Cold War Climax

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Cold War Climax

• Vietnam War/Bay of Pigs/Cuban Missile Crisis

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Vietnam War 1954-1975

• The Vietnam War North Vietnam and Viet Cong vs.
  South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United
  States.
• The war began in after the rise to power of Ho
  Chi Minh and his communist Viet Minh party in
  North Vietnam
• Other example of U.S. vs. U.S.S.R
• U.S. has hardened its policies against any allies
  of the Soviet Union
• Afraid of the domino effect- if one country
  falls to communism, others will follow.

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Continued

• Vietnam is divided at the 17th parallel with Ho
  Chi Mihn is control of the north and Bao in
  control of the south.
• You know, because splitting up an Asian country
  worked so well before
• 1965 America sends supplies and over 500,000
  military personal to aid South Vietnam
• 3 million people were killed in Vietnam
• Over half were Vietnamese civilians
• 58,000 were Americans
• Opposition to the war grows in America
• First time in U.S. history that the public has
  been opposed to a war in which it was involved
• Why?
• President Nixon orders the withdrawal of U.S.
  troops on 1973
• Fighting continues until 1975 Socialist Republic
  of Vietnam is established.

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Tet Offensive

• http//www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/tet-offe
  nsive/videos/tet-offensive-surprises-americans?m5
  28e394da93aesundefinedf1freefalse
• First time the U.S. public sees the devastation
  of Vietnam combat.
• Widely publicized through the media and TV
• Influences public opinion about U.S. involvement
  in Vietnam
• Pres. Lyndon Johnson had led them to believe the
  war was coming to an end
• Surprise attack during Tet
• Tet- annual celebration, further confuses the
  conflict
• Dozens of cities, towns, and military bases were
  attacked (including the U.S. Embassy)

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Bay of Pigs

• 1959- Fidel Castro overthrows Fulgencio Batista
• Castro- Nationalist Communist
• Batista- American-backed dictator
• Over the next 2 years, the U.S. attempts to
  remove Castro from power.
• Cuba becomes a seat of contention between the U.S
  and the Soviet Union.
• 1961- U.S. attempts to make a defensive strike at
  the Bay of Pigs
• U.S. had trained 1,400 Cubans to lead the attack
• Provided supplies
• Believed other Cubans would join the attack on
  our side

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Continued

• The invasion was a disaster
• Castro knew the invasion was about to take place
  and moved his air force out of harms way.
• Coral reefs sunk invaders ships
• Paratroopers landed in the wrong place
• Cubans did not join the attack
• After less than 24 hours of fighting, the
  invaders surrender.
• Kennedy never tries an overt attack on Cuba
  again.

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Cuban Missile Crisis

• 1961- U.S. puts nuclear-tipped missiles in
  Turkey, which shares a border with the Soviet
  union
• 1962- Soviet union begins building a medium-range
  missile sites in Cuba
• Pres. Kennedy announces that missiles on the
  island will not be tolerated and sets up a naval
  blockade of Soviet supplies.
• A tense 13-day standoff occurs between the two
  superpowers.

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Significance

• Oct 28, 1961 U.S. agrees to remove nuclear
  missiles in Turkey in exchange for the removal of
  missiles in Cuba
• Shows the U.S. how close they were to war
  geographically.
• 90 miles
• Is the closest politically/militarily that the
  Cold War gets to a war between the superpowers.

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TOTD

• https//www.youtube.com/watch?vP7YkJxQT_0Y
• Respond to Pres. Kennedys address. Minimum of a
  paragraph.