The Cold War in Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America

**aqalieh95** Sun Feb 20, 2011 7:06 pm

The Cold War in Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America

The Korean War
- After WW2, Korea was split up at the 38th parallel, with the Soviets in the North and the US in the South and each set up a government there
- Each part wanted to unite Korea, and in 1950 North Korea moved across the dividing line
- The US thought it was aggression planned by the Soviets
- The US used the UN to make North Korea look like the aggressor, and attacked
- UN landed in Inchon and Pusan, and sandwiched enemy troops in the middle without supplies
- China warned the UN troops not to go any farther, but they wanted to unite Korea on South Korea’s terms
- MacArthur ignored the warning and went on, got attacked by the Chinese and pushed back to the Truce Line of 1953
- Led to the huge defense budget that NSC-68 recommended
The Early War in Vietnam
- Indochina was controlled by France, then taken by Japan in WW2
- Vietnam wanted to be independent by a Communist, Ho Chi Minh
- Used the US as a model and started fighting back France
- US needed France in Europe, and hated all communists, even though Ho Chi Minh wasn’t close to Soviet ideas, and gave France ¾ of the cost of the war in aid
- Eisenhower believed in the “domino effect”, that once one country in the area is communist, others will follow as well.
- Divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel, and gave lots of aid to the South
The Middle East
- Very strategic area because it has oil
- Allies had Iran during WW2, then they left, and Soviets went in, then out
- UN divided Palestine into Palestine and Israel, invaded by nearby Arab countries, and Soviets and US recognized it immediately
- US wanted the other Arab countries to stay away from the Soviets
The Cold War in Latin America
- CIA overthrew Arbenz in Guatemala because they thought he was communist, and to defend the United Fruit Company
- When Fidel Castro overthrew dictators in Cuba, the US cut them off, so the Cubans turned to the Soviets for support