8/13/2019 Wars Chart

1/2

WORLD WAR II COLD WAR VIETNAM WAR

DATE 1939-1945 1947-1991 1954-1975

PARTICIPANTS

The Allies: France, Poland, UK and UK colonies:Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa.

The Axis: Germany, Italy, Japan, Hungary, Romania,Bulgaria

USA

The former SOVIET UNION

USA

SOVIET UNION

CAUSES

the violation of Treaty of Versailles

the desire and ability of Adolf Hitler to dominateEurope and gain control especially of the agrarianresources to the east of Germany.

Hitler's invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939

the prior 1937 invasion of the Republic of China byJapan. The U.S. entered the war when it wasattacked by Japan on 7 December 1941.

Ideologies, doctrines and philosophies:

o the fearof a violent Communist revolution;

o racism and ethnocentrism: Hitler's idea ofthe superiority of the "pure" German race.

o fascism as a form of government (Italy:Mussolini)

the existence of two systems in a same country,the Western system or Capitalism and the Easter

system or Communism; common welfare vs individual rights

Politics- America was capitalist, Russia wascommunist.

Lifestyle- America had freedom and a two-partydemocracy; Russia had secret police and a one-party state.

Aims- America wanted Germany to recover as atrading partner; Russia wanted to weakenGermany and create a buffer zone of friendlystates around Russia.

The collapse of the wartime alliance led to a Cold War

between the two superpowers.

American fear of communist attack Trumans dislike ofStalin USSRs fear of the American's atomic bomb

USSRs dislike of capitalism USSRs actions in theSoviet zone of Germany Americas refusal to share nuclear secrets USSRs expansion west into Eastern Europe +

broken election promises USSRs fear of American attack USSRs need for a secure western border USSRs aim of spreading world communism

the prolonged struggle between nationalist forcesattempting to unify the country of Vietnam under a

communist governmentand the United States (with theaid of the South Vietnamese) attempting to prevent t hespread of communism.

USA thought that Communism was threatening toexpand all over south-east Asia.(DOMINO THEORY)

Vietnam was divided into South Vietnamon the hands ofUSA (democratic government/DRV) that supported theFrench and North Vietnamon the hands of CHINA(Communist government/NFL)

Ho Chi Minh started a guerilla campaign in SouthVietnam to make the country go under communist rule.

The USA provided military advisors to help fight theguerillas

CONSEQUENCES

the end of European Age-Imperial rule: Nazi leaderswere tried for crimes against humanity at Nuremberg;Japan under U.S military rule; France and Englandwere forced to dismantle their colonial empires decolonization in Africa and Asia

The Allies divided Germany between them: Berlin,the capital, lay in the Soviet zone and that too wasdivided; Eastern German: Communist system andWestern German: Capitalist system

the rise of the US to superpower status and theexpansion of the Soviet Union:the economy of the

dissolution of Soviet Union

Americans left Vietnam South Vietnamese regime collapse and Vietnam was

united

Many South Vietnamese people were killed by the NorthVietnamese Army.

Most of Vietnam rural areas were polluted by Americanchemical warfare.

Vietnam veterans suffered psychological after-effects

8/13/2019 Wars Chart

2/2