SECTION 4: TWO NATIONS LIVE ON THE EDGE

1. SECTION 4: TWO NATIONS LIVE ON THE EDGE • After World War II, the U.S. and U.S.S.R. competed in developing atomic and hydrogen bombs • The Soviets tested their first atomic bomb in 1949 • The U.S. began work on a bomb 67 times stronger than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima – the hydrogen bomb • US-1952 and USSR-1953 An H-bomb test conducted by America near Bikini Island in Pacific Ocean, 1954

2. Examples of the Arms Race • The United States after WWII collected German scientists working on rockets (V-2 bombs) • US began to build missiles in order to fire against Soviets • Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) missiles able to reach Russia from US • Atlas, Minuteman, and Polaris are developed • Nuclear Submarines equipped with missiles are developed to sneak up on Russians • U2-Survelliance Planes are developed to spy on Russians

3. NSC-68 • The international situation in 1948-1949: • February 1948 Czech coup • June 1948 Berlin blockade began • August 1949 first successful Soviet test of a nuclear weapon • 1 October 1949 Mao Zedong proclaimed the People's Republic of China • June 1950 start of the Korean War NSC-68 required that the United States must increase defense spending to as much as $50 billion per year from the original $13 billion set for 1950

4. Domino Theory - 1954 • Referring to communism in Indochina, Eisenhower put the theory into words during an April 7, 1954 news conference: • “Finally, you have broader considerations that might follow what you would call the "falling domino" principle. You have a row of dominoes set up, you knock over the first one, and what will happen to the last one is the certainty that it will go over very quickly. So you could have a beginning of a disintegration that would have the most profound influences.”—Eisenhower

5. 1941-1954 (First Indochina War) 1941 – League for the Independence of Vietnam (Viet Minh) created (dominated by Communists / led by Ho Chi Minh) 1945 – Ho Chi Minh, thinking he had US support, declares Vietnam independent. Post WWII – Vietnam placed under the control of China and Britain / eventually the French convince the US to give Vietnam back to them. War breaks out btw. the Viet Minh and the French.

6. 1941-1954 (cont.) • US provides aid ($ and weapons) to France. • 1950 – Communist China and the USSR recognize Vietnamese independence. • 1954 – French crushed at Dien Bien Phu leading to an end to the war. • Geneva Conference – Vietnam partitioned into North and South (North – communist under Ho Chin Minh / South – Ngo Dinh Diem prime minister).

7. Domino Theory in practice….. PresidentDwight Eisenhower meets with Prime Minister Diem. French troops captured at Dien Bien Phu (almost 12,000 French soldiers were captured).

9. Massive retaliation • Also known as a massive response or massive deterrence. • The US would back up any conventional defense against conventional attacks with a possible massive retaliatory attack involving nuclear weapons

10. Mutual Assured Destruction • This doctrine complemented “Massive Retaliation” • Helped to prevent any direct full-scale conflicts between the US and the USSR while they engaged in smaller proxy around the world. • It was also responsible for the arms race, as both nations struggled to keep nuclear parity, or at least retain second-strike capability.

11. THE COLD WAR SPREADS • As the Cold War heated up, the U.S. depended more and more on information compiled by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) • The CIA began attempts to weaken or overthrow governments unfriendly to the U.S.

12. COVERT ACTIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST • One of the first covert operations occurred in the Middle East • In Iran the U.S. orchestrated the return of the pro-U.S. Shah of Iran in 1953 The last Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi

13. COVERT OPS IN LATIN AMERICA • In 1954, the CIA also took covert actions in Guatemala (a Central America country just south of Mexico) • The U.S. believed Guatemala was on the verge of becoming Communist, so the CIA trained an army which invaded the small country • The actions eventually failed as a military dictator rose to power

15. THE WARSAW PACT • To counter the U.S. defense alliance (NATO), in 1955 the Soviets formed their own mutual defense alliance known as the Warsaw Pact

16. NATO WARSAW NEUTRAL

17. THE HUNGARIAN UPRISING • Dominated by the Soviet Union since the end of WWII, the Hungarian people rose up in revolt in 1956 • Led by Imre Nagy, the liberal Communist leader of Hungary, the people demanded free elections and the end of Soviet domination The Soviets’ response was swift and brutal – 30,000 Hungarians were killed (including Nagy) as the Soviets reasserted control The Soviets responded to the Hungarian revolt with tanks

18. The Suez Crisis-1956 • US reneged on offer to Nasser to help build Aswan Dam. • Nasser nationalized the British-owned Suez Canal. • UK, France and Israel invaded Suez. • Major problem for US: Suez crisis alienated Arabs & distracted from violent Soviet crushing of Hungarian revolt. • Danger of Soviet intervention in Suez • Eisenhower pressured UK, France, Israel to withdraw • Suez Canal remained Egyptian but Nasser increasingly sought military and economic aid from the Soviet Union.

19. BRINKMANSHIP • 1956- By the time both countries had the H-bomb, President Dwight D. Eisenhower and his Secretary of State John Foster Dulles made it clear they were willing to use all military force (including nuclear weapons) to stop aggression • The Soviets followed suit • This ability to get to the verge without getting into war is the necessary art” • This became known as brinksmanship Some Americans created shelters in their backyards in case of nuclear attack

20. Eisenhower Doctrine-1957 • A policy pledging US defense of Middle Eastern nations against an attack by any Communist country.

21. THE COLD WAR TAKES TO THE SKIES • The Space Race was initially dominated by the Soviets • On October 4, 1957, they launched Sputnik, the world’s first artificial satellite • Sputnik traveled around earth at 18,000 miles an hour, circling the globe every 96 minutes

22. The Cuban Revolution • US dictator Batista since ‘30s • US-dominated Cuban economy; Havana popular for vacations and night life. • 1959 Cuban revolutionaries ousted Batista • Castro was not originally a Soviet ally. • Castro became authoritarian. Waves of refugees fled to the US, settling in Florida, esp. Miami • Castro nationalized US property in Cuba • Eisenhower broke relations in 1961 and had the CIA draft plans for anti-Castro operations.

23. U-2 PLANES SPY ON SOVIETS • In the late 1950s, the CIA began secret high-altitude spy missions over Soviet territory • The U-2’s infra-red cameras took detailed pictures of Soviet troop movements & missile sites

24. U-2 SPY PLANE SHOT DOWN OVER USSR • On May 1, 1960, Gary Power’s U-2 spy plane was shot down over Soviet territory • Powers parachuted into Soviet territory, was captured and sentenced to 10-years in prison • Because of this incident, the 1960s opened with tension between the two superpowers as great as ever Powers was released in 1962 in exchange for convicted Soviet spy Rudolph Abel