Overview:
The Cold War was fought between USSR and the US. When it came down to it, the conflict stemmed from a difference beliefs: communism vs. capitalism. Now that their natural enemy, Germany, was gone, they realized how different their ideas of life really were. The Soviet Union lost trust for the US when they bombed Japan without event telling the Soviets they had such a weapon. Events like The Warsaw Pact, The Truman Doctrine, The Iron Curtain and The Cuban Missile Crisis were all results of the Cold War.The Vietnam War was one of the many "Cold War Conflicts". Vietnam was Communist and America worried the "domino effect" would fall into place and more and more countries would convert to Communism. American provided financial support to South Vietnam with the hopes of not letting North Vietnam (Communists) take over.
6. What were the reasons for the Cold War between the US and Soviet Union?
Completely different ideas on how society should be run.
American wanted:
Soviet Union wanted:
As the Cold War was being fought, American citizens worried that Communists may be hiding among their peers in the US as spies. This was known as "The Red Scare". Many Americans also had to deal with false assumptions of being a Communist. Those who were accused were fired from their jobs, ripped from society, and taken from their families.
8. Was the US involvement in Vietnam an appropriate and effective policy?
The United States had over 500,000 troops in South Vietnam. There was a large controversy about whether or not the US should have been involved at all. Some argue we shouldn't have been involved because it wasn't directly effecting the US. I personally think that we shouldn't have sent in any troops. While I understand the value of not allowing Communism to spread, we were starting to loose lives that potentially didn't need to be lost at all. I think it would have been sufficient to provide only financial aid, and not risk the lives of American men for a war that wasn't really ours to fight.
The Cold War was fought between USSR and the US. When it came down to it, the conflict stemmed from a difference beliefs: communism vs. capitalism. Now that their natural enemy, Germany, was gone, they realized how different their ideas of life really were. The Soviet Union lost trust for the US when they bombed Japan without event telling the Soviets they had such a weapon. Events like The Warsaw Pact, The Truman Doctrine, The Iron Curtain and The Cuban Missile Crisis were all results of the Cold War.The Vietnam War was one of the many "Cold War Conflicts". Vietnam was Communist and America worried the "domino effect" would fall into place and more and more countries would convert to Communism. American provided financial support to South Vietnam with the hopes of not letting North Vietnam (Communists) take over.
6. What were the reasons for the Cold War between the US and Soviet Union?
Completely different ideas on how society should be run.
American wanted:
- Free elections
- Democracy
- Capitalism
- Personal Freedom
- Freedom of Press
Soviet Union wanted:
- No elections
- Dictatorship
- Communism
- Secret Police
- Censorship
As the Cold War was being fought, American citizens worried that Communists may be hiding among their peers in the US as spies. This was known as "The Red Scare". Many Americans also had to deal with false assumptions of being a Communist. Those who were accused were fired from their jobs, ripped from society, and taken from their families.
8. Was the US involvement in Vietnam an appropriate and effective policy?
The United States had over 500,000 troops in South Vietnam. There was a large controversy about whether or not the US should have been involved at all. Some argue we shouldn't have been involved because it wasn't directly effecting the US. I personally think that we shouldn't have sent in any troops. While I understand the value of not allowing Communism to spread, we were starting to loose lives that potentially didn't need to be lost at all. I think it would have been sufficient to provide only financial aid, and not risk the lives of American men for a war that wasn't really ours to fight.