Cold War in Asia, 1945-1954 How Republicans used the Truman Doctrine to insist that the Democratic President stop communism in Asia, and how Truman came to intervene on the Korean Peninsula and lay the foundation for the Vietnam War
Is your Cell Phone Turned On? Chairman Mao says Comrades, turn off your cell phone and read my Little Red Book!
Themes and Topics Empire Origins of World War II: Asia The Korean War, 1950-1953 Role of Government Cold War: Creating a National Security State Cold War: Truman Doctrine and Containment Cold War: CIA Covert Operations in the Third World, 1950-1963 New Topic: The Korean War and the Constitution Cold War: The Vietnam War, 1953-1963 Private Enterprise Military Keynesianism in World War II and After
Central Analytical Questions What role did domestic politics play in spreading the Truman Doctrine and Containment operative to Asia? How and why did containment differ in the Asian theater from the European theater? What was McCarthyism? Who is the aggressor in the Korean War? How did the Korean War change US policy toward French Indochina (Vietnam)? How did the Korean War effect U.S. domestic politics and governing principles?
The Cold War Comes to Asia Survey of the territory Chinese Civil War Korean War First Indochina War General Albert Wedemeyer
Chinese Civil War, 1929-1949 FDR s plans for China China at the end of World War II Nationalists Communists US government options Support Jiang Support Mao Support Coalition Government Position of the USSR Jiang Jieshi (Chiang Kai-Shek) Kuomintang party (Guo Min Dang or GMD) Leader Mao Zedung (Mao Tse-Tung) Communist Party Leader
Chinese Civil War, 1929-1949 Failure of Coalition Government Option American Ambassador Patrick J. Hurley denounced Truman s coalition option, November 1945 Marshall s first effort, December 1945 Marshall s second effort, June 1946 General Wedemeyer s Report, Fall 1947 Jiang Jieshi (Chiang Kai-Shek) Mao Zedung (Mao Tse- Tung)
The China Lobby Republican control of Congress was central to their ability to shape policy toward China China Lobby achieve continued military aid to Jiang s government Shows partial success of the China Lobby Sen. William Knowland, R-Ca, the Senator from Formosa
When the US didn t Intervene Success of the Communist Revolution, October 1949 Nationalists to Formosa (Taiwan) Acheson s White Paper on China, Aug 1949 U.S. Non-Recognition of China Truman and Acheson
What about Taiwan (Formosa?)
The Key Transformations Before WW2, Japan was the US East Asian enemy and China was the US ally China was a colonized nation as were other areas of East Asia After WW2, China was the US East Asian enemy and Japan was the US ally National Liberation movements against European colonies would be aided by China
Things Just Get Uglier Republican Senator Joseph Tail-Gunner McCarthy China Lobby attack on Truman administration creates the 4th Myth of the Cold War, the loss of China The politics of questioning loyalty
Korean War, 1950-53 Acheson s Defense Perimeter North Korean invasion Truman s Police action US invasion Chinese invasion
Truman and MacArthur MacArthur plan behind North Korean lines at Inchon a success as North Korea routed MacArthur pressed northward toward the North Korean border with Communist China Communist China entered the war Stalemate and Armistice You re Fired!
Cost of the Korean War 38th Parallel The war left Korea permanently divided Public Opinion 54,246 Americans killed; 103,284 wounded 900k-1M Chinese killed or wounded 3M Koreans killed (10% of population) US cost: $54 B Constitutional Damage: priceless?
Did Korea End the Republic? Korea was called a police action Defenders of Truman s action Problem with Truman s action The public and Korea
NSC-68 and Korea Nuclear Weapons waste, Hanford Reservation, Washington State, 1950s The invasion of South Korea compelled Truman to embrace a number of policies he had earlier resisted Non-recognition of China Blocking Communist China s UN membership Drastic increases in foreign military aid and global bases The plans outlined in NSC-68 The decision committed the US to massive new levels of military spending
Communist-Nationalist Revolution in Indochina A Post-WW II challenges to colonialism Initial appeal to the US US support for French Colonialism US subordinates Far East to European politics Impact of Chinese Revolution on American politics State Department and Indochina Ho Chi Minh, political head Vietminh resistance General Giap, military commander of the Vietminh resistance
The First Indochina War
Critical Thinking Questions Is Truman s reputation for decisiveness justified? How do we assess the decisions Truman made? Was the Cold War justified? Necessary? Did he handle the Chinese Civil War effectively? Was his intervention in Korea justified? Necessary? Was his support for the French in Indochina justified? Necessary? What is his responsibility for the rise of anti-communist politics? What is Truman s responsibility for the Imperial Presidency and the decline of separation of powers?
Conclusions Chinese intervention shows Truman did not interpret his own Truman Doctrine universally, but paid a high price as a result Korean intervention demonstrated decline of Republican government and onset of the empire Korean War solidified military industrial complex and set stage for Vietnam intervention, and harden U.S. militancy