The Beginning of the Cold War
When an atomic bomb was dropped on Japan the whole world became attentive. The dropping of the atomic bomb started the nuclear age between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Two nations enter an intense competition for world power. The United States wanted to spread capitalism while the Soviet Union wanted to spread communism. The Yalta and the Potsdam conference really helped bring on the tension between the two since they did not agree on many things. They did not keep promises made to each other, therefore trust was a big issue. Also, since the U.S. did not want communism to spread they created NATO, to prevent communism from spreading. This obviously angered the Soviets and lead to the Warsaw Pact.
Revolutions
The cultural revolution
Communists take over in China; China becomes a communist country. Mao Zedong lead a revolution know as the cultural revolution to take back authority from the Chinese government. Mao decides that the Chinese youth will be the change of the wrongly directed country. The youth is are known as Red Guards and are supposed to lead their country into becoming strong and prosperous. The soviet union supported this revolution but the U.S. supported the Chinese nationalists led by Jiang Jieshi. During this time Mao set up the "great leap forward" which was also a plan to improve China. However, this did not occur. Mao forced people into collective farms in which all families would work on the same land, eat at the same dining rooms, sleep in the same dorms and raise their kids in the same nurseries. They also did not gain and money!! The great leap fails because of its poor planning and bad conditions. More than 20 million people died under Mao's plan. Mao then splits from the soviet union and continues his strict rule over the Chinese people, watching his country suffer. This fortunately ends in 1976 due to Mao's death. |
Cuba's revolution
On January 1,1959 Fulgencio Batista flees Cuba because of Fidel Castro's movement. While Cuba is celebrating, the U.S. decides what is the best way to deal with Castro and his followers. The U.S. had supported Batista and even after Castro unseated him, the U.S. continued to support him. The U.S. did not want to oppose his revolution for it might cause Castro to attack the U.S. . Support for Castro's revolution expanded in the late 1950s because of his triumph and because of the governments cruel treatment upon the Cuban people. This caused the U.S. to drop Batista and tried to replace Castro but that failed. After Castro takes over Cuba, which is U.S. property, the U.S. prospective changes. Castro allies himself with the Communist Party. The U.S launches the Bay of Pigs invasion in April 1961 as an attempt to remove Castro from power. This plan fails and Castro continues to rule over Cuba. |
The Velvet revolution
One day in November, thousands of university students gathered in the Czechoslovak capital, Prague, to celebrate International Students' Day. This was a protest to speak up for their nations and honor them. However, this protest led to one of the most important events in the Czech republic. These protests ended in violence when riot police blocked of escape routes and used violence on students that were protesting. This event ended the rule of communism ten days later after much revolutionizing. |
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Hot Spots
Korean war
During WWII Japan controlled Korea. When Japan surrendered, the Soviet Union got the northern half and the U.S. got the Southern half; it was split at the 38th parallel. North Korea when the Soviets supply them with weapons, tanks, airplanes and money to take over all of Korea. This causes South Korea to go to war with North Korea. North Korea's leader at the time is Kim II Sung and South Korea's is led by Syngman Rhee. The united states decides to get involved and the UN forces are led by American Douglas MacArthur. Fast forward to July, 1953 the UN and North Korea sign a cease fire. A border is set at the 38th parallel. During the war there were 4 million deaths. After the war is over a demilitarized zone is set and Kim Sung II sets up collective farms and a developed industry. |
Vietnam war
Before WWII, Vietnam was controlled by France. Many Vietnamese wanted to fight for independence. Vietnamese nationalist Ho Chi Minh leads revolts against the French. Ho Chi Minh is sentenced to death but he manages to escape. Vietnamese nationalists and communists use guerrilla warfare to make the french doubt their cause. In 1954, France surrenders to Ho Chi Minh. Because Vietnam is communist, the United States decides to get involved. The Geneva Accords splits Vietnam in half. Ho Chi Minh controls the North and the U.S. set up an anti-communist government in the south led by Ngo Dinh Diem. The world becomes aware of what is happening in Vietnam and these events follow; Vietcong, Gulf of Ton kin resolution, Operation rolling thunder (bombing), and the bombing of Cambodia. |
The End of the Cold War
Mikhail Gorbachev is the leader of the Soviet Union in 1985. He promoted two major changes, being, Perestroika (restructuring) and Glasnost (openness). The president of the United States, Ronald Reagan, decides upon some plans to end the cold war. In one of his policies communism was simply wrong. Because of this the Reagan administration starts a massive military buildup to create a force strong enough to discourage the U.S.S.R. that a war against the West could not be won. Also, Reagan's plan for an SDI system was not successful, but it did highlight the growing technological gap between the United Sates and the Soviet Union. Moreover, Reagan's policies pressured Gorbachev to push reforms that lead to the downfall of the Soviet Union.
Who Started the Cold War
In my opinion, the United States started the Cold War. The U.S. dropped a bomb on Japan in order to defend themselves, but that lead to the Soviet Union getting involved, which got the ball rolling. The atomic bomb dropped on Japan caught the attention of the whole world . This started the nuclear age between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. With this nuclear age also came the competition for world power; communism and capitalism.