Story #2: The Berlin Wall

(1961-1989)

The Berlin Wall

• Constructed in August of 1961• Divided East Berlin (controlled by the Soviets under

Communism) and West Berlin (controlled by the Allies under democracy)

• Designed to keep those in East Berlin out of West Berlin– Why? Kept them contained in the Communist section of

Berlin• Over time, the wall was fortified heavier to prevent

escaping into West Berlin

The Berlin Wall• The Berlin Wall stretched over 100 miles. • Ran through the center of Berlin and cut off West Berlin from the

rest of East Germany.• The wall went through 4 major transformations

– 1st: Started out as a barbed-wire fence with concrete posts – 2nd: Quickly replaced with concrete blocks topped with barbed wire to

make it more sturdier and permanent– 3rd: Made of concrete wall supported by steel girders in 1965– 4th: Made of concrete slabs almost 12ft high and 4 ft wide with a smooth

pipe running across the top to keep people from scaling the wall (1975-1980)

• Behind the Wall were minefields, anti-vehicle trenches, electric fences, guard dogs, a 300 ft “No Man’s Land”

The Cold War and East Asia

Civil War in China

• Mao Zedong led the Communist forces against the Nationalist government

• The US supported the Nationalists by sending $2 billion in aid in the 1940s – The Nationalists were corrupt and had poor military planning– The US stopped aid in 1949 when Beijing was captured by

the Communists– The Nationalists fled to Taiwan

• The Communists established the People’s Republic of China in October 1949

The Soviet Union and China

• In September 1949 the Soviets were successful in testing their first atomic weapon

• In early 1950 the Soviet Union and China signed a treaty of friendship and alliance– The US was afraid China and the Soviet Union

would support Communist revolutions in other nations

The US and Japan

• When the US lost China as its chief ally in Asia, it made polices to help Japan recover its industrial economy

• Japan was the key to defending Asia against Communism

The Korean War

• Korea was divided at the 38th parallel latitude– Soviet troops controlled the north, American

troops controlled the south– Two governments formed– Both claimed authority over all of Korea

• Soviets gave military aid to the North Koreans• North Korean troops invaded South Korea on

June 25, 1950.

Truman and the Korean War

• He saw the invasion of South Korea as a test of the containment policy

• Called on the UN to act and UN troops were promised• Truman ordered General MacArthur to send American

troops from Japan to Korea• MacArthur invaded enemy lines who were pushed back

across the 38th parallel– Then pursued the North Koreans beyond the 38th parallel to

the Yalu River, the border with China• China attacked and sent the UN forces back across the

38th parallel

MacArthur vs Truman

• Truman did not want to expand the war into China or use the atomic bomb when MacArthur did

• MacArthur wanted to win the war in Korea when Truman only wanted to contain Communism (limited war)

• Truman fired MacArthur for insubordination in April 1951

Conclusion of Korean War

• Truman replaced MacArthur with General Matthew Ridgeway

• By mid-1951, the UN pushed Chinese and North Korean forces back across the 38th parallel with small battles occurring after this

• The Armistice was not signed until July 1953– 33,600 American soldiers died in the Korean War

• After the Korean War, the US become more involved in Asia militarily– Signed defense agreements with Japan, South Korea, Taiwan,

the Philippines and Australia