Changes

[[World History Lecture One|1]]-[[World History Lecture Two|2]]-[[World History Lecture Three|3]]-[[World History Lecture Four|4]]-[[World History Lecture Five|5]]-[[World History Lecture Six|6]]-[[World History Lecture Seven|7]]-[[World History Lecture Eight|8]]-[[World History Lecture Nine|9]]-[[World History Lecture Ten|10]]-[[World History Lecture Eleven|11]]-[[World History Lecture Twelve|12]]-[[World History Lecture Thirteen|13]]-[[World History Lecture Fourteen|14]]

[[World History Lecture One|1]]-[[World History Lecture Two|2]]-[[World History Lecture Three|3]]-[[World History Lecture Four|4]]-[[World History Lecture Five|5]]-[[World History Lecture Six|6]]-[[World History Lecture Seven|7]]-[[World History Lecture Eight|8]]-[[World History Lecture Nine|9]]-[[World History Lecture Ten|10]]-[[World History Lecture Eleven|11]]-[[World History Lecture Twelve|12]]-[[World History Lecture Thirteen|13]]-[[World History Lecture Fourteen|14]]

The middle of the 20th century, after World War II, saw many regional conflicts resulting from the Cold War between freedom in the United States and communism and the Soviet Union.  Eventually freedom prevailed, but there is much history to be learned about how it prevailed.  Also, there were many independence movements in the 20th century, some of which had nothing to do with the global struggle between freedom and communism.

The middle of the 20th century, after World War II, saw many regional conflicts resulting from the Cold War between freedom in the United States and communism in the Soviet Union.  Eventually freedom prevailed, but there is much history to be learned about how it prevailed.  Also, there were many independence movements in the 20th century.

== Regional Conflicts during the Cold War ==

== Regional Conflicts during the Cold War ==

=== Vietnam ===

=== Vietnam ===

Americans feared a “domino effect” of communism for good reason.  Imagine a row of dominoes, what happens when one falls into another, and then into another, and so on.  Each falling domino can knock over the one next to it.  Americans starting with President Dwight Eisenhower feared that effect when communism took over a nation:  all nearby nations could be the next to fall to that same communism.

Americans feared a “domino effect” of communism for good reason.  Imagine a row of dominoes, what happens when one falls into another, and then into another, and so on.  Each falling domino can knock over the one next to it.  Americans starting with President Dwight Eisenhower feared that effect when communism took over a nation:  '''all nearby nations could be the next to fall to that same communism'''.

Southeast Asia has a large population, and after World War II the region was vulnerable to a spread of communism from the Soviet Union and China.  An independence movement beginning in the 1930s caused the French to leave, and Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh was a nationalist who received aid from the communists.  The French imposed a death sentence on Ho Chi Minh; however, he fled to avoid this sentence.  When he returned in 1941, he founded “Vietminh”, with the name reflecting that he intended to rule as a dictator.  Japan interrupted his plan by taking control of the region during World War II, but in 1945 the Vietminh defeated the Japanese.  That demonstrated how tough the Vietnamese fighters were, as not even China could beat the Japanese.  Ho Chi Minh then declared the independence of a new Democratic Republic of Vietnam, a huge communist country that has 84 million people today.

Southeast Asia has a large population, and after World War II the region was vulnerable to a spread of communism from the Soviet Union and China.  An independence movement beginning in the 1930s caused the French to leave, and Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh was a nationalist leader who received aid from the communists.  The French imposed a death sentence on Ho Chi Minh; however, he fled to avoid this punishment.  When he returned in 1941, he founded “Vietminh”, with the name reflecting that he intended to rule as a dictator.  Japan interrupted his plan by taking control of the region during World War II, but in 1945 the Vietminh defeated the Japanese.  That demonstrated how tough the Vietnamese fighters were, as not even China could beat the Japanese.  Ho Chi Minh then declared the independence of a new Democratic Republic of Vietnam, a huge communist country that has 84 million people today.

The French tried unsuccessfully to regain control of Vietnam after World War II.  In 1954, the communist Vietnamese nationalists defeated the French at Dien Bien Phu and the French surrendered to Ho Chi Minh.  The French then agreed to divide Vietnam at the 17th parallel,<ref>The term “parallel” in terms of geography means the same as “degrees of latitude.”</ref> as part of the Geneva Conference.  North Vietnam would be communist under Ho Chi Minh, while South Vietnam would be free under Ngo Dinh Diem.

The French tried unsuccessfully to regain control of Vietnam after World War II.  In 1954, the communist Vietnamese nationalists defeated the French at Dien Bien Phu and the French surrendered to Ho Chi Minh.  The French then agreed to divide Vietnam at the 17th parallel,<ref>The term “parallel” in terms of geography means the same as “degrees of latitude.”</ref> as part of the Geneva Conference.  North Vietnam would be communist under Ho Chi Minh, while South Vietnam would be free under Ngo Dinh Diem.

Ho Chi Minh was popular in both North and South Vietnam, and gave away land to people to boost his popularity.  Ngo Dinh Diem was unpopular, and the United States feared that an election in the South might choose Ho Chi Minh’s communists.  So elections were postponed, but the conditions worsened.  The Vietcong, who were communist guerrillas in the South, formed and began causing problems in the early 1960s.  In 1963, South Vietnamese generals who enjoyed United States support took over South Vietnam and assassinated Ngo Dinh Diem.

Ho Chi Minh was popular in both North and South Vietnam, and gave away land to people to boost his popularity.  Ngo Dinh Diem was unpopular, and the United States feared that an election in the South might choose Ho Chi Minh’s communists.  So elections were postponed, but the conditions worsened.  The Vietcong, who were communist guerrillas in the South, formed and began causing problems in the early 1960s.  In 1963, South Vietnamese generals who had received support from the United States took over South Vietnam, and assassinated Ngo Dinh Diem.

The United States began sending military advisers and weapons to prevent a takeover of the South by the Vietcong.  In August 1964, when President Lyndon Johnson faced reelection, there were mysterious gunshots fired at an American ship in the Gulf of Tonkin near North Vietnam.  It was later disputed whether this was an actual attack on Americans.  Johnson, wanting a war to boost his popularity and reelection chances, pushed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution through Congress to authorize sending troops.  A formal declaration of war never occurred, but this Resolution served as a substitute.  Within a year, thousands of American 19-year-olds were sent to fight the communists in Vietnam.

The United States began sending military advisers and weapons to prevent a takeover of the South by the Vietcong.  In August 1964, when President Lyndon Johnson faced reelection, there were mysterious gunshots fired at an American ship in the Gulf of Tonkin near North Vietnam.  It was later disputed whether this was an actual attack on Americans.  Johnson, wanting a war to boost his popularity and reelection chances, pushed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution through Congress to authorize sending troops.  A formal declaration of war never occurred, but this Resolution served as a substitute.  Within a year, thousands of American 19-year-olds were sent to fight the communists in Vietnam.

Nixon was heavily influenced by his adviser Henry Kissinger.  Kissinger’s approach towards Vietnam was to launch bombing attacks and then look like a hero in declaring cease-fires.  He did this repeatedly and received much praise by newspapers for it.  But the communists would simply re-supply their guerrilla fighters during the cease-fires, and so the cease-fires actually helped the communists continue the war.  By 1973, the United States gave up and pulled the last American soldiers out.  A million Vietnamese then fled South Vietnam to escape the communists, who took over by 1975.  The United States imposed a trade embargo on the newly unified Vietnam that lasted until 1994.  President Bush visited Vietnam in 2006.

Nixon was heavily influenced by his adviser Henry Kissinger.  Kissinger’s approach towards Vietnam was to launch bombing attacks and then look like a hero in declaring cease-fires.  He did this repeatedly and received much praise by newspapers for it.  But the communists would simply re-supply their guerrilla fighters during the cease-fires, and so the cease-fires actually helped the communists continue the war.  By 1973, the United States gave up and pulled the last American soldiers out.  A million Vietnamese then fled South Vietnam to escape the communists, who took over by 1975.  The United States imposed a trade embargo on the newly unified Vietnam that lasted until 1994.  President Bush visited Vietnam in 2006.

Things worsened further in next-door Cambodia after the Americans left Vietnam.  Pol Pot took over Cambodia in 1975, and he abolished private property, money and religion and converted everything back to an agricultural society.  He emptied the cities.  His ruthless policies supposedly resulted in the death of 1-2 million Cambodians in the late 1970s.  The Hollywood movie about his dictatorship, ''The Killing Fields'', exposed his atrocities and perhaps exaggerated them as a way of blaming the United States, which once supported Pol Pot as a counterweight to Vietnam.  Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge government fell in 1979 when Vietnam invaded Cambodia after a series of violent border confrontations, and Pol Pot fled to the northern jungle with his forces.  He died from illness in 1998.  Today there are United Nations peacekeeping forces in Cambodia.

Things worsened further in next-door Cambodia after the Americans left Vietnam.  Pol Pot took over Cambodia in 1975, and he abolished private property, money and religion, and converted everything back to an agricultural society.  He emptied the cities.  His ruthless policies possibly resulted in the death of 1-2 million Cambodians in the late 1970s.  The Hollywood movie about his dictatorship, ''The Killing Fields'', exposed his atrocities and perhaps exaggerated them as a way of blaming the United States, which once supported Pol Pot as a counterweight to Vietnam.  Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge government fell in 1979 when Vietnam invaded Cambodia after a series of violent border confrontations, and Pol Pot fled to the northern jungle with his forces.  He died from illness in 1998.  Today there are United Nations peacekeeping forces in Cambodia.

===Latin America ===

===Latin America ===

In Iran, the United States supported the pro-West Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi (“Shah of Iran”) against a revolt in 1953.  For 25 years the Shiite Muslim leaders in Iran, also known as “ayatollahs”, opposed the Shah.  In 1978, the Shiites revolted and caused the Shah to flee, and in 1979 he sought admission to the United States for medical treatment.  The [[Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini]] took control of Iran.

In Iran, the United States supported the pro-West Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi (“Shah of Iran”) against a revolt in 1953.  For 25 years the Shiite Muslim leaders in Iran, also known as “ayatollahs”, opposed the Shah.  In 1978, the Shiites revolted and caused the Shah to flee, and in 1979 he sought admission to the United States for medical treatment.  The [[Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini]] took control of Iran.

Henry Kissinger, whose friends and business clients probably included supporters of the Shah, persuaded President Jimmy Carter to admit the Shah to the United States to treat his illness. Carter granted the Shah admission, and student Shiites in Iran angrily responded by taking 69 hostages at the U.S. embassy in Tehran.  They demanded that the Shah be returned to Iran, but Carter refused.  The Shiites held 55 of the hostages until Carter was replaced by Ronald Reagan as president on Jan. 20, 1981.

Henry Kissinger, whose friends and business clients probably included supporters of the Shah, persuaded President Jimmy Carter to admit the Shah to the United States to treat his illness. Carter granted the Shah admission, and student Shiites in Iran angrily responded by taking 69 Americans hostage at the U.S. embassy in Tehran.  They demanded that the Shah be returned to Iran, but Carter refused.  The Shiites did not release their 55 American hostages until Carter was replaced by Ronald Reagan as president on Jan. 20, 1981.

In 1980, the Sunni Iraq leader Saddam Hussein sought to conquer Iran.  Iraq and Iran fought a fierce battle for nearly a decade without a victory by either side.

In 1980, the Sunni Iraq leader Saddam Hussein sought to conquer neighboring Iran.  Iraq and Iran fought a fierce battle for nearly a decade without a victory by either side.

In 1979, Muslims in Afghanistan (in Southwest Asia) revolted against the Soviet-friendly communist government there.  The Soviets responded by invading Afghanistan and attempting to suppress the revolution.  The United States reacted to this Soviet invasion by boycotting the summer Olympic Games in Moscow and providing arms to the Afghan rebels.  The Soviets struggled for a decade in Afghanistan, much as the United States had struggled in Vietnam, and the Soviets eventually withdrew from the country.  In many ways, Islam is a more powerful ideology than communism, and in this case Islam did defeat communism in Afghanistan.  But just as there are people who are communist (or socialist) Christians, there are also communist (or socialist) Muslims.

In 1979, Muslims in Afghanistan (in Southwest Asia) revolted against the Soviet-friendly communist government there.  The Soviets responded by invading Afghanistan and attempting to suppress the revolution.  The United States reacted to this Soviet invasion by boycotting the summer Olympic Games in Moscow and providing arms to the Afghan rebels.  The Soviets struggled for a decade in Afghanistan, much as the United States had struggled in Vietnam, and the Soviets eventually withdrew from the country.  In many ways, Islam is a more powerful ideology than communism, and in this case Islam did defeat communism in Afghanistan.  But just as there are people who are communist (or socialist) Christians, there are also communist (or socialist) Muslims.

=== Eastern Europe ===

=== Eastern Europe ===

Stalin died in 1953, and Nikita Khrushchev replaced him as the dictator over the Soviet Union.  Khrushchev was an aggressive leader who had brutally carried out Stalin’s policies while Stalin was alive, but then denounced Stalin as soon as he died and tried to purge all memory of Stalin (“destalinization”).  However, Khrushchev was nearly as evil as Stalin was.  Khrushchev viciously repressed a freedom movement in Hungary in October 1956.  He ordered an invasion with Soviet tanks and arranged for the execution of the Hungarian leader Imre Nagy, who sought to hold free elections.  Khrushchev replaced him with a pro-Soviet puppet.  Thousands of Hungarian “freedom fighters” were slaughtered by the Soviets, and the Hungarian religious leader Joseph Cardinal Mindszenty (a high-ranking clergyman in the Catholic Church) had to flee to the United States embassy to survive.  The communist dictatorship installed by the Soviets prevented him from stepping foot outside of the embassy building for the next 15 years.  Imagine never once leaving your home for 15 years!

Stalin died in 1953, and Nikita Khrushchev replaced him as the dictator over the Soviet Union.  Khrushchev was an aggressive leader who had brutally carried out Stalin’s policies while Stalin was alive, but then denounced Stalin as soon as he died and tried to purge all memory of Stalin (“destalinization”).  However, Khrushchev was nearly as evil as Stalin was.  Khrushchev viciously repressed a freedom movement in Hungary in October 1956.  He ordered an invasion with Soviet tanks and arranged for the execution of the Hungarian leader Imre Nagy, who sought to hold free elections.  Khrushchev replaced him with a pro-Soviet puppet.  Thousands of Hungarian “freedom fighters” were slaughtered by the Soviets, and the Hungarian religious leader Joseph Cardinal Mindszenty (a high-ranking clergyman in the Catholic Church) fled to the United States embassy to survive.  The communist dictatorship installed by the Soviets prevented him from stepping foot outside of the embassy building for the next 15 years.  Imagine never once leaving your home for 15 years!

Khrushchev also ordered the building of the Berlin Wall and the placement of missiles in Cuba, which led to the Cuban Missile Crisis.  But Khrushchev’s confrontational personality was too much even for his fellow communists, as he would often interrupt speeches by others and act in other unpredictable ways.  Khrushchev could not get along with China, even though both were communist countries.  In 1960, Khrushchev stopped sharing atomic bomb secrets with China, and later there was even a little violence along their long border.

Khrushchev also ordered the building of the Berlin Wall and the placement of missiles in Cuba, which led to the Cuban Missile Crisis.  But Khrushchev’s confrontational personality was too much even for his fellow communists, as he would often interrupt speeches by others and act in other unpredictable ways.  Khrushchev could not get along with China, even though both were communist countries.  In 1960, Khrushchev stopped sharing atomic bomb secrets with China, and later there was even a little violence along their long border.

SALT I limited the United States and Soviet Union to their 1972 levels of intercontinental ballistic missiles.  In 1975, the two nations signed another arms reduction agreement known as the Helsinki Accords, and this was joined by 35 other nations.  The American presidency had changed from Nixon to Ford by 1975, but in practice the Administration was still being run by Henry Kissinger and his view of world government and relations.  Conservatives criticized both treaties as merely hurting the United States, noting that there was no way to enforce the treaty against the Soviet Union.

SALT I limited the United States and Soviet Union to their 1972 levels of intercontinental ballistic missiles.  In 1975, the two nations signed another arms reduction agreement known as the Helsinki Accords, and this was joined by 35 other nations.  The American presidency had changed from Nixon to Ford by 1975, but in practice the Administration was still being run by Henry Kissinger and his view of world government and relations.  Conservatives criticized both treaties as merely hurting the United States, noting that there was no way to enforce the treaty against the Soviet Union.

President Jimmy Carter continued the trend by signing SALT II in 1979, which would have provided for further reductions.  In a victory for conservatives, the U.S. Senate refused to ratify that treaty.  At one point, President Carter told the American people that his 12-year-old daughter was upset about the growing problem of nuclear proliferation, by which many other nations such as India and Pakistan acquired atomic bombs.  This over-reliance by Carter on the atypical preoccupation of his young daughter seemed ridiculous to many Americans, as much of Carter’s presidency did.

President Jimmy Carter continued the trend by signing SALT II in 1979, which would have provided for further reductions.  In a victory for conservatives, the U.S. Senate refused to ratify that treaty.  At one point, President Carter told the American people that his 12-year-old daughter was upset about the growing problem of nuclear proliferation, by which many other nations such as India and Pakistan acquired atomic bombs.

=== SDI ===

=== SDI ===

In November 1980, the first modern conservative was elected president of the United States:  Ronald Reagan.  For the next 30 years, the influence of him and those who supported him is still felt.  President Reagan cut taxes, defeated communism, and had the most original and influential idea of any president in all of American history:  the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), known by its critics as “Star Wars.”

In November 1980, the first modern conservative was elected president of the United States:  Ronald Reagan.  President Reagan cut taxes, defeated communism, and had the most original and influential idea of any president in all of American history:  the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), or “Star Wars.”

Reagan’s life included many personal failures.  He was a struggling Hollywood actor, who spent some time running the union of actors, or The Actors Guild.  He was in charge of the Guild when the communists attempted, with some success, to infiltrate Hollywood.  Reagan resisted this infiltration, and the communists threatened him and attempted to intimidate him.  He would receive frightening phone calls in the middle of the night.  For the rest of his life, Reagan devoted his time to defending freedom for all and opposing communism.  As governor of California, he surprised scientists by personally visiting the Lawrence Livermore Lab, which was and is a premier military research center.  When Reagan became president, he gave a speech on national television in 1983 to announce his plan for America to build a new missile defense system to shoot down any nuclear attack.

Reagan’s critics ridiculed SDI as impossible and dangerous.  But those criticisms were somewhat contradictory with each other; it was precisely because SDI might be possible that it was so beneficial.  The Soviet Union, then led by Mikhail Gorbachev, panicked.  Gorbachev met with Reagan at a summit in Reykjavik, Iceland in 1986 in which Gorbachev promised almost anything if Reagan would agree to drop SDI.  The media pressure was intense for Reagan to agree.  But Reagan stood up for America. He shook his head and he said “no deal.”  The next year Reagan made a trip to the Berlin Wall, against the recommendation of his advisers, and declared to the world, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”  Sure enough, two years later the Germans did exactly that, and tore down the Berlin Wall built by the communists.  Although Reagan and Gorbachev did sign the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 1987, which banned missiles with ranges of 300 to 3,400 miles, the historic decision was Reagan’s '''refusal''' to sign a treaty at Reykjavik giving up SDI.  Communism in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union would soon be vanquished.

 

His critics, including most scientists, ridiculed SDI as impossible and dangerous.  But those criticisms were somewhat contradictory with each other; it was precisely because SDI might be possible that it was so influential.  The Soviet Union, then led by Mikhail Gorbachev, panicked.  Gorbachev met with Reagan at a summit in Reykjavik, Iceland in 1986 in which Gorbachev promised almost anything if Reagan would agree to drop SDI.  The media pressure was intense for Reagan to agree.  But Reagan stood up for America. He shook his head and he said “no deal.”  The next year Reagan made a trip to the Berlin Wall, against the recommendation of his advisers, and declared to the world, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”  Sure enough, two years later the Germans did exactly that, and tore down the Berlin Wall built by the communists.  Although Reagan and Gorbachev did sign the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 1987, which banned missiles with ranges of 300 to 3,400 miles, the historic decision was Reagan’s refusal to sign a treaty at Reykjavik giving up SDI.  Communism in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union would soon be vanquished.

== Independence Movements in the 20th Century ==

== Independence Movements in the 20th Century ==