Why did the Cold War Spread Through Eastern Europe
US Foreign Policy 1949 - 1950
The USSR's First Atomic Bomb
China Falls to Communism
The Red Scare
NSC-68 - Total Commitment
NSC-68 and Asia
Why Did Communism Spread Through Asia?
- May 1949 Berlin Blockade was defeated and West Germany (Federal Republic of Germany) had been formed
- NATO alliance was formed
- Communism successfully contained in Europe (in USA's mind)
- NATO ensured that Western Europe was protected against the Soviet's Army by US atomic weapons
- Autumn 1949 - Balance of power had shifted - China fell to Communism, USSR also developed their first atomic bomb
The USSR's First Atomic Bomb
- August 1949 the USSR developed its first atomic bomb - Ruined NATO security
- USA was taken by complete surprise at the speed of which the USSR formed the bomb
- USA was now no longer able to use the threats of nuclear weapons when it came to foreign policy
- Balance of power emerged
China Falls to Communism
- October 1949 Mao Zedong formed the foundation of the People's Republic of China
- USA had supported Chiang Kai-Shek - Nationalist government leader
- Communist victory and debated rage towards how and why China fell to Communism
- Truman was blamed for not trying to save China
- 1949 White Paper was published by the US Secretary of State - Dean Acheson, stated that the US could've been done to stop the Communists
- Blamed the defeat on the unpopularity of Chiang Kai-Shek with the Chinese people - 'nationalist collapse', not a 'communist victory'
- White Paper was received badly by the US - Truman was still blamed for not doing enough to stop the spread of Communism throughout Asia
The Red Scare
- The new Communist China and the formation of the USSR atomic bomb formed fears of growing Soviet power - Anti-Communist feeling within the USA grew
- 1950 Anti-Communism hit pitch-fever
- Senator Joseph McCarthy began to allege that the Soviet Union was conspiring to place Communist sympathisers in certain position within the US
- McCarthy accusations led a series of 'purges' and 'show trials' - People were accused of having 'un-American behaviour' and some were even executed
- This period was known as the 'Red Scare'
- 'Anti-Red' crusade shifted the American public towards Communism in America
- February 1950 Dean Acheson was forced to publicly reconsider the White Paper he wrote on China - New claim that Mao was working with the USSR
- The State Department advisors who criticised the Guomindang after they lost the Chinese Civil War lost their jobs
- Truman began to review the US foreign policy - Couldn't recognise the legitimacy of the new Chinese government
NSC-68 - Total Commitment
- 1950 NSC-68 Report by the National Security Council (seen as one of the key documents of the Cold War)
- Stated that all Communist activity could be traced back to Moscow - 'Global theme' that indicated the growing strength of the USSR
- NSC-68 had a 'monolithic' view of Communism - Only controlled by Moscow
- Report warned that an 'indefinite period of tension and danger' was coming
- Recommended to increase the military by spending $35 - 50 billion
- NSC-68 was very significant - Encouraged military and economic aid to be given to any country that was resisting communism
- Revisionist Historian William S. Taubman - Document was an 'excuse' for US expansionism, persuaded the US public to agree to a rise in military spending
NSC-68 and Asia
- November 1950 Facing congressional elections - President Truman couldn't afford to be seen as 'soft' of Communism
- Personally Truman didn't want to rush the US to a 'global scale' containment of Communism
- 25th of June 1950 - Communist North Korea invaded South Korea, Cold War spread to Asia - Now should Truman advocate NSC-68
- Domino Theory - Country after country were becoming Communist
- North Korean attack was seen as Soviet expansionism instructed by Stalin
- The Korean War backed-up what NSC-68 stated - Truman feared the failure would result in a 'domino effect'
- Communism could spread easily and quickly to other countries - US needed to respond to the same policy it had used in Europe - Containment
Why Did Communism Spread Through Asia?
- Communism worked successfully in Europe
- China became Communism in 1949
- Communism was seen as 'monolithic'
- USA wanted to expand (revisionist)
- Domestic pressure - Red scare
- Korean War 1950