnam War was a long and expensive war between the communist regime of North Vietnam and Viet Cong (communist-led guerrillas) and the anti-Communist South Vietnam and its ally, the United States. The communist regime of the north wanted to unify Vietnam into a single state that would be based on communist ideology. In 1958, the Viet Cong began to battle the South Vietnamese government.
Motivated by a policy of containment, the United States pledged support for the anti-communist South Vietnam. The United States and its allies provided training and equipment from the American military. The United States also deployed large numbers of military personnel to South Vietnam. Later in the war, the United States launched airstrikes and committed more foot soldiers.
From 1968 to 1973, efforts were made to end the conflict through diplomacy or dialogue. By January 1973, an agreement was reached and the United States forces were withdrawn from Vietnam and United States prisoners of war were released. In 1975, South Vietnam surrendered to the North. Vietnam was unified as a communist state called the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
The Vietnam War had disastrous effects. Vietnam’s infrastructure was destroyed and farmland was polluted by American chemical warfare (Agent Orange). An estimated 2 million Vietnamese died and another 3 million were wounded. About 12 million became refugees who fled to neighboring countries. During the Vietnam War, 58,000 Americans died in Vietnam and the war cost the United States millions of dollars. The United States entrance into the war led to protests by students and others at home in the United States. Despite all the money and troops the United States sacrificed, it failed to "contain" communism. Finally, by 1973, Nixon announced that America was abandoning the Truman Doctrine, or the doctrine that the United States would provide political, military and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat from external or internal Communist forces.
Sources: http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/vietnam-war-history, http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Vietnam_War, http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/mwh/vietnam/afterthewarrev1.shtml
A Viet Cong prisoner captured in 1967 by the U.S. Army awaits interrogation. He has been placed in a stress position by tying a board between his arms.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War#/media/File:Vietconginterrogation1967.jpg A Viet Cong prisoner captured in 1967 by the U.S. Army awaits interrogation. He has been placed in a stress position by tying a board between his arms.
Cuban Missile Crisis: 1962
Cuban Missile Crisis: 1962
Why did this conflict begin?
In 1959, Fidel Castro led Cuba in what became known as the Cuban Revolution. Fidel Castro sought the help of the Soviet Union to create a communist nation. With Cuba only 90 miles away from the Florida, the United States feared having a communist nation so close.
The United States felt threatened by Cuba’s proximity and in the spirit of containment wanted to bring down the communist regime. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy supported The Bay of Pigs Invasion, an attempt by U.S. trained Cuban exiles to overthrow Fidel Castro. The Bay of Pigs was unsuccessful and Fidel Castro captured the invaders. Shortly thereafter, the United States imposed a trade embargo, or ban on trade, with Cuba.
The United States was embarrassed by its failure at The Bay of Pigs and still felt threatened by the proximity of a Soviet-backed communist country. Following the Bay of Pigs, Castro asked for weapons from the Soviet Union to defend Cuba against America. In October 1962, the United States discovered missile sites in Cuba. Most alarming for the United States was that these sites brought every town in the US within range of these nuclear missiles. This was the beginning of the Cuban Missile Crisis, a confrontation between the Soviet Union and the United States regarding the Soviet deployment of nuclear missiles in Cuba. The United States demanded that the Soviet Union remove the missiles and threatened military force. After thirteen days of tense fear of nuclear war, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev removed the missiles in exchange for the United States promising not to invade Cuba.
Sources: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/mwh/ir2/causesofthecubacrisisrev1.shtml, http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/cuban-missile-crisis, http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Cuban_Missile_Crisis
An aerial view showing the medium range ballistic missile field launch in Cuba
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cubacrisis_17_Oct_1962.jpg
A map showing the range of missiles fired from Cuba
A map showing the range of missiles fired from Cuba
Soviet-Afghan War: 1979-1989
Soviet-Afghan War: 1979-1989
Why did this conflict begin?
In April 1978, Afghanistan’s government was overthrown by military officers who supported communism. The new government forged close relationships with the Soviet Union, but was greatly disliked by the devout Muslim and largely anticommunist population. Insurgencies [rebellions] rose against the new communist government. The insurgents or rebels were known as the mujahideen. There was internal fighting and coups that threatened the stability of the new communist government. In December 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan to protect the communist government. Nearly 100,000 Soviet soldiers took control of major cities in Afghanistan. The mujahideen quickly resisted and the Soviet forces attempted to destroy the insurgents. They bombed and depopulated civilian areas where the mujahideen and its supporters were located. The Soviet strategies to subdue the mujahideen led to mass migration from the countryside into neighboring countries. Millions of Afghan people fled to Pakistan and Iran.
Motivated by a policy of containment, the United States and its European allies supported the mujahideen against the Soviets. The United States provided aid to the the Afghan people. The United States and allies also provided weapons, military training, and funding to the mujahideen. The mujahideen were able to fight back against the Soviet forces using shoulder-fired antiaircraft missiles supplied by the United States.
The toll in Soviet casualties, economic resources, and loss of political support of Soviet leaders at home forced the Soviet Union to consider an exit strategy. By 1988, the Soviet Union signed an accord with the United States, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and agreed to withdraw its troops. By Feb. 15, 1989, Afghanistan returned to nonaligned status.
Sources: http://www.britannica.com/event/Soviet-invasion-of-Afghanistan, https://history.state.gov/milestones/1977-1980/soviet-invasion-afghanistan,
A mujahideen, a captain in the Afghan army before deserting, poses with a group of rebels near Herat, Afghanistan, on February 28, 1980.
A mujahideen, a captain in the Afghan army before deserting, poses with a group of rebels near Herat, Afghanistan, on February 28, 1980.
Source: http://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2014/08/the-soviet-war-in-afghanistan-1979-1989/100786/
Soviet troops on the move in Afghanistan, mid-1980s
Soviet troops on the move in Afghanistan, mid-1980s
Source: http://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2014/08/the-soviet-war-in-afghanistan-1979-1989/100786/
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