~ Spread of Communism
Notes ~
Introduction:
o
Spread to
Asia
o
In China after WWII, with defeat and withdrawal of
Japanese, the KMT leader, with American help, and communists under Mao Tse-tung
were fighting
o
1949 – Mao
triumphed
o
Chinese
invaded and occupied Tibet
o
After
Japanese defeat in 194, the country was divided into North (Russian) and South
(American)
o
Korea, like Germany, remained divided
o
1950-
communist North Korea invaded South
o
UN forces
moved to help South and Chinese helped North
o
War ended in
1953 with South Korea still communist
o
Cuba, in 1959, Fidel Castro was not a communist
originally, but Americans turned against him, particularly after 1962 when
Russian missiles discovered
o
Vietnam was divided and broke into North (communist)
and South (non)
o
When
rebellion occurred in South against a corrupt government, communist North
Vietnam gave military assistance to the rebels and American heavily involves
o
1973 –
Americans withdrew and country united under communist government
o
Cambodia and
Laos also became communist
o
1970 – Chile
Marxist government was elected
o
1975 –
Mozambique
o
1976 – Angola
o
Second half
of 1970s, Cold War thawed – period known as détente (a more permanent
relaxation of tensions)
o
In 1989
communist began to collapse in Eastern Europe
o
By 1991 –
communist bloc had disintegrated and East and West Germany united
o
USSR split up
and ceased to be communist
o
Communism
still remained in China, Vietnam, and North Korea
Korean War:
o
Korea had
been under Japanese occupation since 1910
o
When Japanese
were defeated, the USA and USSR agreed to divide countries into zones along the
38th parallel
o
Not intended
to be permanent division
o
UN wanted
free election for entire country
o
Unification
of Korea became part of Cold War: no agreement could be reached
o
Elections
were held in South and 1948 established independent Republic of Korea
o
Russians
created the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea under Kim Il Sung
o
1949 Russian
and American troops withdrew and both leaders claimed right to rule
o
North Korean
troops invaded South in June 1950
Why did North Invade?:
o
Was Sung’s
own idea encouraged by statement made by American Secretary of State, about
areas in Pacific it would defend and didn’t include Korea
o
Sung
encouraged by Chinese government
o
Stalin’s and
Russians responsible wanting to test Truman’s determination as a communist
take-over in South would strengthen Russia’s position in the Pacific
o
o
Communists
claimed South Korea started the war, when troops crossed 38th
parallel
o
Most likely
that Sung himself pressed the idea to unify the peninsula and that both USSR
and China approved plan and promised to help in the way of war materials, but
didn’t desire to become directly involved
The USA takes Action
o
Reasons for
Truman’s decisions to intervene:
o Truman convinced attack was Stalin’s
doing. He saw it as Russian plan
to spread communism
o Some Americans saw invasion similar to
Hitler’s policies in 1930s.
Appeasement had failed then so essential not to make the same mistake
o Truman thought was important to support UN
o His party was under severe criticism from
Republicans for their failure to take action against dangerous spread of
communism
o
American
policy changed - instead of just
economic help sent American troops, even before UN had decide what to do
o
UN Security
Council called on North to withdraw and once ignored asked member states to
send help to South
o
14 other
countries sent troops, most American
o
Arrival was
in time to prevent South from being overrun by communists
o
Swift
collapse of North Korean forces: by September UN troops had cleared the south
of communists
o
Instead of
ordering a cease fire, original UN objective, Truman ordered an invasion on
North with UN approval, aiming to unite the country and hold free elections
o
Warned that
China would resist if UN troops entered North Korea
o
UN troops
captured two-thirds of North so Chinese launched massive counter-offence and drove out UN troops
o
MacAuthur
wanted atomic bomb, but Truman thought this would provoke a large-scale war
o
Settled for
containment of communism
o
June – UN
troops cleared communists out of South Korea and fortified frontier
Results of War:
1. Korea was devastated; Division seemed
permanent; both sides suspicious, heavily armed, there were constant cease-fire
violations
2. American rearmament dissuaded world
communism from further aggression
3. UN had exerted its authority, but communist
world denounced it as a tool of capitalists
4. Military performance of China was
impressive; she was clearly a world power, which made fact that she wasn’t
allowed a seat in the UN more unreasonable
5. American relations were permanently
strained with China as well as Russia.
Americans tried to encircle China with bases: in 1951 defensive
agreements were signed with Australia and New Zealand and in 1954 these three
states, together with Britain and France, set up the South East Asia Treaty
Organization (SEATO). US
disappointed when only Pakistan, Thailand, and Philippines joined, as many
states wanted to keep clear of Cold War
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