EARLY COLD WAR Essays - Cold War

TRUMAN'S PRESIDENCY/KOREA/POST WWII/EARLY COLD WAR Essays - Cold War TRUMAN'S PRESIDENCY/KOREA/POST WWII/EARLY COLD WAR NATO/Warsaw Pact- North Atlantic Trade Organization that was a military alliance founded after WWII to strengthen alliances between North American and European countries, especially the U.S and Europe. I t was a great counter balance to the Soviet Warsaw Pact. This Warsaw Pact was a military alliance established between the Soviet Union , Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Hungary, and Bulgaria in order to answer the creation of NATO. Domino Theory- This was a theory coined by Dwight D. Eisenhower and anticipated by Dean Acheson at the inception of the Cold War, that theorized if one political event in a country of a particular region fell to communism, neighboring countries could fall to communism as well. Question of Poland- The United States pushed for a democratic Poland where the representatives of the Polish government in exile, the London Poles, would be included. The U.S saw Poland as an outpost of European civilization against communism. Differently, the Soviets wanted a Soviet run Poland where the "Lublin Poles" would run the government. Stalin viewed Poland as the route of attack for Germany under Hitler and wanted to control it. He went on to break is promises at Yalta and clamped down on Poland and much of Eastern Europe. The Coup of Czechoslovakia- The Communist Part of Czechoslovakia took control of the country implanting communism and maintaining undisputed control of the country for four decades. The importance of this is that it forced the United States Senate to endorse the Marshall Plan, while it also forced Truman to ramp up the power and discretion of the CIA. Marshal Plan- This was an initiative under President Harry Truman that sent 13 billion dollars of aid to the countries of Western Europe in order to help rebuild the countries while restoring the economies and industries across Europe and stimulating jobs and trade, while ultimately trying to prevent the spread of communism. National Security Document 68 (NSC-68)- This was a document that was 58 pages which emerge under the presidency of Harry Truman. It provided the basis of militarization for the entirety of the Cold War. It also advocated for the expansion of the United States military budget, the creation of the hydrogen bomb, and providing aid to the allies of the U.S. Additionally, it emphasized the policy of containment of communism, while rejecting the policy of rolling back communism. Roots of Conflict in Korea- The Soviets and the United States split Korea at the 38 th parallel, allowing for Kim Il-Sung to head the communist Democratic People's Republic of North Korea, while Syngman Rhee head the anti-communist Republic of Korea in the South. Civil War continues to wage on in the South from 1945-1950 when eventually the North Koreans invade the South in 1950. The communist North felt encouraged about attacking the South as Truman had established the "Europe First" strategy, while Acheson had given his "defense perimeter" speech, giving the North hope that the U.S wouldn't come in to support the South. At the same time, Stalin gave the "OK" for the Northern communists to attack the South. The South Koreans are overrun quickly and the "Free World" now faced a major setback. Douglas MacArthur, American Caesar- Legendary American General who scored his greatest triumph at Inchon, which helped to turn the Korean War around and restore the previous positioning of the 38 th parallel. Against the approval of Truman, MacArthur went on to try to unify Korea, wanting to rollback communism rather than just contain it. He wrongly assumed China would not get involved, while promising to end the war early. Catastrophe at the Yalu- Unlike what MacArthur had assumed, the Chinese get involved in the Korea War and intervene in force, prompting the U.S to now face an entirely new war, one that they may struggle to win. A Seesaw Slaughter in Korea/MacArthur Fired- The communists take Seoul once again. This prompts Truman's decision to replace Walker with Ridgeway. He helps to restore American moral and leads a U.S/UN force to push back the Chinese and North Korean back up the peninsula and restore the 38 th parallel while taking back Seoul once again. Truman decides to fire