Cold War Heats up in Asia

1. Who was Chiang Kai-shek?        
Chaing Kai-shek was the nationalist leader of southern and eastern China.

2. Who was Mao Zedong?     
Mao Zedong was the communist leader of Northern China.


3. How were the Communist able to take over China?    
The Communist were able to take of China with the Aid of the Soviet Union, and the support of the peasants in the country. Chiang couldn't get the support of the peasant (a large part of the population in China) so that is mostly why he couldn't retain the control.


4. How did the State Department respond to critics that Truman's "Containment" policy didn't extend to Asia?              
The State Department responded to the critics by saying that the United States had failed in trying to  influence these forces, such as Chiang’s inability to retain the support of his people, and that only doing more would start a war. A war the United States was not ready to fight.


5. How did Korea become a divided nation after World War II?     
Korea became a divided nation after World War II because when Japan had to surrender in Korea, which they had taken over in 1910, they surrendered on which side of the 38th parallel they were on. The ones on the south were with the United States and the ones of the North were will the Soviets and thus another Germany, half of them were Communist and half of them were democratic.


6. What is the importance of the Yalu River and what prompted the Chinese to enter the Korean War?    
The Yalu River is on the border of North Korea and China. The Chinese didn't want the United States to be on their border. He then sent 300,000 troops to get them back further away from their border.


7. Who is General Douglas MacArthur and what did he want to do against China?    
General Douglas MacArthur was a high ranked general for the United States Military. Against China he launched an amphibious attack behind enemy lines. He made it so that they had nowhere to move, half of them surrendered and the other half were chased back by the United Nations military forces.


8. Why did Truman relieve MacArthur from duty?      
Truman relieved MacArthur from duty because Truman felt that MacArthur was sabotaging his policy, because he was trying to get Truman to start a nuclear war against China and Russia.


9. How did the war end?      
The war ended with the Soviet Union suggesting a cease-fire. Although both sides agreed it was at best a stalemate.


10. He is the current leader of North Korea and was also named the "Sexiest Man Alive" in 2012.    
Kim Jong Un.

Origins of the Cold War Outline

To what extent were the policies of the United States responsible for the outbreak and development of the Cold War between 1945 and 1949?

Thesis statement: 
 The policies of the United States between 1945 and 1949 where the reason for the outbreak and development of the Cold War. They were the reason because of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) making an alliance "against" the soviets, the Truman Doctrine containing communism to just the Soviet Union, The atomic weapons race, the Marshall Plan giving aid to Europe, and the race to see who was the better country out of the two.

Main Points-
1. NATO alliance

• the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was an organization that was only limited to the North Atlantic, not the Soviets
• They created there own alliance, leaving the Soviets behind. 
• Shows American trust of the UK not of the Soviets

2.Truman Doctrine

•  gave money to countries who, the Americans felt, were in jeopardy of being taken over by communists.
• Trying to stop what the Soviets were doing, making them mad
• Containing the problem, communism.

3. Atomic Bombs

• A race between the two countries to get the most weapons 
• Either side had to show that they were the better nation
• Who has the more power is who has the more weapons

4. American Intervention (Marshall Plan)

• Soviets did not like it at all, they forbade any Eastern European states to apply for it
• Stalin felt that it would weaken his grip on the Eastern European states
• He felt that the United States was trying to dominate as many states as possible by making them dependent on money

5. They were the two nations to come out of the war the most succesful

• They didn't like each others political views so they couldn't have an alliance 
• No alliance so one has to lead the world
• So "fight" to whose the best

D/I- 
Others may argue that the Soviet Union was the reason for the Cold War because of Stalins takeover of some of Eastern Europes countries, He was trying to spread communism throughout the world, and the Berlin Blockade. 


Disagreement- 

Main Point 1- Stalins demands at Yalta

• demanded the satellite countries because of their significant lose of lives during the war.  
• He wanted to move the border of Soviet Russia into western Poland
• He got what he wanted, cause he promised to join in the war effort in Japan within 90 days.

Maint Point 2- USSR's response to Marshall Plan

• He forbade any Western European country to apply for it
• He tightened his grip on Eastern European states, setting up new organizations to keep control on them. 
• Was against all of the United States intervention, he felt that they were just trying get allies to try and get them 

Main Point 3- Berlin Blockade

• 
  

Main Point 4- Potsdam 

Main Point 5- Yugoslavia

D/I-

The Berlin Blockade and Airlift

1. What is Source 37 (p. 75) saying about Josip Tito, leader of Yugoslavia?     
Source 37 is saying that Josip Tito is accepting money from the Americans. That he is so poor that he will take money from anyone and do anything for the money.


2. Why do you think Stalin was so hostile to Tito?        
Stalin was so hostile towards Tito because of what he did when he was elected in 1945. When he was elected he wanted to put in his own brand of Communism not the one that Stalin had liked. So he was expelled from the country for doing that.


3. Look back at the map in Source 27 on page 71. How does the geographical position of Yugoslavia help to explain why Stalin did not take any direct action (such as sending in troops) against Tito?     
The geographical position of Yugoslavia helped explain why they didn't go in there because it was the farthest of the satellite countries away from the Soviet Union. He would have to send in troops through a bunch of different countries just to get to him, it would have been a waste of resources and time.


4. Read Source 40 (p. 77). What reasons did the Soviet Union give for cutting off West Berlin?       
The Soviet Union cut off the power to West Berlin because of "technical difficulties". They actually cut the power from their power plants to West Berlin but they gave them coal instead, so much help!


5. Why do you think the USA did not believe these were genuine reasons?           
I think the USA did not believe these were genuine reasons because it just sounds so fake. They lost all their power just to West Berlin and then they stopped all their traffic into the city, it would have to be a huge coincidence that, that happened at the same time.


6. How do Sources 41–43 differ in their interpretation of the blockade?            
The three sources differ a lot, the first source is saying that it was a considerable achievement but that neither side had gotten anything out of it. The second source is saying that it was both an achievement and that they got something out of it because it "brought the people closer to us...". The third source is saying that it was a stupid move, there was a threat of a war and they intrude onto their land. He is saying that they were calling for a war.


7.  Which do you think is the most useful source for a historian studying the Berlin Blockade?       
I think that the most useful source for a historian studying the Berlin Blockade is a textbook. That has all the facts on what happened during that time period, it isn't just one persons view right then.



8.  Which source do you think gives the most reliable view of the blockade?
I think a view from the people who had to deal with the blockade. They were the ones who were in there, they lived through it. 

Iron Curtain Separates Europe

1. What is your overall impression of Source 26 (p. 70) and use extracts from the source to support your view. (No fence sitting; you must choose one but not both)     

• a reasonable assessment of Stalin’s aims based on the facts
• an overreaction to Stalin’s actions based on fear of and prejudice towards the USSR?               
I do agree with the statement that it was a reasonable assessment of Stalin's aims based on facts. I agree with that because the things said in this document were true. In line 2 he says that the Soviet Union were not willing to co-operate with the other sides, that was true. The Soviets didn't want to co-operate with the other sides because they didn't the other sides didn't have the same ideals about communism. Also when he says that the Soviet Union wanted to extend their control into continental Europe is true. He wanted the whole world to be red(communist) and to get that he would have to start near him in Europe and then spread.



 
2. Source 26 is a British source. Does it seem likely that similar documents were being produced by the American government?   
Yes it does seem likely that the American government was producing the same sort of documents. It seems that way because they were allies and we had the same viewpoints on the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union wanted to take over the world and that the Soviet Union was the enemy.




3. Study Source 27 (p. 71) and make a list of three different actions that Communists took to achieve power in eastern Europe. AND Explain how each factor helped.  
1. In Bulgaria a left-wing coalition won the government in 1945, the Communists then killed all the leaders in the opposing parties. This factor helped because when you get rid of all your competitors, you are the only one left and they have to give it to you. So they got control of the government by killing off everyone else.
2. In Hungary the Communist party became the largest party by imprisoning leaders of the other parties and attacking church officials. This factor helped in that when you kill off the opposition you win, like they did in Bulgaria, and when you attack people they are less likely to speak up against you. 
3. In Poland they forced the non-communist into exile. Again when you get rid of the other side you have won outright. That is what the did in Poland except they didn't kill them this time. They just forced him into exile, a lot better than killing him :).

The Potsdam Conference

1. Read Source 17 (p 68). At Yalta, Churchill and Roosevelt had agreed with Stalin that eastern Europe would be a Soviet ‘sphere of influence’. Do you think Source 17 is what they had in mind?  
No I do not think that is what they had in mind. They didn't want communism to spread even more and that is what Stalin is suggesting. That he will do whatever he wants with his territory, whether it is what Roosevelt and Churchill agree with or not.





2. Would they agree with Stalin’s views expressed in Sources 17 and 18? Explain your answer.      
No they would not agree with Stalin's views expressed in sources 17 and 18. They wouldn't because they don't want Communism to spread into other parts of the world. They want those countries to be able to be a democracy not influenced by the U.S.S.R. to be communism.





3.  Explain how each of the three developments described in the text might affect relationships at Potsdam.
Each of these developments makes is so that the relationships are not as great as they were at Yalta. Each country is mad at each other because of these events. Mostly it is both Great Britain and the United States are mad at the Soviet Union because of all they have done, lied about the free elections, trying to convert other countries to communism, just all around they are mad at them. 

Origins of the Cold War: Yalta Conference

1. What month and year did the Yalta Conference place?      
The Yalta Conference took place in February of 1945.




2. While the conference was taking place who were the Allies (Big Three) still fighting? Be specific. (Consider as well, what hadn't taken place yet that you've already studied.)       
While the conference was taking place the Allies were still fighting Germany and Japan. Even though technically they were still fighting against Germany the war was already over, the only one who didn't believe that was Adolf Hitler. The war in Japan although was still going strong.

 

3. Why was Roosevelt anxious to make concessions to Stalin concerning the fate of postwar Germany?       
Roosevelt was anxious to make concessions to Stalin because he didn't want Stalin to get too much control and go overboard with it. Like taking over Germany making them part of the Soviet Union, or with Japan have that split into two different parts (North and South). Also he didn't want to make him make promises that he could ultimately break.

 

4. What decisions did Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin make at the Yalta Conference?      
At the Yalta Conference the "Big Three" came up with some huge decisions. They would separate Germany into four different parts, one for the United States, Soviet Union, France, and Great Britain. Roosevelt also got Stalin to agree to join the United States in Japan once Germany was defeated, and to get him to come to a conference in San Francisco about the United Nations, which became a reality.

Nuclear Arms Race Since 1945 - part 2

1. Summarize the basic argument for and the basic argument against nuclear weapons.     
The basic argument for nuclear weapons is the they actually make the world safer, because countries are less willing to risk the use of force. The basic argument against nuclear weapons is that because imperfect human beings are involved, deterrence is not a fool-proof system.  
2. What is the difference between a strategic and a tactical nuclear weapon?       
The difference between a strategic and tactical nuclear weapons is there size and distance they can hit. Strategic weapons are a lot bigger and can hit targets up to six thousand miles away in thirty minutes or less. Tactical nuclear weapons can be concealed in something as small as a briefcase or a backpack and are used to hit targets near them.         
3. What is nuclear proliferation?       
Nuclear proliferation is the spread of nuclear weapons.        
4. What role has the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty played in preventing the spread of nuclear weapons?           
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has played a big role in preventing the spread of nuclear weapons. Only four countries have not signed this Treaty. People say that if the treaty wasn't made President Kenndey's worry of 25 more countries having nuclear weapons by the 1970s would have come true. 
5. Explain Secretary of State Rice's high level of concern about the Russian nuclear arsenal. (See her quote on page 16 of your reading.)       
Secretary of State Rice's high level of concern about the Russian nuclear arsenal is all about them being secured. She is worried that if they aren't protected the can just be walked in by a thief and the nuclear weapons just be stolen. For this reason she want's their nuclear weapons to be dismantled so no one will ever have to worry about them being stolen.    
6. How as the threat of terrorism changed thinking about nuclear weapons?  
Terrorism has drastically changed the thinking about nuclear weapons. People are so scared of a terroist group getting a hold of a nuclear weapon, some think they already do. No one knows what they would do if they had one so that is what makes everyone so scared about it. What if they come after us if they have one? is a big question. People want to get rid of them because of this factor, if they got them who knows what they would do with it.