Foreign policies USA

• President Truman was in office for the last months of the second world war. he met Stalin in Potsdam, where he warned japan to surrender or face the consequences
• when japan did not surrender, the US dropped 2 atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
• why did the US drop 2 atomic bombs

  Truman wanted to put an end to the war, and to save American and Japanese lives that would be lost in an invasion
• the atomic bombs were dropped in 1945
• the dropping of the atomic bomb and the development of the USSR's atomic bomb led to an arms race in the cold war (1945 - 91)
• the cold war was supported by a policy of deterrence, to maintain a strong nuclear force so that the Soviet Union would be deterred from attack the US
• Truman did not trust the Soviet Union. He believed the US should not appease Russia in the way that Hitler had been appeased before the second world war. The growth of the Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe was seen as the spread of Communist domination
• Development of the policy of containment

  George Kennan's Long Telegram said the Soviet Union was going to expand and the only way to stop it was by adopting a policy of containment
• Development of the policy of containment

  Winston Churchill said in a speech that 'an iron curtain' was descending across Europe and he called for firmness against the Soviet Union. (1946)
• Development of the policy of containment

  the policy of containment was a policy to prevent the spread of communism from the Soviet Union to other countries
• Truman introduced the Truman Doctrine to help Greece and Turkey to resist the stead of communism. (1946). He wanted the US to help “free people” resit communism
• He also introduced the Marshall Plan (European recovery program) to help the economic recovery of Western Europe and assist it to stand up against communism.
• Trumans new policies (Containment, Marshall plan, Truman Doctrine) showed the US was not going to follow a policy of isolationism. Instead it was prepared to follow a policy of internationalism - that the US would become involved in other countries. His policies heightened in tension with the Soviet Union and worsened the Cold War
• US policy and Berlin: the US, USSR, and Britain agreed to divide Germany into four zones after the Second World War. But the US and Britain believed that the economic recovery of Germany was necessary for the wider economic recovery of Europe. they also wanted a strong Germany to be a barrier against communism. Stalin feared that a prosperous west Germany would undermine communism in east Germany
• US and Berlin: the US and its allies organised a huge airlift of food and supplies to West Berlin in Operation Vittles. When they refused to give in, Stalin lifted the blockade after ten months (may 1949).

  the policy of containment had worked. The US, canada, and ten other European countries set up NATO, to strengthen themselves militarily; it was the first peacetime military alliance by the US
• More conflict in Berlin

  In the 1950s, west Germany and West Berlin were prosperous. Almost 3 million immigrants left east berlin to go to the west for jobs. This affected the East German economy, which lost skilled labour. Khrushchev (the now soviet leader) met president Kennedy in Vienna. He demanded that the US withdraw from Berlin. Kennedy called up US reserves.
• More conflict in Berlin

  The Soviet Union and east Germany built a high wall between east and West Berlin. The US protested but did nothing.

  the Berlin Wall eased tension between the two sides because it stopped the flow of immigrants. But now the Wall could be used as propaganda against Soviet communism. President Kennedy visited West Berlin and made a famous speech there in support of the city
• US policy and Korea

  After the Second World War, Korea was divided between a communists backed North Korea and a US backed South Korea. Communist-controlled North Korea invaded the south
• US and Korea

  Truman intervened to maintain his policy of containment, because South Korea had suffered an unprovoked attack.

  he committed US troops in the name of the United Nations. US forces, led by General MacArthur, and troops from twelve other countries pushed back the north Koreans. But the Chinese then invaded to help them.

  the fighting eventually stopped and peace was agreed between the two new leaders, president Eisenhower and Khrushchev
• The US signed treaties with asian countries. They formed SEATO (south East Asian treaty organisation) to contain communism

  The US brought west Germany into NATO to strengthen the defense if Western Europe
• Eisenhower followed the policy of containment. He believed in the domino theory.

  he also followed a policy of deterrence against the Soviet Union (having nuclear weapons would prevent the USSR from attacking)

  Later he followed a policy of peaceful coexistence with the Soviet leader, Khrushchev
• US policy and Cuba

  Tension arose between the US and USSR in the early 1960s because:

  • An American U2 spy plan was shot over the USSR
  • the Berlin Wall was built
  • JFK, (new president) said a mission gap had opened between the USSR and the US
  • Fidel Castro led communist revolution around Cuba.
  • President Kennedy made some anti communist speeches.
  • Kennedy believed in being firm and decisive against communism. He backed an invasion of the Bay of Pigs in Cuba, but it failed.
• The Cuban missile crisis

  The Soviet Union began building missile bases in Cuba that were within range of many US cities. U2 spy planes photographed these bases.

  Kennedy decided against an invasion of Cuba or air strikes. Instead he blockaded Cuba to prevent soviet ships from reaching the island.
• The Cuban mission crisis

  The US and USSR were on the brick of a nuclear war.

  Kennedy agreed not to invade Cuba and call off the blockade.

  Khrushchev and the USSR agreed to dismantle the missile bases.

  this led to the setting up of a hotline between the US and USSR leaders to improve communications. They also agreed the Partial Test Ban Treaty (1963), which banned nuclear testing in the air, in space, and in water
• US policy and Vietnam

  The US became gradually involved in vietnam. Truman supported the French colonial empires in indochina against the communist backed Ho Chi Ming and the Vietnam Minh, a vietnamese independent movement.

  Eisenhower sent military advisors in support of the government of South Vietnam against the Vietcong.

  The US increased their support following the policy of containment and their belief of the domino theory

  Kennedy provided a large increase in military advisors to train the south vietnamese army