Zusammenfassung der Ressource
The Widening of the Cold War
1949-1955 PART 1
- US containment in action in Asia
- KEY DATES
- 1949-Aug: The
USSR tests its first
nuclear weapon
- 1949-Sept: Truman
approves NSC-68
- 1950-Jan: The idea
of a strategic
perimeter is
suggested
- 1950-Feb: China forms a
military alliance with the USSR
- 1950-
April:
NSC-68
is
presented
- 1950-Nov:
China joins
North Korea in
its war against
South Korea
- 1951-Sept: The
San Francisco
Peace Treaty
between the
USA and Japan
is signed
- 1953-Jan: Eisenhower
becomes US president
- The reconstruction
of post-war Japan
- 1947- USA introduces
the 'reverse course'
towards Japan
- This policy showed
that the US wanted to
develop and instigate
democratic
institutions and
practices into Japan
instead of punishing
them for the war
- This sparked the
USA's influence in
Asia
- The USA
targeted
communists
and their
sympathisers
rather than
suspected war
criminals in
Japan (tried to
remove
communism)
- Economic
Stabilisation was
important in Japan
for the US, the US
achieved this by
- Increasing
Trade and
foreign
exchange
Regulation
- Price
and
Wage
controls
- Efficient
taxing and
a balanced
budget
- Stricter lending criteria
- This was created by
Detroit banker Joseph
Dodge.
- (economic
adviser to SCAP
and responsible
for the plan)
- Sadly led to
unemployment due to
business closures
- Japan then
joined GATT
which
strengthened
their trade
with the west
- (General
Agreement on
Tariffs and
Trade)
- GATT was
made by the
UN at the end
of WW2.
Managed
international
trade and
minimised
tariffs and
duties to
maximise trade
- US/Japanese
relations
- in February 1950, Mao
Zedong (Communist
China's leader) formed a
military alliance with the
USSr. In November, China
joined North Korea in the
war against the south
- Led to a
worldwide
containment of
communism for
the USA and
meant that they
had to commit to
supporting
various countries
around the world.
(working like a
global policemen
even though that
was the UN's job)
- Suddenly Japan
became crucial for
the USA's
containment of
communism in the
East. This led to
Japan's Prime
MInister and Dulles
signing a treaty
that would provide
security for Japan
- San Francisco Peace
Treaty, September 1951
- The Treaty Didn't:
- Place restrictions on Japan's
economy
- Place
significant
restrictions
on its future
political
model
- Impose reparation
payments for the
states owned by Japan
- NSC-68
- In
September
1949,
the
USSR
tested
its
own
atomic
bomb.
- Triggered
a
fundamental
review
of
the
USA's
strategic
objectives
and
priorities
- Basically made the
USA increase its
power (more testing
of atomic bombs
and stuff)
- Led to military
emphasis on the
application of
containment.
- Identify
Japan's
responsibility
for the war
- Restrict Japan's future rearmament
- The Treaty Did:
- recognise the
full sovereignty
of the Japanese
people
- Force Japan
to renounce
any claims of
neighbouring
territories
- USA to have
unrestricted use of
Military bases in Japan
- US received
Control of
Owkinawa
- The US were
allowed to
use military
force during
any disorder
in Japan
- The right to
reject Japan
offering
military bases
to other states
- Japan's
rearmament
- Japan trained a
75,000 strong
national police
reserve to be
trained by the
US military (for
defence)
- By August 1952,
the Japanese
government
established a force
of 110,000 ground
troops and 7600
maritime personal
known as the NSA
(National Safety
Agency)
- Eisenhower increased
the Japanese ground
force and invested
$240 million into Japan
- This was
caused by
the US' fear
of
communism
in Korea
- The USA aimed at avoiding
any consequences that
could lead to instability
- USA's support for
Jiang Jieshi and
policy towards
China and Taiwan
- 1949- Jiang Jieshi's
nationalist
force's(KMT) loss
during the Chinese
Civil War seemed
inevitable
- Mao
considered
US
intervention
but realised
that it
wouldn't
happen due
to their
interest in
Asia
- In June 1949, the
Chinese
Communist Party
announced its
allegiance to the
USSR
- The
USA's
strategy
towards
China
was
defined
in the
China
White
Paper in
July
1949.
- Dean G. Acheson (George
Marshall's successor as Secretary
of State, was committed to
supporting the KMT in Taiwan.
This was done secretly in order to
not alert China.
- Acheson wanted the USA to do
nothing that might reinforce a
Sino-Soviet alliance. Supporting
the nationalists in Taiwan was a
means to end the CCP
- The
Defensive
Perimeter
Strategy
- Acheson tried to move
the USA's policies
towards the Far East's
military security of the
pacific in the earl 1950's.
- He argued
the military
defence of
Japan was
the
responsibility
of the USA
- This was achieved in
the 'defensive
perimeter' which was
defined in January
1950 in advance of the
sino-soviet treaty.
- Acheson's Defensive
Perimeter Strategy was
criticised for omitting Korea
in the defensive cordon.