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Red Scare
The Red Scare was a period of time in the US that had an outright fear of communism. Many factors contributed to it such as McCarthyism and other fear-invoking tactics. There was a lot of paranoia regarding the USSR and politics. There were many censorships that came from the fear of communism in the US. -
Marshall Plan
President Truman signed the Marshall Plan with the goal of European economic recovery. Aid was given to 16 countries including Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, West Germany, and Norway. There are different ways to look at the impact, but it was mostly seen as a positive thing. By the plan's last year, the GDP in the countries had passed that of before the war. -
Berlin Blockade and Airlift
The Soviet Union blockaded the American, British, and French sectors of Berlin. There was no way for supplies such as food and fuel to get to Berlin. Starting on June 26th, 2.3 million tons of supplies were brought to Berlin by air over the next 11 months. The success of the US showed that it was capable of victory without military force. The USSR took down the blockade 11 months later. -
NATO
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) was created to have security against the USSR. Stated that all the western powers would defend each other if under attack. This was the largest treaty at the time and it brought together people all over the world. The alliance created a communal stand against communism in the world and created unity. -
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Korean War
The Korean War was another war regarding the controversy of communism. The war was fought between North and South Korea, with the goal of "liberating" North Korea from the South. After the war, the countries remained divided. Both countries were victims to a collapse of their economy, with South Korea booming much faster than North Korea. -
Dien Bien Phu
This was a battle between the North Vietnamese communists and the French. The territory used to be a French colony until WWII ended. The Vietnamese won the battle and were able to establish a stance against the capitalist government. It prevented any western influence from being in Vietnam. -
Geneva Peace Accords
These were held to solve issues that were occurring after the Korean and Indochina wars. They had elections that were held across north and south Vietnam. The outcome included Vietnam becoming an individual country, along with former French colonies Laos and Cambodia gaining freedom. Vietnam was divided into two parts at the 17th parallel. -
Berlin Wall
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Bay of Pigs
This was a failed invasion of Cuba by the US government. The goal was to overthrow Fidel Castro and eliminate the communistic government. This failure resulted in a win for communists worldwide and created fear in the US. President Kennedy initiated Operation Mongoose-created to take down the Cuban government and its communistic parts. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The USSR had assembled nuclear missiles in Cuba that could reach the US in a very short amount of time. The US acted by using a naval blockade which lessened the threat. The idea of having missiles so close to home brought more fear to the American people. The "red phone" was installed to give direct communication with the USSR. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
The Gulf of Tonkin Incident invoked President Lyndon B. Johnson to pass the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution which authorized the use of military force in Southeast Asia. It was seen as somewhat controversial as some people thought it was not a battle for the US the be involved in. This action launched the US's involvement in the Vietnam War. -
Tet Offensive
North Vietnam carried out a series of attacks on more than 100 cities/outposts. The purpose was to draw the US out of the Vietnam War. The Americans were lied to and told they were winning the war. This caused the public to lash back against the war and caused a divide. -
My Lai Massacre
US soldiers burned My Lai- a village in Vietnam- and murdered all the citizens living there. There was no real justification for this act. This let President Johnson increase the military force in the War, including more US troops than ever before. No declaration of war ever came from congress. -
Kent State University shooting
At the Kent State University, students were unhappy with the Vietnam War and began to protest. The Ohio national guard open fired on the students, killing 4 and injuring 9. This event prompted a nationwide strike of students, causing schools to close. More opinions were divided in regard of the war. -
Pentagon Papers
The Pentagon Papers were a study of the increased involvement in the Vietnam War. They were released to the public by Daniel Elsberg, showing that the government was not being truthful to its citizens. This didn't cause many effects on the war. The public was frightened and question the reality of the war. -
War Powers Act
This act required the President to notify congress whenever any military force is used in the world. It was created to check the power of the President. After the Pentagon Papers, people paid more attention to the government and this was put in place to have a regular procedure. There was a needed routine for Presidents to follow when forces were used on foreign land. -
Paris Peace Accords
The Paris Peace Accords were created to officially end the Vietnam War. Congress prohibited further military use in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam unless there was further approval. South Vietnam didn't want to sign the accords, causing North Vietnam to continue attacks. Not having the US there to protect the South caused them to give in to the North. -
Fall of Saigon
North Vietnam and Viet Cong took hold of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam. The US was unable to intervene and protect the South, so they fell to the troops of the North. Vietnam was now a posing threat as a united communist country. This effectively ended the Vietnam War.