THE COLD WAR TURNS HOT

Chapter 27, Section 2

Growing Interest in Asia

Events in Asia effected the U.S. in many ways For 100 years American ship traded with

China and Japan 1899-1946 U.S. governed the Philippines Attack on Pearl Harbor proved U.S. could

not ignore events

Growing Interest in Asia Would communism spread to newly

independent nations Some communist rebels were fighting for

independence in Vietnam and other Southeast Asian lands

People’s Republic of China

1940’s Chiang Kai-shek was the ruler of China For years he had fought Chinese

communists led by Mao Zedong 1945 Mao’s forces occupied northern

China Chiang’s armies occupied the south

People’s Republic of China U.S. gave Chiang millions of dollars

in aid Chiang’s government was corrupt and

he lost the support of his people

People’s Republic of China 1949 Communist won the battle for the

Chinese mainland Mao Zedong set up the People’s Republic

of China Chiang returned to Taiwan

People’s Republic of China Chinese communist did not always

agree with the Soviet Union However the two nations dominated

almost ¼ of the earth’s surface Americans worries communist forces

would take over all of Asia

Fighting in Korea

1910 to 1945 Korea had been a Japanese colony

After WWII Korea was divided at the 38th parallel of latitude North Korea was governed by

communist supported in the Soviet Union

South Korea was a noncommunist government backed by the U.S.

Fighting in Korea 1950 North Korea soldiers crossed

the 38th parallel into South Korea Truman asked the U.N. to send armed

forces to stop the invasion

Setting up a UN force

Truman chose General Douglas MacArthur as general of the UN force 80% of the UN forces were American

A daring counterattack

MacArthur’s job was to push the North Koreans out of South Korea UN forces were outnumbered 1950 North Korean communists

controlled almost all of South Korea

A daring counterattack MacArthur launched a counterattack

Landed by sea at Inchon, behind North Korean lines

Caught by surprise North Koreans were forces back across the 38th parallel

Chinese invasion

Truman and his advisors wanted to punish North Koreans for their aggression

Also wanted to unite the two Koreans UN approved MacArthur to cross into

North Korea When UN forces neared the Chinese

border thousands of Chinese helped push UN troops back into South Korea

Ending the War

MacArthur was convinces that the UN could win in Korea only if it attacked China

Truman worried an attack on China would start another World War Truman wanted t limit the war and

restore the boundary between North and South Korea

Truman fires MacArthur

MacArthur complained publicly that politicians in Washington were holding him back Truman fired the General

Many Americans were furious and gave MacArthur a hero’s welcome

Truman argued that constitutionally it is the President that is commander in chief and he had the power to make key decisions about war and peace

Cease-fire

1952 Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected President He journeyed to Korea to get peace talks

moving 1953 signed a cease-fire agreement

ending the war

Cease-fire 54,000 Americans lost their lives in the

Korean War 2 million Koreans and Chinese were

killed

Cease-fire The Korean War changes nothing

It set the border between North and South Korea back around the 38th parallel

UN had pushed back North Korea’s invasion

US and their allies showed that they were ready to fight communist expansion

Hunting Communists at Home

Cold War tensions fed fear of communism at home: Red Scar

US officials announced they detected radiation from a secret test of atomic weapons in the Soviet Union US was no longer the only nation with an

atomic bomb

Hunting Communists at Home

1946-1950 people in the US, Canada, and Britain were arrested as Soviet spies Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were

executed for stealing secrets about nuclear weapons

McCarthy’s reckless claim

Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin announced he has a list of 205 State Department employees who were Communist party members His claim was never proven Won him national attention

McCarthy’s reckless claim

During the next four years he made more accusations about communist in the government Little evidence of communist activity

was found McCarthy’s campaign sent fear and

suspicion across the nation