5 How effectively did the USA contain the spread of Communism?

Focus Points
America and events in Cuba, (1959–1962)
 Soviet Missile bases were being built in Cuba
 When Cuba became in power of Castro he sold it to the USSR
 1961- USA tries to overthrow Castro with an attempt called the “Bay of Pigs”. Failed because it was
intercepted and Castro’s men were ready to fight.
 Cuba was a big danger to the US as being very close.
 Kennedy’s options were: Do nothing, Surgical air attack, Invasion, Blockade, Diplomatic pressure.
 A blockade on Cuba was decided to stop Soviet ships from supplying Cuba with missiles.
 Cuba stays Communist but the missiles are withdrawn.

American involvement in Vietnam, (1964-1973)

 US involvement started by supplying French colonies with money in fear of Communist to spread through
South-East Asia
 1955- US helped Diem make the Republic of South Vietnam and supported him to become Anti-Communist.
 Viet Cong made of South Vietnam peasants wanting liberation started the guerilla war.
 The Viet Congs: had good supplies and equipment, effective tactics, support from the Vietnamese population,
motivated and committed soldiers.
 Guerilla fighters did not wear uniform, made tunnel complexes with booby trap. Made the US soldiers
constantly in fear.
 US tactics were made up of Bombing and Chemical weapons(Agent Orange, Napalm to destroy the jungles)
 Search and Destroy to kill as many as possible.
 Public opinion in the US was turning against the war. Strong media from the war on how it was being fought.
 After the Tet Offensive President Johnson concluded the war.

American involvement in Korea, (1950-1953)

 Most of Korea was Communist ruled beside the bottom right corner which had the support of UN and US
troops.
 The US could use the UN to justify their actions in Korea as it was the single biggest contributor to its budget
and could influence their decisions.
 With the help of 18 states the North Koreans were taken back to its original border.
 The US wanted to remove Communism completely from Korea and decided to take them over the border with
China underestimating their power.
 This caused the North Koreans to win back their land till the 38th parallel.
 Armistice was signed in July 1953

6 How secure was the USSR’s control over Eastern Europe, 1948–c.1989?

Focus Points
Why was there opposition to Soviet control in Hungary in 1956 and Czechoslovakia in 1968, and how
did the USSR react to this opposition?
HUNGARY, (1956):
 Hungarians wanted their freedoms they would have had in a Capitalist State.
 Nagy’s government started making plans to leave the Warsaw pact and have a new independent Hungary.
 Novembers 1956- Soviets respond bring in 1000s of troops and tanks.
CZECH REPUBLIC, (1958):
 1967- The Stalinist leader reassigns, Dubcek takes him place and proposes different policies of “socialism with
a human face”.
 The CZ was very important for the Soviet union in the Warsaw pact.
 In August 1968, Soviet tanks moved into Czechoslovakia.
 Not much resistance from the Czechs.
 The Brezhnev Doctrine was started after the Prague Spring which was: to be a one-party system and a member
of the Warsaw Pact.
How similar were events in Hungary in 1956 and in Czechoslovakia in 1968?
 In both, they wanted more freedoms which were taken away from them by Communism.
 Different, Hungary had a much more violent uprising than the one in Czechoslovakia.
Why was the Berlin Wall built in 1961?
 To keep Eastern Berliners to flee to the West.
 The best workers were leaving the East to go to the West.
 The Berlin wall kept out the Western currency which had a very strong exchange rate with the Eastern one.