During the First World War, Russia initially sided with the Allies until the Bolshevik Revolution in 1918. It was in this time that leader Vladimir Lenin established authority in Russia. He transformed the country into the communistic Soviet Union. Following the communistic revolution, the Allies looked down on the newly formed Soviet Union, and felt they had conflicting values. Later in WWII, Russia and Germany agreed on a non aggression act.
After Japans attack on Pearl Harbor, there was no doubt that Japan was an enemy. Also Germany became a clear threat to the United States and it’s allies when it declared war on America following Pearl Harbor. Pearl Harbor finally causes a separation United States to became implicated in the war that had been waging in Europe since 1930’s. The Korean War like Vietnam lacked a sense of clarity Korea is an important example of a war that did not threaten the United States vital interest. Therefore both Korea and Vietnam presented policy-making challenges not present in World War II.
The focus after the Korean war was the nuclear arms race and to stop the spread of communism mainly. But they also wanted to avoid a nuclear war. The US and NATO forces were placed in countries near Eastern Europe to protect the spread of communism. Each power wanted more nuclear bombs than the other but as long as they were equal no nuclear war would break out. This was the balance of terror.
Prior to the war, the tension between the United States and the Soviet Union was extremely volatile despite having been allies in World War II. The Cold War, if thought about too closely, was actually in a comical sense in that it was the United States and the Soviet Union fighting each other without ever actually fighting each other. Instead, each nation used other “client” nations to fight for their beliefs on their “behalf”. In the Korean War this was very evident. The Soviet Union, a communistic nation, supplied the weapons to the North while anti-communist United States supplied the
How did US goals change following MacArthur’s Incheon Landing? The US strategy changed from containment to rollback 11. After the UN forces led by the US reached the Yalu River, what significant event occurred that again changed the course of the war? China entered the war on the side of North Korea. 12.
[They] offer the arms race as their main recipe for their preservation of peace!” Khrushchev made a speech in 1956 stating his beliefs that the US was making alliances not for fear of communism, but for a dominant position in the capitalist world. He also believes the arms race could easily lead to another war. As illustrated in Document 7, there was a steady buildup of ICBMS and long range bombers between 1966 and 1974. Document 7 states, “This nuclear buildup led to a “balance of terror” which some saw as a deterrent to war.” The fear that either country could the other to oblivion led to a balance of terror. This arms race led to a dangerous competition which could have easily led to a nuclear
The World War II affected the Soviet Union. There were many influential factors, which were formed from the World War II’s aftermath. World War II took place near the Pacific Ocean within Asia and mostly Eastern Europe. After World War II, many communists’ governments were established because of World War II, but the Soviet Union was against communists’ governments. The Soviet Union was initiated the satellite states as a response to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which were against the communism.
Although considered allies in WWI, USA and USSR turned against each other by the end of the ‘War to end all wars.’ Tensions increased between the two massive countries as both went through an arms race, created the Atomic bombs, and competed against each other through many other political issues. This time, between 1945 – 1949 is considered the Cold War, where Russia and USA indirectly fought. The WWI alliance between the Soviet Union and the United States was only temporary. After the end of the war USA started the tensions by aiding the whites (The Tsarists) providing military assistance. The whites attempted to overthrow the new communist government and USA was helping them.
Thus began the Berlin Airlift. For 327 days British and American planes landed food and supplies in Berlin until May 1949, when the Soviet Union realized their loss, and lifted the blockade. In Asia, the Cold War was also heating up. With China and North Korea becoming Communist countries, many problems began. In June 1950, North Korean troops invade South Korea and take over the capitol of Seoul.
‘With reference to 3 flashpoints, discuss the implementation and effectiveness of the US policy of containment’ The Cold War was a period of tension between the world’s two biggest super powers, The Soviet Union and the United States of America as they both competed for supremacy. The Cold War lasted from 1945 until 1991 and during this period they fought for complete dominion over the world. The Cold War was a war fought indirectly through espionage spying, economic aid, proxy wars, propaganda, etc that stopped short of full-scale war. If a war was to break out it would result in a Nuclear War and endanger the existence of the world. The tension between these two countries is because of conflicting ideologies as the Soviet Union were communist