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Description: The Marshall Plan helped Europe recover from WW2. Most of the battles were in Europe. George Marshall US secretary of state spent 13 billion dollars to help Europe rebuild it's economies and cities.
Significance: The US aided immediately because they were afraid of the domino theory in Europe. The domino theory was if one country turns than others would follow. The overall impact of the Marshall Plan was a huge success and US prevented Europe from becoming communist. -
Description: The Berlin Blockade and Airlift was a rescue to save Berlin from the Soviets who was surrounding it. Soviets took over the land travel but the US and Britain kept the air, they flew and delivered vital supplies and people in Berlin were to keep live there.
Significance: The overall impact was a stalemate, and was a check for the US and Soviets. It was important because the US didn't let a country turn communist. The Berlin Wall was set up as a to prevent unwelcome people to enter. -
Description: NATO was a group that was formed with the US along with Europe's countries. It was an anti Soviet group that was protecting against communism. These countries would send military aid if any country needed help.
Significance: The overall impact was a success, it was a great way to unite allies that were concerned that Soviets would take them over. NATO also gained many new countries that bordered the Soviets. These countries used USA's nuclear power as a threat to keep Soviets away. -
Description: The Red Scare was when US people thought that that communists were going to take over influential places like the gov't or schools. The government started looking for any communist people. People were afraid of other people becoming communist spies.
Significance: The red scare was a problem because people were fired or their status dropped if you were accused of being a communist spy. The House Committee on Un-American Activities put thousands of innocent people on a blacklist. -
Description: The Korean War was against North Korea vs South Korea, the US backed up South Korea and China backed up North Korea. They battled neither gaining the whole country and ended up being a stalemate at the end of the 4 years putting up the 38th parallel as a blockade.
Significance: The Korean War was important because the US was afraid of Korea becoming communist. After it started the US was afraid it would turn into WW3 with the Soviets and China so we ended up in a stalemate. -
Description: The Battle of Dien Bien Phu was the end of the first Indochina War. The French troops were in Dien Bien Phu valley to protect the T’ai Federation that was loyal to them. The Viet Minh with the Chinese's help they were able to take out the French airfield and overcome the troops.
Significance: This battle was important because Viet Minh forced France to sign the Geneva Accords. France was worried that too many troops would die so wanted to stop the fighting. -
Description: The Geneva Peace Accords were when the Indo Chinese countries and world superpowers met to discuss peace terms for Vietnam. The decided to split the country in two along the 17th parallel with both sides pulling their troops from the other side. All agreed on free elections except for the US and South Vietnamese.
Significance: Ho Chi Minh pulled his troops from South Vietnam where he was winning. When the US didn't support free elections it set the stage for the US Vietnam war. -
Description: The Bay of Pigs invasion was a failed attack to push the communist leader of Cuba named Fidel Castro out of power. The US sent 1500 trained Cuban exiles to but Cuba to fight Castro. Castro knew they were coming and was to easily overwhelm them. Significance: The US was afraid of Cuba's ties with the Soviet Union because Cuba is so close to the US. The US avoided attacking Cuba directly with US troops because that could cause a war with the Soviet Union who supports Cuba.
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Description: The Berlin Wall was a wall that separated communist East Germany from democratic West Germany. Between 1949 and 1961 2.5 million people left from East Germany and moved to West Germany. East Germany put up the Berlin Wall to stop people from leaving East Germany.
Significance: During the time the Berlin Wall stood more than 5000 people tried to escape from East Germany and 191 people died trying. East German and the Soviets were afraid of a democratic domino effect. -
Description: The Cuban Missile Crisis occurred when the Soviets put nuclear missiles in Cuba that threatened the US put a naval blockade around Cuba. It ended up being a stalemate because the US pulled our missiles away from turkey and they did the same for Cuba.
Significance: The US and Soviet union were afraid of a nuclear war. The US pulled their missiles out of Turkey if the Soviets would do the same for Cuba. -
Description: There were 2 navel boat named the U.S.S Maddox and the U.S.S Turner Joy in the Gulf of Tonkin supporting South Vietnam. North Vietnamese patrol boats fired on these 2 ships. LBJ made the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution that entered the US into the war.
Significance: The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was important because it got everyone's full vote for the house's and almost all of the senate except 2 people and the president's vote. This showed US support of entering into the Vietnam war. -
Description: Tet is a Vietnamese holiday where they celebrate the lunar new year. In previous years both sides had a truce to celebrate. The Tet Offensive was an attack on over 100 cities during this holiday. This event was trying to break up the unstable relationship of the US and South Vietnamese.
Significance: The Tet Offensive was important because it was the start of the US exiting the war. This was a turning point in the war because the US started to lose support by the citizens. -
Description: The My Lai Massacre was when more than 500 people were killed which were women, children and old men in My Lai on March 16th 1968. The Charlie Company was ordered to take down the village because My Lai might have been helping the Viet Cong.
Significance: The US started to slowly pull out of the war because they were ashamed about killing innocent people. This event impacted the Vietnam war because the US started to second guess if we should even be in this war. -
Description: The Kent State University Shooting happened in Ohio. There was a protest about the Vietnam war in Ohio when the National guard of Ohio opened fire on the protesters. 4 students were killed and 9 students injured.
Significance: This event was important because the American public was swayed against the war because the people are now fighting in America about the Vietnam War. This led to USA to pull out of the war and also the reason to the downfall of President Nixon. -
Description: The Pentagon Papers was a top secret report of the events in the Vietnam War. Danial Ellsberg, a analyst found out that the war was unwinnable and that the government was lying to them. He printed out copies and gave them to New York Times. Many papers printed it.
Significance: The Pentagon papers showed the US citizens that the government has been lying to the pubic about the success of the war and how much the US was involved. This made the public question the war more. -
Description: The Paris Peace Accords was to have a peace agreement between South Vietnam, North Vietnam, and the US. The US and all other foreign counties agree to pull out of the war. They kept the 17th parallel as a dividing line and agreed for North and South Vietnam to reunify through peaceful terms.
Significance: The US pulls out of the war which means that Southern Vietnam is very vulnerable. This is a sign that the US is will to let Vietnam go. -
Description: The War Powers Act was a law to make sure that presidents couldn't start an armed conflict with another country without Congress approving it. This act was made to stop having drawn out wars like the Vietnam War.
Significance: The War Powers Act was not very significant. Most of the presidents have gone around the act including Presidents Truman, Nixon, JFK and even Barack Obama. A recent example is when President Obama ordered military action in Libya without Congress' approval. -
Description: The Fall of Saigon was when the South Vietnamese lost the war and surrendered. 5 months before the Fall, North Vietnam troops started advancing. The US did nothing even though they promised South Vietnam they would help. The North quickly overpowered the South.
Significance: The Fall of Saigon was important because it finally ended the Vietnam war after 20 years. The overall impact is that Vietnam became a communist country.
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