1
Q
What aspects of America in the 1950s really highlighted the conformist attitudes?
A
This was a very unique era of mass culture. Everybody listened to the same radio/music, watched the same TV shows, did the same activities, bought the same cars, participated in the same events, and read the same stories. (Everyone was being influenced by the exact same things) There was actually great concern over this. (It wasn’t just happening in the US…communism in China)
- Idea that there was only one way to live.
2
Q
Explain the hostility toward modern art.
A
There was a powerful distrust toward anything different during the cold war. This may have come from the standoff between the two superpowers. Anyone who was different was thought to be with the other side. (The world was extremely polarized)
3
Q
How do Vladimir Kemenov and George Dondero reveal that both sides were hostile toward modern art?
A
Vladimir was from Russia and expressed that people have turned away from realism, the only true form of art. George Dondero expresses that the “isms” are foreign instruments of destruction used by the communists.
4
Q
Why was the general public so paranoid during the 1950s?
A
People were very afraid during this time and it was not due to scarcity. (Studies show that this was actually an extremely affluent time) This paranoia was fuelled by fear of the other side,
5
Q
Explain how fear of communism impacted the US. (Specifically the government)
A
- In the US, people were made to take loyalty oaths in the government to prove that they weren’t communists. (Which is kinda ironic as communists are typically atheist and wouldn’t have had any qualms about lying on the Bible)
6
Q
Were all people in the US against communism?
A
Not everyone, during the great depression, a lot of people began to idealise communism as they felt that they had a better life.
7
Q
What is McCarthyism?
A
This explains the pursuit of communists by Senator McCarthy. He rose to fame in early 1950 when he gave a speech in which he talked about exposing communists in the government. (He said he had a list with 200 names)
8
Q
Why was McCarthy able to accuse so many people?
A
Despite making a ton of accusations, McCarthy didn’t provide any proof. He was able to do this because he operated through a permanent senate subcommittee on investigations. This committee was a congressional committee not a court of law. So, the regular court of law rules weren’t applied here. Witnesses couldn’t cross-examine him and he was essentially untouchable. Witnesses also couldn’t defend themselves.
9
Q
Explain the significance of Walt Kelly and Pogo.
A
Walt Kelly was a cartoonist who used his strip, Pogo, to poke fun at McCarthy and his antics and the tense political climate of the US. It was an animal cartoon stop, with Pogo the possum as the main character. In 1952, Kelly began a political campaign for Pogo to run as president. It was meant to be a joke but people did take it seriously. He even gave a speech at Harvard. After this speech, there was a “riot” and Kelly and several of the students were arrested. Kelly was seen as a dangerous figure and a communist sympathiser.
10
Q
Explain the paranoia in the Soviet Union.
A
It was even more extreme than that of the US. People who disagreed with the government were, as a minimum, sent to work at GULAG camps for 10 years. Sometimes they were killed. There was an intense requirement for conformity. You couldn’t just stay safe by not actively criticising the regime, you had to be actively supporting it,
11
Q
Explain the Stalinist Cult of Personality.
A
Josef Stalin was seen as the father of communism. If you criticised Stalin, you criticised communism.
12
Q
Explain the rejection of all things western in the Soviet Union.
A
If everything Stalin was to be praised, then everything western was to be rejected. This wasn’t just political ideas, but everything.
13
Q
Who was Andrei Vyshinsky?
What did he (and many other Soviets believe?)
A
He was a prosecutor in the 1930s who convicted a lot of people for conspiring against the Soviet Union. He didn’t like that a lot of Russians saw the West as a leading force in areas like art and technology. Technical precedence of the west was denied by the Soviet Union. In fact, they felt that any advancement by the west had first been made by the Soviets and then stolen.
14
Q
Explain Trofim Lysenko’s theory of evolution.
A
He called it Lamarkianism (After a Frenchman) - This theory was that people, animals, and plants pass on characteristics that were developed over their own lives. (A giraffe achieved a long neck from stretching it over and over)
- Genetic structure can be altered during an organism’s life.
15
Q
Why did the Politburo (Soviet government) support Lysenko’s theory?
A
- (This didn’t have much to do with science) His theory matched up with Marxist ways of thinking - It supports the idea that the material world is forcing change.
- Lysenko also said that over the short term they could make huge agricultural bounds. (essentially, he was on the right side of politics)
16
Q
Who was Nikolai Vavilov?
A
He was an “accidental” geneticist who was trying to do real science in the Soviet Union. He was very hard-working and practical, yet his views didn’t align with those of the government. He was trying to create a seed library for agricultural scientists and geneticists to work with. He had been travelling all over the world; collecting the seeds of wild crops to cross breed with modern crops.
17
Q
Why was Nikolai Vavilov arrested?
A
In the 1930s, the Soviet Union was hit by an extreme famine. Agricultural scientists were put under a great deal of pressure to produce more crops. Vavilov was already under scrutiny for not agreeing with Lysenko’s theories and was blamed for farmers’ inability to reach food targets. His colleagues identified him as a “wrecker” and he was imprisoned.
18
Q
Who were the Cheka?
A
This was the first form of the Secret Police in the Soviet Union. They weren’t actually that secret as they all wore long leather coats. Their best technique was to threaten the families of targets. The targets themselves could withstand torture themselves but not the thought of inflicting this pain on someone else.
19
Q
What does the statement, “discontentment in the bipolar world” mean?
A
As the Soviet Union and the US were determined to take over the world and spread their ideologies, they were forcing countries to pick one side. Not everyone wanted to do this.
20
Q
Why was there such a low standard of living in Germany in 1953?
A
At this time, the Soviet Union was controlling East Germany and was demanding that they make war reparations. These were to be made in the form of food, industrial, and consumer products. Yet, the Soviet Union had dismantled factories, railway tracks and cars and made production much harder for them. East Germany had very few resources.
21
Q
Why did the government of East Germany increase the work quota output by 10% in 1953?
A
This was because it was their attempt at trying to get more for their country and citizens. They thought that if they could produce a bit more, they would be able to keep a bit more for themselves.
22
Q
Why were there protests in East Germany in 1953?
A
Beginning on June 17, 1953, these protests were a response to the increase in work quotas and peoples’ low standard of living. (Citizens knew that the Germans in the West were doing better) The protests were violent, spontaneous, and unorganized.
23
Q
How did the German government respond to the protests that erupted on June 17, 1953?
A
- The East German government asked for help from the Soviets and were sent tanks in response. About 100 people were killed in the conflict.
- The Secret Police force was expanded?
24
Q
What were people hoping to accomplish in the Hungarian uprising in 1956?
A
- Students and intellectuals were protesting against the Communist Hungarian People’s Republic. They called for the withdrawal of Soviet Troops from Hungary, democracy, and basic civil rights. They wanted better economic planning by actual experts. (This is interesting as it seems that they aren’t completely against socialism). They also wanted to pull out of the Warsaw Pact and overthrow the Communist government.
25
Who did the Hungarian government turn to for help after the uprisings? What did he do?
Imre Nagy, an old leader was brought back to lead. He had been expelled for being popular among reformers. When he returned, he put several new policies into place: Hungary would cease to be a one party state. Hungary would pull out of the Warsaw Pact.
26
How did the people in Hungary feel about the Secret Police force?
They were outraged. They were angry with the way they operated. The police would go after people in disguise and convince them to do things that would incriminate them.
27
What was America's relationship with Western Europe like?
It was quite relaxed. They had employed the Marshall Plan which was effective in keeping countries in line. Not only that, but a lot of people wanted to be like Americans at this time. The US also had large NATO bases that kept people in line. As well, Western Europe was far removed from America and behaviour of people there wouldn't influence Americans.
28
What was America's relationship with Central America like?
The US considered these areas to be more part of their security sphere and were quite brutal and wielded punishments with a heavy hand.
29
Why was America concerned about Guatemala?
A social/political reform movement began here in the late 1940s. It was targeted at breaking the hold that a few large landowners had on the land and economy.
30
What is the significance of the United Fruit Company?
The United Fruit Company was American owned/operated and occupied huge amounts of land in Guatemala. They had a huge influence on Guatemala's economy as they had oil, palm, and banana plantations across the country.
31
Who was Jacobo Arbenz?
He became the leader of Guatemala. He started out as an army officer and became the Minister of Defence by the late 1940s. (Described by the CIA to be brilliant and cultured)
32
Who was Maria Vilanova?
She was Jacobo Arbenz's wife. She was originally from El Salvador and had grown up quite privileged on a plantation. She was politically active and had great influence on her husband's actions.
33
Why was Maria Vilanova interested in Socialism?
She had grown up on a plantation and became disturbed by the way her family treated their labourers. She encouraged her husband to study Marxism and the systems that had been put in place in the Soviet Union.
34
Explain the systems that Arbenz put in place to reform Guatemala after being elected president.
He wanted educational, social security, (welfare for the poor people and basic government sources to take care of the unfortunate) and land reforms. (These were aimed to confiscate parts of landowner's estates that they weren't using - if it wasn't part of active production he wanted to take it and give it to poor peasants.)
35
Explain why the United Fruit Company was against Arbenz's land reforms.
The United Fruit company stood to lose the most from these land reforms. They had bought a lot of land as a means of maintaining control. They owned 3 million acres of land in Guatemala and were only farming 140,000 acres of it. (2.86 million acres was unused)
36
How did the United Fruit Company respond to the land reforms?
(Important - The company had strong American ties - the Dulles brothers) They were outraged and convinced the American government that Arbenz was a Communist who needed to be dealt with. John Foster Dulles, US Secretary of State - He was the one who handled foreign affairs. He was also a former lawyer for the United Fruit Company.
Allen Dulles, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency - The brother of John Foster Dulles - He sat on the United Fruit Company’s board of directors.
37
How did the US respond to the United Fruit Company's complaints against Arbenz?
The CIA orchestrated a coup. (Under the direction of Allen Dulles) They trained a small group of Guatemalan rebels (it wasn't hard to find these rebels - members were from wealthy land owning families who also stood to lose something in the coming land reforms) to overthrow Arbenz's government. When they were sent to invade, they gained air support from the US air force. The result of this was Arbenz's government being overthrown and replaced with a puppet government controlled by the US.
38
What were the American-backed military dictatorships in Central America?
Guatemala - Jacobo Arbenz's government was overthrown in 1954 and replaced by a puppet government controlled by the US.
Nicaragua - Anastasio Somoza was the dictator there and his family reigned until the 1970s.
Cuba - Falenciago Batista
Duvalier - Dictator of Haiti
39
What kind of government did Iran have in 1953?
They had a constitutional monarchy. The Prime Minister was Mohammed Mossadegh
- Monarch of Iran (Shah) - Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
40
Why did the CIA remove Mohammad Mossadegh from power?
He had the audacity to think that the Iranian oil supply should belong to the Iranians and not the Anglo-Americans. He believed that Iran could never be independent if these big companies were still so heavily involved in their country. The US was so angry due to this because if Mossadegh wasn't aligned with them, then he must be aligned with Soviets. As well, they had to nip the nationalism in Iran so that it wouldn't spread to other nearby countries.
41
What were the steps leading up to Mossadegh's removal?
He expropriated the Anglo-Iranian Oil company in 1951
Then Britain imposed an oil embargo on Iran to prevent them from being able to ship oil out.
Mossadegh was willing to provide the British with compensation for their losses and tried to negotiate but they wanted him removed.
42
How did the CIA intervene and remove Mossadegh from power?
(The grounds for this operation was that Mossadegh had fallen under the influence of the Soviets, even though he openly despised them and was a nationalist) The Dulles brothers organized the operation. (Big connection to the United Fruit Company in Guatemala). They put pressure on the Shah of Iran to remove Mossadegh. (He was young and had come to power by the Soviets during WWII and knew how easily he could be replaced so he did as they said. Since he cooperated, the Americans propped up his regime. He was not popular within his own country (Was seen as a puppet of American imperialism) and would later be responsible for westernizing Iran.
43
Who replaced Mossadegh?
Fazlollah Zahedi. He negotiated new oil trade agreements with the US and Britian. One thing he didn't do though, was return the property to the Americans. (This would've shown too much weakness on his part)
44
What happened to the Cold War in the later 1950s?
There was a bit of a thaw. A few of the reasons for this was due to changes in the superpower countries.
45
What happened when Josef Stalin died on March 5, 1953?
Stalin had been seen as the face of Communism. When he died, there were a lot of changes within the Soviet Union. There was competition to gain power over the Soviet Party. (Only one person of note ended up dead in this struggle, the leader of the KGB, Lavrenty Beria.)
46
Who replaced Stalin?
Nikita Khrushchev. He wanted to do things differently than Stalin had but its hard to shift courses from the policies of a great leader without seeming like you're contradicting them.
47
How did Nikita Khrushchev denounce Stalin's Cult of Personality in 1956?
He made a speech before a closed session with the Communist Party. (Yet, it really wasn't that closed because it was broadcast to Communist groups all over the country, which of course, it leaked from those.)
- In his speech:
He attacked the Cult of the Individual - Stalin had been elevated to the point of being godlike and infallible.
He talked about how Lenin had actually had concerns about Stalin's personality - Stalin had many negative characteristics that were harmful to the Communist Party.
- He was super violent and and demanded absolute submission to his opinion. (No one was allowed to disagree with him)
- He also talked about how Stalin had made some decisions before and leading up to world war two that had caused the Soviets to suffer more than necessary - Purging of the leaders and not believing that Hitler was going to attack.
48
What did China think of Khrushchev's speech?
This speech helped drive a wedge between the Soviets and China. China had been building a cult of Personality around Mao Zedong and felt personally targeted and criticised in this speech.
49
Explain the changes in the Soviet Union in the late 1950s.
- It became possible for people to speak more freely. (Some great art and movies about life during this time came out)
- The USSR decided that they wanted to increase the standard of living for normal people and so there was less military spending.
- The Virgin Lands program: There was a big push to increase food production in the Soviet Union so people were sent to land that had not been farmed yet to try and make it farmable. This wasn't super successful as there was a reason this land hadn't been farmed.
- They also built apartments: Khrushchyovkas - Up until this point, many people were living in old houses that had been divided up. There was little privacy. These small homes offered people their own space for the first time. The design for the apartments came from the French and they could be built quite quickly. (These apartments also may have been a contributing factor to the decline of the Soviet Union as it gave people a place to privately talk politics.)
50
Explain Khrushchev's new foreign policy.
He wanted to smooth out relations with foreign countries. He denounced the idea that there was only one way to Socialism. (Said that they didn't need to be so violent and forceful about it) "Peaceful co-existence" *China did not agree with this
51
Who was elected as president after Truman? What did he do?
Dwight Eisenhower was elected. (Republican) He helped tone down some of the tension from the cold war. He levelled criticism toward Josef McCarthy.
- But, the Americans had defined Communism itself as danger, it didn't really matter to them who was in power.
52
What were the two crises that embarrassed the superpowers at the same time. (Happened in October of 1956)
The Hungarian Uprisings and the Suez Canal Crisis.
53
What first started the Suez Crisis?
Gamel Abdel Nasser, the leader of Egypt, endeavoured to build a massive hydroelectric dam in the Suez canal. (The Aswan High Dam). This dam would generate a lot of electricity for Egyptians and help control flooding. Egypt had to ask for financial assistance from a few different countries.
54
Why did the US go back on their promise of financial aid for Egypt?
Egypt had begun to make it clear that they were neutral in the Cold War. They were pursuing a policy of Independence. Nasser didn't want western intervention in Egypt (Because of what had happened in Iran) and he was buying weapons from the USSR.
55
How did Nasser respond to the US going back on their promise?
He nationalised the Suez canal. (It had been owned by French and British companies) This was a great loss to allied countries because this route was much more efficient for trade (Going to Mumbai from Britain) and they were also able to collect revenue from tolls.
56
How did the British and French respond to the loss of the Suez Canal?
They decided that they wanted to overthrow Nasser. (As had been done with Mossadegh in Iran) So, they teamed up with Israel (who were also upset with Egypt - they didn't want Egypt to become more powerful and were being supplied weapons from France)
57
What was the outcome of the invasion of Egypt in 1956?
They attacked on the Sinai pennisula. (This prevented the world from believing that imperialism was over.) The Egyptians sent their armies toward them and as they were distracted, the British and French sent their troops toward the Suez canal. The invasion didn't provide the expected results as the allied troops were hoping that the civilian Egyptians would join them in their fight. (This almost never happens.) They found themselves stuck as they didn't want to fight and occupy the whole country - this even harder.
58
What were the overall results of the Suez Crisis?
The US were limited in the criticism they could level at the Soviets for their invasion. Israel probably benefited the most as they were able to take some land back and gain access to the Red Sea.
59
What was significant about Khrushchev's visit to the United States? (September 1959)
He was promoting the idea of peaceful coexistence. He was obsessed with corn and wanted to visit Disneyland.
60
What happened to the U2 spy plane in early May of 1960?
The Americans had sent this huge plane to spy on the Soviets. They didn't think it could be shot down.(It flew very high and slow)It had been headed to Ozersk, a small town where the Soviets special labs were located. It was shot down.
61
Why was the U2 spy plane a public relations disaster for the US?
There had been talks of peace between them and the Soviets and this just blew those up. Initially, the American officials thought that the plane and its contents had been disposed of so they claimed that it was for weather research. But, it turned out that the Soviets had seized both film from the plane and the pilot of the plane, Gary Powers! The Soviets revealed all of this after the Americans lied about everything.
62
Did Eisenhower apologise to the Soviets for the U2 plane incident?
Nope! In fact, he declared that they were going to continue being on guard against them.
62
How Khrushchev respond to Eisenhower's hard line?
He had been made to look like a fool due to all of the peace talks he had been giving. So, he cancelled the May 1960 Summit meeting for world leaders and cancelled the reciprocal visit from Eisenhower to the USSR.
63
What happened in the 1960 presidential election in the US?
John F. Kennedy was running against Nixon. (Had been the vice president for Eisenhower). Kennedy sees an opportunity to take an even harsher stance against the Communists. (He makes several speeches to this end)
- Talks about how Communists represent slavery and refers to them as the enemy at the gates.
64
What happened during the Kennedy era?
It was a tense time. He began building up nuclear and conventional arms. Kennedy was promising massive retaliation to the USSR if they ever made use of their weapons. (He was also maybe inspired by the policy of containment)
- He was also the one who made the first steps to get the US bogged down in Vietnam.
65
Why did the Soviets build the Berlin wall?
They were pushing for administrative change. They wanted the western powers out of Berlin entirely.
Also, large people from east Berlin saw how good life was in west berlin and decided they didn't want to live in east Germany anymore. Large numbers of east Germans left; particularly doctors, teachers, and engineers as they could get paid more elsewhere.
66
Was the Berlin wall effective?
Yes, extremely so. People did still try to cross but had to be a lot more secretive and most didn't make it as it was heavily guarded and consisted of multiple layers.
67
Describe what life was like during the Batista regime in Cuba.
Fulgencio Batista was a military officer who had seized control of the government. He was a military dictator who did not support democracy. Life under him was hard with a low standard of living, education, and he was widely detested by the Cuban population. But, he was friendly with the Americans.
68
Who was Fidel Castro and why was he important?
He was actually a lawyer (had originally wanted to be a baseball player) who attempted to overthrow the Batista regime on two different occasions (July 26, 1953 and 1956) before being successful on the third. After the two failed attempts, Castro and his rebels went and lived in the hills in Cuba.
- He was not happy with the way America had intervened in Guatemala (with the coup) and wanted to restore Cuba's constitution and political rights.
69
Explain how Castro overthrew Batista.
Castro and his rebel group started coming down out of the hills in 1958 and 1959 and systematically raiding government facilities. Batista eventually fled to the United States and Castro was sworn in as the leader.
70
How did America respond to Castro's takeover in Cuba?
They refused to recognize Castro's government as legitimate. They refused to offer them any foreign aid.
- They also placed an embargo on Cuban sugar and oil, preventing them from being able to trade with other countries. They hoped that this would disrupt the Cuban economy and cause Castro to become unpopular.
71
How did Castro respond to the US embargos?
He turned to the USSR for help. The Soviets said that they would purchase Cuban sugar. They also said that they would offer them arms and oil. (The US was not happy with this development as Cuba is very close to Florida...if they became communist, this would be bad)
The Cuban government also seized the property of all Americans in Cuba.
72
What was the Bay of Pigs fiasco?
(Regarding Cuba) In 1961, because the Americans didn't want a Soviet satellite on their doorstep, they attempted to launch a coup to overthrow Castro's regime. (As they had done in Guatemala). They recruited Cuban Americans from the US and trained a small group of them before sending them over. The invasion first landed in the Bay of Pigs and was a small force of 1400 soldiers. The idea was the Cuban civilians would join them as they made their way to Havana out of their dislike for Castro. (They didn't). In the end, Castro's military had very little difficulty removing the invaders.
73
What did Kennedy do after the Bay of Pigs fiasco?
He was embarrassed and felt that he had to take an even harder line against the Communists to make people think he was tough again.
- Kennedy's administration pushed every interaction with the Soviet Union into a confrontation. ("Brinkmanship"). Nobody was willing to negotiate or back down.
74
What did Castro do after the Bay of Pigs Fiasco?
Up until this point, he had been on the brink of being Communist. After this, he fully declared himself to be a Marxist-Leninist.
75
How did the Cuban missile crisis begin?
Castro correctly thought that the US would stop at nothing to overthrow him. Khrushchev was also under pressure by members of the Politburo to be more assertive and dominant. A third element was that the US had the upper hand as they had missile bases all over the world, particularly close to major Soviet cities. So, Cuba offered an opportunity to level the playing field a bit. If the USSR, could secretly put missiles in Cuba, the US wouldn't hold the same power over them.
76
Why were the Soviets so worried by the US's missile bases?
They were so close to their major cities that they wouldn't even have a chance to retaliate before being destroyed. So, they felt quite vulnerable and did not really have any deterrence. (The US would not have a reason to hold back)
77
How did the Kennedy administration respond to missile buildup in Cuba?
First, the USSR was not as secretive as they thought. Through the use of U2 spy planes, the US had footage of what was going on. So, Kennedy had a few options. They could try to sabotage the operations, negotiate with Castro and the USSR, or threaten them. In the end, Kennedy didn't really do any of these and instead, presented the USSR with an ultimatum: If Cuba struck any nation, the US would directly retaliate on the USSR. (Kennedy didn't even tell this directly to the Soviets, he gave a public announcement on TV)
They also implemented a naval blockade to prevent any more ships from reaching Cuba.
78
How did we think the Cuban missile crisis ended? How did it actually end?
("Someone blinked")
Up until 1997, we were under the impression that the Soviet Union backed down first. Everyone thought that the Soviet Union wasn't ready for war.(After 6 days of tense indecision, the Soviets took their ships back and ordered for the missiles to be removed from Cuba.) But, in 1997, some Soviet files were made available to the public and we discovered that it was actually the US who backed down first. The US had ordered for their missiles to be removed from Turkey and then the USSR was willing to back down. (The Soviets had probably let Kennedy have this victory because he needed to save face to be reelected and they weren't really worried about that)
79
How did the US' allies/NATO react to the Cuban missile crisis? (Especially France)
They were not happy that the US had acted alone. Charles de Gaulle, the PM of France, was particularly displeased and began the process of withdrawing his military forces from the control of NATO.
80
What impact did the Cuban missile crisis have on Khrushchev's reign?
He was criticised for the way he had led. He had begun the crisis and then backed down. It was the beginning of his fall from power.
81
Who was Khrushchev's successor and what was he like?
Leonid Brezhnev became the new leader in 1964. He was portrayed as a real hardliner and was determined to reverse some of what Khrushchev had done. He cracked down on cultural and political criticism but was also devoted to raising the standard of living. They moved into more consumer production. (He loved cars) He was also more willing to negotiate and the world moved away from deterrence and toward detente.
82
Explain the US-USSR cooperation following the Cuban missile crisis.
Both sides had scared themselves a little bit. ("We could've blown the world up!") So, they were more willing to work together. The Atmospheric Test Ban Treaty was agreed to by both sides. They limited atmospheric nuclear tests. (Although, Kennedy did just increase underground testing as a result of this) And, they established a hot line between Moscow and Washington. It was a teletype machine.
83
When was Kennedy assassinated and by who?
On November 22, 1963 Kennedy was shot while on a public tour in Texas. He was shot Lee Harvey Oswald.
(Interesting conspiracy theory - the president of south Vietnam had been assassinated three weeks earlier and there had been suggestions that the Americans were involved. Maybe this was retaliation from them?)
84
Who occupied Japan after world war 2?
The US took sole control of Japan. (There were no occupation zones like in Germany). This happened despite the protests of Great Britain, New Zealand and Australia.
85
How did the US demonstrate their opposition to European imperialism in the post war period?
- The US took steps to prevent the European powers from regaining their empires.
- They said they were influenced by Article 3 from the Atlantic charter - States that all countries have the right to determine their own form of government.
- The US decided to set an example and granted independence to their colony in the Philippines. (July 4, 1946).
86
What was the reasoning behind the US' opposition to imperialism?
The US felt that it would be more effective for them to control the world economically rather than politically. If these countries gave up their colonies, then the US could gain control of these places again through trade...?
87
How did Indonesia gain independence from the Dutch? (And later from the Japanese)
Amid WWII, Sukarno (The leader of the Indonesian Independence Movement) cooperated with the Japanese when they first invaded. The Japanese had actually said that they were there to make life better for the Indonesians. (Co Prosperity Sphere - Achieve an Asia for Asia). Then, on August 16, 1945, Sukarno declared independence for Indonesia. The Dutch saw this declaration as rebellion and began a bloody conflict. Eventually, the conflict ended as the US was employing the Marshall Plan and said that they wouldn't provide the Dutch with any aid unless they stopped. Independence was finally granted in December 1949.
88
Which country occupied Vietnam (Indo China) prior to WWI?
France.
89
Who was the leader of Vietnam in 1954? What was he like?
Ho Chin Minh. He was said to be quite wise and tolerant of other cultures. Minh was a Communist. He declared the independence of Vietnam immediately after Japan surrendered. The French government was not willing to put up with this.
90
How did the fighting between the French and the Vietnamese progress? Did anyone else get involved?
Charles de Gaul, the leader of France, was unwilling to give up Indo China. The conflict began in 1945. Initially, the US was against this conflict as they were hoping that all the empires would grant independence to their colonies. But, over the course of the war, their stance shifted as the Cold War progressed. Since Minh was Communist, the US became firmly opposed to him. By the early 1950s, the US was paying nearly 85% of the cost for the French to continue being able to fight.
91
What kind of warfare occurred between the Viet Minh and the French?
It was asymmetrical warfare. The French had more resources and were able to use more modern warfare like tanks and guns. The Viet Minh (though they did gain support from the Soviet Union and a bit from China) did not have the same resources and had to fight using more nontraditional methods. (Guerrilla warfare)
92
How and where did the Vietnamese with the French end?
Dien Bien Phu. By 1953-54, the war had really taken a turn and the Vietnamese were coming out on top. Dien Bien Phu was a French military base with an airstrip. The Viet Minh gathered enough force to shoot at it from the hills and were eventually able to infiltrate it and take control. (1500 French soldiers were trapped)
93
What were two reasons for the French's surrender of Vietnam?
- France had been decimated by the wars and their economy was in shambles. They didn't have the funds to keep fighting - The US was giving them money but that was the extent of their support.
- French troops were tired of being conscripted to go to this war that they didn't really care about.
94
What was significant about Britain's response to the uprising occurring in their colony, Malaya.
Britain was able to successful counter the uprising and (mostly) peacefully move the country toward independence.
95
Why didn't Britain grant Malaya independence right away?
One of the main reasons Britain was able to even return to control to Malaya in the first placed was because they promised them that independence was on the horizon. They didn't want to give them independence right away due to a Communist movement that was gaining popularity, especially among the minority ethnically Chinese population of Malaya.
96
What was the solution to the Communist uprising in Malaya?
Sir Harold Briggs came up with the solution. He devised an anticommunist campaign where they provided for the Communists (which was largely one poorly treated people group in Malaya) in a way that made them realise that they didn't need to become Communists for life to get better.
97
What did Briggs implement in Malaya?
His solution was to move about 500,000 of the ethnically Chinese population into 500 newly built villages. These villages would have electricity, schools, plumbing, clean water, etc. and a higher standard of living in general. (The plan was to win the "hearts and minds" of the Malay people)
- Though it sounds nice - the reality of it was quite harsh. People were uprooted from their homes, which were then destroyed, and then forced to move to these villages where they were under surveillance.
- The British followed this policy for 10 years.
98
When did Britain grant independence to Malaya?
In 1957 Malaya was granted independence. (And this was not an entirely peaceful period leading up to this point. - there were over 9000 skirmishes fought between the two groups during this time.) Independence was granted when the British were sure that the Communist movement had been quelled.
99
Who originally controlled the Indian continent?
The British East India Company had eventually grown and expanded to gain control of a lot of India. They worked with some Indigenous groups to dominate others. They were the only country under Asia law that could trade in Asia.
100
When was the Indian National Congress formed and what was its point?
It was formed in 1885, specifically to fight for self-governance for the Indians in India.
101
Who were the leading figures of the Indian National Congress in 1930?
Mohandas K. Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Muhammad Ali Jinnah
102
What were some of Gandhi's principles and why was he important?
Gandhi was kinda the spiritual center of the Indian Independence Movement. He kept the peace.
- Satyagraha (Truth Force) Gandhi felt that the best way to fight their oppressors was by continuously repeating the truth to them. He thought that eventually the truth would be successful.
- The Swadeshi (Self-reliance) Movement - He felt that they would never be independent unless they were self-reliant. For example, people should be able to make their own clothes - Gandhi hand-spun all of his clothes.
103
What was Jawaharlal Nehru like?
He was well-educated and famously funny. He had been educated at Cambridge University in Britain. He was very insistent with the British government about granting independence to India.
104
Why was Muhammad Ali Jinnah significant?
He was first a member of the Indian National Congress before leaving and creating the Muslim League. He was Muslim (who were a minority in India) and was worried that if the Hindu population gained control, the Muslims would be mistreated.
105
Why were the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League at odds with one another?
The Indian National Congress wanted India to be independent as one country while the Muslim League wanted a separate country for the Muslims on the same continent as India.
106
How did World War II impact India?
When Britain went to war, they automatically took India with them. India was supportive of the purpose of World War II but were upset that they had been involved in it without being given the freedom of choice.
107
How did the Indian National Congress respond to the war? How did the Muslim League respond?
-The Indian National Congress and its members erupted in protests across the country. Again, they were upset that they had been involved without being consulted. 14 of its leaders were imprisoned and their relationship with the British government was damaged.
- The Muslim League supported the war effort so that Britain would feel indebted to them and grant them a country/state of their own.
108
Why were the Muslims so insistent on the creation of their own country?
They felt that the differences between them and the Hindu population were so vast that they would cause the country to quickly fall apart. They were essentially saying that they were unable to live in harmony with each other. (Muslims began protesting for the creation of modern-day Pakistan in London)
109
How did the famine in Bengal (Bangladesh) affect India's view of the war?
Negatively. After a hurricane hit and destroyed all of the rice crops, Britain did nothing to help the already suffering country under Japanese control. They were so focused on the war that they failed to come up with a solution (like maybe bringing in food from other places or at least reducing rice exports) and many people (1.5 million) died. It convinced many in India that Britain was unfit to continue their reign.
110
What finally convinced Britain to begin granting independence to India?
Britain and their economy were left in shambles after the war. They could not afford to keep India and began to work quickly to transition them into independence before the strong movement became violent.
111
Who was Lord Louis Mountbatten? What did he do?
He was the last viceroy of India. (Basically a governor general) He was appointed to oversee the transition to independence for India but was not a capable leader and did a poor job.
112
Why did Mountbatten move the date for independence up?
He felt that by doing so, he would avoid bloodshed and violence. He moved the date up by almost a full year. (August 14, 1947)
113
What were some problems that came with the faster independence?
Nobody had enough time to prepare.
There was uncertainty over partition lines. The officials were given 5 weeks to draw the partition line between India and Pakistan which prevented them from being able to be very thorough. (It was called the Radcliffe line after the official who drew it) The border preposition was submitted one week before independence and the officials didn't explain what had been accepted or determined until after independence had been granted. This led to a lot of fear. (What happens when you're on the wrong side - Hindu v Muslims.)
114
How did the newly independent people in India react to the partition lines?
There was actually a lot of confusion and violence as a result. Some villages ended up in the wrong spot - Hindu in Pakistan or vice versa and there were huge amounts of migration.
115
How did Gandhi respond to the violence that was occurring?
He was heartbroken and actually began a hunger strike to appeal for understanding between the two groups.
116
When was Gandhi assassinated and why?
He was assassinated on January 28, 1948 at a prayer meeting. He was shot by a Hindu extremist who felt that he was being too soft on Muslims. After his death, there was even more religious violence.
History 125
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