The Final Set of Essential Questions 1. McCarthy received strong public support for his actions in the 1950s because he was anti-communist and believed to be ridding the U.S of evil communists. The Cold War was just beginning and the Soviet Union was combatting America through science, third-world countries, and world influence. Americans at the time were experiencing the Second Red Scare in which many feared communism in politics and culture. This was also known as “McCarthyism” because as a symbol of anti-communism and as a U.S Senator, for 5 years he exposed communists in the U.S government and convinced citizens that there were spies and infiltrators in the system. This support, however, dwindled greatly when he tried to investigate and …show more content…
Dien Bien Phu was the climax of the war between the French and the Viet-Minh forces in the French colony of Indochina. The French underestimated the power and resources of the Vietnamese communists and were defeated greatly. France lost all of its influence in Indochina and left the gap open for another major power to step in. This battle was significant because after the failure of the French, America was able to come into Vietnam and take its place fighting against communism. The Suez Crisis occurred in 1956 when Israeli, British, and French forces took control of the canal. Soon the Soviet Union got involved on the side of Egypt and threatened nuclear warfare if the European powers would not back down. The U.S. replied by advising the Soviets against using nuclear warfare. Eisenhower was unaware of the aims of the European forces and claimed he would take to economic punishment if the nations would not pull out. After this warning, Great Britain and France quickly disbanded from the area. This was significant because it showed the weakness of the remaining world superpowers of Great Britain and France and crowned America as the dominant world power with the greatest influence. The Cuban Revolution was of great significance to the U.S. because it put Fidel Castro in power as a communist dictator in Cuba and contributed to the Soviet Union’s power during the Cold War. Castro went against everything that represented democracy and basic human rights, meaning that the U.S. was challenged by his role and meant to overthrow him and keep him out of