ipl-logo

Summary Of The Ugly American

762 Words4 Pages

After the end of the World War II, United States faced a strong enemy the communist. It was not the first time that United States fought against communist, but it was stronger than ever before. The war against it was different than anything United States had faced before, and it is called the Cold War. The Cold War was a scientific, social, and armed competition between United States and the Soviet Union. One important region for this war was southeast Asia which both countries, the United States, and the Soviet Union, tried to take control. The book the Ugly American by William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick narrates the situation in southeast Asia specifically in Vietnam and Sharkan, an imaginary country which is deciding between a communist …show more content…

In the book the Ugly American the authors concentrate in Sharkan, and Vietnam where the United States and the Soviet Union compete helping the countries to gain control of them. American help goes directly to the government, or they usually make big projects like dams or roads. Citizens of the region did not like them very much because many times it is not what they need. In the other hand Soviets learn from the culture and the society of the people to find a better way to help them. In the book United States government do not care about the people of the region, they only want a good image in the global press. People in the region realize the true intentions of both the United States and the Soviet Union. Instead to help any side, the citizens want soviets and Americans out of their …show more content…

Eisenhower and many experts thought that the fall of a country like Vietnam or Burma would lead to a “domino effect,” and every country in the region would become communist. To prevent it, United States started to reinforce many countries of southeast Asia. In a press conference president Eisenhower explain the principal reasons to protect south east Asia. The “specific reason” as he called it was the natural resources that the region produce like tin, tungsten, and rubber. And the “general reason” was that United States would not allow more loses of people to the communism. He also explained that the importance of this location which is military and economically important for countries like Japan, and the Philippines, but it was not the whole true. The demand of the natural resources produced in the area was not as high as in times of war, but the location was perfect for the plans of the pentagon. After the war, United states place many military bases through the world to have tactical flexibility for a possible war with Soviets or China, and southeast Asia was crucial for United States’ naval and air offensive. Consequently, United States send all the help that the countries needed, and this strategy worked very well. at this point United States had advantage over the enemy until the soviets understood what they were doing

Show More
Related
323 Words | 2 Pages

World War II convinced U.S. leaders that the policies in relation to the isolationism and appeasement had been mistakes. In addition, to counter the growing Soviet threat, U.S. leaders sought new ways to keep the United States safe and protect its interests abroad. 4. How would having control over satellite states benefit the Soviet Union if it became involved

Read More
682 Words | 3 Pages

When the government detected a threat, it acted swiftly as to prevent a bloody war that would destroy the world. The governments put in place in Guatemala, Chile, Iran, and South Vietnam were supposed to prevent the spread of the Soviet Union forces and therefore, protect the United States as a

Read More
493 Words | 2 Pages

After World War Two the U.S. and Soviet Union had a long-lasting rivalry since the Soviets were communists and the U.S. was not. This period is known as the Cold War because it was a major conflict where the U.S. and Soviet Union fought indirectly. The Cold War impacted the U.S. domestic policy and American society because it created American fear of communism. This fear later led to losing rights and the government switching where their money was being spent in certain areas such as general education.

Read More
916 Words | 4 Pages

A Gallup Poll, in the USA, divulged the increasing doubt of US citizens towards the USSR between 1945-48 (Doc H). During these three years, events such as the Yalta Conference, the Containment Doctrine, and Czechoslovakia being forced under the control of Russia (Doc F), increased distrust towards the USSR, run by a single man, under supposed communism. This suspicion, shown effectively in David Low’s cartoon, released in The London Evening Standard in 1948, illustrated Stalin’s dictatorial power and Eastern Europe’s lack of freedom (Doc G). Nonetheless, in 1945, 54% of people who took this survey believed Russia could be trusted to cooperate after the war. However, three years later, 69% said the USA was “too soft” towards Russia (Doc H).

Read More
1018 Words | 5 Pages

The aftermath of World War II marked the beginning of a new era in global politics - the Cold War. Following USSR expansion, tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union had risen, with both sides seeking to expand their spheres of influence and prestige. The Cold War was fought primarily through proxy wars, and the rivalry between the two superpowers was characterized by an intense nuclear arms race, a space race, and a struggle over political ideology. In the United States, fears about the spread of communism triggered a policy of diplomatic containment. However, as China fell to communism and the Korean War broke out, diplomatic strategies shifted to military strategies.

Read More
935 Words | 4 Pages

This council maintained peace and security to the United States and made big decision relating to the cold war. The leadership taken by the U.S. with this council stopped many battles from starting. Another major contribution to the war, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, offered support for Latin America as he talks about the “successful outcome” and the freedom they gained in 1954 (Document I). Our general’s support of other countries against communist countries reveals the commitment of the U.S. forces towards a communist-free nation. The United States helped Guatemala overthrow the communist president through their air support.

Read More
1438 Words | 6 Pages

Introduction The Cold War was a conflict that began shortly after World War II between the United States and the Soviet Union over their differences in ideologies (Koenig, The 1950's and the Cold War 1). The United States being a free market capitalist democracy, while the Soviet Union was a totalitarian communist regime. These two countries came out of World War II as the most powerful and given their difference in ideologies there was a rush to exert their influence onto third world countries to become the undisputed superpower of the world. Cold War gets Hot

Read More
657 Words | 3 Pages

The attack comes without warning and President Harry Truman, with the help of the United Nations, vows to defend democratic South Korea. The Containment Policy stated that the US would support any nation that are being oppressed by communism and cannot protect themselves from it. This became America’s major reason to intervene in the Korean War. However, the policy of containment came under attack due casualties and economic issues that the policy created. One of the major effects that over extended the powers of American foreign policy is that it gave the US a reason to interfere with any war they wanted as long as it involved communism.

Read More
274 Words | 2 Pages

The Cold War was a political war between the United States and the Soviet Union which began after World War Two. Politically, the US and the Soviet Union were complete opposites by the end of WWII. In the late 1910’s, the origins of the Cold War began when America experienced what was called the Red Scare. Mistrust and fear of the Soviet Union stayed endless throughout the twenties and thirties. By the end of the war, the Soviet Union occupied a part of Eastern Europe and wanted to use the land as a buffer zone against any further attacks.

Read More
757 Words | 4 Pages

In other words, Truman suggests that the attack made by North Korea was part of a larger plan by communist China and, through extension, the Soviet Union. Truman believed that the Korean situation was similar to that of Greece in 1947. It was also clear that communism was a direct threat to the security of the Pacific area and to the United States performing its lawful and necessary functions. Preventing war or attack on the country was crucial in awaiting the restoration of security in the Pacific. Communist aggression was also a rising concern during

Read More
1222 Words | 5 Pages

If countries were to unite with the understanding of the stance of freedom, they could take down the walls that build up communism. As is becoming obvious, the American goal was to assist and help countries in the need of freedom from the barriers and people that were held over them. President Truman emphasizes the importance of freedom during this time. It also stands for our everlasting promise the nation symbolized. In order to keep our promise the nation has to defend South Vietnam from the communist hands.

Read More
631 Words | 3 Pages

The US Policy of Containment is the US trying to prevent the spread of communism after the World War II. The idea was to make other countries comfortable enough to avoid the temptation of communism. George Kennan wrote the “Geography of the Cold War: What was Containment” debating how the Soviet was being blackmailed and they were turmoil, and the US got involved when they decided to help them, and that’s how that containment started. The Korean War, Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Western Berlins provide historians with instances of the US policy of containment, this paper will argue that the Korean War is a strong example of containment, while the Berlin Airlift is the weaker example of containment. The strongest example of containment is

Read More
687 Words | 3 Pages

The United States also had created a treaty called The Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty in 1954. The treaty was made as part of the American Truman Doctrine of creating treaties in defense against the communist. The treaty was planned to create alliances that would help in fighting against the communist. Afterwards, with the loss of the French, the United States started sending troops to help the southern

Read More
549 Words | 3 Pages

The United States feared the domino effect, where one communist country falling to communism could lead to the collapse of neighboring nations. Additionally, the U.S. had strategic interests in the region, particularly in protecting its ally, South Korea. Consequently, the U.S. committed military forces and provided extensive support to repel the North Korean aggression.

Read More
182 Words | 1 Pages

Our idea was “containment” which was we wanted to stop the spread of communism in its tracks before it could get a foothold in other parts of the world, that is why the U.S. got involved with the South Koreans.

Read More

More about Summary Of The Ugly American

Related Topics

Open Document