The Cold War and its Relation to the Vietnam War

By Jacob Folmar

What was the Cold War?

• The Cold War was a period of time when the U.S. was particularly paranoid of communists, and went to great lengths to try to stop the spread of communism

• Communist-controlled countries during the cold war: Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Albania, China, Cuba, and North Korea

The U.S.-Soviet Union Relationship

• Competing Superpowers• Different Government Ideologies• Main Competitors of the Cold War

The U.S.-China Relationship

• Competing Superpowers• Different Government Ideologies

Espionage

• Most noted U.S. spy agency: C.I.A.• Most noted Soviet spy agency:

K.G.B.• Activities executed by spy

agencies included things like performing assassinations, intercepting and decoding transmissions, and infiltration of foreign governments and agencies.

• One example of a C.I.A. mission that failed is the attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro, the dictator of Cuba.

Vietnam

• Former French colony• Split into North and South post

WWII with the North belonging to China and the South belonging to France

• Eventually, both gained independence

• North Vietnam was a Communist nation

• Engaged in a civil war (between North and South Vietnam) not long after gaining independence.

U.S. Involvement in Vietnam

• One of many results of the Cold War

• U.S. got involved to attempt to halt the spread of communism

• U.S. supported the south Vietnamese.

• The U.S. eventually pulled out without completing its objectives

• 2 years after withdrawal of U.S. troops, South Vietnam surrendered to the North