-
Period: to
1960s
-
Bay of Pigs
Who: President Kennedy, Castro, Bastista
What:tyrant, Castro, overtook Cuba, which was an ally of the United States at the time. The US tried to invade Cuba bc of Castro but were defeated within 24 hours
When: 1961
Where: Coast of Cuba -
Bay of Pigs (continued)
Why: The former leader of Cuba was an ally because he was anti-communist and provided sugar to the United States. When Castro came into power, he threatened US industries on the island and established relations with the Soviet Union. This caused the US to attempt to invade the island country.
Significance: inflamed tensions with the Soviet Union, but kept the US out of Cuba -
Vietnam War (continued)
America was still experiencing fear from the Second Red Scare, and would do anything to prevent communism.
Where: South Vietnam
When: 1961-1969
Significance: US still working to stop spread of communism. After such a long time of fighting in Vietnam unsuccessfully, Americans began to distrust the government’s reason for entering the war. -
Vietnam War Begins
Who: President John F. Kennedy, President of the Government of the Republic of Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem, President Lyndon B. Johnson
What: In 1961, President Kennedy sent economic and military aid to help Diem in the fight against the Viet Cong (communist Vietnamese). By 1962, US military presence in Vietnam had increased to 9,000 troops. -
Vietnam War (continued)
In 1964, on the Gulf of Tonkin, two US destroyers were attacked by Northern Vietnam torpedo boats. Operation Rolling Thunder enforced the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution that gave the president more power in war decisions. Johnson ordered regular bombing raids from US planes. By 1967, almost 500,000 American troops were in Vietnam.
Why: Kennedy believed in the “domino theory”: if one country in Southeast Asia became communist, many others would also turn to communism. -
Berlin Wall Created
Who: President John F. Kennedy and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev
What: Wall that separated western Berlin from eastern Berlin
Why: Kennedy and Khrushchev did not get along. Khrushchev felt that Kennedy was weak and ordered the construction of the Berlin Wall to separate the Soviet zone of Berlin and the eastern zones.
Where: Berlin, Germany
When: Construction of wall ordered in 1961. By August 1961, travel throughout the city was very difficult. -
Berlin Wall Created (Continued)
Significance: Creation of Berlin wall was meant to intimidate President Kennedy. Tensions increased between Soviet Union and US. US and Russian tanks would later face off in Berlin before compromising that the wall would not lead to a war. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Who: Nikita Khrushchev, Fidel Castro, John F. Kennedy
What: Nikita Khrushchev had a secret agreement with Cuban premier Fidel Castro to have Soviet missiles in Cuba to prevent future invasions of Cuba. America set up a naval blockade around Cuba, and the citizens started to fear the possibility of nuclear war. Then USA agreed to not invade Cuba in exchange for the Soviet Union removing Cuban missiles. -
Cuban Missile Crisis (Continued)
Why: US felt threatened because Cuban missiles were being installed by the Soviet Union just 90 miles south of Florida.
Where: Cuba
When: October 16th, 1962-October 28th, 1962
Significance: Issue that brought Soviet Union and US closest to nuclear war. US no longer clearly ahead in the arms race. -
Limited Test Ban Treaty
Who: US, Soviet Union, and Great Britain
What: Restricted nuclear weapons tests in atmosphere, outer space, and underwater.
Why: In 1952, US and Soviet Union tested their first hydrogen devices causing many to become nervous of a nuclear fallout. Both USA’s and Soviet Union’s nuclear testing greatly exceeded original predictions in total damage and problems with radioactivity began to emerge in several regions.
Where: Signed at Moscow, Russia -
Limited Test Ban Treaty (Continued)
Where: Signed at Moscow, Russia
When: Signed on August 5th, 1963. Took effect on October 10th, 1963.
Significance: First effort to slow the arms race since World War II that majorly involved so many countries. -
Hotline Established
Who: Semyon Tsarapkin, Charles C. Stelle,
What: Hotline created by the US, Soviet Union, and British, to help reduce nuclear war occurring by miscommunication
When: 1963
Where: Geneva, Switzerland
Why: To ensure that a nuclear war would not happen by mistake, miscommunication, or miscalculation
Significance: communication between the countries increased and a nuclear war by accident was prevented -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Who: Lyndon Johnson,
What: the beginning of US involvement in the Vietnam war; happened after two US naval ships were destroyed off the coast of Vietnam to prevent further destruction and damage to US property
When: passed on august 7, 1964
Where: coast of Vietnam
Why: the US joined the war because the Vietnam blew up two US naval ships
Significance: the beginning of US involvement in Vietnam war -
Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty
Who: Major nuclear powers: US, Soviet Union, Britain, China, France
What: Agreement signed by several major nuclear and non-nuclear powers that pledged to come together to stop the spread of nuclear technology
Why: Access to information on the development of nuclear weaponry became widespread. There was a sort of balance between the Soviet Union and the US throughout the Cold War, in which both understood that a real war would be mutually assured destruction. -
Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (Continued)
However, if another nation was able to get a hold of nuclear technology, then there wouldn’t be a balance to avoid the war anymore. Therefore, the five nuclear weapons states (US, UK, Russia, France, China) agreed not to transfer nuclear weapons technology to other states, while non-nuclear weapons states agreed to not attempt to develop nuclear technology.
Where: Moscow, Russia
When: 1968 -
Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (Continued II)
When: 1968
Significance: This agreement was able to delay the possibility of a nuclear war by restricting all countries that were advanced enough to develop nuclear technology from continuing to learn about and make nuclear weapons. -
Tet Offensive (Continued)
Significance: It made American citizens angry about the involvement of the war and begin to pull out of the war itself -
Tet Offensive
Who: Vo Nguyen Giap, Lyndon B. Johnson, William Westmoreland,
What: series of attack by the North Vietnam on cities and outposts belonging to the south Vietnam. The south Vietnam and US managed to hold the attacks off, but video of it came out and angered the public and began US withdrawal from Vietnam.
When: 1968
Where: The north waged attacks on south Vietnam
Why: the north wanted to destroy southern Vietnam cities and outposts -
"Vietnamization"
Who: Nixon, Melvin Laird,
What: a way for the US to leave the Vietnam war by slowly withdrawing combat forces while also training and equipping the southern Vietnam army
When: 1969
Where: Vietnam, Cambodia, -
"Vietnamization" (Continued)
Why: several thousand US lives had been lost to the war that many believed we should not have been involved in. the enemy forces did not appear to be giving in, and NIxon was struggling to look for a peaceful way for the US to exit the war.
Significance: The US stopped sending aid and combat forces to the Southern Vietnamese, which resulted in them losing the war and being taken over by the northern communists.
