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CH 7. INCREASING COLD WAR TENSIONS (McCarthysim - Britain/Europe (McCarthy…
CH 7. INCREASING COLD WAR TENSIONS
McCarthysim in the USA
CAUSES/CONSEQUENCES OF MCCARTHYSIM:
House of Un-American Activities Committee - investigates communist infiltration! High profile movie makers questioned on patriotism and political affiliations = Amplifies societal fear
Jan 1950: ALGER HISS - Perjury, lied about passing info to USSR whilst working for US State Sep = sparks criticism for Truman's FP, too 'soft' on communism, responsible for 'loss' of China
Dean Acheson (SoS) offers support = heightens belief that US leaders tainted with communism!
JOSEPH McCARTHY: R Sen Wisconsin, exploited anti-communist anxieties
Sought to encourage government to be 'tough' on communism - suggested that there were communist conspirators wirking ithin gov and influencing policy! (Hiss/Acheson Affair)
J EDGAR HOOVER: Head of FBI, supported McCarthy, called teachers 'Reducators' etc., felt American way of life was at threat
Downfall: 1954, McCarthy claims 'Reds' infiltrated US Army = Army Counsel (legal defence) Joseph N Welch: "Senator, you have dne enough. Have you no sense of decency?" destroys McCarthy live on TV! - December: US Senate finds McCarthy guilty, censured and condemned, support lost
McCarthysim - Britain/Europe
Richard Crockatt: "The significance of McCarthy's career lies in the coincidence of his brief period of notoriety with the shift of attention from Europe to the Far East, a shift which he helped to promote"
CHINA... October 1949: China goes communist! + February 1950: Sino-Soviet Treaty/Alliance = urgency to implement 'Asia First' policy
McCarthy v Truman
McCarthy anti-com rhetoric, but Truman reluctant to support Jiang Jieshi in Taiwan! Truman 5th Jan 1950 announces will not intervene in PCP attack, followed by Sino-Soviet Alliance etc + McCarthysim = 'Asia First' policy becomes popular
McCarthy believed Korean War could have been avoided IF Truman supported Chinese nationalists vs. Mao :( Believed Truman failed to realise geostrategic significance of halting the spread of communism in Asia!
BRITAIN: Believed 'Asia First' would allow USSR to exploit Europe if USA preoccupied! Britain saw Korean War as undermining NATO
:( BUT need to maintain alliance with USA = this is prioritised, UK makes significant contributions to Korean War
McCarthyism = emphasis on making US policy less Eurocentric and focusing on Asia - Believed West had consolidated a position in Europe, but Asia was much more vulnerable.
US domination in the UN
June 1945/October 1945: UN Charter formally agreed/UN comes into existence
COMPOSITION: Profoundly in favour of West, capitalist nations = in favour of US interests!
Membership unchanged (UNTIL 1955) - lots of pro-Western allies (therefore, aligned with USA), majority would eventually receive some Marshall Aid - USA dominated! Only 1 Eastern European State (Poland) joined in 1945 - one of USSR's few allies
! Mid 1950s, decolonisation had NOT started - limited number of potential new members = USA had majority support! Colonial masters all aligned w USA. Newly colonised states not included as 'non-aligned' or 'pro-Soviet' = USA dominance consolidated!
Dominance further consolidated - 1949: USA insists mainland China could not take 'Chinese' (ie. Taiwan's) seat! UN said PCP was aggressor, had used force to get into power during Civil War = potential challenge to US power is diminsihed!
USA sees as a vehicle for global intervention - could enhance FP aims and Cold War interests! Use of veto weakened US dominance at times, BUT notable exceptions
eg. Korea 1950! - USA requests meeting of Security Council = passes resolution calling for ceasefire, Truman instructs US Gen MacArthur to provide military support to SK WITHOUT direct sanction from UN!
Northern forces to not withdraw = USA requests second SC meeting = UN calls on members to aid SK against NK, justification is that the conflict was a threat to global peace
OUTCOME: Collective military 'UN' force - composed of primarily US troops under US Commander MacArthur!
UN Security Council: Executive decision making branch. 5 permanent members (USA, Brtiain, France, China, USSR) - controlled US power to an extent due to VETO
1946-1955 Pattern of Veto: Britain 0, USA 0 China 1, France 2, USSR 75!
US policy was based on the notion that communism was a global threat = needed global response = UN, allows US to be 'global policeman'
Isolation of China
Communists win Civil War - Truman, and senior politicians, did not want military conflict with PCP as a result of supporting Jieshi
McCarthysim - Influences Truman! Wanted to detach USA from involvement in Chinese conflict, BUT
1950 Sino-Sov Alliance
Alliance included 'security guarantees' to combat aggression from Japan 'or any other state that may collaborate in any way with Japan in acts of aggression'
Consolidated communist political/military control in this region = Reinforces USA's need to develop a powerbase in Asia! = Japan becomes crucial to Cold War strategy
Communists win Civil War - Truman, and senior politicians, did not want military conflict with PCP as a result of supporting Jieshi
STALIN - saw 1950 Alliance as a strategic advantage for USSR, consolidates Soviet power in Far East = USA adopt less Eurocentric focus - good for USSR!
KOREAN WAR:
Stalin refused to send Soviet troops but Chinese troops fought = China's international rep damaged
Added to American imperative concerning Far East policy - Acheson's (SoS 49-53) Defensive Perimiter Strat did NOT include Taiwan/Korea - NK invasion undermined Truman's desire to stay out of Chinese conflict
27th June 1950 (2 days after KW outbreak) Truman orders US 7th Fleet to position between mainland China and Taiwan
IMPACT OF WAR: Demonstrates degree of commitment USA willing to offer to prevent spread of communism! Isolation of China (eg. no entry @ UN) enhances US commitment to protect Taiwan
JAPAN:
SEP 1951: SAN FRAN TREATY - consolidated USA's Asia First Policy