Why did the Cold War spread to Asia?
US Foreign Policy 1949-50
USSR’s first Atomic bomb
China falls to Communism
The Red Scare
NSC-68 – Total Commitment
NCS-68 and Asia
Containment in Asia
US Foreign Policy 1949-50
- May 1949, Berlin Blockade defeated, West Germany (FRG) had been created and NATO had been formed
- The USA was optimistic that Communism had been contained in Europe
- NATO ensured that Western Europe was protected against the massive Soviet army by the USA’s atomic weapons
- Autumn 1949, the balance of power had shifted
- China fell to communism
- USSR developed it’s first atomic bomb
USSR’s first Atomic bomb
- August 1949
- USA completely taken by suprise at the speed
- USA’s nuclear monopoly was now at an end and it could no longer use the threat of nuclear weapons in foreign policy
- A new balance of power emerged amongst the superpowers
- British and American communist spies helped them along
China falls to Communism
- October 1 1949, Mao Zedong had declared the foundation of the People’s Republic of China (PRC)
- Established a communist regime across China
- During Chinese Civil War (45-49), USA supported Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist government
- Communist victory took many by surprise and debate raged in American over the extent to which Truman could have ‘saved’ China
- Republicans blamed Truman, However Truman blamed the leadership of Chiang Kai-shek
- 1949, White paper published by US Secretary of State Dean Acheson
- Stated that the US could not have altered the outcome of the Civil War
- Blamed defeat on the unpopularity of Chiang Kai-shek with the Chinese people., and it was a ‘nationalist collapse’ rather than a ‘communist victory’
- White Paper was received badly
- Many in the US blamed Truman’s government for not doing enough
The Red Scare
- 1950-54
- Fall of China and the USSR’s atomic bomb led to fears about growing Soviet power
- Anti-communist feeling in the USA grew, and by 1950 had reached fever-pitch
- Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin began alleging that the Soviet Union was conspiring to place Communist sympathizers in key positions in the USA
- His accusation led to a series of ‘purges’ and ‘show trials’
- People were accused of ‘un-American behavior’, some were executed
- Pressure of the Red Scare meant that Truman had to be harder and more forceful acting against communism
- All elements of US society began to be viewed with suspicion
- The ‘anti-Red’ crusade shifted public opinion against Communism in America
- McCarthy began to accuse everyone of being Communists, including members of the US Army and State Department.
- He even claimed that the Truman administration was influenced by Communism, it was being too ‘soft’.
- In this atmosphere, in February 1950, Secretary of State Dean Acheson was forced to publically reconsider the White Paper on China, now claiming that China under Mao was completely in league with the USSR.
- State Department advisors on China who had criticised the KMT lost their jobs. Truman even began a review of US foreign policy. Under this pressure, he was unable to recognise the legitimacy of the new Chinese government.
- All this pressure forced Truman to take a harder line to communism
- China was only considered a country by the US until 1978
NSC-68 – Total Commitment
- NSC-86 was a report by the US National Security Council in 1950 and is seen as one of the key documents of the Cold War
- Warned that all communist activity everywhere could be traced back to Moscow
- Recent world events had a ‘global’ theme that all indicated the growing strength of the USSR
- NCS-68 represented a ‘monolithic’ view of Communism
- The report went on to warn of a ‘indefinite period of tension and danger’, advising the US to by ready to meet every challenge that may arise.
- it recommended the government increase its military spending by $35-50 billion!
- NSC-68 was hugely significant as it encouraged military and economic aid to be given to any country that was resisting Communism
- anywhere in the world and not just Europe
- Revisionist historians have critised US perceptions of Soviet intentions expressed in the document. They argue the document rested of false premises and was just an ‘excuse’ for US expansionism.
- American taxpayer would have to raise huge amounts of money.
- Historian William S. Taubman argues that Dean Acheson deliberately overstated the case in order to persuade the US public to agree to a rise in military spending.
NCS-68 and Asia
- Facing difficult congressional elections in November 1950, and in a growing climate of fear, President Truman could not afford to be seen as ‘soft’ on Communism
- Personally, Truman was in no rush to consider committing the USA to containment on a ‘global scale’ as advocated by NSC-68
- 25th June 1950, Communist North Korea invaded South Korea
- Meant the Cold War had now spread to Asia
Containment in Asia
- The North Korean attack was seen as clear Soviet expansionism and it was assumed that the North Koreans were being instructed by Stalin.
- The Korean War seemed to back-up what NSC-68 predicted. Truman now feared that failure to take action would result in a ‘domino effect’.
- Communism could quickly spread to other countries! The US therefore responded with the same policy it had used in Europe – containment.