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Communism in China
The Chinese leader Mao Zedong holds China as communists:
-The communists won the peasants’ loyalty
-2.4 million Nationalists under control of Jiang Jieshi fight with the aid of the US.
-Much of the 1.5Billion dollars sent from the US are taken by corrupt officers
-Few battles are fought because strength is needed against Mao’s Red Army
-After Japan surrendered Nationalists and Communist resume fighting. -
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Causes of the Cold War
Russia vs. America: Politics- America was capitalist, Russia was communist.
-Lifestyle- America had freedom and a two-party democracy, Russia had secret police and a one-party democracy.
-Aims- America wanted Germany to recover as a trading partner; Russia wanted to weaken Germany and create a buffer zone of friendly states around Russia.
The collapse of the wartime alliance led to a Cold War between the two superpowers. -
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Iron Curtain
Dividing the East and West: - After the World War, the leaders of Russia and America had very opposing viewpoints.
While Russia wanted to weaken Germany so their surrounding countries were friendly, however America wanted Germany to recover so they had another trading partner.
The Soviets set up the Iron Curtain separating the East and the West, to prevent them from fighting again. -
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The civil war is renewed
The fighting continues:
-The Nationalists had the advantage to start because of $2 billion of US support but do little to win over the population
-China’s economy is collapsing so many Nationalist switch sides
-Chinese major cities fall and Mao Zedong gains more control -
Containment, Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan
Stopping the Spread of Communism: - President Truman adopted a foreign policy called containment. It was a policy directed at blocking Soviet influence and stopping the expansion of communism. Containment policies included forming alliances and helping weak countries resist Soviet advances.
-The Truman Doctrine In a speech asking Congress for foreign aid for Turkey and Greece, Truman contrasted democracy with communism:
-This assistance program, called the Marshall Plan, would provide food, mach -
Berlin Blockade and Airlift
(Facts in timespan) -
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Berlin Blockade and Airlift
West Berlin is held hostage:
-US decides to withdraw forces from Germany in 1948
-Soviet Union holds West Berlin hostage and the city faces starvation
-Instead of surrendering West Berlin, the US and Britain flew food there fore 11 months
-The Soviet Union finally admits defeat. -
NATO is formed
Fear of Western Europe’s power creates a defensive military alliance:
-United States, Canada and ten western European nations join together
-A military alliance is formed
-Any act against a NATO member would be met with retaliation -
The race for atomic warfare begins
Soviet Union Explodes atomic weapon:
-The US had already had an atomic bomb and the Soviet Union joined the race -
President Truman authorizes the building of a thermonuclear weapon
The bomb is to be thousands of times stronger than that of an atomic bomb:
-The H-bomb gets power from joining atoms rather than splitting them -
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The Fighting Continues
China gains more control:
-Anti-communist feelings grow because of a Chinese and Soviet treaty
-China takes control of Tibet and promises Autonomy -
Korean War 1950-1953
-War started between North and South Korea
-Korea remained divided
-America became involved because they wanted to end communism -
US tests the first H-bomb
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The Soviets exploded their own H-bomb
The race between the US and Soviets is seen -
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Mao changes industry and business
Mao launches a five year plan to start high production goals:
-China’s output of materials of coal, cement, steel, and electricity increases
-Communes are created and Mao proclaims the “Great Leap Forward” -
Warshaw Pact is Formed
The Soviet Union begins to feel threatened:
-This pact was much like NATO
-Included the Soviet Union, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Albania -
Vietnam War 1957-1973
-War started between France and Vietnam
-There was an international peace conference that met in Geneva to discuss Indochina’s future -
The Great Leap Forward goes Backward
Poor planning causes million of people to die:
-Crop failures causes a famine that kills 20 million people -
Cuban Missile Crisis
-Because of the unruly dictator in Cuba, people starting revolting
-Cuba was invaded in 1961
-In 1962 The Cuban Missile Crisis started -
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The Red Guard and Cultural Revolution are formed
It takes two years for Mao to realizes the mistake of the Cultural Revolution:
-The Red Guard consisted of many students who later shut down schools
-Thousands are executed or imprisoned and civil war is on the horizon.
-Mao finally admits the mistake in 1968 -
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
-Because of Germany’s weak stability the US forced them to take down the Berlin wall
-Germany first declined, but then after being proven wrong, they fell apart -
The Fall of the Soviet Union
-The Soviet Union came to an end when Gorbachev resigned as presiden
