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3-24-10

• The revolution is not an apple that falls when
  it is ripe. You have to make it fall.  
• Ernesto 'Che' Guevara

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The Fall of Saigon
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Confrontations over Developing Nations

• What was life like in third world countries
  following WWII?
• Newly independent, suffered poverty and political
  instability
• 2. Why was life this way?
• Due to the long history of imperialism, during
  which ethnic conflicts and lack of technology and
  education took place.
• 3. What were the two main choices of political
  ideologies?
• Soviet-style Communism and US-style free-market
  democracy

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Confrontations over Developing Nations

• 4. How did the US gain influence in the Third
  World?
• Backed wars of revolution, provided military aid,
  built schools, set up programs to combat poverty,
  sent volunteers to help.
• 5. What advantages might being nonaligned have
  offered a developing nation?
• Control their own politics and economies ability
  to accept help from either side.
• 6. What disadvantages might being nonaligned have
  offered a developing nation?
• Lack of economic and military support from the
  strong superpowers if needed.

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Postwar Face-off in Latin America

• 7. How did the gap between rich and poor lead to
  conflict in Latin America?
• the rich were usually backed by the US and
  favored keeping things the same. The poor
  embraced the revolutionary ideas of Communism and
  had strong Soviet support.
• 8. Do you think it is hypocritical for the US to
  back Pinochet in Chile? Why or why not?
• Whats your opinion?
• 9. Who is the revolutionary that overthrew
  Batista in Cuba?
• Fidel Castro

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Postwar Face-off in Latin America

• 10. List 3 positive and 3 negative changes in
  Cuba under Castro
• Positives- improves the economy, literacy, health
  care, and conditions of women
• Negatives- suspended elections, jailed or
  executed his opponents, stopped the free press
• 11. Why did Eisenhower order a trade embargo on
  Cuba?
• Castro took over US owned sugar mills and
  refineries when he nationalized the economy.
• 12. Who did Castro turn to for assistance?
• The Soviet Union

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Postwar Face-off in Latin America

• 13. What was the purpose of the Bay of Pigs
  invasion?
• A US supported attempted takeover of Cuba by
  anti-Castro Cuban exiles.
• 14. How did the Soviet Union and Cuba respond to
  the failed invasion?
• 42 missile sites were built in Cuba to protect it
  from further invasions.
• 15. What was the outcome of the Cuban Missile
  Crisis?
• The Soviets removed the missiles from Cuba, but
  this left Castro completely dependent on Soviet
  support.

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Postwar Face-off in Latin America

• 16. How was Cuba affected by the break up of the
  Soviet Union in 1991?
• Cubas economy was crippled, suffers a scarcity
  of vital supplies.
• 17. Why did the US change its support from the
  Sandinistas to the Contras?
• The Sandinistas had aided the socialist rebels in
  El Salvador.

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Confrontations in the Middle East

• 18. Why did the Middle East lure both Superpowers
  towards it?
• It has rich supplies of Oil
• 19. What are the two main factors that caused the
  clash in Iran?
• Traditional Islamic values versus modern Western
  materialism.
• 20. Why did the US support the Shah of Iran?
• To maintain Shahs alliance with the West and
  prevent the Soviets from gaining influence in
  Iran.

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Confrontations in the Middle East

• 21. Why did the ayatollahs oppose Western
  influence?
• They saw it as socially and morally corrupting to
  Muslims.
• 22. How did Iran change when Ayatollah Khomeini
  gained power?
• It became an Islamic state, western influence was
  banned, Islamic law became the legal code of the
  country.
• 23. What was the ayatollahs response to the Shah
  coming to the US for medical treatment?
• He had the US embassy in Tehran seized and more
  than 60 Americans were taken hostage for 444
  days.

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Confrontations in the Middle East

• 24. What did Khomeini encourage Muslim
  fundamentalists in neighboring countries to do?
• To overthrow secular governments and adhere to
  Islamic law.
• 25. Who did the US secretly support in the
  Iran/Iraq war and why?
• Iran, in an effort to get the hostages released.
  
• 26. Why did the Soviets invade Afghanistan in
  1979?
• A Muslim revolt threatened to topple the
  Communist regime in Afghanistan.

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Confrontations in the Middle East

• 27. What was the name of the Afghan rebel group
  supported by the US?
• The Mujahideen
• 28. How did the US respond to the Soviet threat
  in the Persian Gulf?
• An embargo of grain shipments to the Soviet Union
  and boycotted the 1980 Olympics and Moscow.
• 29. In what ways were the US involvement in
  Vietnam and the Soviet involvement in Afghanistan
  similar?
• Both superpowers became mired in long, bloody,
  struggles with guerilla forces who ultimately
  defeated them.