Classwork and Notes
Why did the U.S. government refuse to label the events in Rwanda as a "genocide'?
because that would force them to do something according to the 1948 U.N. genocide convention
Describe what happened in the Bosnian town or Srebrenica
the Bosnian Serbs overran U.N. forces and captured the town
What did General Dallaire discover from an informant?
the Hutus were planning to slaughter the Tutsis
Who wrote the Red Guard Song?
the People's Liberation Army Songs Editorial Department
What prompter President Carter to allow the Shah to come to the U.S.?
the Shah's cancer diagnosis
What issue did iranians have with the U.N.?
the U.N. made calls for ceasefire six days into the Iran Iraq war but made no call for Iraq to withdraw
How was the genocide in Bosnia different from the Holocaust and the Cambodian Genocide?
the media was there
What is the "basis for China's industrial strength"?
the work of migrating peasant workers
Describe the attempted U.S. rescue mission of hostages at the U.S. embassy in Tehran?
- 14 aircrafts had to cross hundreds of miles of Iran, refueling in the desert, and 8 would storm the embassy- A second group would seize the airbase outside Tehran which was where the hostages would be flown home- The plan was only known by the president and his top advisors- A sandstorms caused problems, with only 5 aircrafts left, the U.S. withdrew- Aircrafts collided which killed 5 airmen and 3 commanders, Carter took full responsibility
Who was Le Duan?
- A founding member of the indochinese communist party- Ruled alongside Ho Chi Minh
What was the Cultural Revolution (1966) and what happened?
- An attempt to recapture the revolutionary spirit- People began to question Mao due to the failure of the Great Leap Forward- Mao turned to the youth, making them all get his Little Red Book (a book of his sayings to motivate the youth)- Red Guards established, their job was to destroy the "Four Olds" (ideas, habits, cultures, and customs)- The Red Guards caused chaos, rebelling against authority, destroyed buildings, beat and executed people, and lashed out
What was the Chinese Revolution of 1911 and what happened?
- Army joined the protests which toppled the Qing Dynasty- Republic of China (Taiwan) forms- Kuomintang (Nationalist Party of China) established by Sun Yat Sen and is succeeded by Chiang Kai Shek/Jiang Jieshi)- Communists VS Nationalists established (civil war by 1930)
What were some of the ways that the Shah lost the popular support of Iranians?
- Banned public gatherings- Shot protestors- Ignored calls for freedom- Westernized Iran- ALlowed all the wealth to go to foreigners, leaving the country in poverty despite westernization
What are 3 ways that China affects the U.S. economy?
- China is the largest foreign holder of U.S. Treasurys- China buys U.S. debt to support the value of the dollar- China's role as America's largest banker gives it leverage
China has overtaken the United States as the world's largest consumer of: (3 things)
- Coal- Steel- Grain
Who was Vo Nguyen Giap? Why was he so significant?
- Communist military leader who was inspired by other communists to use Guerrilla warfare to fight for independence- Interior minister of the Viet Minh government
Describe the attempted coup of Mikhail Gorbachev in 1991. How did people respond? What ultimately happened to Gorbachev?
- Communists flooded Moscow- Gorbachev was put under house arrest- People responded by flooding the streets and demanding freedom and independence- Gorbachev ended up resigning and Boris Yeltsin stepped in
What has China done in the South China Sea?
- Constructed artificial islands on the Paracel Islands and Spratly Islands- Created at least 3200 acres of new land
Who was Richard Holbrooke? Describe his role in the Bosnian Genocide.
- Consummate Washington Insider- Assistant to the secretary of state- Editor of the magazine "foreign policy"- A Wall Street banker- He declared the Bosnian Genocide a genocide
How did the U.S. response to Iraq's invasion of Iran?
- Did nothing to stop the invasion- Knew information about the Iranian military that Saudi Arabia and Jordan passed down to Iraq
How has China changed since the Tiananmen Square Massacre? What role did Deng Xiaoping have in this?
- Economic growth- Removing restrictions on foreign economic intervention- Deng Xiaoping encouraged economic growth over political growth in China's citizens.
Describe the Cuban Revolution.
- Fidel Castro launches a rebellion against a U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista- Castro is sent to prison but flees to Mexico after being released where me meets Ernesto "Che" Guevara- A yacht named the Granma transports 82 Cuban rebels from Mexico to Cuba who use guerrilla warfare tactics- Batista flees Cuba and Castro becomes leader
How did residents of Beijing originally react to the arrival of the People's Liberation army? What did the army ultimately do?
- Flood the roads with people in order to block the roads- Talked to the soldiers to try and humanize them- The army ultimately withdrew because they saw the citizens as family
Describe Mikhail Gorbachev's background.
- Grew up during Stalin's Great Terror (had family arrested)- Began to hate Stalin's system
How is the economy looking like currently in China?
- Growing- China surpassed Japan as the world's 2nd largest economy in 2010- China "overtook the U.S. to become the E.U's biggest trading partner" in 2020- China is projected to overtake the U.S. as the world's largest economy in 2028
What happened to Tank Man?
- He was hustled away from the tanks by an unknown person.- He vanished and no one knows his fate, or who he was
Who was Ngo Dinh Diem?
- Head of South Vietnam- Hated the French and was very anti-communist- Supported by the U,S. for being anti-communist- Named himself president of the Republic
What were Fidel Castro's priorities for Cuba?
- Healthcare- Education- Support of "liberation" movements in other countries
Describe Ho Chi Minh's background.
- Ho Chi Minh was a pseudonym- He was dedicated to freeing his people and he made many sacrifices to do so- After demonstrating, he was arrested and put into exile- He joined the French Socialist party in France, but then saw the writings of Lenin and became a communist- Founded the Indochinese communist party
What did the U.S. do 3 months after the U.S. embassy in Tehran takeover?
- Imposed sanctions- Froze Iran's U.S. assets- Banned oil imports
How did future Chinese president Jiang Zemin respond to inquiries about Tank Man?
- Jiang Zemin said that he cannot confirm if Tank Man has been arrested- But he was adamant that Tank Man was never killed
How did the students of Beida (University of Beijing) respond to the photo of Tank Man?
- Knew nothing of the concept (one student knew the year)- Never seen the photo despite students from years back starting demonstrations
Why did the Chinese youth get swept up in the Cultural Revolution?
- Motivated by the strong words of Mao- Lots of morale and unity among the Red Guards (it seemed fun to be one)- They worshiped Mao as if he was a God and people wanted to be loyal to him- They liked the feeling of the freedom they were given by Mao- Were promised a "paradise on earth"- Naivety of children
What was the Chinese Revolution of 1949 and what happened?
- People's Republic of China (China) established by Mao and he starts many campaigns- Rustafication --> move youth from the city into the country- Resist America, Aid Korea --> Foreigners leave China- Great Leap Forward --> Goal was Rapid Industrialization --> Successful at first, then failed --> 20 million deaths
Explain who the "Viet Cong" were.
- Replaced the Viet Minh- Dedicated to ending the Diem regime- They were the ones that the U.S. fought against during the Vietnam War
What economic reforms did Raúl Castro bring?
- Selling of private property- More freedom for small businesses- More foreign investment
What were differing perspectives within the Carter administration about the best course of action for the Shah?
- Some suggested reform- Others suggested the use of an iron fist
What were the different perspectives within the Chinese Communist Party about how to deal with the protesters? What ultimately happened?
- Some wanted compromises- Others wanted to stop protests immediately by force- Martial law was declared
Who was "Tank Man"? What did he do?
- Someone who blocked a tank without getting crushed, instead the tank stopped- Most likely an ordinary citizen
Describe John F. Kennedy's views on Vietnam.
- Started out being also against the French- Later pledged to be against Communism no matter what it took, so he backed the French by getting the U.S. involved
What happened after Ayatollah Khomeini's return to Tehran?
- Supporters got very riled up, jumping on his car, Khomeini had to be rescued by a helicopter- Supporters were ordered to attack police- They seized military weapons and the army fought the people
Describe the French occupation of Indochina. How did the Vietnamese feel about the French?
- The French attacked and seized a port- A French governor ruled from Hanoi and tried to make the country be like France- The Vietnamese wanted independence responded with nationalism- The Vietnamese were faced with serious consequences for resisting
Describe the Battle of Dien Bien Phu.
- The French occupied an area called DIen Bien Phu- Vietnamese surrounded the French- Battle between the Viet Minh and the French- Significance: signaled the end of French colonial influence in Indochina
How did the student protesters respond to the actions of the army?
- The leaders of the student protesters said that they should leave to avoid death- Thousands of students left, holding hands and singing
Describe the origins of the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. What were people protesting about?
- The protest began from student demonstrations- People were protesting against hardship and government corruption and for free speech and democracy
Describe the role of Western technology companies have with Chinese censorship.
- They have helped with Chinese censorship- They have even proposed to tailor their services to fit with Chinese censorship laws- They have also provided technology and played a role in helping the Chinese government track down people it did not like
How did the parents of the student protesters respond to the army? What was the army's response?
- They tried to go back to the square to try to find their children- Soldiers started to shoot again
Describe the lead up and aftermath of student protests at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
- They wanted the U.S. to send the Shah back (which would be a victory for the revolution)- They proposed occupying the U.S. embassy for a few days and take the Americans there hostage- Some were against it as it would boost Soviet influence (which would be a threat to the revolution)- They ended up detaining more than 50 Americans as hostages for 444 days
What are two reasons that Mao thought young people were important to China's future?
- They were the next generation and they were "the bloom of life"- Through working together, China could become prosperous in several decades
Describe U.S. - Cuba relations.
- U.S. suspects Castro of being a socialistPresident Eisenhower refuses to meet with Castro when he visits D.C.- Eisenhower authorizes the overthrow of Castro- U.S. places an economic embargo on Cuba in October of 1960- U.S. severs diplomatic ties with Cuba in January 1961- Castro announces that he is a communist
Describe the Spanish-American War.
- USS Maine explodes in Havana Harbor, causing 260 Americans to die- Then the U.S. declares war on Spain- Spain withdraws from Cuba and the U.S. occupies it- I.S also gains control of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines
What impact did the "fall of China" and the Korean War have on the situation in Vietnam?
- VIet Minh got recognition and help from communist countries- French got help from capitalist countries
What were some of Fidel Castro's criticisms?
- Weak economy- No democratic elections- No freedom of speech
What were the orders to the Chinese army on the night of June 3rd? What did the Army end up doing?
- Were told to clear Tiananmen Square by dawn- They began firing at night and shot everywhere using battlefield weapons
At what point did the Chinese government's attitude harden towards the protesters?
- When the protests spread from wealthy students to peasants- It was dangerous for the communists when ordinary people got involved
What are some of the restrictions that come with traveling to Cuba?
- Your reason of going must meet one of 11 categories- You must provide a full-time schedule of activities that includes support for Cuban people and promote democracy- Cash only, can only give money to private companies (private homes, restaurants, ect.)- U.S. Treasury Department reserves the right to audit Cuba travel expenses for up to 5 years after a trip- You can only fly into Havana- You must purchase a "Cuban Tourist Card"
What was "pacification"? Was it successful? Why or why not?
- a ploy to gain support from the rural population in Southern Vietnam.- It was not successful because the Viet Minh fought back
Compare how U.S. presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton responded to the Bosnian Genocide.
George Bush: vowed to not get the U.S. involved under any circumstances Bill Clinton: convinced European allies to use limited air strikes
Czar
an emperor of Russia
According to Karl Marx, what are the 3 political/economic stages that a modern nation must go through?
1. Capitalism 2. Socialism 3. Communism
How many civilians in North and South Vietnamese civilians are said to have perished during the war?
2 million
According to initial estimates of the Chinese Red Cross, how many people died in the Tiananmen Square Massacre?
2,600
What was the official death toll of the Chinese government?
241 dead and 7000 wounded
How many South Vietnamese troops died in the Vietnam war?
250 thousand
Where does China stand in terms of the most powerful militaries in the world?
3rd (below the U.S. and Russia)
How many Americans died in the Vietnam war?
58 thousand
What did the Chinese government do in the aftermath of the Tiananmen Square massacre?
Arrested and executed people across the countries. TV portrayed them badly and made it seem as though they were deserving of arrest
Who were the perpetrators and who were the victims of the genocide?
Bosnia's Serbs -- Orthodox Christians -- wanted their own state and they went to war for it.Principal victims were Bosnia's Muslim population
Explain the concept of "two Chinas" ("China A" and "China B").
China A: modern and big cities, facing western problems (pollution, crime, lots of cars, etc.)China B: developing part of China, make up the majority of China, facing many of the same problems that developing countries face
How were Deng Xiaoping and Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms different?
Deng Xiaoping focused on the economy Mikhail Gorbachev focused on politics
Describe the lives of factory workers and construction workers in China.
Factory workers: long hours, low wages, worked very hard, must be fit, little basic rights, lived in confined spaces, cheated and deceived, needed to negotiate.Construction workers: non monetary pay (payed with food), no sick days, no compensation for injuries, often tried to commit suicide
Who is the current president of Cuba?
Miguel Díaz-Canel
Who was Russia's last czar and in what year was he overthrown?
Nicholas II, overthrown in 1917
Which U.S. president re-established diplomatic relations with Cuba in the 21st century?
Obama
Which Eastern European nation was the "first domino to fall"? What happened there?
Poland -- solidarity won most of the seats in parliament
Who stated, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall"?
Ronald Reagan
Describe what happened in Bosnia's capital city of Sarajevo during the genocide.
Sarajevo was under attack by the Serbs who...- Shelled the city- Cut off power- Blocked roads It was a siege
Who did the Viet Minh specifically target?
anyone with links to the French
Which American historical figure did Ho CHi Minh quote in his independence proclamation?
Thomas Jefferson
What happened on a June night in 1989 at Tiananmen Square?
Tiananmen Square became a warzone
Which U.S. president put more restrictions on Cuba in the 21st century
Trump
Who is the current president of the People's Republic of China?
Xi Jinping (he has been president since 2013)
What country was breaking up in March 1992 when Bosnia-Herzegovina declared independence?
Yugoslavia
What is Guantanamo Bay?
a U.S. naval base in Cuba that is a prison that holds people suspected to be involved in 9/11
Who was Vladimir Lenin?
a communist revolutionary who overthrew the temporary government that was put in place after Nicholas II was overthrown. Lenin replaced the government with the Bolshevik regime
Communism
a form of complete socialism in which factors of production are owned by the people
Bolshevik
a member of the Russian Social Democratic Party
Explain who the "Vietminh" were.
a nickname for the Vietnamese Independence League, a Communist independence movement founded by Ho Chi Minh
What happened to the Rwandan President on April 6, 1994?
a plane carrying him was shot down
What was the Ho Chi Minh Trail?
a series of trails running through Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos to transport people, weapons, supplies, and reinforcements to South Vietnam
What signified the end of the Iranian revolution?
a signed declaration that the army would stay neutral and the army announced that they would stop fighting the people- The Shah's prime minister fled the country- Many who belonged to the Shah's inner circle were executed
Cold War
a struggle over political and economic differences between the U.S. and the Soviet Union carried on by means of short military action
Socialism
a system in which factors of production are owned by the public and operate for the welfare of all
Capitalism
a system in which factors of production are privately owned
What was the Platt Amendment?
a treaty between the U.S. and Cuba and outlined the role of the U.S. in Cuba and the Caribbean (passed by U.S. congress in 1901)- Restricted Cuba's ability to make treaties with other countries- Gives the U.S. the right to intervene in Cuban affairs- Requires Cuba to lease land to the U.S. for a naval base Cuba agreed to this and therefore gained independence in 1902
What was the Cuban Missile Crisis?
after the failed Bay of Pigs invasion, Nikita Khrushchev was convinced that the U.S. would not resist Soviet expansion in Latin America. So in July of 1962, Khrushchev began to secretly build 42 missile sites in Cuba. October of that year, American spies discovered the sites and John F. Kennedy declared that they were so close to the U.S. mainland that they were a threat. He demanded that the missiles be removed and announced a naval blockade of Cuba.
What do the Soviet Union, USSR, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics all have in common?
all refer to the same country
Who was Raúl Castro?
brother of Fidel Castro who became president of Cuba in 2008
What is the main message of the Red Guard Song?
carry out the Cultural Revolution in order to achieve a prosperous society
How many people were killed in the Rwandan genocide?
estimates on the low end are 800,000
Describe what Ho Chi Minh did during World War II.
he collaborated with the U.S. forces and the O.S.S to get weapons and go against the Japanese
What was Ayatollah Khomeini's role in the embassy takeover? How did he react to it?
he first told the foreign minister to "throw them out" and end the siege, but then used it to advance his vision for Iran
How did American photojournalist Charles Cole hide his photos of tank man from Chinese authorities?
he took the film out of the camera and put it in the toilet. Instead, authorities took film from the night before.
Why did the U.S. support the Shah?
he was anti-communist
What impact did the Iranian Hostage Crisis have on Jimmy Carter's presidency?
it made him lose the 1980 elections to Ronald Reagan
Describe the significance of both Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan's elections.
it was a turning point towards capitalism
Describe what "Solidarity" meant in Poland.
it was an independent trade union in Poland against the communist government
Who was Wang Weilin? What is known about him?
it was the name given to Tank Man by a British newspaper. - He was the son of a factory worker- He was supposedly confirmed dead however there was no/not enough evidence- Most say they do not know anything about him
What was the purpose of Mao's Little Red Book?
it was used as a source of inspiration and guidance for the members of the Red Guard during the Cultural Revolution
How did the U.S. - China trade balance look like from 2013-2018?
large gap that decreased in 2018
Describe the significance of Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
largest public space in the world
Who was Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini?
leader of the Iranian Revolution. He was supported as a religious leader to guide Iran to freedom?
What was significant about China's economic boom after the Tiananmen Square massacre?
never in the course of human history has a larger amount of people gained more wealth in such a short time
How many North Vietnamese troops and Viet Cong guerrillas died in the Vietnam war?
over a million
What was Gorbachev's goal with perestroika?
reconstruct the economy of the Soviet Union and get rid of bureaucracy
Enigma
something that is difficult to understand
Why did the Shah leave Iran?
stress
What states neighboring Vietnam also faced casualties? How many casualties?
tens of thousands died in Laos and Cambodia
Why did the United States not send any peacekeeping troops to Rwanda?
they did not want to interfere with other nations' business anymore after an incident in Somalia that killed and humiliated U.S. troops
Describe relations between the Vietminh and the French
they fought in the streets
What impact did images of the Tank Man have on the world?
they inspired people to stand up against unfair governments
What did reporters learn about in July 1992 in Bosnia?
they learned about Serb concentration camps
When U.N. General Romeo Dallaire arrived in Rwanda, what was his mission?
to keep peace and monitor a peace agreement between the Hutu and Tutsi groups
What is the number one reason migrants in China give for leaving their homes and families?
to pay for the education of their children
What did Iranians want from the U.S.?
to return the Shah to stand trial for his crimes
What marked the end of the genocide?
when Tutsi forces declared victory
How did the Iranian Hostage Crisis end?
with negotiations in Algeria for 9.5 billion dollars. The hostages were released just after Ronald reagan was sworn in as president
How did the Bosnian Genocide end?
with the U.S. and allied planes attacking the positions of the Bosnian Serbs